Month: August 2020

Click here to book a session – or several :-).

The arrival of the Perseid meteor showers signals the start of autumn. The days are now noticeably shorter and the temperature drops. The heady, leisurely days of summer are over, and thoughts turn to more serious things. It must have been a time of reckoning for our ancestors.

They would have a sense of how much food they had after the harvest and what they had to bring them through the winter to next spring. Food would have to be stored and preserved. Portioned out. If it was a terrible summer (such as this one was), then the following months would be dangerous ones. Or perhaps there was a delight in an abundant year and a quiet celebration that there would be less of a hardship in the cold, long, dark end of winter months would have been the satisfaction of the village.

Because of this, this time of the year has traditionally been associated with not only the harvest, but courage – to take up your sword and meet the challenges that lie ahead. There was gratitude, of course, but there was also a steeling of resolve.

In Steiner schools the world over, this is known as the Michaelmas term and September is the time of the Michaelmas challenges. This is because Michael was the archangel of balance – light and dark (think of the autumnal equinox) – and vanquishing the forces of darkness.

Taking inspiration from this, our curriculum in September will be inspired by the harvest, foraged food, and dragons.

Dragons are very interesting aren’t they? In medieval iconography they are not slayed, but tamed. It was thought that if you are able to tame your dragon, you are well on your way to self possession. The Tibetians called this riding the wind-horse of lung-ta.

Dragons aren’t all bad of course. In China, they are seen as a symbol of extremely good luck! If you are born in the year of the Dragon, you are considered EXTREMELY lucky. Nevertheless dragons are a symbol of power and enormous potential.

Here are some very famous dragons:

In Spirited Away, Haku is a river which was concreted over and therefore had lost his way. In Chinese and East Asian mythology – even Hindu mythology – dragons known as loong or nagas – are associated with not fire, but water and the air. They bring the rains or untold destruction in the form of floods. Dragons are protectors and ward off evil. They are often seen alongside phoenixes.

Dragons in the West are associated with wonderful lore, including the hoarding of gold. Because gold cannot be set on fire and is a soft metal, dragons would use them as the bedding. In the most famous of myths and literature, the dragon which guarded the treasure which Siegfried sought, was slayed by him. When he tasted the blood of the roasting heart he was able to understand the language of the birds. This dragon reappears in Beowulf. The dragon in the Hobbit is based directly on these two giants of classic mythology.

Dragons in Norse mythology appear as protectors. The Viking longships were famously carved with dragons as mastheads.

The Mother of Dragons weirdly has a connection with Chinese Literature where Nu Kwa the Chinese goddess of order is able to create the world from chaos. There are of course any number of females who are associated with serpents – from Eve and Lilith in the Bible to the female nagas of Hindu mythology.

So come along for a Forest School experience which isn’t just about being outdoors, but also infusing meaning to the outdoors. Reconnecting not just physically and intellectually, but on a soul and spirit level too!!!

Details of sessions and how to book them are found here.

To book for a session go here. To read about our curriculum which is steeped in science, art, nature and magic.

How did we begin Elements Forest and Garden School? It came for the deep wish to bring art, science, spirit and nature together.

Children need to feel wonder with the world – and all too often, wonder was being taken out at too young an age. The other thing they needed was to be in nature. Whether it was at the top of a mountain or by the lough shore, nature and children belong together.

This connection has been shown to not only be good physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. And since children will be the custodians of the planet – we look after it for each successive generation – they needed to know and love it.

There was also the intuition that everything around us is alive and we are in partnership with it. So… we decided that we would ensure that this understanding and respect for the seen and unseen and everything in between would be an important part of our sessions. That it would be filled with world literature, traditions and activities which were nonetheless deeply rooted in the immediate place around us.

So our sessions will always include deep play. But in addition to that we will have seasonal stories which are never dumbed down. We will have activities which speak to the soul. We will learn skills without realising we have done so. We will always bear the cosmos in mind and our wider responsiblity to the world.

And we believe we can do this one child, one forest school session at a time. It does sound overly worthy but those were the reasons… however this does not mean that it won’t be fun. Because that’s what it is all about, fun. And I promise, they won’t even realise they are learning.

The thing about wonder is that it keeps us interested in the world… and it then inspires us to do something about it – and for it. And so we come full circle… Elements Forest and Garden School. We hope you’ll be able to join us.

Elements Forest and Garden School is run by Educators who have worked in some of Northern Ireland’s most unique settings – including 2 of the top School Visit sites. With a real passion for the outdoors and the many health and learning benefits that being in green spaces brings, Elements is proud to offer its STEM and Art focused sessions.

We will be engaging participants with the life and landscape of the location as well as getting hands on with investigations as well as natural crafts and art. With a “leave no trace” emphasis, children will leave with a deeper understanding of the place, supporting their learning as well as having had fun!

Who are Elements?

Elements is run by Stephanie Sim (RSPB, Waldorf Teacher) and Jonathan
McMurray (W5 Schools Presenter, Ulster Folk Museum Education and former SENCO). Between them Stephanie and Jonathan have a love of the outdoors, the environment, strong education and research backgrounds and a real knowledge of how children learn best. These sessions will provide a wealth of learning material to help school and home learning across a range of subjects.

Some Questions Answered:

How do I book?
Click here and fill in your details! (Note that until payment is received we cannot confirm your booking).

How do I pay?
Via PayPal or BACS. We will give you those details when we accept your booking. If you have questions about prices and payment methods get in touch at hello@elementsschool.net and we will help you to decide.

What if the weather is bad?
Provided there is no yellow warning issued, we will go ahead! We will inform you if the session is cancelled and you will either be able to get the session deferred or a full refund.

How much is it?
Check the sessions – we generally charge £18 per child for two hours – and there is a sibling discount. There is also a monthly booking discount.

What ages is this for?
Ages 6-12.

Do I need to stay with my children for the duration?
Not at all. Please leave them off and collect promptly at the end 🙂

Do we need to bring equipment?
Not for any of our activities – we provide those. However your child must be dressed appropriately and ready for the weather!

What are you doing to prevent COVID transmission?
Although being outdoors is a lower risk, we are COVID aware and will maintain all relevant government guidance at the time of the workshop. Currently this includes social distancing throughout, hand sanitizing and health checks. More info will be given to booking participants.
Please have a look at further posts for details of each week.