2nd term 2009

This term went fast and was filled with much learning activity, laughter, community spirit, growth and all the stresses that rest on the few shoulders that start a new Waldorf initiative. Gabbeh held the fort in the classroom with the support of Maria, one of our parents for the first 4 weeks doing a mathematics main lesson adapted to the various ages (numberland to measurement, areas, volume, etc). Long awaited Sue Gurney joined the school after her visit overseas on 20 May 2009, her experience enriching all greatly. This enabled us to split the group into 2, giving all ages their due attention and curriculum content: the 3 littlies listening and drawing many letters discovered in fairy tales and learning all about numberland. The older group enjoyed an expansive man and animal main lesson, which ended with a free visit to monkeyland (THANK YOU!). Another parent inspiring children and adults alike, was Tamsyn with her great love and experience with claywork. She came (and will continue to come) once a week to create pots for the market with the children passing on her knowledge. Kurland Brick Factory showed us around their interesting operation, which fascinated all present and sent us home with a bakkie-load full of clay for the classroom. Our studio classroom at the bottom of Jenny's garden is proving a wonderful space and the walls are somehow expanding with the constant growth we are experiencing. May a new venue arise soon to incorporate 3 classrooms, office, kindergarten room, playgroup and playground! If you know of anyone able to assist us in finding and acquiring new premises, please do not hesitate to contact us ASAP!


Maria held the market initiative, which helps in a very steady way to improve our classroom and provides the necessary materials. By the end of term a market group had been established by 4 parents running the stall in turn. Unfortunately the whitsun dinner previously advertised on the blog was not taken up by anyone and no money was raised. Our first and only donation of R5000 arrived at the end of June by Mr Wolf Boemer, grandfather of Kiani and Tila - THANK YOU! St John's festival was celebrated with friends and family in Maria and Rose's home with the fireplace going strong, lantern flames dancing to the singing voices of all present. The children sang their songs in meaningful harmonies, leaving goosebumps on our skins.


By the end of the term we had grown to 9 children and 2 teachers, with more to come in the new term. Our teachers received their first little salary towards their efforts. Furthermore preparations are on their way for the new kindergarten and playgroup due to start in January 2010, gatherings with prospective parents and children have begun. The search for a home for our school is keeping us on our feet.



The holidays were used by Gabbeh to connect with the Windhoek Waldorf School, where all classes of the primary school are held in German: the class 6 performed "Das doppelte Lottchen" by Erich Kaestner, a wellknown author. This was very enjoyable. New friendships were made with founder Christiane on Krumhuk Bio-dynamic farm, who offered much support and encouragement to our initiative. Sue received a visit from Christiane and Martin Wigand exchanging and sharing valuable teaching and eurythmy experience. Friends in these times are invaluable. Now we just need some money .............


We urgently need desks and chairs - PLEASE HELP US WITH A DONATION FOR THIS PURPOSE.
We need 3 sponsorships - if you have a class of your own that would like to act as a godparent for the education of one of our children, PLEASE contact us.


Thank you to all those involved and those supporting us in these times - our families and partners are carrying huge loads with us, at times burdened at times enlightened by our efforts.


Gabriele Wellens

Our Autumn Festival

During the term we studied the Native American culture. Into this theme we wove rainbow sentences, played spelling games and did much creative writing in the form of poems and stories. We compared the 10 Indian commandments to those of Moses', sang and danced their prayers, told their stories and legends and crafted many special things, like dream catchers and leather recorder cases. All the children painted their favourite totem animals... and all agreed with the Indian wisdom: Take care of Mother Earth for future generations. Don't cut down all the trees and plant many seeds in the ground wherever you are.

Our autumn festival was shared in joy with our parents and friends on 3 April 2009. First we had a candle lighting ceremony with blessings and wishes for our School.

We started by singing the Navaho Blessing:

I ask all blessings

I ask them with reverence

Of our Mother the Earth

Peaceful, all is peaceful, all is peaceful

I am old age, the essence of life

I am the source of all happiness

All is peaceful, all in beauty

All in harmony, all in joy.

Gabbeh and the children played some quartet/duet recorder pieces leading into our play "The children of Queen Dora". We concluded our festival with a lovely feast on our little verandah.

Thank you to all those that participated and came to be with us.

Ways in which you can help us

1. Sponsorships for school fees

2. We urgently need wooden school desks and chairs for junior primary and senior primary school

kindergarten chairs and natural toys

3. Be the School's Benefactor by carrying our running cost deficit for 3-7 years

4. Donate 3-5ha of land to the School that we can build our own School with ecological materials and means

5. Sponsor the building of one or more classrooms, hall, admin building, kindergarten, playground equipment, etc. This is only possible once we have obtained land.

6. Sponsor a teacher:
a.) Teacher’s salary for x- amount of months/years
b.) A Bachelor of Education through UNISA for one of our assistants
c.) Travelling, accommodation and entrance fee of the 2 annual national Waldorf teachers’ conferences
d.) Teacher training mentor fee

Please contact the School for more details.

Mission Statement & Vision

Mission Statement
As committed educators, we strive to provide excellent quality Waldorf education within a wholesome and nurturing environment, accessible and open to the community of Plettenberg Bay and its environs.

Vision
* To work in the light of Anthroposophy
* To provide Waldorf education for children of all ages
* To enable learners to develop their full potential and meet their destiny as creative, free and responsible individuals
* To put special emphasis on excellence in all our activities and provide a natural, enlivening and enriching learning experience for all involved
* To provide a rich training ground for music, drama and the arts
* To foster reverence, respect and responsibility for the whole Community and Nature
* To encourage and facilitate conscious relationship to one’s Self and others
* To establish a strong self-sustaining School and to strive to be affordable to those requesting our education
* To play an active role in the ongoing research and development of Waldorf education in our Country, preparing children and adults for the economic, ecological, social and cultural challenges of our time
* To research and implement ways to make Waldorf education accessible to rural communities in South Africa and Africa
* To provide ongoing teacher training in Waldorf methodology
* To facilitate self-development courses and workshops for adults
* To enable cultural exchange programmes with schools of other nations
* To be surrounded by happy children who love to learn

“Education and development are seeds one to the other: the key is the humanization of schools and the development of a comprehensive curriculum based on the worth of the whole individual.”

Steve Biko

The School

Raphaeli School is currently operating as a Homeschool in Wittedrift, a little country village on the Bitou River, 9kms outside of Plettenberg Bay on the Garden Route, South Coast, South Africa.

Currently six children come together daily under the loving guidance of Gabriele Wellens, devoted mother, psychophonetic therapist, educator and writer/artist, and soon to join us, Sue Gurney, widely respected and internationally experienced state and Waldorf Teacher and writer/artist.

The Waldorf curriculum forms the core of the teaching guideline; lessons, games, songs and activities are then planned and adapted to encorporate the individual level of each child. Music and drama, arts and crafts, movement and constant ecological awareness form an important part of our lives, where the different main lesson contents can be experienced in various ways and thus be integrated. Being situated in a rural environment supports the aim to surround and infuse the children with beauty, goodness and truth at all times.

The vision is to grow into a Waldorf Kindergarten, Primary and High School in the Bitou area.

Raphaeli School can be contacted at:

raphaeli@telkomsa.net or raphaelischool@gmail.com