Messenger - Summerfield Waldorf School

Summerfield WALDORF SCHOOL AND FARM
Messenger
Volume 22
Issue 11
June 11, 2010
LAST MESSENGER of the SCHOOL YEAR!
“The Appreciation Edition”
Congratulations to Our Graduating Senior Class!
I wanted to extend a
HUGE thank you to
Leslie Young and Karen
Cabron for their help in
making the Messenger
as perfect as it can be!
They were in the
background making
sure spelling and
grammar were up to par,
and for always writing a
needed article (or two or
three!), thank you, thank
you!
Also providing
necessary assistance
were Tracy Saucier and
Sallie Miller. Their help
is sincerely appreciated!
What a team we have!
Thank you so very much
to all the community
members who provided
pictures and artwork,
etc. Without
contributions from all,
this publication would
not be the first-class
school newsletter that it
is. Please keep them
coming!
Here’s to the
Messengers and minis of
the next school year!
~Andrea Trinei, Editor
Class of 2010
Maxwell Michael Allen,
Santa Rosa Junior College
Samantha Marina Graf,
California College of the Arts
Amanda Mae Mundelius,
Santa Rosa Junior College
Samuel Jensen Arntz,
Chico State University
Elizabeth Rose GrahamMcRae, Loyola Marymount
Regina Jelianne Onorato,
Marlborogh College
Lyla Clayre Crawford
Levis, Marymount Manhattan
Phoebe Rose Kobabe,
Santa Rosa Junior College
Sela Joseph Shiloni,
Cal Arts
Hannah Jane Dakin,
Royal Welch College of Music
and Drama
Madison Ray Lloyd,
Year-long Apprenticeship at
Blue Hill Stables in Pennsylvania
Erica Nicole Thomas,
UCLA
Alexandria Schorg
Forsyth,
Portland State University
Brian Massey-Todd,
University of San Francisco
Nathan Gene Gale,
California College of the Arts
Fiona Rose Melia,
Gap Year, then
Bennington College
Lidia Filomena ShafferTropeano, UC Santa Cruz
Vincent Gabriel
Valentin, Loyola Marymount
Katie Rose Welp,
University of Santa Clara
Messenger
Page 2
We Offer Our Most Heartfelt Farewells!
It is with some sadness that we must say goodbye to several of our fabulous teachers and staff:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Kenneth Melia - high school biology teacher, here for 23 years
Kathleen Neuwirth - kindergarten teacher, here for 20 years
Katherine (Waldman) Presley - lower school eurythmy teacher, here for 10 years
Kimberly McCormick - Roots & Shoots assistant, here for 1 year
Moishe Hahn-Shuman - school chef, here for 6 years
Chelsea Weisel - chef's assistant, here for 1 year
We wish them the best of everything in the future. We so appreciate the gifts they have brought to
our school over the years, through their warm presence and excellent work. A heart-felt and resounding thank-you to
each of these amazingly dedicated individuals - we will miss you all!
A Letter from the Board President
As another school year comes to a close, I want to wish you and your families a wonderful summer on behalf of the
Board. This school year has been a challenging one for many in our community, and indeed, around the globe. We are
continuing to endure one of the most difficult economic times in our nation’s history, but I am proud of the work that our
community has done together to fulfill our commitment to help those around us. We were able to provide over $750,000
in aid and emergency assistance to families in need this year (which was nearly double the level of historical assistance the
school has provided), and we also came together as a community to dig deep and reach our Annual Giving Campaign
goals.
Other highlights of the year included Farm to Feast, which was a terrific success and continues to bloom as a premier
food, wine and art fundraiser, rivaling the best in the region. We held our first annual Farm Dance this year, which by all
accounts was an exemplary evening and definitely a tradition in the making, and also had a very successful and informative
All-School Community Meeting. From an outreach perspective, the press we received this year was unprecedented, and
the recognition we received in both the broader community and internally has never been better. Our first annual Alumni
Reunion event was a fantastic start, with over 200 alumni attendees from as far back as our first graduating class and very
positive feedback for future events. (Continued on Page Four)
Many Thanks from the Development Office
Welcome to the
beginning of
summer break. I'd
like to thank the
students, staff,
faculty and board of
Summerfield for their welcome to a
new Development Director this
school year. Learning to know the
children, teens and adults, on- and
off- campus, has been a pleasure.
Working with you is rewarding and,
as we grow more financially stable, I
hope a spirit of giving continues to
set the tone.
Our live events this year focused on
scholarships; the First Annual Farm
Dance and Farm to Feast 2010
together raised about $85,000 gross
(online auction receipts to be
determined after June12th) and
priceless good will. Our Annual
Giving campaign contributions are
approximately $185,000 dedicated to
the General Fund, and it, too,
generated almost 100% support from
the entire community. Our alumni
now have a firm meeting date and
place for an annual reunion, and we
will watch them develop new
connections. Fortunately, recent
rains have rendered the farm more
lush than usual, and it's a joy to
experience. Festivals seem
appropriate every day.
As we near the end of classes and
through the coming months, parents,
staff and new Development
Committee members, Karla Peyton
and Ivo Austin, are working with
Jeffrey Westman and I to increase
our 2010-2011 fundraising receipts.
The Board is launching a capital
campaign to finance the new
driveway and subsequent
improvements. Expect to hear more
about how we are moving ahead to
expand and build financially as well
as physically. More online auctions
may be in our future as we learn to
share the generosity and talents of
our community and supporters on an
ongoing basis. Collaborations with
other schools are on the horizon as
our students reach out to share the
wealth of knowledge and skills they
have, and as other campuses reach
out to us, too.
Blessings over the summer,
Andrea Johnston,
Development Director
Messenger
Page 3
Congratulations to our Eighth Grade Graduates!
You are warmly invited to attend the 8th Grade Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 13th, at 2pm in Sophia Hall.
Florian Michael Basmajian
Solé Anajulia Whitmore Graham
Gabriel Lees Rubin
Nathaniel Bell
Danielle Monique Harriman
Chloé Carmen Serkissian
Joshua Teuscher Boshell
John David Joslyn
Mateo Elias Crawford Strawbridge
Cooper Quinn Casad
Aeryn Elizabeth Jungerman
Richard Alec Thomas
Parker Milestone Dean
Rose Elaine MacDonald
Naima Estelle Valentin
Brian Nathaniel Emory
Sophie Louise O’Hare
Gabriel Thomas Whitson
Isaiah Scott Evans
Mary Rose Ohlin
Isabelle R. Zimmerman
Rowan Marie Foley
Jordan Casey Riggs
Sonja Helena Graf
Phoebe Frazier Rodgers
Thank You Volunteers!
What happens at our school because of volunteers?
Down on the Farm, in the soil that has been tended by thousands of hands for
decades, a potato was planted last spring. As it began to grow, it was tended and
weeded by students – and volunteers. When the potato was harvested and ready to
eat, the 8th Graders – with the help of volunteers – baked it to feed the school in
our Friday Hot Lunch program.
One morning in early May, as the students when into their classrooms, the maypole
stood on the lawn and buckets of flowers were scattered around campus. A few
hours later, the students came out to see the campus transformed; flowers hung
from the roofs, flags danced in the breeze and all sorts of games had been arranged
– by volunteers.
Back in the fall, as we were all settling into a new school year and nature was
settling into winter, the entire campus was enchanted into a meandering world of
laughter, wonder and joy. Sprites Night had arrived again - through the efforts of
volunteers!
The volunteerism of the parent body at Summerfield is truly remarkable. In nearly
every aspect of the school, you will find someone working behind the scenes with
no compensation other than the joy of helping the children and the community.
For class plays, Farm Dance, farm work, field trips, May Faire, Farm to Feast,
Michaelmas, classroom cleaning, Grandparents Day, committees, Board meetings,
Sprites Night, Winter Faire, and for the countless other ways in which you
volunteer your time and effort to our wonderful school, the College of
Summerfield thanks you! As summer approaches once again, I look back at the
school year and I feel gratitude for the life and vibrancy that your
volunteered efforts have brought to our school campus, the faculty, staff, and the
students!
Gratefully, Tim Allen, On Behalf of the College
Position Available at SWSF
We are looking for a person to fill the Crossing Guard position Friday
mornings starting next school year, 8:00am to 8:30am. No experience
required. If you are interested in this position, please call Karen Cabron,
Administrative Assistant, at 575-7194, x103, or email at
[email protected].
Honorary Parents
Every year we have families
come and go at Summerfield
Waldorf School and Farm.
Each June we say goodbye to
our Twelfth Grade Class and
their families, and also to those
other families that will no
longer have students enrolled in
the upcoming school year. We
would like to especially
acknowledge and thank all of
those parents who have
volunteered long hours over
many years, serving on the
Board of Directors and various
committees at the school, as
well as those who go “above
and beyond” for the good of
our community.
We recognize all that you do
and we know that Summerfield
Waldorf School and Farm could
not function without you.
THANK YOU!
Messenger
Page 4
(Continued from Page Two) As to looking forward,
the work towards our road expansion project
continues, supported by a diligent and hard
working core of volunteers, Board members and
Development Staff. Our expectation is to have
our preliminary work completed in the next few
weeks and significant progress to be made over
the summer. (This means we can also expect a
probable launch into a capital campaign in the
fall for funding – stay tuned.) The 2010-2011
school year promises to be interesting again
economically, but I am confident in our
community’s ability to rise to the occasion.
As always, I encourage you to attend board
meetings next year if you are interested and able,
as it is with your valuable insight and support
that we are able to accomplish our goals. Have a
restful and rejuvenating summer break, and we’ll
see you in the fall. ~Jefferson J. Buller, President
SWSF Board of Directors
Farmyard Finale
Have you ever stood in a newly planted garden
after a warm rain and felt the silent, invisible
life? And realized that all it needs from you is
that you take care not to trample on it?
The farm and gardens will rest for a week
before farm camp begins, but growth never
stops...not in the early summer fields, not in the
children, and hopefully not in the teachers and
parents. Fifty new chicks donated in Haley
Gans' memory, the spring calf, a frisky new filly,
and wooly lambs are growing in leaps and
bounds. Field corn, popcorn, potatoes, onions,
garlic, and all manner of vegetables are all
flourishing nicely. Pumpkins and winter squash
will come these last two weeks before school is
out.
To facilitate such fecundity after all the spring
rains, we count on the warmth and light of the
sun, so pleasantly abundant here in California.
Of the sun, the Persian poet Hafiz wrote:
Even
After
All this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe me.”"
Look
What happens
with a love like that...
it lights the whole
world.
The Creek Behind My House
My Watershed
By Lin Zao Mangis, Class Nine
All year ‘round my creek is sustaining life.
Shaded by willow trees with brambles on the banks
In every season it has something to share.
The warm spring, when the green leafy willows bend over the sparkling
water
The bubbling brook rushes around rocks
Mockingbirds sing in the nearby apple tree
Foxes and their kits emerge from the dark recesses of their dens
Blackbirds cling to the reeds, chirping vivaciously
Ducks with their fuzzy yellow ducklings, crowd together and float
down stream
On the banks, does with their fawns look up with soft dark eyes
as they drink from a calm, pure pool of water
The flowers wave in the breeze
Deep blue lupines and golden-orange poppies dot the restful, steep,
green hills
As spring draws to a close, butterflies flit from flower to flower with
the bees.
Summer sweeps in as a warm breeze cascades down the hillside,
stirring the tall, golden grass
The blackberries drip from the vines,
Making a feast for the happy sparrows and quail
The sun’s rays shine down upon the wild cats, which are lazing around
on the banks
The turtles sun on the large, flat rocks and logs
When the sun sets in a flood of vibrant orange, scarlet and gold,
the crickets chirp, the frogs sing and the woodpecker drums on trees.
The season turns, fall comes in, the leaves of the willow trees turn
yellow and gold
In the early evening, raccoons scoop crayfish from the mud
The apples ripen; the opossums eat what they can find on the ground
The turkeys strut through the fields
The crows and the scrub jays call out, announcing the coming of the
cold weather
Winter’s chill winds and ice cold rain descend from the barren hills
and whip across the frosty fields
The orange-chested robins hop around in the frost looking for worms
At night, the moonbeams illuminate the land
The austere, ghostly shadows of the willows are softened by the sight
of the robins
with their heads under their wings.
Have a safe and wonderful summer! ~Farmer Dan for the Summerfield Farm Staff
Messenger
Page 5
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
TUESDAY MORNINGS ON THE FARM
Farmer Perry Hart and his apprentice Dana Revallo always have plenty of
work for us to help with on the Farm. From mixing potting soil to planting
seeds and transplanting seedlings. From stretching irrigation pipe to taking it
apart again and storing it for the winter. From making the biodynamic
preparations to digging them up, mixing and stirring them, and applying them
to the soil, compost piles, plants and trees. From hoeing and weeding around
the growing plants, to harvesting the crops and readying them for sale or for
use by our school kitchen and the animals on the farm. All of this, is done,
working together, side by side, with other volunteers during the spring,
summer and fall. The work gets accomplished so much faster with many
helping hands. The sense of community is palpable, especially when we join
together for the many gourmet snack creations that are brought on a weekly
basis.
I am sure that Perry and Dana would appreciate a steady crew of helpers
throughout the summer months, so if you have some extra time on a Tuesday
morning, from 8:30am to 1:00pm (or any hours that you can), please stop by
and see what you can do to help out at the Farm.
~ Karen Cabron-Heineck. Administrative Assistant, Parent and Farm Volunteer.
Thank You From $hop $mart!
Thanks to all of the people who registered their cards with eScrip and signed
up for Community Smart!
Thanks to everyone who is now shopping at Oliver’s Market and using their
registered debit and credit cards - the numbers are growing!
Thanks to everybody who renewed their Safeway cards and remembered to
use them!
Thanks to all of the people who used the eScrip Online Mall!
Thanks in advance to everyone who will support the $hop $mart Program in
the next school year, too...Have a great summer!!!
~Valerie Raineri, Shop Smart Coordinator
Let's Start Planning for the
Next Farm Dance!
th
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, October 16 , 2010
We will kick off the 2010 - 2011 school year right with our community
celebration, the Farm Dance, so mark your calendars!
Planning meetings will start during the summer in July and to make this great
event even better we are looking for amazing volunteers to help with music,
food, decorations, raffle items and much more. We are thinking bigger and
better this coming year!
Please contact Kosima Grundy at 707 542-6221, or email
[email protected], if you are interested in helping to organize for
this fun event.
SUMMER PRODUCE
FROM THE FARM
Once again, this summer, the Farm is
offering weekly boxes of our freshly
harvested, certified Bio-dynamic
produce to a limited number of
subscribers. The cost will be $30 per
week, and the boxes will be available for
pick-up at the farm on Wednesdays.
For more information or to sign up,
please phone Perry at 528-3477.
A Welcome Addition!
Nicholas Joseph Lum arrived
to the world in
the arms of his parents
Teresa Gentile and Pat
Lum and sister Gabriella. He
weighed eight pounds.
All are healthy and very
happy to share the news!
Alumni Update:
Beatrice Henn, SWSF Class of 2006,
graduated this month cum laude from
Colorado College, Distinction in
Drama. In August, she will be
traveling with a small troupe to
Scotland to present the play
“Phaedra”, in which she plays the
lead, at the annual Edinburgh Fringe
Festival.
Congratulations, Beatrice!
Messenger Marketplace
Lost
At the Teacher Training play on May 8th. Old ring from 1950. It is a
yellow gold ring with a diamond in the middle, it has a thin gold band
with diamonds attached to it (as a wedding ring) it has their initials
engraved inside of the West Point band. The ring has a strong sentimental
value. There is a reward if found it. I may be reached at (707) 391-7532.
Community Enrichment
The Christian Community
Our summer religious services and children’s instruction will be on July
9/10 and Aug. 20/21. For confirmation classes for children 7th grade
and up or for baptisms, call Rev. Miller at (916)965-9112. For further
information or to be put on our mailing list, call Elinor Biller at 5425744. All are welcome!
This Human Life: Biography as a Path to Inner
D e v e l o p m e n t with Linda Delman. 12 Mondays – 8:45-11a.m.
Beginning 9/27/10. Fee $100 - $150, Sliding scale. Call 827-3536 for
more info and registration, or e-mail- [email protected].
Through lectures, reflections, and artistic work, we will gain a vast
overview of life’s patterns and themes. With new strength, we will
navigate our lives and our children’s lives. Linda Delman was a
Summerfield parent for 11 years and has been an international teacher of
awareness and inner development work for over 30 years.
E n l i v e n i n g t h e C h a k r a o f t h e H e a r t with Linda Delman. 10
Wednesdays - 9 to 11a.m. Beginning Wed.9/29/10. Location- Sophia’s
Sanctuary, Seb. Call 827-3536 for info and registration, or e-mail
[email protected]. Fee: $100, Sliding scale. Through
meditation, thought-gestures, and slow movement, we will work deeply to
discover what Rudolf Steiner called “heart-thinking”. Linda Delman was a
Summerfield parent for 11 years and has been an international teacher of
awareness and inner development work for over 30 years.
Services Offered/Needed
Integrative Family Medicine
Sunjya Schweig, MD, is a Summerfield parent who provides personalized
and comprehensive health care for the whole family. Board certified in
Family Medicine and a UCSF Associate Professor, Dr. Schweig integrates
conventional medicine with complementary and alternative modalities for
optimal wellness. (707) 778-3171 www.drschweig.com.
A f f o r d a b l e C o u n s e l i n g With Hannah Caratti, MFTI 48778,
supervised by Winnie Piccolo, MFT 24602. $40‐$90 per session at
825 College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA. Weekly Meditation Groups,
Mondays 6‐7, Sat. 2:30‐3:30. For information, 494‐7470.
Laurel Brody, L.Ac
Laurel is a seasoned, caring practitioner with 30 years of clinical
experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She specializes in helping
women restore themselves to their optimal health and vitality. Harmony
Healing, Center 9051 Mill Station Rd., Sebastopol, 829-3658.
Summer Carpentry or Clean-up
Do you have a garage/room in need of sheetrock; a wall to remove, add,
or repair; a deck repair or replacement; fencing; bookcases or shelving
needed? Do you need a chicken coop? Many favorable family references
available. Call Farmer Dan at 526-3917.
Classes/Workshops/Lessons
time. Mediums include, oil and chalk pastel, water color, acrylics. Fee:
$175.00 (gift certificates available) *custom commissions, canvases of
other sizes/shapes by arrangement* Contact Waldorf kindergarten teacher
and artist, Sarah Whitmore (707) 824-9749 [email protected].
The Nature Table
Creating a healing home environments with Waldorf kindergarten teacher
Sarah Whitmore. A workshop to create or enliven a naturetable for your
family or classroom. Discover artistic ways to honor the seasons and
foster harmony in your home. I will help you to create at least two
enchanting fairy wool figures to grace your own nature table. In addition,
each attendee will dye three draping silks. Seasonal figures and silks will be
on display for inspiration and sale. Register soon as space is limited.
Looking forward to creating and playing with you! Dates/times: Saturday
and Sunday June 19th and 20th 10 – 3. Place: Summerfield Waldorf
School and Farm Kindergarten. Tuition: $195.00, Materials: $45.00.
Register: [email protected] or call: 824-9749.
Items for Sale/Rent/Needed
Cello for Sale
Half-size, student Cello with soft case for sale, excellent condition $ 1900
Call Sieglinde Basmajian at 571-7720 e-mail [email protected].
Three-quarter Size Cello for Sale
$400. Needs new case, but cello is in great shape! Call Lisa at 494-8088.
Center for Educational Renewal's next teacher
training course begins June 21st, 2010.
There is still time to apply! Download an application at
www.edrenew.org
Learn How to Love & be Loved in a Long-Term
R e l a t i o n s h i p . Enliven Intimacy, Desire, and Fun. I teach relationship
education, scheduled and private classes, in downtown Graton. For adults.
Sessions also available by phone. All fees 1/2 off until July 15, 2010. Tues.
and Thur. classes starting on June 5th. Tel: 707-827-1660, Melissa Smith
Baker, MA, [email protected]. www.lovingforkeeps.com,
Manfred Bleffert: 2010 Summer Courses, 7/26–8/13/10
Manfred Bleffert, German composer, instrument builder
and artist, will offer three weeks of courses this summer on the
Summerfield Campus. For the last 30 years, Bleffert has taught
and performed throughout Europe. These courses offer
participants not only an intensive immersion in artistic activity, but
also a deep study of the natural phenomena and
human experiences connected with art. For registration, course
descriptions and more information visit: www.manfred-bleffert.net
Creating Healing home environments with Waldorf
kindergarten teacher Sarah Whitmore.
A s a f e e n v i r o n m e n t f o r A D U L T S t o l e a r n a n d create. In this
class you will be assisted in creating art specifically for your child. With
your child in mind we will work with wet on wet painting and pastel
drawing, with as little or as much assistance as you would like. You will
leave with at least three beautiful pieces to enliven your home. If you
wish, bring favorite childhood stories, nursery rhymes, images and
experiences for inspiration. This class is ideal for parents (aunts, uncles)
and teachers of young children 0 to 9 years old. Pregnant mothers
welcome! (Time to decorate a nursery?) Register early as class size is
limited. Dates/times: Sat. and Sun. June 26th, 27th 10 – 2. Place:
Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm Kindergarten/ Tuition: $175.00,
Materials: $25.00. Register: [email protected] or 824-9749.
Collaborative Art Commission
A collaboration between a patron and an artist who work together to
create beautiful, personalized art. We get together in my studio or your
home and - with your guidance and vision - we create a sketch and a
composition that suits you. Next, I finish the piece in my studio and
deliver it to you. It will make a cherished gift for a birthday. Our
collaborative creation can be used as the basis for personalized invitations,
holiday or greeting cards. *Additionally, I am available to work with
groups such as birthday parties* The basic commission includes: visioning
and art making session of up to 90 minutes. A painting on a 16 x 20
canvas -plus the original planning sketches and my studio completion
Rick Concoff Violins:
Quality string instruments for rent or sale at below-market best prices.
Rent to own, as well. Accessories available, too! Call Rick at 823-3916 for
an appointment.
Violins/Viola/Clarinet for Sale
Outgrown instruments. Please call for sizes and prices. Good Quality,
Great Prices! Nikki Lloyd, 765-4673.
House for Sale
Golden Opportunity ~ Summerfield family is selling their modern, 2006
custom built, energy efficient home! It utilizes passive solar, geothermal
ground source for heating and cooling and more. This home is set on
exquisite usable 2 1/2 acres with pasture and mountain views. Engineered
septic perc'd for 4 bedrooms. Zoned for Granny unit and animals.
Currently 2 bedrooms and 3 bath, 2000 sq. feet. An extra room for
library, music room or office. Beautiful concrete radiant floors. Floor to
ceiling windows in most rooms. Highest quality craftsmanship and
materials and appliances. ¼ mile from Summerfield Waldorf School and
Farm! $875,000. 5327 Hall Rd. Call Michael Luning, Realtor CPS 707284-3948.
House Sitter Available
San Francisco Waldorf student, David, age 5 (and mother) looking
to care take your property and pets in exchange for a place to stay
so that I may attend farm camp. We are open to the weeks of
July12, July 19 and July 26(any one or two of these). We are very
responsible and trustworthy and are just dying to spend some time
at the farm! Contact Terry at (415) 346-8221 or
[email protected]
Messenger
Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm
655 Willowside Road Santa Rosa CA 95401
Visit us online at
www.summerfieldwaldorf.org
Mustang Sports Camps Available!
For Boys and Girls entering the 6th, 7th and 8th Grades
Soccer Camp with Coach Ignacio
June 14-18, 9am to Noon
Basketball Camp with Coach Mike
July 12 - 16, 9am to Noon
Go to our website for more details.