How wonderful to have you here! For three weeks now, our new first-graders have been enriching GALEMO. We are delighted to see how, day by day, they are settling into their new community. First friendships are forming, routines are becoming familiar, and with boundless curiosity, they are exploring, working, and learning.
Yet our Welcome Day is a special moment not only for the youngest. Many of our “old hands” also look forward to this ritual every year: all the children, adolescents, and educators line up together to form a long guard of honor. The youngest are the first to walk through and enter the school building, accompanied by the entire school community, followed gradually by everyone else. Almost like a symbolic pathway into a new beginning: carried by the community and at the same time ready for everything new that lies ahead. Afterwards, the school year traditionally begins with one of the Great Lessons of Montessori education—right at the very beginning: the creation of our world.
For many families, the new school routine is also beginning to fall into place. Right now, small Montessori routines can be especially helpful: from getting ready independently in the morning to small tasks and daily journeys that allow self-confidence and responsibility to grow.
Reading tip: In the blog article by Angela Hable, school counselor at GALEMO, you will find six practical ideas for an independent and relaxed daily school routine.
