President's Letter Winter 2023
Working Together Collaboratively and Therapeutically
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Winter 2023 issue of the AHE Newsletter. We have an impressive line-up of inspiring articles written by experts in the field of Child Development, Art, and Movement Education. This is Part 1 of an overarching theme of collaborative work within specific therapeutic modalities to support the child of today.
Current AHE news:
First, some old AHE news. Mary Jo Oresti found an interesting article on AHE's early history in her archives. To read it, click here: Pietzner Article
AHE board members and friends have been working on various projects to stay timely with the needs of schools and the best venues to bring them to you.
The AHE program of Pop-up Presentations for Waldorf Educational Support program graduates, their colleagues, and friends working in schools, private practice, and other settings is underway, as we share topics that provide helpful information and practical tools for educators. For more information see the announcement on the home page of our website AHE Home
An Early Childhood Webpage has been added to the AHE website containing an ongoing supply of helpful articles written for early childhood educators and parents. To visit, click here: AHE Early Childhood Resources
Our children come to school with an ever-longer list of needs. AHE can help you and your class, at no cost to you. We have applied for a renewal of the grant supporting our online consulting, and we are continuing to consider applications on a rolling basis. For more information, and to apply for the program, click here Online Consulting
Last fall we provided an online program, “Today’s Learner”, for the faculty at Portland Waldorf School. If your school might be interested in holding a group workshop event, you can find more information and a contact form by clicking here: School Workshops.
AHE’s Educational Support Program (ESP) began a new 3 year cycle in the fall of 2021, with in-person attendance hosted by the Waldorf School of Lexington in Massachusetts. Lately much content has focused on the work of guest presenter, Stephanie Johnson, author and creator of Baby Bare. For more information about our ESP program contact Connie Helms connie@healingeducation.org
Best wishes for a delightful, rejuvenating and uplifting spring and summer.
Sincerely,
Betty Jane Enno
President, Association for a Healing Education
Beneficial Movement Activities
Gerry LaDolce, Spacial Dynamics, Extra Lesson, and Waldorf class teacher, shares insights and activities he has found helpful over 41 years of working with students of all ages. He discusses the importance of the sense of balance and the benefits of string games, hand clap activities, and rhythmic games.
To read or download the entire article, click here: Beneficial Movement Activities
Painting Problems: Making Aesthetic Sense of Colour
This article, originally a chapter in the book Painting with Hand, Head and Heart appeared in the December 2022 issue of Renewal of the Art of Painting, and is included here with permission.
"The painting lesson should be a quiet colour-choir where each child's picture sounds forth within the harmony of the whole class. Colours are a living language of nature and the equivalent expression of emotions in sentient beings. The painting lesson is an opportunity to develop the organs of perception that can unfold directly out of the feeling life, the capacity for cognitive feeling, and emotional intelligence." To read and/or download the entire article click here: Painting
Creating Healing Movement Activities Through Observing and Understanding Children’s Movement
Robyn Brown, always with Steiner's Curative Education Course in mind, explains insightful ways to observe children in the three planes of space when a child is walking or running. When we do this, we are really observing the condition of the three soul forces; thinking, feeling, and willing, and the importance of the right relationship to gravity and levity, expansion and contraction, and balance.
To read and/or download the entire article click here: Healing Movement
Revitalizing the Home Arts with Young Children
An excerpt from What is This Childhood, soon to be published by SteinerBooks, is included here with permission.
Revitalizing Home Arts: Finding our Place on Earth
"The early years are the time of sensory/motor development and primitive reflex integration. Both lay the foundation for further growth and efficient learning later on. Today’s
increases in the need for extra support in these areas match decreasing rhythmic, large motor movements in the modern child’s environment." Young children live more fully in perception than conception. This journey into childhood will heighten our presence in each moment, enlivening our speech to help preserve our children’s sense of wonder and spiritual connection.
To read or download the excerpt, click here: What Is This Childhood
