Jo Ritmus Muveszeti Nevelésért Alapitvany

The Napraforgó (Sunflower) Waldorf Elementary and Secondary School of Debrecen was established in 1996, so it celebrates its 24th birthday this year. The foundation is the establisher of the school. It is specializes in educating arts and crafts as well. Our school is situated in the center of Debrecen, and it consists of three main buildings where the classrooms, the eurhythmy hall, a handcraft workroom and a canteen can be found. Amongst the buildings, there is a yard with a playground and a small garden. 196 pupils attend 8 primary school classes at the moment. We have 21 teachers and 7 other colleagues. Habitually one class-teacher accompanies the children for the first 8 years and teaches the general subjects. Additionally, teachers specialized in different skills to educate them. The aim and main task of our Waldorf School are to make it possible for the teachers, the parents, and the children to create and maintain a social area where they can actively be present, cooperate, teach, help, and support each other no matter which generation they belong to. At present 132 families are parts of our community. The parents can take different tasks voluntarily. The collaboration of the parents and the teachers is essential in every Waldorf school. Our basic purpose is to create a school which is based on the Waldorf pedagogy, where children’s age and ability are taken into consideration, where they are helped to gain useable knowledge, to work, to create, to get to know themselves and to get acquainted with the world and live with it in harmony and in peace. We teach them how to discover, to recognize the beauty of nature, and also to respect it. As an Eco-School, our mission is to be in harmony and unity not only with the world and nature but also with ourselves and each other. We put a great emphasis on our traditions and feasts, so thus strengthening our community. Waldorf schools are usually called „the school of hands, heart and head”, because it offers a wide range of activities where the individual abilities can develop in harmonic rhythm. Intellectual, emotional and social competences are equally important for us. Our pedagogy is based on personality-centered education. In our school children are in a stress-free, trustful, creative and harmonic environment. We teach them how to want to become a useful member of society. The pupils’ timetables are made taking into consideration their age and their rhythm. Both teaching art and teaching in an artistic way are very important for us. During the 12 years of the Waldorf training musical, artistic, dramatic and dance education play an important role. These appear in one way or another on our monthly presentations, during our excursions, exhibitions and drama performances. The rhythm of the four seasons can be experienced and examined in our school garden which is an organic part of our school. The subject „garden-tillage” makes it possible for them to be part of nature and be responsible for it. During this, as a practical part of the process, they grow their own fruits, vegetables and flowers.