It has been almost a month since we returned to school. Looking back at those early September days, we recall saying goodbye to our most dear summer memories while reflecting upon the new daily rhythm.

The beginning of the school year is always full of expectation and new challenges. The children come to school eager to learn, to reunite with their classmates and to meet new ones.

The first day at Rudolf Steiner School, here in NYC, starts with a ritual of a picture in front of one of our buildings: a memento for the year(s) to come.

It is unequivocally a very special day for classes one and twelve (and their parents).

Each school year begins and concludes with the Rose Ceremony, giving us a “full circle” experience through the welcoming and farewell roses exchanged between the first and the twelfth graders.

Both classes will team up during Michaelmas, pumpkin carving, and other activities and festivals throughout the year and solidify this special bond.

Offering a rose to first graders represents a welcoming gesture and a message of what they will become, creating for them a feeling of anticipation towards the school journey. For the senior class, this moment brings a stream of flashbacks filled with gratitude and new responsibilities.