in this issue - Rudolf Steiner School

Founded in 1928, New York’s Rudolf Steiner School
is North America’s first Waldorf School.
The Bulletin
Fall 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
State of the School Address........................... 2-3
Buying Clothes with a Conscience............... 9
Honeybees on the High School.................... 4-5
Maple and Spice Roasted Winter Squash.... 11
You’ll Know a Steiner Student....................... 6, 8, 10
Calendar of Events: Dec - Feb........................12
For a New Audience........................................ 7
Steiner.edu
2
THE BULLETIN
The State of the School Address
by Dr. Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth, Stacey Kelly, Dr. William Macatee & Mitch Friedman
The State of the School Address was delivered on Thursday, October 29, 2015 in the Lower School Assembly Room.
We recommend watching the address, which was recorded for video, and is available in its entirety on steiner.edu/videos.
Dr. Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth, College Speaker
P
eople are often puzzled by the term “College of
Teachers” and wonder about its membership
and its responsibilities. The College is
responsible for overseeing the pedagogy of the
school, to look at each branch of the growing tree
that is the Steiner School and see how best to
nourish, grow and prune it, if necessary. They hold
a “Big Picture View” of the school and think about
future plans. The College works hand in hand with
the Board of Trustees to guide the school into the
future. The current College is 22 people strong,
representing all areas of our school, from faculty to
senior administrators and senior staff members. Each
of these colleagues takes on a position of pedagogical
leadership and spends significant time attending to
this essential work.
In addition to continuing the last year’s Scope and
Sequence work, this year the College is looking at
supporting and improving programs, such as our
Drama, Physical Education and World Languages.
We are continuing to oversee evaluations across all
branches of the schools, so that faculty and staff are
evaluated regularly. This gives each of us a chance to
look even more closely at our work and to continue
to improve it in service of the children. Another
topic of discussion is how best to allocate and
increase funds for class trips, so all students explore
the world outside of the classroom—to help them
realize that learning never stops, and goes on beyond
the classroom walls. We are considering new capital
improvement projects, such as the science labs in
the Upper School and finding more space in the
Lower School. We want to not just “dream big” for
the school, we want to work collaboratively with the
Board of Trustees, our fiduciary partners, to make
programmatic and physical plant changes.
Fall 2015 O
Stacey Kelly, Board Chair
n Monday, October 5, the Board held it’s first
meeting of 2015-2016. We welcomed new
trustees, approved the audit reports for 20142015 and set goals for the year ahead. We have a lot of
work to do as we build on the initiatives we have been
working on for the last few years.
The Board devoted significant resources last year to
finishing our work on the five leading commitments
from our 2012 Strategic Plan and addressing findings
from the 2013 Art and Science review. As we finish
that work, we begin the year with the following goals:
• Build collegial relations with the College of
Teachers
• Increase enrollment to 335 for the 2016-2017
school year
• Support the Development Office in fundraising
• Evaluate current committees of the Board
• Create a Strategic Planning process for use in
2016-2017
We look forward to bringing you further in-depth
updates this year.
Steiner.edu
3
THE BULLETIN
The State of the School Address
Dr. William Macatee, School Administrator
T
he College, Board, and Administration
focus their attentions and actions on their
specific responsibilities in support of the
students, parents, and faculty, and in so far as these
responsibilities are successfully carried out, each
of these three realms of the school governance
contribute to a sound curricular program, financial
foundation, and future for the school.
The Administration of the school in its many
operational departments is committed to listening
and responding with speed and transparency to
questions and concerns from students, parents
and faculty. This attention to detail more firmly
positions the school for success as professional
service is a hallmark of a successful school.
Through honest analysis of the inner workings of
the school, we are better able to refine the policies
and practices of each department, which results
in a nimbler and more transparent administrative
practice. Whether dealing with the Business Office
or with the Chairs of the academic divisions, the
administrative staff of the school is committed to
the success of our programs and more importantly
to the success of your children.
Fall 2015
I
Mitch Friedman, Board Treasurer
am pleased to report that our school is fiscally
sound, albeit with operations that are leaner
than we prefer. Despite enrollment that is shy of
full capacity, we are completely debt free and have
reserves just over $4 million.
We ended both this year and last year with planned
operating deficits as we realize the strategic
investments we have made for our future take time
to yield gains and we chose to spend some of the
surpluses we generated in recent years.
A focus on finding new revenue streams and
reducing expenses has led us to a budget for this
year that is much closer to being balanced, which
is our norm. Going forward, efforts will be focused
on reaching full enrollment, the key to our fiscal
sustainability. This will be achieved through greater
retention of existing students and by attracting new
students who, ideally, will remain with us through
the completion of high school.
Steiner.edu
4
THE BULLETIN
Honeybees Happily Inhabiting the HS Roof
by Sasha Pinto / 12th Grade Student
“Every human being should show the greatest interest in (honeybees), because much more than you can imagine, our lives depend upon beekeeping.”
- Rudolf Steiner
T
he busy buzz of seventy thousand Italian
honeybees can now be happily heard on the
roof of the Rudolf Steiner High School. Last
May, the College of Teachers approved keeping
bees on the high school roof, an initiative that had
been a longstanding aspiration of many faculty
members—and at least one high school student! The
decision came at a fortuitous moment since I had
just completed my two-week Junior Year Internship
as an apprentice beekeeper to Manhattan’s most wellrespected authority on urban beekeeping and founder
of the New York Beekeeper’s Association, Andrew
Cote. As a freshly-minted high school beekeeper,
I was thrilled at the prospect of installing bees on
the school roof and establishing a Steiner Bee Club.
park to forage for nectar.
There are many reasons to keep bees, but beekeeping
is more than just a hobby for most apiarists: it is a
passion that connects people and bees on a deep and
almost spiritual level. The beehive has a wisdom of its
own, linking humanity to the bees’ collective group
intelligence, organization, culture, and the cosmos.
There are also ecological reasons to keep bees. In recent
years, honey bees around the world have been in serious
peril due to a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse
Disorder when worker bees in a colony simply disappear,
leaving behind the queen, food and a few nurse bees. In
the U.S. alone, over 40% of all honey bees disappeared
in 2014 alone, and 33% in prior years. Given that honey
It all began three years ago as a freshman during a Green bees pollinate one of every three mouthfuls of food in our
Club field trip. Our advisor, high school math teacher diet, it is an alarming situation with no solution in sight.
and bee-advocate, Dan Marsch, brought the Green Club
to tour the apiaries atop the Brooklyn Waldorf School, Rudolf Steiner, founder of our system of learning, was
and a whole new world dawned for me. One peek inside prescient not only in areas of education, but in nature
a hive with its busy worker bees and their complex as well. Steiner actually predicted the plight of today’s
roles, the buzzing brood chamber with its thousands honeybees and colony collapse in a 1923 lecture on bees,
of baby bees, and the honey super with its sweet
golden nectar and honeycomb, and I was spellbound!
The College decision three years later to approve
bees was a wonderful development, and finding
a way to make it happen was the next step. The
answer came in the form of a creative barter when
I introduced my beekeeper to the school, and he
offered his bees, expertise and hive maintenance
to Steiner in an auspicious arrangement for all.
The Rudolf Steiner bee colony was installed on
a lovely summer day in early July, and the high
school roof is now home to the industrious
hmmmmmmm
of
working
honeybees.
Steiner bees, just like Steiner students, use Central Park
as their playground, making frequent forays into the
Fall 2015 Steiner.edu
5
THE BULLETIN
Honeybees Happily Inhabiting the HS Roof
[Continued from previous page]
Modern Art as supplemental hives for the Pierre Huyghe’s
Untilled exhibition of a live beehive head on the body
of a reclining nude in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller
Sculpture Garden. Apprenticing with Andrew Cote
as beekeeper to MoMA, I painted two special beehive
houses to resemble classic Manhattan buildings in
honor of the exhibition; when it closed in August, the
brownstone mansion beehive was moved to the Steiner
roof where these celebrated honeybees now happily reside.
stating that in fifty to eighty years, the world would see
the consequences of industrialized forces on the beehive.
How appropriate then that an urban Waldorf school
is leading the way by maintaining a colony of bees
for education, inspiration and the environment. Mr.
Marsch notes that “Honeybees and human culture
have cooperated for millennia and so it is nothing if
not natural to support honeybee culture in urban life.”
The Steiner High School Bee Club was launched
this fall and I’m pleased to report that we have ten
enthusiastic student members eager to learn about
beekeeping. Keep an eye out for Bee Club initiatives
in the near future, and we hope to have our first honey
harvest after the hives are fully established next year. 
High school science teacher, Richard Turner is another
faculty member delighted with the development.
Coincidentally, five years ago he had actually invited
Andrew Cote to the school to discuss the possibility
of keeping bees, but the project failed to gain approval
at the time. According to Mr. Turner, “Hosting bees
on our roof is one way that the Steiner school helps to
bring a consciousness of sustainability into the city.
I’m grateful to those who initiated it, and those who
researched, and eventually approved the project.”
In August, an additional colony of honeybees with a
particularly distinguished provenance also moved to the
high school roof. Prior to their arrival on 78th Street,
these very lucky bees summered at the Museum of
Fall 2015
Steiner.edu
6
THE BULLETIN
THERE IS A PLACE where nature
PLAYFUL
cultivates imagination. Where
structured play leads to playful thinkers.
And where our fully-integrated Waldorf
curriculum inspires discovery.
THINKERS
THE RESULT? Observers. Writers.
Creators. Thinkers. Inspired children
who love to learn.
GET TO KNOW
RUDOLF STEINER SCHOOL
steiner.edu | 15 E 79th St | 212.535.2130
/SteinerSchoolNY
THE FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA
Fall 2015
Steiner.edu
7
THE BULLETIN
For a New Audience
D
by Timothy Hoffmann / 2nd Grade Class Teacher
espite on again, off again coverage in
the media, Waldorf education is largely
ignored by the mainstream. It is therefore
with enthusiasm that we accept most invitations
to speak to a new audience on our methods. Two
such opportunities presented themselves recently.
In June, Pioneer Works, a cultural center devoted to art,
science and education, hosted a Summit on Pedagogy to
consider the values and beliefs that underlie the way we
teach with hands-on workshops on a range of disciplines
and approaches. It was attended by more than two hundred
people from all walks of life. Irene Mantel and I were asked
by the Summit’s organizer Catherine Despont to lead a
workshop on the role of the arts in education. The twenty
participants in our group were given a box of crayons
and plenty of paper. In the two hours we spent together,
the “students” were asked to see the world through the
eyes of children at various stages of their development.
To begin with, they drew pictures as they imagined a
six year old might draw. Then we moved into the grade
school, and we considered how the imagery and technique
would evolve. The changes in consciousness with which
Waldorf parents and teachers are familiar were described,
and we asked the participants to create drawings as do
our elementary school students. Particular emphasis
was given to the nodal points at ages 9 and 12. In rapid
succession, the participants tried free-hand geometry,
animal drawings, and illustrations from science lessons.
and Coordinator of the well regarded Museum Education
Internship Program (MEIP) of the Brooklyn Museum.
In this role, Adjoa is responsible for training the interns who
lead groups of students through the Brooklyn Museum. It
was her idea to introduce the interns to Waldorf principles
with the hope that their tours could reach students
of all ages on a deeper level. In a two hour workshop,
we discussed Rudolf Steiner’s ideas on developmental
psychology. Two central themes emerged: the changes in
the quality of imagination from age six to fourteen and the
threefold nature of soul life in thinking, feeling, and willing.
In both workshops, Irene and I faced the usual challenge
of whittling down the truly grand scope of the Waldorf
philosophy into a manageable format. Although difficult,
this is actually a wonderful challenge as it obliges the
presenter to think anew many all too familiar concepts.
We hope other such opportunities will present themselves.
The idea that art is a form of creative self-expression
is not new, of course. What surprised the participants
in this workshop was the notion that art can be used to
foster the students’ ability to observe. This is the central
role art plays in Waldorf education. For Irene and
me, it was a treat to share it with this “new” audience.
For a personal impression of this workshop, readers
may wish to speak with our Lower School librarian and
language arts teacher Rosemarie Hester who participated.
One of the other participants in this Pioneer Works Summit
is Adjoa Jones de Almeida, the Senior Museum Educator
Fall 2015 Steiner.edu
8
THE BULLETIN
There is a place where science,
music and math are intertwined. Where
NIMBLE
nimble fingers lead to nimble minds.
And where our Waldorf curriculum
integrates the arts and academics for
deeper understanding of both.
MindS
The resulT? Students that are
critical thinkers. And a curriculum
that evolves along with them.
Get to know
Rudolf SteineR School
steiner.edu | 15 E 79th St | 212.535.2130
/SteinerSchoolNY
The firsT Waldorf school in norTh america
Fall 2015 Steiner.edu
9
THE BULLETIN
Buying Clothes With a Conscience
by Julia Byrne & Sunny Melet / 7th Grade Students
H
ave you ever wondered where your clothes
come from? If you look down at your
clothes right now, can you imagine that
someone might have risked his or her life to make
them? And then you must ask yourself: is it worth it?
Many international companies break the law when it
comes to the rights of the people who work for them.
They operate sweatshops, where people come to work
every day knowing that they are risking their lives. Their
bosses put them in unsafe and unfair working conditions,
such as unstable structures, and pay them low wages.
change their harmful practices. We hope that these
companies will begin to feel the pressure of their
concerned consumers and change how our clothing is
made—and more importantly, improve how people are
treated. We encourage students to write similar letters
to companies, and also contact members of Congress
and ask your congressperson to introduce legislation,
which will put pressure on these companies.
How will you make a difference? 
By reading an article in Scholastic Scope magazine, we
learned about sweatshops and the terrible toll they take on
human beings in other countries. We read, for example,
that in 2013 the Rana Plaza Factory in Bangladesh
collapsed. Over 1130 people were killed and many of the
workers who survived were badly injured. The owners
of the company knew that the building was unsafe, but
ignored that and ordered their employees to continue
working because they only wanted money. And it’s not
only adults who work in such factories, we found out,
but children as young as seven. For instance, the article
we read shared a story about a young girl who worked
16 hours per day, and was paid a mere 30 cents per day.
We personally love fashion and never realized there
were poor innocent kids making them. While we knew
sweatshops existed, until now we never realized how
horribly people in them were treated. It is frustrating to
us that companies like American Apparel, which proudly
makes clothing in the United States, is now going bankrupt
because it chooses not to support sweatshop labor.
We seventh graders feel so strongly about opposing
sweatshops that our entire class sent out letters to their
favorite companies to tell them to take better care of
their workers, even if clothing prices had to increase.
With the help of our class teacher, Dr. Ogden, we sent
letters to companies like Forever 21, NorthFace, and
Adidas regarding our concerns and asking them to
Fall 2015
Steiner.edu
10
THE BULLETIN
THERE IS A PLACE where artistic
exploration awakens scientific inquiry.
THOUGHT
Where physical education informs
critical thinking. And where our fullyintegrated Waldorf curriculum is the
key to higher levels of achievement.
PROCESS
THE RESULT? Creators, researchers,
executives and entrepreneurs. Young
men and women well prepared to
utilize their intellectual, physical,
artistic and civic-minded abilities to
succeed at all they do, by any measure.
GET TO KNOW
RUDOLF STEINER SCHOOL
steiner.edu | 15 E 79th St | 212.535.2130
/SteinerSchoolNY
THE FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA
Fall 2015
Steiner.edu
11
THE BULLETIN
Maple and Spice Roasted Winter Squash
Shopping List
tsp = teaspoon / Tbl = tablespoon
For the Squash:
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp finely freshly grated nutmeg
Approx. 8 cups assorted winter squash
(I recommend Butternut, Kabocha, Red
Kuri and Delicata)
1 1/2 Tbl pure maple syrup
Kosher salt to taste
(Optional: Garnish with toasted
pumpkin seeds)
For the Maple Vinaigrette:
3 Tbl pure maple syrup
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Serves 4-6 as a side dish, prep & cook
time approximately 50 minutes
H
by Leslie Li / Executive Chef
appy Fall Everyone! We are entering into the season of warm coats, felt caps,
knit mittens, and mulled hot apple cider. Many of us may be inclined to dust
off our family recipes and begin to cook and bake, infusing our homes with
tantalizing aromas that bring to the heart warm feelings of family and community.
In the spirit of the fall and coming winter, I would like to share a recipe I found this past year that I
think is perfect for the season, and one that I hope will become one of your family favorites. Simple
and elegant, delicious and aromatic, it is a delightful side dish, perfect for the weeknight family
dinner or the Thanksgiving table. Originally crafted by Marco Canora & Tammy Walker, this recipe
was adapted by Tasting Table in January 2015, and then further adapted by me in October 2015.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Prep (peel if desired, remove seeds) and cut up the squash into pieces (larger than “bite size”
smaller than a “chunk”). If using Delicata squash, scoop out seeds from one end and cut into
rounds.
In a small bowl, combine the ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Mix the squash with the combined spices, maple syrup and salt.
Either spray or foil line a rimmed baking sheet. Put squash mixture in pan and cover with tin
foil. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool, still covered with the foil.
Transfer the squash to a serving bowl and with a rubber spatula, gently toss with the maple
vinaigrette.
Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve.
About Winter Squash
Possibilities: Kabocha, Butternut, Delicata, Red Kuri
(Suggest that all squash is organic, especially if eating the skin)
Kabocha squash may look tough, but the flesh is remarkably tender and sweet, and best of all,
you don’t have to peel it. With its dark green skin and bright orange flesh this squash provides
beauty and color to any dish. Delicata squash also does not require peeling and with its stripped
skin, provides lovely contrasting color. To prepare, cut off one end, scoop out the seeds with a
teaspoon, leaving the squash intact, and slice into rounds. While organic Butternut and Red
Kuri squash don’t need to be peeled, in this dish, I prefer them peeled. Remove all seeds. 
Fall 2015
Steiner.edu
VISIT STEINER.EDU/PUBLIC-CALENDAR
Rudolf Steiner School Calendar
Selection of Events in December 2015 - February 2016
DECEMBER
Tuesday, December 1
6:00 - 8:00pm
1st Grade Parent Evening
Wednesday, December 2
8:20 - 9:20am
Coffee & Conversation with Dr. Macatee (Cafeteria)
Saturday, December 5
Wednesday, December 9
8:20 - 9:20am
5:00 - 6:30pm
EC Advent Spiral Ceremony (LSAR)
M - Th., December 14 - 17
8:00 - 10:00am
8th Grade Nativity Play (LSAR)
Monday, December 14
7:00 - 8:30pm
11th Grade Shakespeare Festival (LSAR)
Tuesday, December 15
7:00 - 9:00pm
Winter Vocal Concert Grades 4 - 12 (Ethical Culture)
Wednesday, December 16
8:30 - 9:30am
7:00 - 8:15pm
Parent Council Meeting
Parent Study with Tim Hoffmann (LSAR)
Friday, December 18
12:00pm
Winter Break begins for EC - 12
Coffee & Conversation with EC Chair Deb Renna (Cafeteria)
Diversity Committee Meeting (US Library)
JANUARY
Monday, January 4Classes Resume
Wednesday, January 6
8:20 - 9:20am
Coffee & Conversation with Jeff Spade & Geri Perkal (Cafeteria)
Wednesday, January 13
6:00 - 8:00pm
Poetry Cafe (parents, students, teachers, alumni in LSAR)
Friday, January 15
School Closed: Parent-Teacher Conferences
Monday, January 18
School Closed: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Friday, January 22
3:00 - 4:00pm
ReWear Clothing Swap
Tuesday, January 26
6:30 - 8:00pm
A Look Ahead: Current Family Open House Grades 1 - 12 (US)
Wednesday, January 27
8:20 - 9:20am
Coffee & Conversation with Julia Hays (Cafeteria)
FEBRUARY
Wednesday, February 10
6:30 - 8:30pm
Evening with Dr. Bill Macatee (LSAR)
Friday, February 12
School Closed: Faculty and Staff In Service Day
Mon-Tues., February 15 & 16
School Closed: Presidents’ Day
Thursday, February 18
Teaching Humanities in the HS with John Anderson (Upper School)
6:00 - 8:00pm
Steiner.edu