Class 8’s Fundraiser Bonfire Night: Firelight, Starlight & Fireworks

October 10 2023

Fire is a powerful and transformative element that holds great significance in Steiner Waldorf education, integrated into various aspects of the curriculum and daily school life, especially in the colder months. Class 8 have decided to focus their fundraising efforts around the naked flame. Read on below.

The element of fire is woven into the curriculum at Edinburgh Steiner School, from the bonfire each Friday the Kindergarten children experience, to the candle in the clay dragon holders on each of the tables at the recent whole school Michaelmas Meal, to the upcoming Martinmas Festival next month, celebrated by the Early Years and Classes 1 – 4, who make lanterns to each carry a tealight and take part in the Lantern Walk; as well as the Class 12 Halloween Ceilidh.

A few weeks after this festival, the School’s largest fundraiser, the Christmas Market, extends this experience of hand-making a beeswax candle to the wider public as part of the day’s programme.

Following the pupils return from the Advent Preparation Days, each Class hand-dips a beeswax candle, which the pupils light each morning as part of the festive month of December. During the Advent Spiral the younger pupils also light their wicks from a central candle.

This year the Christmas Concert falls on Saint Lucy’s Day, where the beautiful Santa Lucia Procession is lead by a woman wearing a crown of candles on her head.

To end the term, Classes 1 & 12 together light the candles on the Christmas Tree in the assembly.

Candlemas is marked in the School Calendar with making and lighting an earth candle with the younger pupils.

St John’s Festival in June has a tradition where the children write something that they’d like to let go of or change onto a piece of paper. These are collated in a paper boat; which is then burned on the bonfire. The pupils them jump through a symbolic hoop of flames.

Class 5 take part in the Waldorf Olympics in July, opened by the fire procession.

In Waldorf schools a kiln is typically built during the Chemistry Main Lesson in the Lower School to demonstrate the archetypal chemical process of transforming calcium carbonate into quicklime.

The experiment requires that calcium carbonate (substances such as limestone, marble, sea shells, & chalk) are burned in a kiln where the temperature reaches above 1000°C. In 2019 Class 7 returned to campus and applied this knowledge to then build the current clay oven on campus. (Read Crafting Chemistry), which they then used the following year as the focal point of their fundraising, rustling up clay-baked pizzas for the School community.

Each year, Class 8 have taken on this fundrasing initiative on Thursdays, starting the fire at 10am and tending to it until after lunch. They offer these delicious pizzas to the wider public to sample at the Christmas Market and Spring Fair.

Current Class 8 have decided to stick with the element of fire when fundraising. The below image was drawn by Class 8 pupil, Heidi, to promote their upcoming event on Guy Fawkes.

Please join Jacaranda (Class 8) for a very special bonfire night celebration. As darkness falls, gather round the fire at our family friendly event. Ticket price includes a delicious dinner of baked potatoes with a choice of toppings and salads, followed by apple crumble and custard. Firelight, starlight and to finish the evening off a dazzling firework display!

We are fundraising for the Class Exchange trip to Germany. This school trip has been a long standing tradition in the School, where each year Class 8 ‘swaps’ schools and families with a class in Germany for a few weeks. This will be the first year that the exchange will be resuming after the pandemic.

Bonfire NIght: November 4^th 5.30 – 8.00pm. Tickets £7 adult £5 child £20 family (2+2) – BUY TICKETS

We will also have a few more treats available for a small additional charge. This event will be held outside so please dress warmly (unless it’s pouring when we will eat inside).

Children under Class 8 (14 years old) must be supervised by an adult.

https://mailchi.mp/edinburghsteinerschool/tn-10-oct

Read the full Tuesday Notice here: Edinburgh Steiner School’s weekly ezine

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Waldorf Reading Group Begins Tomorrow

Weekend Waldorf Workshop: Caran D’ache Drawing

Tickets Selling Fast For Halloween Ceilidh

Christmas Market Bulletin

Half Term Starts 1pm On Thursday

Class 8’s Fundraiser Bonfire Night: Firelight, Starlight & Fireworks

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