Why Star Child?

Many have asked why I chose the name Star Child for my school and not something more nature related…

Star Child Nature School takes its name from Waldorf education as part of the telling of the birthday story. The birthday story depicts the journey of how parent and child find each other. Please use the link below to find a similar story to the one I told during my LifeWays training that inspired me to take on the name Star Child for my school.

Not too much later, as if in validation, I discovered two stories, The Star Child by The Brother’s Grimm and The Star Tree by Catherine Hyde. The first is the tale of a young girl that in selfless love gives all that she has to others showing a compassion worthy of imitation. The second takes us on a dreamlike adventure with Mia to the star tree, from which the Star Child logo was inspired.

Star Child or star children, by definition, has spiritual connotations. A simple google search of the words will lead to sites with names such as “powerofpositivity.com” and “paranormal.lovetoknow.com” which may make you wonder what you’re getting into. But one click will tell you that the concept of star children, while perhaps a bit fanciful, offers characteristics that are ones to strive for. Star children assist in bringing humankind into a new existence, they are creative and gifted in art, music and science, they may not enjoy the spotlight but rather are innovators that bring new ideas to the world, are highly intelligent, are leaders, are accepting of others and adaptable to change, have deep compassion, are wise (old souls), are deeply forgiving and full of unconditional love using this loving nature to help those around them. They bring peace.

Too outside the box for you? Perhaps, but I see nature school children changing the world for the better. I see eyes open to not only understanding differences but the curiosity to learn more about them. I see compassion and empathy for each other, insects, plants and wildlife. I see love for all. I see hope.

Star Child is founded on the philosophy that children need the freedom of movement, exploration, discovery and play to grow and develop their physical body in order to build a strong foundation for emotional and cognitive learning to come. Allowing children to learn in an outdoor environment fosters curiosity, compassion, creativity, confidence and connection to the natural world. Experiences at Star Child are multi-sensory, real, open ended and without judgement.

Our main goal is to embrace childhood. Those fleeting years filled with discovery and wonder, magic and the feeling that all is good in the world.  Our hope is that all of our students know how much they are valued and respected. Our want is days filled with laughter, joy and a sense of well-being. Our wish is that each child leaves empowered, knowing they are strong and capable human beings ready for the next stages of childhood, able to find solace in nature if necessary and filled with enough love to change the world.

Welcome to the Star Child Nature School family, we’re grateful to have you!


Love,

Melissa Sheppard

Founder