Insights

This page will contain various insights from our community members, including thoughts and comments from parents, faculty, mentors, and students.

********

Some feedback from a new parent on the first day of school at MWS Timberland Heights, who witnessed, for the first time, the Flower Ceremony that welcomed incoming Grade 1 students, and new students and their parents:

“How are you? We had a wonderful experience at this morning’s Flower Ceremony. I guess you can expect insights from a ‘new’ Waldorf parent from me I hope you don’t mind.

It was wonderful because of certain aspects:

The venue was more than ideal! With the backdrop of nature – trees and rolling hills and mountains in the distance; the background sound of birds and insects, with the occasional roar and clank of a backhoe from the distance you could tune out; the sun was hot, but the breeze was cool.

The songs! Beginning with the ‘Lupang Hinirang’ to government specifications sung by the students of the higher years; Cat Steven’s ‘Morning Has Broken’ among other songs from the teachers with the accompaniment of the ensemble of recorder and violin — and the harp!

The harp transported me to a different place totally! Nothing can beat children’s voices raised in unison to the accompaniment of instruments

The ceremony itself! The effect on the spirit was ‘parang graduation’ (like a graduation)! It was wonderful that the graduating class personally escorted the new students to their places. And the ‘awarding’ of lilies to the new students — our kids included — announced by their respective teachers (or should I say, mothers).

Spiritually and emotionally, the effect was an upliftment and emphasis that the school is alive!

It continues . . . like parentheses on both ends of a meaningful sentence, the ceremony did not only include the graduating class and the new class, rather it encompassed and embraced all the levels in between. Ang galing! (Really great!)

And not to forget that we did not go through the ceremony guessing. On the contrary, we had co-parents standing beside us pointing out what was happening and what we could expect next. This ceremony was not only for our kids, it also included us, the parents.

I might have left out some details of the ceremony — I’m sorry. But, I do not write professionally and we felt we had to tell someone. It was a feast for the eyes, the ears, the spirit & the soul . . . we’re lucky to be at Waldorf at this first day at Timberland Heights; and to have been led to the Manila Waldorf School at this time of the children’s lives.

We can only be thankful! Maraming, maraming salamat po!

- NAPOLEON PG QUEJADA, JR.7/12/10