Michael Mount Waldorf School honours learners of Grade 1 with rose ceremony

School has officially commenced and learners of Michael Mount Waldorf School were all geared up to show the world that they were more than capable of changing the world for the better.

The school welcomed this year’s Grade 1 learners with a traditional ‘rose ceremony’ that took place in the auditorium. Parents of the learners were invited to share the special moment with their children on January 18.

The Grade 1 ceremony goes back to when Michael Mount first opened its doors to the public. The significant celebration of the young learners marks a special moment when children are both celebrated and acknowledged for taking a big step into a new chapter.

“The young learners get walked in by their parents to their classroom,” explained Christine Seuffert of the school’s marketing and communications department. “Learners in Grade 8 have an important task of taking the Grade 1s to the auditorium for the rose ceremony.

“The reason why the learners in Grade 8 are given this responsibility is because both grades fall under the same transitioning period. The learners in Grade 1 all make their way to the auditorium with the assistance of the Grade 8s and take their seats on stage. The children [Grade 1s] are then supported by their nursery teachers who then walk them through the arch and say goodbye.

“On the other side of the arch, each [Grade 1] learner is given a rose by a Grade 12 learner which marks the start of their primary school journey.”

Lamlile Soko, a parent and teacher at the school expressed her excitement of seeing her Grade 1 child during the ceremony. “I have three children in total. My oldest child matriculated last year and my youngest is starting primary. I am so excited for all three of them, it is a big milestone and I am looking forward to new and old challenges along my way,” she said.