I have been a teacher at Árbol de Vida Waldorf School here in San Miguel for 10 years. Each day when I arrive at the school, my soul expands, it opens up. I am enraptured by the love and dedication that dwells in our school.
In the space of 25 years, many generations have passed, not only of students, but also of teachers and forms of governance.
The school, originally named Los Charcos, dates back to 1998 and its founder, Jayne Marie Rager. She, with the impulse of a dream, took the initial steps to start this great adventure of a school based on Waldorf pedagogy. The name of the community changed to Árbol de Vida (Tree of Life) in August of 2012.
The years have been full of stories, some very good and some challenging. Such is the being that lives in our hearts and on a tranquil, sequestered tract of land ten minutes outside of town, where parents and teachers full of enthusiasm work together to create a better world with loving adults aware of their environment. With this conviction and strength we move forward.
One of the marvelous qualities that touch me most is the diversity of children in our community. Our students, along with their parents come from all over the world, and from all walks of life. There is a similar range of teachers, who come from the United States, Chile, Argentina, Spain, all with the same dream of educating with love.
Personally, when I discovered Waldorf education, I knew I had found something that had been missing in my own childhood. Since then, my perception of education has changed radically. It ceased to be just a formality and became a path towards the integral development of the Human Being.
The philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, who created the foundations of Waldorf education in 1919, is based on anthroposophy, which emphasizes freedom and creativity as pillars to form altruistic and free-thinking adults. This approach challenges Waldorf teachers immensely, especially as we seek to understand how best to address the needs of children in a world increasingly focused on technology and the academic-intellectual side prematurely.
But we teachers are not alone in addressing the school's challenges. Parents play a major role in bringing Waldorf education to fruition. Support in all areas, such as campus maintenance, construction, volunteering, festivals, etc. is essential. The work of our administrative and maintenance staff is also crucial. We have learned that we are all in this together and that we are all the educational community.
On Wednesday, April 24, at the magnificent Casa Angelitos, we will be hosting a beautiful event, Music Under the Full Moon. It will be a lovely opportunity to enjoy and support the magic of the Árbol de Vida Waldorf School.
performers:
- Miguel Omaña playing classical guitar
- Flamenco trio Medina Laqant
- DJ Fernando Gonzalez AKA El señor playing some chill electronic music
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Veronica Genta developed an extensive relationship with people of the indigenous Mapuche culture of Chile. The Mapuche allowed her to access the knowledge of their worldview through the study of textile art and practice with medicinal plants.
She has training and experience in the field of theater, both in the Teatro de los Sentidos (Theater of the Senses, Spain) and also as a member of the Rumel Mülen Artistic Collective (Chile).
Veronica teaches at the Arbol de Vida (Tree of Life) Waldorf School, in association with which she is certified in Pedagoga Curativa. She is also an avid gardener.
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