February - Portland Waldorf School
Transcription
February - Portland Waldorf School
hear t beat FEBRUARY 2014 Community Service Contents Community Service..................1 Early Childhood Program Survey Results............................3 Gratitude.......................................4 It Takes a Village.......................5 The Flour Mill Auction...........6 Community Enrichment.......7 School Store...............................8 Upcoming Events....................9 PWS 5th graders make cards and care packages for fellow 5th graders in NE Portland (photo by Michelle Averill) “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” -Martin Luther King Jr. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Grades 1-12 spent Monday, January 20 out in the greater community, participating in service activities ranging from Willamette River clean-up to sewing blankets for foster children with the Blanket Brigade. We hope you enjoy this taste of their many and varied activities, and please join us in thanking all those who serve… in our community and beyond! The first grade spent the morning pruning the black-eyed susans, lavender and ferns that grow along the northwest side of school by the aftercare entrance. They were lively and willful workers, moving on to the next task even before it was assigned to them! They came inside afterwards and covered large pinecones in shortening and birdseed, tasty treats to hang on evergreen trees along the edge of the field. Throughout the week, we checked the trees every day, and by the third day, the pinecones were licked clean. Our new crow friends, Mr. and Mrs. Sassy, seem to have particularly enjoyed the treats, and now, even as we include stories about them in our indoor lessons, we can look outside to see them. Lisa Harrison, 1st Grade Teacher The second grade also kept themselves busy with the some of the groundswork necessary to keep our big campus looking beautiful! This day of work was a wonderful expansion upon the second grade weekly rhythm of outdoor work and play, which includes regular nature walks and time spent helping Gardener Brendan. Jim Conlon, 2nd Grade Teacher The third grade worked with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council in the same area as the sixth grade. The third graders worked clearing English ivy from areas around the watershed, accompanied by Mrs. McCarthy, and were visited by Oregonian reporter Melissa Binder, Community Service, continued on page 2 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL Community Service, continued from page 1 who included both grades three and six in her article about the service project! The fourth grade headed to the Willamette River with gloves and trash bags. We scrambled over rocks and into the bushes gathering cans, bottles, plastic, shoes and everything else you can think of. A group of students even found an old Christmas tree and hauled it back to the school. When we got back and I was helping get all our laden bags into the dumpster, one student complained, “Ms. Taylor, you are making us throw away all of our treasures!” Kathleen Taylor, 4th Grade Teacher Fifth grade attended a Hands On Greater Portland MLK Service event. We traveled to NE Portland to work with other community members to prepare packages of dental, hygiene, and school supplies for students and homeless youth. Our fifth graders made cards and wrapped packages for another fifth grade class at Alder Elementary School where more than 80% of students are on assisted breakfast and lunch programs. The kids were excited about making beautiful and creative and personal cards for these 110 other fifth graders, and it was a wonderful experience for us all to recognize and help others. As an added bonus, Senator Ron Wyden was a speaker at the event, and he acknowledged the young people there to help. Even the fifth graders mentioned that he was a good speaker! Nancy Thompson, 5th Grade Teacher The sixth grade also worked with Johnson Creek Watershed Council along the wetlands west of the Eastmoreland golf course. We were planting alder cuttings and bare root bushes to help restore the area next to the water and invite more waterfowl. There was a large group of workers, and the work was being accomplished pretty quickly. After the planting work the sixth grade was still chomping at the bit for more work, so they started digging out blackberries in other adjacent areas. The work concluded at noon, much earlier than expected, and I received several questions, in quite disappointed tones, “Why did they end the work so early?” Nina Churchill, 6th Grade Teacher Photo by parent Stephanie Baartz-Bowman The seventh grade joined another school at the Oregon Food Bank in Beaverton and enthusiastically helped repack 5000 pounds of oats into two-pound bags. Each volunteer helped pack enough food to help 60 people! The Oregon Food Bank distributes food to about 190 food pantries across the state, which helps over 200,00 Oregonians who need food assistance each day. Alynn Nelson, 7th Grade Teacher Photo by parent Scott Bergen The eighth grade traveled down to GeerCrest Farm for our Day of Service. There are several students in our class right now that were not part of our third grade farm visit to GeerCrest, and this was a way to introduce them to one of our special class memories. We hauled and stacked firewood, washed milking stanchions, picked up horse manure from the pasture and wheelbarrowed it to the new garden sports, turned compost piles, washed and sterilized buckets, swept and cleaned, and just made ourselves useful with the myriad of farm chores that pile up each day and week. It was a beautiful, sunny visit to the farm. Now we are all hoping that GeerCrest is where we get to spend our ninth grade Farm Week! Nancy Peirce, 8th Grade Teacher To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all of our high school students and faculty participated in service projects throughout the city. We teamed up with Hands On Greater Portland, joining seven different non-profits on projects (listed below). Valerie Pufahl, HS Student Assistance & Outdoor Program Coordinator Friends of Tryon Creek Activity: ivy & invasive species removal SnowCap Charities Activity: garden clean-up, organizing food pantry Habitat for Humanity ReStore PDX Activity: organizing & processing donations, painting, customer service Bink-a-Thon: Sewing Machine Blanket Brigade Activity: sewing blankets ReBuilding Center/Our United Villages Activity: sorting materials, sweeping, pulling nails, measuring doors Community Service, continued on page 3 PAGE 2 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL Community Service, continued from page 2 Housing Authority of Clackamas County Activity: building garden beds to expand community garden Meals on Wheels Activity: prepare & package meals to be delivered to homebound seniors FEBRUARY 2014 From the Pedagogical Chair by kelly rae o’halogan, pedagogical chair Greetings from the Pedagogical Office! I want to take a moment to thank those of you who participated in our Early Childhood Program Survey in November. The response was wonderful, and your input was essential in designing our program for the 2014-15 school year. Here is some of the data collected from the survey: · 12% of our current EC families would use a beforeschool program. ·63% of all responders felt a longer KG day would benefit the community. ·71% of our current EC families prefer a KG for ages 4-6. ·29% of our current EC families prefer a KG for ages 3-6. ·0% of our current EC families prefer a KG for ages 2 ½ - 6. ·65% of our current EC families prefer to have the same teacher for their entire KG experience. ·68% of our current EC families would like to be able to choose their teacher. “The giant can opener I got to use was really cool. I’d never been in a production kitchen. It was like a large warehouse and there were so many different types of people that work and volunteer there that are all working together to help provide meals for elderly folks in need. I really enjoyed it.” Inian Moon, 11th grade, Meals on Wheels “I really liked what I did and would really like to go back and do it again.” Liam Erickson, 11th Grade, Meals on Wheels “We delivered fliers to people in the neighborhood because the store is new. We also worked together to move a large stack of wood panels that were donated and haphazardly put together in the parking lot, to help make it nice.” Makena Ketchum, 10th Grade, Habitat for Humanity ReStore “I worked at the Blanket Brigade, where there were probably over 100 volunteers all sewing blankets that would get distributed to kids in foster care and a few other organizations for children. It was really fun and everyone was really nice.” -Athena Sweetwater, 12th Grade, Bink-a-Thon ·75% of all responders thought a 2/3/5 day option for Pre-K would be beneficial. Thanks again for your feedback. It was invaluable! After considering the survey results and the expertise from our early childhood teachers and early childhood program evaluator, we have come to a new configuration for the early childhood program, which we believe will strengthen our program and provide optimal possibilities for growth in the coming years. Beginning in the fall of 2014 we will offer the following: ·One Pre-Kindergarten for children ages 3-4, with a two, three, or five day option ·Two Kindergartens for children ages 4-6 ·Parent/Child will be offered as enrollment demands. This could be a full program of five days per week. I’m happy to meet if you have any questions or concerns, and I hope you always feel free to stop by or call with questions, concerns, or a good joke. “We raked leaves and sorted big bins full of canned food donations to help organize their food pantry.” -Zahira Zuvuya, 12th Grade, SnowCap PAGE 3 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL Gratitude Making the Halls Beautiful We offer our heartfelt thanks to the legion of painters, led by the Aesthetics Committee, who undertook the work of lazuring the back stairwell over winter break. Thank you for adding light and warmth to such a busy entrance to our building! Your work and care for the beauty of our school are so appreciated. Lazuring: During & after From High School Enrollment A huge thank you to… The Aesthetics Committee: Carrie Mass, Tom Myers, Katherine Pomeroy, & Mariama Loos-Diallo Francine Adams | Cyndia Ashkar | Julian Ashkar | Virginia Berg | Henrik Bothe | Sandra Burch | Jim Conlon | Brendan Eiswerth | Jolanda Frischknecht | Leo Goodrich | Oscar Goodrich | Emma Lacy | Matt Malmsheimer | Elizabeth Webber Malmsheimer | Daniel Parecki | Kathleen Taylor This month I would like to give a shout out to our 9th grade for so graciously and enthusiastically hosting over forty visiting eighth graders in the last four months! I’d also like to thank our Student Ambassadors in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades who hosted visiting students, spoke on panels in front of prospective families, played music and led tours during our several Open Houses. Student hosts have an immense impact on whether a visiting student feels welcome at PWHS, and the feedback from visitors has been hugely positive! To date, we have received thirty applications for next year’s 9th grade! The application deadline was January 17, but we welcome late applications. Please encourage your friends with teens to contact me for a visit – we have great hosts!! P.S. If you have great things to say about Portland Waldorf High School and would be willing to give a written quote or speak with me to parents at our feeder schools, please contact Shanti McCarter, High School Outreach & Enrollment Coordinator, at [email protected], or 503-654-2200 x221. Thank you! PAGE 4 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL It Takes a Village The administrative offices would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful parent, alumni, and student volunteers who have made our work possible during the first half of this school year. It truly takes a village to care for such a large and wonderful school, and we are so grateful that you are ours! Thank you, thank you, thank you to… ...for your help with... Eve Ashkar (12th Grade) Development Support Barbara Andersen (Alumni Parent) Annual Support Campaign Tadan Baartz-Bowman (4th Grade) music at the Open House Stephanie Baartz-Bowman (Parent) Isabel Beaton (Grandparent) Auction shelving library books Beth Braunstein (Parent) Robert Cseko (Parent) Wreath Sale Katie Dimick (Alumna) HS Enrollment Mary Elverhoy (Parent) food for HS Interview Night Phil Favorite (Parent) Media Releases Eva Folsom (Parent) food for HS Interview Night Janine Francolini (Parent) Ben Fowler (Parent) food for HS Interview Night Sonia Geisler (Parent) website SEO Enrollment & Spring Creek Store John Harrison (Parent) Annual Support Campaign Dusty Hanson (Parent) Jennifer Holle (Parent) HS Enrollment food for HS Interview Night EC Enrollment Vesa Holle (Parent) media research support Rachel Hitchcock (Parent) Gelareh Kourgiantakis (Parent) database support Kate Lejeck (Parent) Spring Creek Store Patti Michaels (Parent) Holiday Market Jenny Nielson (Parent) Wreath Sale Handmade for the Holidays & HS Interview Night Jennifer Pultz (Parent) food for HS Interview Night Dave Renzema (Parent) Julianne Renzema (Parent) Judy Renzema (Grandparent) Heesuk Steffen (Parent) SCRIP chalkboard art Library food for HS Interview Night Allegra Wyatt (12th Grade) The entire 8th Grade Enrollment Support Grandparents’ Day nametags PAGE 5 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL Flour Mill Auction by christina carpenter & suzanne shelley, 2014 flour mill auction co-chairs Join us for the much anticipated annual Flour Mill Auction on April 5th! Come celebrate the riches and bounty of Oregon with our “Farm to Feast” theme. Indulge in the tantalizing appetizers and sumptuous dinner provided by Field Day chef Jeremy Larter. His focus is hyper-seasonal themed multi-course market dinners. Working with local farms and suppliers the menu is the perfect pairing to the Farm to Feast theme. It will be amazing! New and exciting this year is admittance to our preevent party from 5:00-5:45PM for all Cultivator table and Orchard ticket purchasers. A special time to sample delicious local wines and savor hors d’oeuvres and bid early on silent auction items. Exceptional, special and unique Silent, Live, and Class Projects are being crafted and donated! PWHS Students Win Spots in CityWide Art Show Do you have an item to donate? Use our online donation form: https://portlandwaldorfschool.ejoinme.org/ flourmilldonation or contact Sara Case at 503-654-2200 x210 or [email protected]. For the first time, PWHS will be represented in the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts Juried High School Exhibition. The selection committee, who visited our campus to review samples of high school art and select the entry pieces, said, “The work students are making is fantastic – the work is well conceived, great craftsmanship and strong personal voice. The art program at Portland Waldorf is an ideal fit for students interested in continuing their studies in fine art, design and craft.” The committee also commented approvingly on how the high school students spoke to the committee members with such confidence, enthusiasm for their work, and poise. Consider hosting an easel party!! If you are interested, please contact Sara Case. Evening’s Events: 5:00 PM Pre-event Party 6:00 PM Silent Auction Opens 6:50 PM First Silent Auction Section Closes 7:00 PM Final Silent Auction Section Closes 7:05 PM Gymnasium Opens with Live Music, Dinner and the Live Auction The event will conclude with the Live Auction at 9:00pm but the evening will continue with Live Music and Dancing to follow! Watch your mail box for invitations soon! Tickets are already being purchased! Buy your tickets and tables online at https://portlandwaldorfschool.ejoinme.org/ flourmilltickets We look forward to coming together for feasting, bidding and raising money for PWS with you! Congratulations to PWHS students whose art was selected to be part of the show: seniors Joie Bassham, Elijah Klauder, Karis Lindelien and Bea Steffan; juniors Liam Erickson and Owen Markel; and sophomore John Paul Takacs. The exhibition of high school student art from over thirty Portland high schools will be on display at the Hoffman Gallery on the OCAC campus from March 6 through April 1. Opening Reception March 6, 4-6pm OCAC Hoffman Gallery 8245 SW Barnes Road All are welcome! Book by Senior Elijah Klauder PAGE 6 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL FEBRUARY 2014 Community Enrichment A Math Talk by Jamie York by alynn nelson, 7th grade teacher A Workshop on Diversity in Education Pizza, Alligators & Socks: A Math Talk by Jamie York February 16, 7pm PWHS Music Room A few years ago, the grades teachers decided to switch the middle school math curriculum (grades 6, 7 & 8) from a traditional math textbook to Jamie York’s “Making Math Meaningful” curriculum. Parents and staff are warmly welcomed to join us to learn more about how his dynamic and comprehensive math curriculum meets and expands the mathematical thinking capabilities of our Waldorf students and how it prepares them for math beyond 8th Grade. photo by Jesse Michener Jamie York began teaching math in 1985 at a boarding school in New Hampshire. In 1994, after spending two years in Nepal serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, his search for meaningful education led him to Shining Mountain Waldorf School, where he is still currently teaching middle school and high school mathematics. Since then, he has focused largely on envisioning and creating a comprehensive and meaningful mathematics curriculum that spans grades one through twelve. Jamie consults at a variety of schools, teaches math workshops, and serves on the faculty at the Center for Anthroposophy training Waldorf high school math teachers. LifeWays Living Arts: Your Path to Joyful, Purposeful Living by anne kollender, student services director and former pws parent, & mary o’connell, training director, lifeways portland Portland LifeWays Training Apr 11-18, Aug 4 -10, Oct 24 –Nov 1, 2014 and Feb 14-21, 2015. at the Portland Waldorf School Are you a parent eager to learn more about living and parenting with joy, purpose and simplicity, in a way that supports your home life and your child’s Waldorf education? Or are you currently working professionally in an Lifeways, continued on page 8 PAGE 7 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL Lifeways, continued from page 7 early childhood setting, and seeking to enrich your work with the children in your care? We warmly invite all PWS parents and extended community to experience the wonder and soul nourishment of the Living Arts through LifeWays! LifeWays Early Childhood Certification is a comprehensive training designed to give you the understanding and skills needed to develop and transform your living and working with young children. The training spans four one-week seasonal sessions over a year, beginning April 2014, and includes workshops of special interest that are open to the public without enrollment in the full program. Interested parents may enroll in one or all of three workshops: Puppetry and Language Development, with Suzanne Down (Oct 28-30), Nurturing and Home-care Arts, with Julie Griggs, R.N., anthroposophical health care provider (Aug 9-10) Me, Myself and I: Adult Development with Cynthia Aldinger, Founder of LifeWays North America (Aug 2014). Come learn how simple activities of healthy home life provide the foundation of learning for the young child. Refresh yourself with music, movement and handwork classes accessible to all, and learn more about the holistic view of the developing human being offered by Rudolf Steiner and other developmental theorists. School Store by yvonne cseko, spring creek store manager New From Weleda Now in stock after many years of waiting, Weleda has formulated their new hair care line. Developed with the assistance of holistic hair care experts and with Weleda’s deep understanding of how natural ingredients support health and beauty. Free of heavy silicones, harsh sulfates, and synthetic preservatives. We have samples in the store for you to try. Imbolic/Candlemas -February 2nd A time to let go of the past and to look to the future, clearing out the old, making both outer and inner space for new beginnings. This can be done in numerous ways, from spring cleaning your home to clearing the mind and heart to allow inspiration to enter for the new cycle. It’s a good time for wish-making or making a dedication. We have lovely handmade candles arriving this week to light the way as we enter into this new cycle. One could make a cleansing blend to spray your home with using essential oils and crystals. Make One Take One Calendar Join us for crafting on Thursday mornings after drop off. We usually gather from 8:45–10:45 and registration is required (bulletin board in the store), as these classes tend to fill up. You will learn and new craft, make one to sell in the store, and take the materials home to make one for yourself. 2/6 2/13 2/20 2/27 LifeWays works creatively and generously with tuition payment plans. All sincere applicants are encouraged to apply. For more information, contact Portland Training Director Mary O’Connell at 414-218-8558 (CST) or at [email protected]. For a full detailed description of the training, or to register online, please check the website at LifeWaysNorthAmerica.org. Needle felted mouse Needle felted tapestry NO CLASS – Teacher Conference Week Wet Felted merino wool vessel Bring in your Gently Used items Now accepting Waldorf inspired items for our “Gently Used” corner of the store. We are looking for dress-up silks, wooden toys, Waldorf books, Haba and Ravenberger games and puzzles. For more information contact Yvonne at 503-654-2200 ext 208. The School Store will be closed during February Break. PAGE 8 FEBRUARY 2014 heartbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL FEBRUARY events FEB 4 Simplicity Parenting Class Tuesdays, 2/4 – 3/25, 6:30-8:30pm, Bluebell Classroom To register, contact Lisa Weiner ([email protected]) FEB 6 A Walk Through the Grades 9-10:30am RSVP by emailing [email protected]. FEB 8 Welcome to Waldorf: an Early Childhood Introduction 10-11:30am RSVP by emailing [email protected]. FEB 12 Awakening to an Understanding of Electromagnetics and the Human Being, with Michael D’Aleo 6:30-8:30pm, Swallowtail Waldorf School $10 suggested donation, teachers free FEB 16 Pizza, Alligators & Socks: A Talk by Waldorf Math Educator Jamie York 7-8:30pm, PWHS Music Room FEB 17-21 February Break FEB 21 Timberline Ski Day All Day at Timberline Lodge Buy tickets online at www.portlandwaldorf.org coming next month… Bring Your Parents to School Night MAR 7 6-8pm, Portland Waldorf School Race & Culture in Education MAR 22-23 An interactive diversity training for parents, teachers & community organizations 9am-5:30pm, Portland Waldorf School visit www.motherearthschool.com/diversity.shtml PAGE 9