Community & School Festivals
During the year, the school and the PAC coordinate mini-festivals both in-school and for the general community to come join in the fun to celebrate the various seasons and to help foster wonder, reverence and gratitude.
These are a great way to celebrate Waldorf education, meet other families, build relationships with the broader Sea to Sky community and support the school’s values and vision for the future.
Festival of Courage (Michaelmas)
Saint Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Celtic tradition, St. Michael represents the unconquered hero, fighting against evil and the powers of darkness.
This shared feast day is a gathering of the whole school community in October. It reminds us of the inner courage it takes to face our human challenges. As the days grow colder and the nights grow longer, we must find and bring forth our own inner light when the sun, warmth and growth of the earth are fading.
Lantern Walk (Martinmas)
For the Early Years, this beautiful, peaceful parade of lights and festivities occurs during a early evening in November, where playschool to Grade 2 students make their own handmade lanterns and as day turns to night, the students and their families carry these shining lights in a parade. Each lantern symbolizes and celebrates the inner light and life of each student.
Winter Garden (Advent Spiral)
The Early Years Advent Spiral (sometimes referred to as the Winter Garden) is a celebration of winter festivities and traditions. This is one of the most beautiful and memorable of the winter festivals that families of the Playschool and Kindergarten (sometimes Grade 1 and 2), share at the beginning of the holiday season in December.
In a room lit by candles and smelling of evergreens, the children go one at a time through the spiral of evergreens to the center of the garden. Each child lights their candle and then places it somewhere on the pathway to light the way for the next child. It is a reminder of the journey inward each of us must make during the dark days ahead.
Winter Faire
Winter Faire occurs each December before Christmas and is a chance to invite the community to come and enjoy the winter season making seasonal crafts with the children. The school and Field House are decorated with fragrant evergreens and there are a number of craft tables, a magic Cookie House, fresh baked goods, caroling, puppet shows and storytelling. All crafts are in the Waldorf genre: natural, simple and beautiful!
May Faire
May Faire is an ancient festival honoring the change of seasons from darkness to light. The tree of life was part of this festival and is now represented by the Maypole. Our school hosts a May Faire in early May that is open to the entire community with Maypole dancing, songs, food and children’s activities.
