Rose Ceremony, Welcome First Graders, Tuesday, September 6th

A tradition of Waldorf schools around the world, the incoming first graders are welcomed to their new world by the eighth graders on the first day of school.

This simple ceremony is a marker of an important transition for the children. Entering the grades is something many of the Kindergartners have thought a lot about and look forward to. It marks an important developmental milestone as the individuality and capability of each child emerges and grows. Each incoming first grader will receive a rose from one of the eighth grade students as a gesture of welcome into grade school.

Watching the exchange between the oldest and youngest students is always touching and very intimate. Little ones look up to the bigger students with awe and admiration, eager to follow in their footsteps. The older students remember back to their own first days at school. The Rose Ceremony is often charged with high feelings of anticipation and release.

The memories made stay with the whole community for a lifetime. It is a quiet and solemn event both at the beginning and at the end of the school year.