Inside: Summer Program Highlights and the New School Year

Transcription

September/
October 2014
Inside:
Summer Program Highlights and the New School Year
Spotlight: Grade One
Open Saturdays Tutoring Program
Welcome New Staff
Letter from the Care Room
The Bulletin • September/October 2014 • I
The New School Year
Bill Pernice, Pedagogical Administrator
A Publication of
Green Meadow Waldorf School
We invite readers to submit
articles for consideration that
relate to school activities and
events. Green Meadow reserves
editorial rights, including the right
to reject any material it deems
unsuitable for publication.
The Green Meadow Bulletin
Committee is composed of
Daniel Bieber, Raoul Cansino,
Vicki Larson, Angela Nusbaum,
and Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich, Editor.
Meetings are open; please
contact Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich if you
wish to attend.
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A
s I write this, the heat of summer is still upon us,
although the coolness of the nights is giving us a hint
of the fall to come. I have done some travelling this
summer and have enjoyed the days of extended sunlight,
and now I find so much satisfaction in going out to my
garden and picking fresh tomatoes and basil for a salad. The
Hudson Valley during harvest time is a special place indeed.
With the opening of school and the students arriving, there is always a stirring
of activity and anticipation on campus. But the grounds have been far from
sleeping this summer, as our campus has had many summer guests. Children
attending our Summer Programs and the Nature Place Day Camp filled the
school and played in our courtyards, woods, and fields for most of the summer,
and we were also pleased to host a number of conferences on our campus.
One of these conferences was InPower, an international youth conference
that focused on developing strong and spiritually enlightened leadership
capacities in the next generation. Formally hosted by the Threefold
Educational Center, this exciting event brought young adults from all over
the world right here to our community, where they attended workshops and
presentations in our Arts Building and classrooms.
We also hosted the DANA (Development and Administrative Network of
AWSNA) regional conference. There were approximately 30 participants from
13 schools in the mid-Atlantic region, including administrators, development
directors, communications/marketing directors, and admissions/enrollment
coordinators, all of whom shared information and ideas about their respective
schools.
Threefold’s Mystery Drama Conference was held in Rose Hall and there were
over 300 participants from around the world who attended. I received many
appreciative comments from guests who enjoyed the beautiful spaces Green
Meadow has to offer.
There were also a number of projects completed under the oversight of Ray
Volpe, Head of Maintenance. There are some lovely new bluestone steps near
the white-top, as well as some drainage work done there to alleviate rainwater
accumulation. The two bathrooms by the first and second grade classrooms
have been renovated and have new walls, floors, and stall dividers. The eighth
grade classroom had new overhead lighting installed.
The next issue of The Bulletin
is the November/December issue
and will be distributed: Monday,
November 3
All submissions are due by
3pm: Friday, October 3
8 Printed on 100% recycled paper
Green Meadow’s 2014 summer programs, from left: The children made gnomes and other handcrafts;
Gardening was part of the fun; We were outside in all kinds of weather! ©Dyana Van Campen
307 Hungry Hollow Road
Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
845.356.2514
www.gmws.org
2 • The Bulletin • Sept/Oct
September/October
2014
2014
Looking forward to the new school year, there are some new faculty and staff
members, as well as some changes in positions for continuing colleagues (see
page 14 for biographies of some of the new faces). They are as follows:
• Heather Kono will be the first grade teacher
• Senna Riahi will be the sixth grade
teacher
• Liza Henderson will be teaching in
the Early Childhood section
• Maria Fitzgerald will be teaching
Spanish in the Lower School
• Isolda Atayde will be teaching
Spanish in the High School
• Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich will be
assisting in the second grade and
editing The Bulletin
• Anne Cohen will be assisting in the
fourth grade
• Kiki Rosner will be teaching ESL in
the High School
• Will Minehart will be working as a
Lower School Intern
• Mellie Mae Lonnemann will be
assisting in the Gym
• Dania Guido will be teaching
handwork in the Lower School
• Fernando Lopez will be the After-
School Program lead teacher
• Barbara Mann will be working as
the Early Childhood Admissions
Coordinator
Hopefully some of you have had the
opportunity in recent weeks to meet
your Parent Council delegates. There
are six Parent Council meetings
scheduled this year, and you do
not need to be a Parent Council
delegate to come. They are open
to all parents and coming to the
meetings is a great way to get
involved in your child’s school.
There is a wonderful Community
Education series planned this year
with “Building Resilient Families” as
the theme. Please take advantage of
these events. The series begins on
Thursday, Nov. 6 with Paula Moraine:
The Attention Fix. Paula Moraine,
M.Ed., has been a Waldorf class
teacher and administrator, a tutor for
elementary, high school, and college
students, as well as a university
adjunct, mentor, coach, and adult
educator in teacher training programs
in the US, Germany, and Scotland.
Paula’s book, Helping Students
Take Control of Everyday Executive
Functions–The Attention Fix has been
translated into Dutch, Spanish, and
Finnish. She is currently in private
practice in Maryland.
The Community Education series
will continue throughout the year
with wonderful workshops and
lectures. Please go to www.gmws.org/
communityeducation to learn more
about these upcoming events.
Our school continues to grow and
there are over 380 students in the
school this year. For me, it has been
an honor to work with the students,
parents, and teachers this past year
and I look forward to a full year
ahead, with many wonderful things
to come. F
From Sheep to Slippers, to Cooking in the Crafting in the Kindergarten, Singing and Sailing by the Fairy Stream, and our ever-popular Farm
Days, we offered more summer programs in 2014 than ever before. Children delighted in long summer days filled with outdoor adventures, while
learning new skills and making new friends. Above, our Sheep to Slippers program. ©Dyana Van Campen
The Bulletin • September/October 2014 • 3
Fall Fair 2014
© Fernando Lopez
Saturday, October 11
10am-5pm
Join us for a very special day: continue or create a family tradition,
surrounded by 11 acres of beautiful fall foliage. Candle dipping, tree
climbing, hayride, pumpkin carving, puppet shows, face painting, cider
press, plus fabulous vendors of one-of-a-kind handmade items; caramel
apples; live music; and organic food on the grill.
Green Meadow parents: Mark the date on your calendars now, and
don’t forget that if you are unavailable on the day of the fair, we ask
that you fulfill your volunteer commitment beforehand. Contact Averi
Lohss at 845.356.2514 x301 or [email protected] to find out how you
can help in the weeks leading up to the fair.
845.356.2514 x301
www.gmws.org
4 • The Bulletin • September/October 2014
Support the education you love!
Give to the Green Meadow Annual Fund
We are starting the year with
renewed energy and gusto. Our
Annual Fund goal is $160,000
and we are working toward
100% participation from the
community, which we have
achieved in the past.
Annual Fund
2013-14
After the matching gift drive
this past spring, the Annual
Fund jumped from $80,000 to
just over $140,000 by the end
of June! Thank you all for your
generosity!
Goal: $160,000
$140,000
Annual
Fund An
Pro
met!
$120,000
2013-14
$80,000
$30,000
$0
You can also help support the Annual
Fund with a brick purchase. Honor
your children, a staff member, or a
teacher today!
• Single brick at $250
• Two Bricks at $450 (Save $50)
• Three Bricks at $650 (Save $100)
Go online to www.gmws.org/givenow to make a donation or send
in your check to:
Green Meadow Waldorf School
Attn: Averi Lohss
307 Hungry Hollow Rd.
Contact Averi Lohss, Development Coordinator, at [email protected] 845.356.2514 x301.
2013
First Grade Beginnings
Heather Kono, First Grade Teacher
G
etting ready for first grade has been wonderfully joyful and a bit terrifying. It is such an honor and a huge responsibility to form a class of 32
children. I am thrilled!
I began my preparation in June by setting up home visits. I then participated in a
week-long course at Sunbridge Institute—“Preparing for Grade One”. Spending
time with other first grade teachers from all over the world, we shared ideas and
added more tools into our first-grade toolbox. In the weeks that followed, I have
been reading fairy tales, writing my first story, collecting rocks, taking nature walks,
experiencing math from the whole to the parts, listening to first-grade advice
from my second grade daughter (“Mom, you have to get a glockenspiel for
transitions!”), singing, learning verses and poems, reading Steiner, drawing, and
painting: all in preparation for that moment when we all come together as a class.
During this important year, I will strive to use form and rhythm to build a
healthy learning environment so that each student feels confident in his or her
ability to learn. The first grade child has powerful new capacities of intellect
available as a result of successfully growing into his or her physical body and
senses during the first seven years of life. To begin with, the child’s memory
is no longer dependent upon sight or a sound for recall. As a result, it now
becomes free to serve the learning process.
Above, First Grade Teacher Heather Kono
with a student at the 2014 Rose Ceremony;
Top, First Grade students with the roses
they received from High School seniors
during the Rose Ceremony.
Photos © Dyana Van Campen
The entire first grade curriculum is presented in a way that appeals to the
child’s sense of wonder and developing capacity of inner imagination.
Academic subjects with the class teacher emphasize language arts, arithmetic, and form drawing and are enlivened for the students through their
imaginations, speech recitation, music, movement, and the arts. We will begin
the year with form drawing, which is the foundation of all the drawing and
writing the first grader will encounter. Have you
ever noticed that all letters are formed by straight/
curved lines?
We will first form the shapes with whole body movements through walking or running. Slowly we will
reduce the movement to only our arms and hands,
and finally, we will settle the movement experience
by drawing the forms on paper. Form drawing is an
excellent preliminary exercise for writing. It helps
the children orient to reading and writing in the twodimensional world of the page.
Dressing for the
Rose Ceremony.
© Fernando Lopez
We will close each day with a verse I love:
We are bright as silver
We are good as gold
Warm as summer roses
Let our hearts unfold.
I am eager to meet the children as individuals, as
well as part of our forming group. Each child brings
a collection of traits and has a special contribution
to offer our classroom. I hope to be able to recognize their individual qualities throughout the year.
I hope we will form a community in our classroom
that helps and supports one another, enjoys sharing and playing together. I hope we will all grow as
individuals throughout our years together.
Straight Line and Curve Line:
the art of writing
ROUND ABOUT
Reflections from Rising
First Grade Parents
P
arents and children both experience crossing an
important threshold when a child makes the giant
step from the Kindergarten into “the grades.” We
asked the first grade parents to share their feelings,
thoughts, and wonders with us, as they approached this
threshold.
Round the coppice
Round the trees,
Round the woods
With the rustling leaves;
Round the tree trunk,
Round the stem:
Round about
And home again.
–Paul King
From Tamra & Roee Holtzer:
The Hunter’s Aim
From Ashley Rudden Castelo:
The hunter walks out in the bush alone,
His wife and children are hungry at home.
With arrow and bow he must try his luck,
And at last he spies a still grazing buck.
O hunter, aim your arrow with care!
Keep your eye on the target there!
Pay no heed to the birds as they pass,
Pay no heed to the wind in the grass,
Pay no heed to the buzz of the flies,
Nor to the jackal’s far-off cries.
Concentrate on the arrow and aim....
That’s how the good hunter comes home
with the game.
–Paul King
As Alanna approaches her first time being at school
for a full day, she is eager, excited, and counting down
the days. As parents, it brings pleasure and a sense
of accomplishment that we have helped her feel
emotionally prepared and confident for this new venture.
I will, of course, miss our afternoons together, just the
two of us, but mostly I feel pride in our daughter’s joy,
independence, and zest for life.
Abigail is very excited for first grade. Mostly she’s excited
that there are going to be books and reading and desks!
She’s also happy to finally be a full-day student. My sense
is that she feels like it’s a big honor to be entering the
grade school, where she’ll start learning in a more formal,
academic way. The long wait has made her very eager!
From Deanne Yaklin & Nils Guttenplan:
Yann turned seven this summer, and we have been talking
a lot about embarking on his first grade adventure in
September. As a family, we are so very grateful to be part
of Green Meadow, and we are looking forward to our first
Rose Ceremony.
Continues on page 12
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Green Meadow Waldorf School Alum and Parent
Thinking About Becoming a Waldorf Teacher?
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Thursday, November 13
Elementary Education
Thursday, November 20
Early Childhood Education
Attend classes, meet students and faculty, and learn about our part-time programs
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285 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
[email protected] / 845.425.0055
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A fun-filled workshop on the foundations and fundamentals of Waldorf Education
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First Grade reflections, continued from page 7
Yann has been preparing to enter first
grade by proudly picking out a new RED
back pack and selecting his very first lunch
bag. He is looking forward to playing with
his classmates; primarily, on the “the first
grade playground with the dome”. Yann is
also curious about learning new things . . .
like getting to learn to “do math” which is
“adding and dividing things into groups”.
From Amy Clarke:
Three years ago, when Julia was four and sitting on my lap during Brady’s emotional Rose
Ceremony, it was hard to fathom she would be
ready for her special moment so quickly! Time
is flying faster every day and it is more important than ever to cherish these beautiful times.
Julia is cautiously and quietly excited about
first grade, the same way she approaches most
things in her life. Julia feels proud that it is her
turn to do what her big brother did, and we
couldn’t be more thrilled to see the amazing
girl that she has grown to be. Julia is excited
to receive her rose and we, as parents, are so
happy to see her begin her new life chapter.
From Anonymous:
A new dress waiting in her closet, new
lunchbox and water bottle ready to go.
Our little, or big (I sometimes get
confused), girl with one leg still in the
Kindergarten world and the other ready
to go out to the bigger world. Still making
gnome houses in the woods, but now also
interested to know what letters go into the
word “gnome”…
She can’t wait to get started. At times, such
excitement turns into long-lasting conflicts at
home. However difficult this transition is, it is
nevertheless beautiful! F
The Rose Ceremony: top images © Fernando Lopez;
image above ©Dyana Van Campen
Open Saturdays:
a tutoring program for
students in the East
Ramapo school district
Physics and math teacher James
Madsen helped many students
during last year’s Open
Saturdays tutoring sessions.
“To be honest, I was very skeptical about [Open Saturdays] because it was free of charge.
I was reluctant to wake up early every Saturday, but I...brought my math folder, tests,
and homework and expected the worst. At first I worked with a student named Sabine,
and she really got me comfortable with the environment here. After a few more sessions,
I started to work with Mr. Madsen. He was a great help and he definitely helped me
increase my scores in math.” –Julian
“In the time that I have been coming here, I have had an amazing experience. I was
tutored by several different people. My grades went up and my homework was completed
more efficiently.” –Elijah
“With these Saturday sessions, I have gotten to
understand my work better and meet incredible people.
At the beginning, my grades were not where they
should be, but with your help my grades have improved
dramatically.” –Alexis
“When I first [started], I had a lot of trouble with the
subject Math. I was at the point where I was failing bad.
Then I met a teacher named Mr. Madsen. Once I worked
with him, he made math a lot easier for me.” –Taron
Volunteers needed for the 2014-15 sessions of Open Saturdays
GMWS senior Noa Heller tutoring an East
Ramapo student last spring in the Open
Saturdays program.
(which may take place on weekdays after school this year…necessitating a
program name change if so). Contact Vicki Larson at 845.356.2514 x311 or
[email protected].
Welcome New Staff
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to
the new faculty members this year, as well as some changes
in positions for continuing colleagues.
Senna Riahi will be the sixth
grade teacher
BA in English Language Arts, Hunter
College; MA in Adolescent English
Education, Hunter College; New
York State Teaching Certification;
Certificate in Foundation Studies in
Anthroposophy at the Brooklyn Waldorf
School; MEd in Elementary Education
with Waldorf Elementary Specialization,
Antioch University New England
(Completion in Winter 2014/15).
Senna was born and raised in New
York City, where she attended the
Rudolf Steiner School through Tenth
Grade. Through various career paths
and travels, she found her way to
the classroom through the New
York City Teaching Fellows Program.
Senna spent six years teaching
English in public middle and high
schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and
Manhattan before finding her way
back to Waldorf® Education via the
Foundation Studies Program at the
Brooklyn Waldorf School.
Liza Henderson
will be teaching in
the Early Childhood
section
Liza Henderson
grew up in Montreal,
Canada and has
lived in New York City, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Scotland, Italy, and,
most recently the Hudson Valley.
She has been a teacher all her working life. After many years at graduate school, she began teaching
Shakespeare at the college level and
then, after giving up that career in
order to become a full-time mother,
she discovered the magic of Waldorf®
Education when she enrolled her
daughter in a Parent/Child class at the
Beverly Waldorf School. One thing led
to another, and soon she was moving
with her family to New Paltz, NY, in
order to send both her children to the
Mountain Laurel Waldorf School.
Liza volunteered in her daughter’s
Nursery classroom and the following
year became the full-time Assistant,
where she stayed for 10 happy years.
Discovering her deep affinity for
young children, and realizing that
she had found her true vocation as
a teacher of Kindergarten rather
than college, she decided to take
up Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales
in place of Shakespeare, and pursue
Waldorf Early Childhood training at
Sunbridge Institute. This past year,
she worked at Acorn School, a mixedage Kindergarten in Accord, NY, and
recently graduated from Sunbridge
Institute. She is thrilled and honored
to join the wonderful Green Meadow
Early Childhood faculty!
Maria
Fitzgerald
will be teaching
Spanish in the
Lower School
María José Fitzgerald
was born and raised
in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She first
moved to the United States in 1997
to attend the University of Georgia,
where she earned a Bachelor’s
degree in Ecology. She returned to
Honduras, where she discovered her
love of teaching at a small school
in Tegucigalpa. She returned to the
United States to continue her studies at Duke University. After teaching
at a New York City public school for
four years, Maria and her husband
moved to North Carolina, where, while
expecting their first daughter, Maria
discovered Waldorf® Education and
knew that this was the educational
path for her and her children. Maria
joined a Foundation Studies group in
Chapel Hill, NC, and taught Spanish
and Mathematics at the Emerson
Waldorf School for two years. Her two
daughters attend the Kindergarten
and Nursery. Maria enjoys the outdoors, running, and traveling.
Isolda Atayde will be teaching
Spanish in the High School
Public Accountant, Instituto Tecnológico
Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Isolda was born and raised in Mexico
City, Mexico. She worked as a consultant in two tax firms until 2007. After
her two daughters were born, she
became interested in topics around
diversity in children and young adults.
Isolda has spoken in seminars and
conferences about discrimination
faced by children and teenagers in
Latin American countries.
She admires and embraces the
peaceful and welcoming atmosphere
in Waldorf® Education. She has two
daughters at GMWS. Isolda enjoys
spending time with her family, learning
new languages and cultures, reading,
riding horses, and going camping.
Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich will be
assisting in the second grade and
editing The Bulletin
BA in Communication Science and
Disorders, Pace University; MS in
Speech Language Pathology, LIU,
Brooklyn; Waldorf Elementary Teacher
Education, Sunbridge Institute
(graduating Spring 2016)
Shiri has been exploring anthroposophy and Waldorf® Education for the
last 20 years. Through her training
as a speech therapist in NYC, Shiri
attended many workshops and lectures both in the city and at Sunbridge
over the years. After practicing speech
therapy with children in different settings for a decade, Shiri is becoming
a Waldorf Elementary teacher and
scheduled to graduate in the spring
of 2016. She has two children in Green
Meadow’s Early Childhood program.
Anne Cohen will be assisting in
the fourth grade
BA, Sociology, Stony Brook University;
MSEd, Fordham University
Anne taught Kindergarten and
Grades 4 and 5 for 10 years at PS 11
in New York City. She then taught
Kindergarten, Reading, and a Gifted
and Talented program for 10 years in
the Clarkstown School District. She discovered Green Meadow and Waldorf®
Education while researching alternative
education for her children. She is truly
excited to become part of the Green
Meadow teaching community. Both of
Anne’s children attend Green Meadow.
Kiki Rosner will be teaching ESL
in the High School
Will Minehart will be working
as a Lower School Intern
BS, Environmental Studies, Bucknell
University; MEd, Elementary Waldorf
Education, Antioch University of New
England.
As an adult, William often finds himself reflecting on the impact of having
spent much of his youth in the woodlands of Pennsylvania. A lifelong love
for birds and the outdoors led him
to achieving his childhood dream of
researching birds in the tropical rainforests of Australia and the Peruvian
Amazon. While living in these places,
he also began to explore ways to
heal the ailing relationship between
humanity and the rest of the natural
world. In doing so, William discovered
his passion for education through
working with environmental nonprofits in the mountains of Colorado
and Washington, where he focused on
creating positive experiences for youth
in the wilderness. It was while working
at one of these institutes that William
met his wife, and started a family.
After teaching high school science
for four years in a public high school
in New Jersey, where he was lucky
enough to share a classroom with his
wife, William is very excited to join
the staff at GMWS, and begin taking
part in a form of education that he
believes bears the wisdom and vision
of what is needed for the future.
Mellie Mae
Lonnemann
will be assisting in
the Gym
BFA, Alfred
University,
concentration in
ceramics and minor in dance
Mellie Mae Lonnemann comes to us
from the mountains of North Carolina,
where she has spent the last four
years as a resident artist and educator.
She has taught at art centers, an ecocamp, and homeschool cooperatives.
Mellie grew up in an active family,
with three brothers participating in
sports, and her love for movement
was rekindled through modern dance
at university.
She also studied ceramics for two
years in Italy and received a certificate of professionalism at the State
Institute of Art in Faenza.
Mellie became interested in Waldorf®
Education during her undergraduate studies, as she explored diverse
teaching styles. After various teaching
experiences, she decided this year to
begin the Teacher Training Program
at Sunbridge Institute.
Fernando Lopez will be the
After-School Program teacher
Melissa
McDonagh will
be the Admissions
and Outreach
Coordinator for
Grades 1-12
I grew up in Rockland
County: just a mile away from Green
Meadow my entire life! When I was
in the seventh grade, I visited the
school to participate in the Poetry
Festival (I still have the poster in a file
in my parents’ basement) and felt an
immediate connection, perhaps even a
sense of destiny. That first experience
in those impressionable adolescent
years left a deep and lasting impact!
I began my work experience in children’s publishing, drawing on my
love of literature. Ironically, I worked
on media tie-in books—books based
on children’s TV shows—and realized quickly that I needed to work at
something I could put my whole heart
into. I began a career in teaching and
while completing my Master’s degree,
I found myself drawn back to Green
Meadow. I observed some high school
English classes here, wrote papers
on Waldorf® Education, and worked
at The Nature Place Day Camp. One
summer with the Biebers and Dunns
taught me more about working with
children than any graduate course
could! I loved being an English teacher.
I have always felt that the study of literature and writing, through learning to
communicate effectively and by grappling with the universal truths of the
human experience, makes one a better
person. And I felt honored to work with
my students while they were on this
journey of discovering themselves.
Upon becoming a mother, I again felt
that calling back to Green Meadow
knowing with certainty it was where I
wanted my children to grow up.
What a tremendous gift it is to
bring all of my past experiences
in communications, Waldorf and
mainstream education toward the
single purpose of spreading the word
about this amazing place. Each time I
speak with a prospective parent and
see them inspired by how special and
unique Green Meadow and Waldorf®
Education are, I remember that flash of
inspiration I had as a 12-year-old in the
Music Room and know that I’m right
where I’m supposed to be! F
Save the date!
Saturday, October 25, 9am-noon:
Strategic Plan
Parent Input Session
Please contact Eric Silber if you have any questions: [email protected].
Fiber Craft Studio
REIKI CLASSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
REIKI THERAPY
AYURVEDA SHIRODHARA
h
Madeleine Wuergler, R.M.T.
201 240 8082
[email protected]
Open Studio
Fridays 2:30 PM – 4:30PM
September 19 – December 19
(Except Oct. 10, 17, 31 and Nov. 28)
Auto Repair and
Maintenence
Come visit us at our Studio at Orchard
House on Friday afternoons to browse,
see us at work and experience our
unique plant-dyed materials. Our yarns
Mobile Service
we are ready to assist you as needed.
20+ years experience
ASE Certified Master Technician
All types of cars
Specializing in Subaru
Vincent Russell
Cell 845-300-9991
[email protected]
and craft kits are available for sale, and
Don't miss our special
demonstration days, where you can
watch us work and have
a unique hands-on experience:
September 26: Plant-dyeing
October 24: Felting
December 12: Knotted Fleece Figures
!
845-429-7735
www.clockworkconstructioninc.com
Ben Williams
Licensed & Insured
Custom Decks
Custom Enclosures
Tie Walls
Additions
Cedar Sliding
Renovations
Rockland Lic. H-06562-A6
Westchester Lic. WC-20612-H08
New Jersey Lic. 13VH05886100
GMWS Parent
Diversity Update
Vicki Larson, Director of Communications and Marketing, Diversity Committee Chair
A
s a school committed to helping children become whole,
thoughtful, generous human
beings, and as a place where all the
adults are also striving to become
the best people we can be, we have
a responsibility to address inequities
in our community and our society.
To that end, we adopted a Diversity
Statement two years ago (posted at
www.gmws.org/diversity) and have
an active Diversity Committee that
seeks to make our school truly inclusive. Recent activities included:
In July, Maskit Ronen, a high-school
teacher and Diversity Committee
member as well as a parent of three
children in our school, attended the
CARLE Institute for White Educators,
a three-day training in Manhattan,
where she continued to deepen her
theoretical framework around antiracist education, and also learned
practical skills for bringing that work
into her classroom and into our
school as whole.
In early August, we sponsored and
attended Spring Valley Day, a community celebration, to continue
building bridges to the diverse community in which we are located.
In late August, diversity consultant
Dr. Randolph Carter led a three-hour
session with faculty and staff during
Work Week, on diversity-responsive
pedagogy. This was Dr. Carter’s
second year working with us over a
three-year period.
In October, four of us from the staff
and Board (and, we expect, several
faculty as well) will attend the annual
Undoing Racism training at Rockland
Community College in Suffern, led
by The People’s Institute for Survival
and Beyond (www.pisab.org).
We invite parents to join us:
please contact me if you are
interested, at [email protected]
or 845.356.2514 x311. F
Join GMWS faculty, Board, and staff at the
Undoing Racism Training
at Rockland Community College in Suffern
October 26-28
Reduced rate for groups is $250/person.
Contact Vicki Larson for details: [email protected] or
845.356.2514 x311
Mural in a Kindergarten classroom.
Image ©Dyana Van Campen
Letter from the Care Room
Bevin Cahill
I
want to welcome all the children,
parents, and faculty back to Green
Meadow. I look forward tending
to your children in the Care Room
again this year. I will be present in the
Care Room each Monday, Tuesday,
and Thursday. Jill Bieber, a trained
Waldorf teacher who has worked
in the Care Room the past several
years, will continue her work there on
Wednesdays and Fridays.
The following information is
important to ensure a healthy school
environment and to satisfy our
obligations to New York State. All
required medical paperwork must
come in the by the first week of
school.
The following students are required
by state law to have a current
physical and all should continually
update the immunization records or
have a letter of religious exemption
on file at the school:
• Grades 2, 4, 7, and 10
• New students
• Students participating in afterschool sports in and all students
in the Equestrian Club.
Any child requiring medication at
school needs a physician’s order; the
medication needs to be turned into
the Care Room during the first week
of school.
Children who have medical
conditions should have a carefully
constructed care plan made by their
physician and brought to the Care
Room so I may review it with you
and with the class teachers.
Children requiring an EpiPen should
have this submitted with a photo
of your child and a current allergy
action care plan.
The appropriate forms can be found
on the Green Meadow web site at:
http://www.gmws.org/careroom.
Any child who has physical-activity
restrictions in gym, eurythmy, recess,
or otherwise requires a note from
their physician to be given to the
Care Room. I will give copies to the
appropriate teachers.
Lice infestation is always something
we have to think about and try
to prevent. Green Meadow’s “no
nit” policy is best upheld with the
following preventative methods:
• Weekly head checks at home
• Keeping long hair tied back,
preferably in braids, while at school
• No sharing hats (including sports
helmets)
• Using a preventative hair product
such as the Fairy Tales brand to
create a barrier against lice
• Keeping hats and coats in
backpacks or a plastic bag while in
the cubbies
If we do have a lice breakout, the
following will take place:
• All students in the affected
class will be checked weekly, for
two weeks past the last noted
outbreak
• The infected child/children are
excused and must be picked up
from school to do the required
treatment. Always call the Care
Room at 356-2514 x307 to report
a lice infestation or to any request
information.
I look forward to working within this
community to care for your children.
Warmly,
Bevin Cahill, MS CM F
Jow Pain Gel
All Natural
Pain Relief
Soothe
Pain
Recover
from Injury
Relieve
Stiffness
On Sale at the
Hungry Hollow
Co-Op
Formulated by GMWS Parent
www.JowPainRelief.com
Community Announcements
Sunbridge Institute
Eurythmy Spring Valley
www.sunbridge.edu
845-425-0055 x20
www.eurythmy.org
845-352-5020, ext. 13
Waldorf Weekend
Fall Public Course
Saturday-Sunday, October 17-18
Experiential workshop on the
foundations and fundamentals of
Waldorf® Education
with Anna Silber and other faculty.
Explore the highlights of the Waldorf
curriculum, discover anthroposophy
and Rudolf Steiner’s insights into
human development, and enjoy
presentations, discussion, and
artistic activities.Ideal for current,
new, and prospective Waldorf
parents and other community
members. Information &
registration: 845-425-0055 x16 or
[email protected]
Open Days
Thursday, November 13 (Waldorf
Elementary Teacher Education)
Thursday, November 20 (Waldorf
Early Childhood Teacher Education)
Come visit us in action, attend
classes, meet with students, faculty,
and program directors, and learn all
about Waldorf teacher education at
Sunbridge Institute. For prospective
Waldorf teachers. Information &
registration: 845-425-0055 x20 or
[email protected]
with Sea-Anna Vasilas
September 23-October 21
Five Tuesdays, 7:30 - 8:45 pm / $75
($15/class) at the School of Eurythmy.
Come enjoy the art of movement
together, as we explore eurythmy in
the mood of this Michaelmas Season.
You are invited to experience the
inner strength and deepening that
eurythmy has to offer in this weekly
eurythmy course. Everyone, from
beginners to experienced eurythmists,
is welcome. For registration, please
call Eurythmy Spring Valley, 845-3525020 ext. 13, or [email protected].
Michaelmas Festival
Sunday, September 28
1:30 pm in the Pfeiffer Center Garden,
4:00 pm at Threefold Auditorium.
Donations welcome. All are invited
to the Pfeiffer Center Garden at
1:30 pm to help make, stir and spray
the biodynamic preparation #500,
which supports humus formation and
root growth. Refreshments will be
provided from the garden. At 4:00
pm, join us in the Auditorium for a
festival offering by Eurythmy Spring
Valley with eurythmy and a variety
Classifieds
Precision Carpentry at affordable
prices, Clockwork Construction, Inc.
Former GMWS parent Ben Williams
845 429-7735
Seasoned Firewood Delivered.
$200.00/cord. Mark Judelson.
845-356-2458
Certified Arborist (parent of two
GMWS alum). All aspects of tree care/
removal. Mark Judelson. 845-356-2458.
Kimberton Waldorf parent looking
for rental weekend of October 11
for family of 3, or swap.
Email: [email protected]
of offerings. For more information
on the Garden event, contact the
Pfeiffer Center at 845-352-5020 x20
or [email protected]. Festival
information: 845-352-5020 ext.13, or
email: [email protected].
Romantic Poetry:
The Younger Generation – Poetics
Lectures with John Wulsin
September 22-September 26
Monday – Friday, Five lectures /
$75, 11:15 am School of Eurythmy.
Influenced in their youth by the
poetry and then the personalities
of Wordsworth and Coleridge, how
do Byron, Shelley, and Keats receive
from them the gifts of imagination
and inspiration? How do their interlinking lives both affect and reflect
ways their poetry shapes the modern
mind through the English language?
John Wulsin is a faithful and beloved
contributor to the Eurythmy School
and a long-standing and highly
respected teacher at Green Meadow
Waldorf School. He is the author
of several books including, The
Spirit of the English Language - a
Practical Guide for Poets, Teachers
& Students, 2008, Lindisfarne Books.
For Information/Registration: 845-3525020, ext. 13 / [email protected].
Announcements continue on next page
Save the Dates!
Eurythmy Spring Valley is accepting
applications now for the parttime position of Student Services
Coordinator to start immediately.
Responsibilities include assisting
students through all aspects of the
inquiry, application, enrollment and
program completion process. Training
will be provided in immigration
procedures required for our large
number of international students. This
is an18 hour/week position at $20 per
hour. To apply please send your resume
and cover letter to: [email protected].
For further information, contact us at
845-352-5020 ext. 11
Community Education
Talks for Parents
November 6:
Paula Moraine, The
Attention Fix
December 1:
Marnie Goldenberg,
Raising Sexually
Intelligent Kids
Both talks begin at
7:30pm in the Music Room in the
Arts Building, and are free and
open to the public.
Community Announcements, continued
The Pfeiffer Center
www.pfeiffercenter.org/events
845-352-5020 x20
[email protected]
One-Year Part-Time Practical
Training in Biodynamics
Starts September 13, 2014
The Pfeiffer Center’s One-Year, PartTime Practical Training in Biodynamics
consists of thirteen full-day workshops
beginning in September 2014 and
ending in June 2015. Workshop
days run from 9:00am to 5:00pm,
and feature an engaging mix of
classroom talks and field activities
covering • making and applying the
biodynamic preparations • working
with compost • the rhythms of nature
and planetary influences on life and
growth • agricultural handwork and
pruning • weed and pest control • the
honeybee • and much more.
Michaelmas Festival
in the Pfeiffer Garden
September 29, 1:30-4pm
FREE!
All are invited to help make, stir and
spray the biodynamic preparation
#500, which supports humus
formation and root growth. This free,
child-friendly event is a well-loved
community tradition. We look forward
to seeing you there!
Farm-to-Table Dinner
Benefit for the Pfeiffer Center
October 18, 6pm
At Threefold Café
Celebrate autumn with a hearty
harvest dinner featuring fall produce
from the Pfeiffer Center alongside
meat, cheeses, and other essentials
from our biodynamic neighbors up
and down the Hudson Valley.The
evening will start with hors d’oeuvres
in the garden (weather permitting),
followed by a candle-lit sit-down
dinner (prepared by our own Chef
Charlie Miller) in Threefold Café’s
Main House dining room. Tickets
are $40 per person, or $75 per couple;
proceeds benefit the programs of
the Pfeiffer Center.
Beekeeping for the Future
With Bill Day
November 15, 9am-5pm
$95
If you are thinking about getting
honeybees next spring, now is the time
to prepare. This one-day workshop
will address all the questions aspiring
beekeepers need to ask as they
prepare to embark on this spiritual yet
profoundly nature-bound journey. The
workshop will be organized around
the yearly life cycle of the hive, and the
beekeeper’s essential role in nurturing
the hive organism. What can the
beekeeper do to create conditions in
which the bees can thrive? What are
the most up-to-date natural and holistic
methods, and how do they work?
Threefold Educational
Center
www.threefold.org/events
845-352-5020 x18
[email protected]
The Art of Acting
Drama as a Path of Inner
Development
One-Year Course led by
Laurie Portocarrero
Starts October, 2014
In ten weekend workshops from
October to June, Laurie Portocarrero
leads The Art of Acting on a journey
into the essence of human selfexpression. Classes blend Chekhov’s
exercises with movement, gesture
and speech work. In addition to
instruction from speech artist Jennifer
Kleinbach, special workshops on
clowning and improvisation are
brought by Laura Geilen of Nose to
Nose of North America and David
Anderson of Walking the dog Theater.
Information: Call 845-352-5020 x24 or
email [email protected]
The Art of Speech:
An Introduction
With Jennifer Kleinbach, and
Barbara Renold
Friday, Sep 19, 7:30-9pm
Saturday, Sep 20, 10am-4pm
$95
Anyone can talk, right? Sure! Just
as we learn sooner or later to walk
and to think, we are all given the
gift of speech. But do we see it for
the living, divine dance that it is? Its
creative power and healing forces
are there waiting to be cultivated,
liberated to work in the world for the
good. In this introductory workshop,
we will dip our toes into the ocean of
speech, sampling various qualities in
sound and style. Information: contact
Barbara Renold at 845-356-0674 or
[email protected]
The Spoken Word in First and
Second Grade
With Helen Lubin
Saturday, Nov 1, 10am-4pm
$95
A workshop for teachers, with
pedagogical considerations and
artistic practice. The young child
identifies with the world through
participation. As the child develops,
there is a greater potential for
inner movement in pictures. What
are the “artistic speech tools” that
support the child’s engagement
in participatory movement of the
limbs and that later engender inner
movement in pictures? Information:
Contact Helen Lubin: 916-966-5749 or
[email protected]
The Spoken Word in Third and
Fourth Grade:
Into, Through and Beyond the
Rubicon, With Helen Lubin
Saturday, Nov 1, 10am-4pm
$95
A workshop for third and fourth
grade teachers; with pedagogical
considerations and artistic practice.
We will address how children of
this age are supported through the
language environment created by the
teacher and by their own engagement
in speech activities during the daily
speech practice. What are the “artistic
speech tools” that support the
change in the relationship between
the child and the world at this time?
Information: Contact Helen Lubin:
916-966-5749 or [email protected]
Front and back covers: Chalkboard drawings by Heather Kono, First Grade Teacher.
845.356.2514
www.gmws.org
8 Printed locally on
100% recycled paper
What is wisdom?
Wisdom is seeing the whole in the parts,
And in the whole seeing the holy.
—Sufi Teaching
This workshop is open to mothers
with children of all ages and is led
by Jerilyn Brownstein, msw, who
has been working with mothers and
their “inner life” for the past 17 years.
W hat is the wisdom that mothering
offers us as women ?
This introductory workshop sets
the stage for a monthly group
session of holy mamas interested
in growing themselves while they
grow their families.
T he parts we can not see ,
W hat are the parts ?
the parts we do not want to see ,
and the parts that are strong
and reflect our deepest essence .
Date:
Monday, October 20 th, 9-11 am
Place:
green meadow waldorf school
elementary school building
H ow do we develop the capacities
to see and be our whole self ,
our holy self .
parent-child room (lower level )
Fee: Free
workshop cost-Free
monthly group-Determined by
the number of women committed.
phone:
845.256.0833
A holy mama is aware that mothering is an initiation into
wholeness. Meeting, accepting and learning to work with all
the parts of our self we meet in being mothers – we become
healthy, whole, holy.
email:
[email protected]
www.JERILYNBROWNSTEIN.com

Inside: Summer Program Highlights and the New School Year

Transcription

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