Advent - Marin Waldorf School

WINGS
BRINGING NEWS TO THE MARIN WALDORF SCHOOL COMMUNITY
December 4, 2014
Volume 12: 2014-2015
Advent
(Excerpt from Waldorf Education; A Family Guide)
In the Christmas festival, a process that has been
quietl y building for months finds its culmination. As
the sunlight wanes, the human soul retreats ever more
into itself after having given itself up so happily to the
light and warmth of high summer. The balance between light and dark in autumn is like a threshold, and
in the darkest time of the year an inner light wants to
be kindled. Each year, when Christmas is very close, we
make a new effort to bring the outer light in, to transform it so that we are illuminated within and can radiate outward. Others can then sense that tranquility,
love and warmth stream out from such a person as a
blessing.
Advent means arrival, from the Latin advenire, and it
signifies that we may attempt yet again to allow something of the high divine to come into us. Each of us may
experience how such work on oneself can only be done
out of inner tranquility, in quiet moments we have stolen from our everyday lives. And we all know how
Dandelion 8:50 am
First Grade 1 pm
much more difficult it is to collect oneself, especially in
Morning Glory 9:45 am Second Grade 5 pm the time right before Christmas, when outer light and a
hectic pace prevail. But the children, for whom we creHollyhock 11 am
Third Grade 6 pm
ate life space and prepare festivals, reward our efforts
with their daily joy and inner involvement, and
strengthen us in our resolve to see it all through to the
end.
One possibility for us as adults to use such stolen moments meaningfully, and allow them to become sources
Members of our community and older children
of strength, is to focus on a beautiful verse. If we allow
whose classes are not walking are invited to have a such a verse to be our focus for a few minutes, it can
contemplative Advent Spiral walk on Friday at 7 pm. throw its light over the day or week or several weeks,
Please rsvp so we will know how many to expect. and help us find the right attitude. Perhaps ''a light will
go on" for us, or something will be illuminated that we
You may bring a younger child's apple candle to
did not understand before, or we might begin to glow
relight or let us know if you would like one
with enthusiasm. The child will be able to experience
provided.
our right attitude through our behavior and gestures,
Please RSVP to [email protected].
rather than through words. Children have an unconscious and very fine sense for the thoughts and feelings
with which we surround them.
(Article continues on page 3)
We are looking forward to our
Advent Spiral this Friday.
Community Walk 7 pm
While Sunflower teacher, Melinda
Richard, is still at home recovering,
a Meal Baby sign-up has been organized for her family.
If you would like to support her
family with a meal, please go to
http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/16681575.
All meals are greatly
appreciated!
Please mark your
calendars for the
Winter Assembly at
Dominican University
on Dec. 18 at 6 pm.
Students in grades 1—7
will be performing
various pieces for you
and your
family to
enjoy!
ON THE HORIZON
Thursday, December 4
 PA Meeting, 8:30 am
 Tennis (or Ping Pong)1:45 pm
Friday, December 5
 Advent Spirals (see Front Page for times)
 Christmas Tree Sale, 3—4 pm
Saturday, December 6
 Christmas Tree Sale, 10 am—12 pm
Tuesday, December 9
 Parent Singing, 8:25 am
 Ping Pong, 3:30 pm
 7th Grade Parent Evening, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, December 10
 Kindergarten Lantern Walk, 5 pm
Friday, December 12
 Preschool Lantern Walk, 4:30 pm
Tuesday, December 16
 Parent Singing, 8:25 am
 Storytelling Series, 3:30 pm
Wednesday, December 17
 Fifth Grade Fieldtrip
Thursday, December 18
 Winter Assembly, 6 pm
Friday, December 19
 Shepherd’s Play, 11 am
*Please note that Friday, Dec. 19 is an
early release day at 1:45 pm. We will
not have aftercare on Friday, Dec. 19
for the Grades.
* Kindergarten aftercare will go
only until 1:35 pm.
Advent Cont’d
(Continued from Page 1)
At the Ringing of the Bells
To wonder at beauty,
Stand guard over truth,
Look up to the noble,
Decide for the good:
Leads man on his journey
To goals for his life,
To right in his doing,
To peace in his feeling,
To light in his thought,
And teaches him trust
In the guidance of God,
In all that there is:
In the world-wide All,
In the soul's deep soil.
like to listen to a fairy tale or a story, and all the better if it is told in an intimate atmosphere.
We can direct our seeing during Advent especially to
the sky, which delights us after a beautiful day with a
sunset of strongly glowing colors. The stars shine
particularly clearly and close by.
Finally, we can think of wonder, which we as adults
often must relearn. What a wealth of things there are
to wonder at when we sort through our Christmas art
postcards, and pay attention to all the various ways
the artists here portrayed the adoration of the Child
by the shepherds or the kings. In some of the pictures
of the "birth," it seems that the mother is in conversation with the Child. And when we create the scene in
the stable for the children or our families, we may
become aware that we wonder at all the beings of
-Rudolf Steiner, Truth-Wrought Words nature that greet the Child as it arrives: stones from
the mineral kingdom; moss, hay, and straw from the
plant kingdom; sheep, oxen, and asses from the animal kingdom; and alongside them the great distincAnother way to put oneself in an appropriate mood
tion of the human form. Wonder is the first step on
for Advent and Christmas is to work with the differ- the way to knowledge/recognition. Wonder also inent virtues. If we practice these on a small scale we
cludes respect for certain things. Thus, as we gaze at
can even include the children. We must not yet allow the stable scene with the children and practice wonthe virtue we are practicing to become conscious for der at the events we see depicted there, the children
them, but we can help them be well-disposed toward will not take the figures out and use them as playgood habits through our example, which they will
things.
imitate.
Each of us may discover and practice other virtues
Advent is a time of anticipation. Waiting is often not for ourselves. We are not concerned here with quaneasy for us. We want to be finished quickly, and see a tity, but with helping guide the children through Adresult immediately. Waiting teaches us to deal with
vent.
time . Wishes and fantasies hurry ahead into the future. To fulfill them we need time, and we must wait
and overcome impatience. For example, the children
experience waiting in connection with the Advent
calendar, since they may not open all the doors at
once, or with the baking of Christmas cookies, which
they may only eat on Christmas or thereafter.
Another virtue is listening. Only one who can listen
experiences silence, and can endure it, as well. It
might be possible to listen with the children in the
quiet of a forest, and keep them from making noise,
without reflecting on it with them. They especially
Notes From Will
After being shaken out of bed by thunder last
night, and seeing the Lucas Valley hills foaming
with waterfalls and streams running quite
cappuccino this morning, I am officially announcing that the rains are upon us with great
beauty and intensity. The hills are really greening up. Creatures great and small and the previously parched earth itself seem to be heaving
a big sigh of relief. In anticipation of the wet
weather, I finally got two big compost piles
built right before the rains and now have them
covered so they don’t saturate, and keep cooking right through the storms. With this wet
weather, it’s probably not a bad idea to keep a
pot of chicken soup cooking on the stove as
well.
Given the big rain, we were very glad to have
the new roof on the student services building,
which sits right below the lower grades wing.
The addition of downspouts was an upgrade as
well and should keep the sides of the building
in better condition. Once things dry out a little,
we are gearing up for a patch job on the cob
garden shed which is in need of a little love and
lime. The lime will harden the surface and
make the whole building more durable.
The week back from Thanksgiving started with
the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival on
campus performing scenes from As You Like It
for the 7th Grade and their 7th grade guests
from the San Francisco Waldorf School. Chantal stopped in to take some photos and said
that the students were cracking up at the Elizabethan humor. 7th grader Michael Payesko actually had some stage time in when the troupe
called him up to take part. After the performance, our 7th graders were treated to a
“playshop” with the actors that included theatre games and some practice with iambic pentameter. The students loved it.
Shakespeare on Campus
Our Eurythmist, Shannon Weiler, is back on
campus this week in flowing red attire, a very
bright swatch of color in the breezeway. The
sound of piano and children clapping in
rhythm also cheer up the grey, of winter faintly
floating into the office while the 4th graders
warm up for their movement class. Just so you
know, Eurythmy classes will run until the holidays and then start again in January.
One of the events that I most cherish during
this season is the Winter Spiral, scheduled for
this Friday. Word has it that there will be a
community opportunity to take a meditative
walk through the spiral starting at 7:00PM in
the Eurythmy room. If you haven’t ever had the
opportunity, I encourage you to take advantage
of it.
The 2014-15 Annual Giving Campaign is underway and multicolored leaves are already appearing on the Giving
Tree as we return from the Thanksgiving Holiday. We know that that the tree will be covered soon as our community reaches for the campaign’s $130,000 goal and 100% community participation.
We have a noteworthy group of Annual Giving Liaisons this year. They are:
Kindergarten: Michelle Robbins, Amy Dunnigan
Grade 1 Sara Ladd
Grade 2 Melissa Monterossa
Grade 3 Christine Coleman
Grade 4 Peggy Butler
Grade 5 Lisa Cochran
Grade 6 Lisa O’Callaghan
Grade 7- Elizabeth Hakim
The Annual Giving Liaisons are here to support you, their fellow parents in each class, in achieving 100% participation and our campaign goal. In addition to being boosters, they are a great source of information on the program. Thank you to this year’s Liaisons!
TIPS AND TIDBITS
- Double your Donations for Free===> Ask for Matching Gifts from your Employers and
Foundations Last year our community bumped up the number of corporate and foundation matching big
time. Thanks to those who went that extra mile. And we know that there are many of our families who have yet to
take advantage of this easy way to double (or triple, in some cases) your gifts to the school. Please ask your employer if they provide matching donations. You might be surprised to learn that most companies do, and they appreciate
a worth cause to support and that ever desirable tax deduction.
- Call that CPA! The CPA of one MWS parent has been donating generously to our fund for years now. So, if you
use a tax preparer, contact him or her now about our Annual Giving Campaign. They know the value of a great tax
deduction when they see one….and when they know it supports “your cause” too, it makes for great customer relations for their business. (And yes, MWS is a 501-3c non-profit so every donation, from any source, to our Annual
Fund is 100% tax deductible.
- When we ALL give, our Teachers get an extra Special Gift too Tara Firma Farms is back to sup-
port our Annual Giving Campaign and our teachers. When each class reaches 100% participation, our class teacher
will receive a beautiful cornucopia of farm fresh goodies from Tara & Craig Smith, alum parents of Jake and
Joe. Please keep an eye out for how your class is progressing, and remember to do your part. And once ALL of the
classes have reached 100%, every subject teacher will receive a Tara Firma Farms gift certificate, too!
- Pledge now and give later Many families are able to give right now, with a donation that is reflective of
what they wish to share with the school. Many others are not able to give now, but are able budget their gift over
time, giving monthly online, or even pledging what they can give by the June 2015 deadline. We ask that you reflect
now on what you are able to give and make that commitment before the winter break, so our school can work with
the knowledge that we will have met our financial goal.
Sailing with the Seventh Grade
A Note from Ms. Krikorian:
Seventh grade students hear many stories of courage and adventure in the
Waldorf curriculum, especially in the
history lessons about the Renaissance
and facing the unknown and physical
challenges in the Age of Exploration.
Seventh graders are also introduced to
mechanics in the physics curriculum,
learning about levers, pulleys, wheel
and axle mechanisms, etc. Our class
was fortunate enough to experience
first hand the perfect combination of these elements when we sailed on an authentic tall
ship, the Tole Mour. Please watch this great movie trailer of our trip created by parent
Colin Drake.
Here are some of the students’ recollections.
Sailing on the Tole Mour by Antonio Sagaral
From October 27-29, 2014 our class went on a tall ship from Long Beach
to Catalina Island. We started from Angels Gate and set out into the Pacific Ocean. The weather was amazing. There was blue sky, no clouds, a little wind and it was a warm day. The ocean was really blue and it was
very lively with huge blue swells. I got sea sick and didn’t feel good for
about an hour. About half of our class got sea sick.
I liked climbing the rigging while anchored and going out on the bowsprit
while sailing, but my favorite activity was snorkeling. It was really fun
and there were a lot of fish, some of which were quite large. One kind of
fish was bright orange and probably about 8” long. When it is about 2”
long it is bright purple with bright orange spots.
Our trip wasn’t nearly as brutal as some of the other expeditions taken by
other explorers. The water was pretty calm whereas the water rounding
Cape Horn could get swells 50’ high! When the sailors went up to the
highest riggings they didn’t have a harness and it would be very hard for
them to stay on the rigging when a wave hit. The water [for us] wasn’t as
choppy so the rudder didn’t go crazy like it did rounding Cape Horn.
I loved seeing all the fish and how big they could get. It was the first time I had been snorkeling and so
it was really awesome. I also loved seeing the dolphins and the one huge humpback whale. The dolphins would swim in front of the boat and jump in and out of the water. When we saw the whale it
jumped out of the water and the tail fin was huge. It also brought a lot of water with it.
On the way back I really appreciated how our class worked so well at setting and striking the sails. It
really surprised me that just one sail weighed more than 2,000 pounds. I had a really fun time and I
enjoyed the trip a lot.
Sailing with the Seventh Grade Cont’d
“Tole Mour! Hard Core!”
by Quinn Hecker
When we set sail for Catalina, I realized the coloration of the sea had changed. When we started
the water was green, in the middle the water was
a light turquoise, and in Catalina the water was a
deep blue. The sky was blue except for a few
puffy white clouds.
We did many activities with our groups. My favorite was climbing up the foremast and sitting
there with the wind blowing through my hair,
watching the waves fly past. I also loved snorkeling. We saw many fish, including the Garibaldi.
Our trip on the Tole Mour may have seemed like a luxury to the people who had been on the Kon-Tiki.
On the way there for us it was nerve-wracking. When we got to Catalina Island I was very relieved.
Honestly, I can’t imagine what it was like for people on the Kon-Tiki.
My favorite gift of nature was the water. I love swimming, smelling the salt water, and seeing the fish.
The water was crystal clear and only cold for the first few seconds. But I seriously hated the evil little
jellyfish who stung us as we swam.
On the way home I was so grateful for our teamwork on setting and striking the sails. I believe we
have grown as a class in maturing and getting to know each other better.
Adventuring Aboard the Tole Mour by Holly Eberhard
On the 27th of October we boarded the tall ship, the Tole
Mour. It was a sunny day, and the ocean was a spectacular
shade of blue. I remember a cool breeze that filled the
sails. As we sailed farther out, the swells became larger,
and our adventure began.
I loved learning about the helm, and how to steer the ship.
The sea was calm at the time, but what would it be like in
a storm? Along with steering, we were also given the opportunity to relax in the nets on the bowsprit. I enjoyed
sitting there as we sailed because you have such a great
view of the horizon.
In the evening, we watched a documentary called
“Rounding the Cape.” It showed what a man went through to train himself for the arduous journey
around Cape Horn. This training involved having the courage to do a headstand on a telephone pole.
But the training was useful when unpredictable waves washed men over the side.
I thought the dolphins were amazing. We saw them propelling themselves through the water at an incredible speed, until they reached our ship and used their momentum to jump out of the water. The
crew informed us that these were bottlenose dolphins. They use chattering and clicking sounds to
communicate with each other. I also loved watching the humpback whale surface near our ship.
When we docked, I appreciated how our class had worked together on this trip. I think we came to respect each other even more, and everybody became closer friends. I also appreciated the crew and parents who had done so much to help and make this voyage special.
Sailing with the Seventh Grade Cont’d
“Tole Mour, Hard Core” by Enzo Scarpulla
On Monday, October 27, we boarded the Tole Mour. The crew introduced themselves and told us the rules of
ship life. After a little while using the engine to move along, we raised the mizzen, main, and fore sails, then the
flying, outer, middle, and inner jibs. Then the waves started getting massive, and the ocean and sky were each as
vibrant and blue as the other.
After lunch we had pride stations, which is chore time when you take pride in your vessel. During pride with our
watch group, the “Children of Poseidon,” there was a pod of bottlenose dolphins. They jumped and played, putting on a show for us. My favorite activity with my watch group was snorkeling. There were giant orange fish
and large schools of their children and many other kinds of fish.
On Monday night we watched a movie about a man who rounded Cape Horn in a sail boat and who filmed the
whole thing, and even though I would never watch something like that it was inspiring. The man trained himself
by riding a big-wheeled bike and standing on his head on top of a rotten telephone pole. During his voyage there
were terrible storms and hardships. I think it was awesome.
The wildlife was amazing. Catalina Island was okay but the water around it was perfect. It was fairly warm but
it would wake you up and the snorkeling was great. The water and sky were dark, deep blue. There were never
any clouds, and in the water there were tiny jellyfish that stung you and it hurt.
On the sail back to Long Beach I wanted to keep going, even though I was exhausted. The food had been good
and the activities were exciting and fun. I appreciate Mrs. Krikorian, the chaperones, and the crew for making
this trip possible.
Sailing on the Tole Mour by Violetta Della Valle
The 7th grade class of 2016 sailed on the Tole Mour for two nights
and three days. We sailed from Long Beach to Catalina Island. When
we set out the sky was a solid light blue and the water was a seethrough, very light blue. The waves were huge and every time they
went under the boat it really felt like we were going to flip over. The
captain told me the swell was 6-8 feet, but after the first day I got
used to it.
After we met the crew we went into our pride stations and activities. Some of the things we did were climb the rigging, snorkel, raise
sails (with everyone), explore bioluminescence at night, clean the
galley and mess, etc. My favorite things were the night swim, climbing the rigging, and snorkeling. The food we had was very good and
really had a variety of things to choose from every night.
On the first night we watched a movie on a famous person [Irving
Johnson] rounding the Horn. On that voyage they were going up to
50 knots, which is faster than 60 mph, whereas on the Tole Mour we
were going around 4 knots which seemed really fast, so I cannot imagine 50 or more!
On this trip there were many gifts of nature: humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins, and many different types and schools of fish. I was blown away to see a gigantic whale jump up
and blow its spray then dive back down. Also the dolphins were astounding, going under the boat and jumping
up again. It was glorious to see, also all the seals and sea lions.
While we were driving home I thought about all the people who put effort, time, and money into this trip, such as
the chaperones, Mrs. Krikorian, and the crew. I want to make sure that the people I mentioned get a special
THANK YOU.
Announcements
Please invite
your friends &
neighbors who
have young
children to
attend our free
Storytelling
event on
December 16 at
3:30 pm.
You are invited to the Shepherd’s Play, performed by our fabulous
faculty & staff on Friday, December 19 @ 11am.
The Shepherd’s play comes from the
little island of Oberufer on the Danube near Austria and Hungary. Just
as the people of Oberufer
presented this to their village in the
seventeenth century, the faculty of
the Marin Waldorf School presents
this play to our community.
Announcements
Save the date:
Our next Open
House is on
January 10th.
Please invite
your friends and
neighbors!
By, Max Martin
Marin Waldorf
Mercurius Sale
Orders are due Dec 11th (delivery Dec 19th). Order Form attached.
Stockmar Wax Crayons
(8 colors standard assortment)
Stockmar Wax Blocks
(8 colors Waldorf assortment)
Stockmar Wax Crayons & Wax Blocks
in Wooden Box (8 colors of each)
Stockmar Opaque Watercolours
in metal box (12 colors)
Stockmar Watercolour Paints
(6 colors)
Mercurius Watercolour Pencils
(12 colors + 1 brush)
Stockmar Modeling Beeswax
(12 colors)
Stockmar Decorating Wax
(12 colors)
Pentatonic Glockenspiel
(made from steel, 7 tone)
Fairy Tale Wool plant-dyed
(10 colors)
Stockmar Candle Making Set
Greenfield Fountain Pen
with extra blue cartridge
$15 (green, red, blue or pink)
$14.50
$26
$22
$27
$14.50
$45
$15
$115
$55
$28
$100
Marin Waldorf
Mercurius11 Sale 19
Orders are due in the office by Dec
th
(delivery Dec
PRICE
Stockmar Wax Crayons (8 colors standard assortment) ............................................................ $14.50
)
th
QTY
Outstanding drawing properties (no crumbling, sticking, smudging).
Stockmar Wax Blocks (8 colors Waldorf assortment) .................................................................$14.50
Made from the same materials as the Stockmar crayons.
Stockmar Wax Crayons & Wax Blocks in Wooden Box (8 colors of each) ...............$55
Outstanding drawing properties (no crumbling, sticking, smudging).
Stockmar Opaque Watercolours (in metal box, 12 colors)..................................................... $26
Powerful even when heavily diluted, suitable for many different painting techniques.
Stockmar Watercolour Paints (6 colors) ....................................................................................$45
Stockmar non-toxic paints are long-lasting and completely water soluble when dry.
Mercurius Watercolour Pencils (12 colors + 1 brush) ............................................................... $28
Create exciting watercolor effects, ideal for sketching and illustrations.
Stockmar Modeling Beeswax (12 colors) ...................................................................................$22
The beautiful works of art can be reshaped again and again.
Stockmar Decorating Wax (12 colors)...........................................................................................$15
Sheets can be cut, kneaded and shaped, and stick well on surfaces.
Choroi Carillon Pentatonic Glockenspiel (7 tone) ...........................................................$100
A clear and balanced sound. Made of steel and cherrywood.
Fairy Tale Wool (10 colors)................................................................................................................$27
High-quality, uncarded, plant-dyed wool for gnomes, angels and fairy tale figures.
Stockmar Candle Making Set ................................................................................................... $115
Metal cylinder with pure beeswax, wooden dipping tool, and 25 candlewicks.
Greenfield Fountain Pen—Each with extra blue ink cartridge ...................................... green $15
............................................................................................................................................................ red $15
.......................................................................................................................................................... blue $15
............................................................................................................................................................ pink $15
Ink Eraser Pen—Two sides: Ink eraser, and ink pen for writing over erased areas. .......................$1.50
Additional Items from mercurius.com .........................................................................................
If you would like to order any additional items, let us know and we will look up the pricing.
Please make checks made out to “Class of 2016”.
Name:
TOTAL:
Phone:
Contact Lisa Hecker ([email protected]) or Wendy Murphy ([email protected]) with questions.
Thank you for supporting the th grade!
7
TOTAL
By, Max Martin
By, Max Martin