A Rose By Any Other Name...
Elementary and middle school students at the Waldorf School of Lexington started the school year with one of Waldorf education’s most heart-warming traditions…the Rose Ceremony.
Eighth graders, entering the last year of their Waldorf journey, welcomed incoming first graders to the beginning of their journey with the gift of a rose.
Like most Waldorf celebrations, the event was filled with music. The sweet notes of a harp welcomed students, parents, faculty, and staff. And everyone joined in singing favorite school songs.
As tall teenagers stooped over timid six- and seven-year-olds, offering an encouraging smile and a guiding hand, the strong relational quality of Waldorf education was evident.
At WSL, students learn in connection with others. Strong bonds are formed with the class teacher, subject teachers, and peers—with whom students collaborate, discuss, disagree, and resolve conflicts.
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After the ceremony, first and eighth graders gathered outside, beginning a friendship that will grow throughout the year.
In June, we complete the circle with another Rose Ceremony, as the first graders bid goodbye to their eighth grade buddies and send them off to high school with a rose.
We are all on a journey of one kind or another, and our bonds with each other are what support us along the way.
The rose, passed from old to young and back again, symbolizes the strength of those relationships and the vital role they play in Waldorf education.
