MWS Parent Handbook by marinwaldorfschool

II. Daily Schedule and Attendance

A. School Year Calendar

The school year begins in August and ends in June. The calendar for the school year, which includes all planned breaks and holidays, can be found here. Any changes or additions to the school calendar are communicated to families with as much advance notice as possible.

B. Daily Schedule 2023-2024

Preschool Schedule

Monday-Friday

Arrival 8:15 am

Morning Snack 10:20am

Lunch 12:10 pm

Dismissal 12:45pm

Grades 1-8 Schedule

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

Bell Rings 8:10am*

Main Lesson 8:15am – 10:15am

Snack 10:15am – 10:25am

Snack Recess 10:25am – 10:45am

1st Period 10:50am – 11:40am

2nd Period 11:45pm – 12:35pm

Lunch 12:35pm – 12:50pm

Lunch Recess 12:50 pm – 1:15pm

3rd Period 1:20pm – 2:10pm

4th Period 2:15 – 3:05pm

Dismissal 3:15pm

Kindergarten Schedule

Monday-Friday

Arrival 8:15am

Morning Snack 10:30am

Lunch 12:30 pm

Dismissal 1pm

Grades 1-8 Schedule

Thursday

Bell rings 8:10am*

Main Lesson 8:15am – 10:15am

Snack 10:15am – 10:25am

Snack Recess 10:25am – 10:45am

1st Period 10:50am – 11:40am

2nd Period 11:45pm – 12:35pm

Lunch/Recess 12:35pm – 1:15pm

3rd Period 1:20pm – 2:10pm

Dismissal 2:15pm**

* Parents are asked to depart campus no later than 8:10am so the school day may begin on time.

**On Thursdays, dismissal time is 2:15pm for grades students.

C. Grades Early Release Days

On the first and last day of school, during parent-teacher conferences, and on several Fridays before school breaks, students in grades 1-8 are dismissed early. These early release days/dismissal times are noted in the calendar. Please make note of these dates and arrange for early pickup.

Please note that there is no change to the dismissal time for preschool and kindergarten regular or aftercare schedule on grades early release days.

Aftercare is available on all early release days to students enrolled in the program, except on the last day of school before winter break and the last day of the school year. Please see After School Programs for more information.

D. Attendance

The Waldorf curriculum is delivered in a rhythmical unfolding throughout each day, week, month, and year. Learning occurs in a cumulative fashion with each day’s lesson building and linking directly to the day prior. Without regular attendance, students miss out on experiences that have been carefully designed for them and can quickly fall behind the class.

Families are asked to schedule appointments and travel after school hours or during school holidays in order to avoid missing classes. Students are also expected to attend special performance events, including events hosted by subject teachers, such as instrumental music performances. Assemblies and special performance events require the participation of every student and are not optional.

Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 17 days over the year, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. Known as “chronic absence,” that’s fewer than two days per month. Poor attendance can influence whether children keep up with their peers both socially and academically, particularly in academically challenging areas such as reading, math, and language arts. Chronic absence, even in the early grades, will lead to learning gaps that are not easily “caught up.”

Attendance in subject classes is also important and will be recorded in grades 6-8.

Grade School Absence Procedure

When a grade school student is absent:

1. Please call the school’s front office at (415) 479-8190, or email attendance@marinwaldorf.org preferably before 8:00 a.m. to let us know.

2. Parents of middle school students should also email both class teachers and subject teachers to inform them of their child’s absence.

3. If a child is picked up from school any time before normal release time, the family member must notify the teacher(s) and office staff and sign the child out in the Main Office. Office staff will bring your child to you.

Excused Absence includes:

1. Illness;

2. Serious illness or death of family member;

3. Medical appointments that absolutely cannot happen outside school hours;

4. Observance of religious or cultural holidays;

5. Those mandated by the school (e.g., conjunctivitis, lice, etc.);

6. Experiential excused absence (see below).

We request advance notice for all absences. When a child falls ill, a family member must call the office on the day of absence. Please schedule all standard medical and dental appointments after school hours.

Grades Late Arrival Policy

Children should be on time to Main Lesson when the class begins its day together. If you believe your child is going to be late, please call or email the main office as soon as possible.

Students arriving on campus after their arrival time must check in at the front office before going to class. Grades students may come to the office without a parent from 8:10am until 8:30am to collect a late slip. Thereafter, all grades students must be accompanied to the office and signed in by a parent or caretaker.

When a student arrives after class start time, the student will wait outside their classroom door until the classroom teacher can integrate them into the ongoing classroom activities. This may be immediate or may require the child to wait for a natural break in the classroom rhythm. Please discuss with your child’s class teacher what their specific requirements are for integration into the classroom.

Upon the third tardy of a given semester (August through December or January through June) in a two-week period, the teacher will contact the parents to determine if there is a common cause for the tardiness and what assistance can be offered. Upon the fifth tardy in a month’s time, a Student Success Plan conference may be held among the parents, class teacher, and Educational

Support staff (please note that a student in grades seven and eight may attend such a meeting with the group).

More than ten tardy days accrued in a given semester or 20 combined tardy days over a school year will also impact the student's academic progression and may affect enrollment at the school. The same process of review mentioned above will be followed to determine the student's continued enrollment at MWS and what assistance can be offered to help the family take full advantage of MWS’s experiential learning environment.

Attendance and late arrival policies will also apply to subject classes. Middle school students who are absent or tardy in a subject class more than three times a semester will follow the same process of review mentioned above. See Middle School Handbook for more information.

Designated Contacts for Pickups

Children should only be picked up by guardians, family members, or other contacts listed on their emergency contact form. If someone other than your child’s guardian or designated emergency contact will be picking up your child from school, please send that person’s name and phone number to office@marinwaldorf.org in advance.

Late Pickups

If you know you will be late to pick up your child, please notify the front office as soon as possible. Please see After School Programs for more information about aftercare.

Early Childhood Absence

The Early Childhood school experience is based on a carefully designed curriculum which lays the foundation for the explicit literacy and mathematics in the grades. Chronic absence impacts current and future learning and social development.

Early Childhood Late Arrival Policy

Students in the early childhood program who arrive after 8:25am should come directly to the front office with their parent or caretaker. The office staff will accompany your child to the classroom.

Since there is a need to support a gradual and flexible approach for the younger child, late arrivals in the Early Childhood classes will be noted in the attendance record and teachers will contact the family if further support is needed.

III. The Front Office

Our school’s front office is an important liaison between parents and the school. Please review the following guidelines for contacting or visiting the front office.

A. Contacting the School

Our school’s address is 755 Idylberry Road, San Rafael, CA 94903. Our main office number is 415-479-8190. You can email general inquiries to office@marinwaldorf.org. Our website is www.marinwaldorf.org.

B. Front Office Hours

The school office opens to the community at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m. every day school is in session. The front office is open on a more limited schedule over holidays and summer break.

C. Contacting Your Child During School Hours

You can reach the school office during operating hours at 415-479-8190. Due to the volume of calls we receive during the school day, the front office cannot relay a non-emergency message to your child during the school day. Please make all after-school arrangements with your child before dropoff in the morning. There is a landline telephone in the front office that students may use to call home, with office staff supervision.

D. Dropping Off Items During School Hours

If your child has forgotten their lunch, a necessary medication, or another essential item, please bring it to the front office, where your child may retrieve it at an appropriate time. We cannot guarantee delivery of nonessential items to classrooms during the school day (nonessential items include violins for music class, forgotten homework, water bottles, or extra clothing).

E. Visiting Campus During School Hours

Parents are encouraged to visit the school for school plays, assemblies, festivals, and Parent Association meetings and activities. Please see Parent Involvement Opportunities (page 19) for more information. These events are open to all parents and are shared in the school newsletter and in communications from your child’s class teacher. It is not necessary to sign in at the front office when attending one of these events.

Any other visits to campus during the school day, including volunteering in the classroom or on a field trip, should be arranged in advance with your child’s teacher. If you are volunteering or visiting campus during the school day, please sign in and collect a name tag at the front office when you arrive.

F. Solicitation

Marin Waldorf School does not permit external business solicitations on campus. As a matter of courtesy and respect for privacy, we request no solicitations at the school by parents, faculty, or staff without obtaining prior written approval from the administration. Your class directory, including email addresses, should not be used promoting personal or other business.

G. School Communications

During the school year, the front office publishes a weekly email bulletin for families, which includes important announcements, calendar updates, community and campus news, parenting resources, and other important information. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact office@marinwaldorf.org to verify your contact information. The front office also sends periodic updates on upcoming events at school, school news, hiring updates, and other essential information.

IV. School Policies and Procedures

A. General Campus Rules

● No dogs or other animals are allowed on campus while children are present, except onduty service animals.

● Our campus is a cell-phone-free zone. (Please see policy below.)

● No smoking, alcohol, or drugs are allowed on campus. (Please see policy below.)

● No weapons are allowed on campus.

B. Behavioral Expectations at School

While on campus or at school-related events and field trips, all students are expected to:

● Treat one another, their teachers, their parents, school staff, and our campus and environment with courtesy and respect.

● Arrive at school on time and be in the classroom on time for every lesson.

● Conduct themselves in such a way that the teacher can teach the whole class with minimal interruptions.

● Be prepared for each lesson by having all materials (books, instruments, handwork materials, etc.) ready for each class period.

● Complete class work and assignments on time and to the best of their ability.

● Keep school materials in good condition. Help keep the classroom and the school grounds clean and tidy. Recycle and compost whenever possible.

● Treat all property with respect. Students are required to repair or replace anything that they damage.

● Remain within school boundaries during school and never leave the school campus without permission.

● Walk and speak at a reasonable volume while in the breezeways or passing other classrooms.

● Obtain permission from a teacher to go to the office and/or use the office phone.

● Use the school library under the direct supervision of a teacher, librarian, or library volunteer on duty.

● Eat only in classrooms or, when supervised, in an area designated by a teacher. Sit down while eating.

C. Grades Playground Rules

To contribute to an environment of safety, respect, and cooperation, students are expected to:

● Consult a supervising teacher immediately if difficulties or injuries occur during recess.

● Include others in games and activities.

● Respect our neighbors, their property, their privacy and their animals. Do not sit on or climb fences. Do not enter or throw objects into a neighbor’s yard.

● Share playground equipment and return all equipment to its appropriate storage space. Notify a teacher on the playground if a ball is unreachable. Use equipment for its intended use only. Return unicycles to the 6th grade classroom after every use.

● Leave personal equipment at home unless first approved by the movement teacher.

● Climb on play structures only. Do not climb on sheds, buildings, or basketball poles.

● Do not use jump ropes or balls in the climbing structure area.

● The field, oak groves and climbing structure may be closed due to excessively wet conditions.

● Keep the playground clean. Food is not allowed on the playground.

● Bathrooms are not play areas. Care for and use bathrooms properly so that they remain safe and clean for children of all ages.

● Wear waterproof gear if going outside when it is raining. Only teachers may bring umbrellas on the playground. Students without rain gear will play under cover in the breezeways, where supervising teachers will help determine which activities are appropriate.

D. Unacceptable Student Behavior

The following section addresses behavior that is unacceptable at Marin Waldorf School.

General Guidelines

The following behavior is not allowed on campus and will result in discipline, including suspension or expulsion.

● Aggressive or threatening physical behavior, including hitting, punching, pushing, or kicking

● Foul or abusive language

● Bullying in any form. Bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is a repeated behavior and can be physical, verbal, or relational.

● Possession of weapons or lookalike weapons.

● Sexual behavior, whether it is sexual harassment or sexual activity between students.

Prohibited Items

The following items are not allowed on campus:

o Pocket knives

o Matches or lighters

o Magnifying glasses

o Weapons, dangerous objects, or lookalike weapons

o Games that involve betting or the exchange of money or property

o Candy, chewing gum (except if prescribed under certain circumstances) sugary drinks

o Pets or special toys (except by written permission from a teacher)

o Cameras (except by written permission from a teacher for a special project)

Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol

Tobacco, drugs, and alcohol are not permitted on the school grounds or at any schoolsponsored student activity, whether held at the school or off-campus. Possession or use of any of these substances is considered a serious offense and will result in suspension and probation. It may also be grounds for expulsion on the first incident. If a student is found using or possessing any of these substances, the following procedure will be followed:

1. Immediate suspension from school.

2. Parents will be informed by telephone and by letter.

3. A Discipline Committee will set terms of probation or determine if expulsion is the proper discipline.

The use (before, during or after school), sale, distribution, possession, or being under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or any legally controlled substance on school grounds, at school-related events, or at any location, or in any situation that would reflect adversely on Marin Waldorf School, will be considered a serious offense for which a student may be expelled.

Sexual Harassment

It is the policy of the Marin Waldorf School to provide a school environment free from all forms of harassment, including sexual harassment, and to maintain an environment where all students and adults are treated with dignity and respect. Therefore, no student shall be subjected to sexual overtures or conduct, verbal, visual or physical, which is intimidating, hostile, offensive or unwelcome. Such conduct by adults or students is deemed unacceptable and will result in appropriate consequences.

E. Discipline Policy

We strive to practice conflict resolution and restorative discipline to ensure that learning takes place in every lesson and school activity. Good discipline grows out of an orderly and loving environment in which students have positive models for their behavior. Clear expectations and positive reinforcement will limit the situations where correction is necessary. Individual teachers may also have specific expectations that they will communicate to their classes and parents.

When necessary, consequences for thoughtless or harmful actions and classroom disruptions must be consistent, impartial, and timely. This communicates to the students that there is a strong commitment to a healthy learning environment for all. Examples of the responses that may be taken when other problem-solving tools have been exhausted include, but are not limited to:

● Verbal warning

● Removal from the classroom to a supervised location

● Meet with Grades Director and Parents notified

● Meet with School Director with Parents present

● Support Circle meeting with parents/teacher/Care group member

● Alternate in-school placement with appropriate adult supervision

● Suspension at home

● Probation

● Expulsion

Parents are reminded that the Enrollment Agreement includes the following provision:

Marin Waldorf School, at the sole discretion of its Director, reserves the right to suspend or dismiss any student whose performance, conduct or attendance is found unsatisfactory. The school may also require behavioral or academic evaluation by an outside professional as a condition of continued re-enrollment.

The Marin Waldorf School library carries a wide range of books, manuals, and references on the subject of guidance and discipline in general. Please contact your child's class teacher for more information on these resources.

F. Kindergarten Guidance Policy

Under no circumstances is corporal or unusual punishment used at the Marin Waldorf School. When intervention becomes necessary in the kindergarten, one-on-one redirection, and positive separation techniques are utilized to modify a child's behavior. If problems persist, the kindergarten teachers will work with the child's parents to find resolution. Care is taken to preserve the personal rights of each child.

The Community Care Licensing Agency of the Department of Social Services reserves the option to make unannounced inspection visits to the school, including observing and interviewing children.

G. Dress Code

The following dress code applies in all the classrooms, at all school events, on field and class trips and whenever children are involved in class activities with Marin Waldorf School. We expect the cooperation of all parents, students, and members of the community in following these guidelines.

Shoes and Clothing (All ages)

Clothing Allowed Clothing Not Allowed

● Plain, plaid, prints or stripes, or clothing with nature pictures.

● Pants or leggings worn at or close to the waist and that don’t drag on the ground

● Shirts that cover the arms

● Clothing that completely covers the midriff area, even when arms are raised.

● Sneakers, boots, and other sturdy shoes for gym/movement class, including sandals with heel straps (see note on shoes in “movement” below)

● Marin Waldorf School spiritwear

Jewelry and Cosmetics (all ages)

● Pierced ears

● Clothing with advertising, messages, holes or tears, and athletic/team logos, player names, and numbers

● Logos that cannot be fully covered under an extended thumb-size

● Pants that sag at the waist or drag on the ground

● Clothing that exposes underwear or undergarments

● High-heel, platforms, wheelie, light-up shoes, or flip-flops

Allowed Not Allowed

● Post or stud earrings

● Modest, subtle use of cosmetics and nail polish (7th and 8th grade only)

● Analog and digital watches

● Head coverings for religious purposes

● Piercings anywhere other than the earlobe

● Hoops, dangling earrings, and gauges

● Tattoos, face paint, henna or ink designs

● Beeping watches or smart watches

● Dyed hair

Additional Guidelines for Middle School (Grades 6-8 Only)

Clothing Allowed Not Allowed

● Clothing with positive messages in writing

● Sports-related clothing

● Club teams, local restaurants, or other organizations, place-names, events, etc.

● Brand names/logos that can be covered by three fingers

● Sports/team jerseys

● Rips that can be covered by three fingers

● An article of clothing with 3-4 rips or fewer

When Clothing Is Out of Compliance

Parents hold the first responsibility for making sure their children follow the dress code, and we appreciate your partnership in providing them with comfortable and appropriate clothing for school. When a student comes to school in clothing that is out of compliance with the dress code, the class teachers will speak with that student privately. If a student is repeatedly out of compliance, the class teacher may reach out to a parent.

Clothing for Gym/Movement Class and Outdoor Education

Movement and gym classes require appropriate gym shoes. If the shoes a child is wearing in the classroom aren’t suitable for ease of movement, another pair will be required for movement class or outdoor education.

Raingear

Children at Marin Waldorf School spend ample time outdoors, even in the rainy season! Allweather outerwear for free play, recess, and movement classes is required for rainy days at school. For rainy days, please send your child with the following:

Preschool and kindergarten: One-piece rainsuit or waterproof jacket with hood and rain paints, plus waterproof boots.

Grades 1-3: Waterproof jacket with hood, rain pants, and waterproof boots.

Grade 4: Waterproof jacket with hood and waterproof boots.

Grades 5-8: Waterproof jacket with hood.

Concert Dress for Grades 4-8 at Instrumental Concerts

For instrumental performances, students in grades 4-8 are requested to dress in a clean, solid white dress shirts or blouses worn tucked in, solid black skirts or dress pants, and clean flat shoes (no heels).

H. Parking Lot Rules

Families may park in the school’s main parking lot on Idylberry Road or on any of the perimeter roads (Idylberry Road, Elderberry Road, Danberry Road, and Appleberry Road) surrounding the campus.

Please observe the posted speed limit (25 mph) when driving through the neighborhood. In the parking lot, please drive slowly (5mph) as children may be crossing through the area.

I. Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones are not permitted on campus. We ask parents to please store their phone in their car or in a pocket/bag when on campus. If you need to use your cell phone while on campus, please come to the front office.

Please do not use your cell phone to take pictures at school events and festivals. At most events, we will have a designated photographer and/or videographer who will document the event for our parent community.

Middle school students who need to carry a cell phone for before or after school communications with parents or to arrange for rides, activity schedules, etc. must have the phone turned off and stored within a backpack during school hours. The phone may only be used for those arrangements, before or after school hours, and only in front of the school office, in the front parking circle, or off campus.

V. School and Family in Partnership

Our teachers and parents work together to create a bridge between home life and school. We ask parents to join us in supporting school policies and to contribute to our school community by volunteering, helping prepare for and attending annual festivals, participating in development activities, and attending other special events on campus.

A. Parental Support of Behavioral Expectations

We ask parents to support their child in meeting the school’s student behavioral expectations (see pages 7-11) by:

● Providing an atmosphere at home that is conducive to their child’s physical, social, emotional, and educational wellbeing.

● Reviewing the discipline policy and school rules with their child, and collaborating with faculty in implementing the school’s discipline policy, if necessary.

● Ensuring that their child arrives at and is picked up from school on time.

● Treating teachers and staff with courtesy and respect, even in times of disagreement.

● Attending class and school meetings and making use of other opportunities given by the school to learn more about parenting, child development, and Waldorf education.

● Ensuring that their child is dressed appropriately for the weather and receives adequate rest and nutrition.

● Providing the time and environment necessary to complete homework.

B. Media Mindfulness

Waldorf education strives to awaken the child’s enthusiasm for learning through a curriculum rich in academics and artistic expression. We take a slow, structured approach to developing media literacy and digital citizenship skills in our students, beginning with limited screens and media in the early childhood and lower grades programs.

During early childhood and grades 1 to 4, children are guided by parents and teachers in building strong social and communication skills. At this age, children benefit from a rich experiential foundation with little or no screen time or influence from digital media. Through grades 5 to 8, media and technology are gradually and thoughtfully introduced at school and at home, teaching students how to positively use and apply these tools in their own lives and relationships.

Importantly, the curriculum is designed to be a collaborative effort between parents and teachers, supported by skills learned at school and practices at home. We recognize that running a household with no or limited media can be challenging for some families. We encourage parents keep up a dialogue with their children, other class parents, and their child’s teacher, who can offer support in making these guidelines realistic and workable in their household.

C. Parent Involvement Opportunities

Parents are encouraged to become a part of our vibrant school community. Here are some of the many ways to get involved.

The Parent Association

All Marin Waldorf School parents are members of the Parent Association. The association is coordinated by a parent chair or co-chairs who meet regularly with representatives from each class. The Parent Association’s main roles are supporting the school's fundraising endeavors and annual festivals. An active Parent Association is vital to our school’s functioning! We encourage all parents to get involved.

Class Parents

One or two designated parents in each class work closely with their class teacher to help communicate and organize families. Class parents support the teacher with activities like keeping track of class finances, organizing field trips and school events, helping communicate about parent evenings or class events, helping to organize and create the

annual class project, attending Parent Association meetings, among other tasks, and coordinating parent volunteers, as needed.

Volunteering

There are numerous ways for parent volunteers to get involved with their child’s classroom, including opportunities to help handwork class, in reading groups, with festival celebrations, setting up for school plays, chaperoning on field trips, and more. All volunteers must be fingerprinted and submit a volunteer application before they can work with children on or off campus. For more information about volunteering and related requirements, please see Appendix I: Parent Field Trip and Volunteer Packet.

Parent Evenings

Every class holds periodic parent evenings on campus. Parent evenings are an opportunity to learn more about the school day, the curriculum, and the student experience, in addition to being important bonding moments for a class. We expect at least one parent from each family to attend parents evenings for their child’s class.

Parent Enrichment Events

We host frequent parent enrichment events on campus. These are opportunities for parents to learn more about Waldorf education and to hear faculty presentations or guest lecturers. Recent topics have included Simplicity Parenting, sexual ethics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. All parents are urged to attend these community-building events.

Community Events

Families are encouraged to attend the school’s many community-building events throughout the year. Invitations to these events are extended to all families, and often to our extended school community as well.

Beautification Day is an all-school event held on a Saturday in late August, when families, faculty, and staff gather to prepare the classrooms and site for the new school year.

Back to School Night is an all-school event held in mid-to-late September. Back to School Night is a chance to meet our faculty and staff, and learn more about the school and our community. Following the all-school presentation, every class holds a parent meeting in the classroom.

The Open House is typically held in late January. On one day, our school opens its doors to current parents, prospective parents, and other interested members of the

public to visit classrooms, speak to teachers, and attend workshops led by our current faculty. We often host an alumni panel, featuring MWS graduates.

Assemblies

Parents, family, and friends are warmly invited to attend grades assemblies during the year, including the annual winter assembly and spring instrumental concert (grades 4-8), typically held at a venue off campus, and the spring assembly and end-of-school assembly in the campus amphitheater.

Fundraisers

Working together in support of a common goal brings parents into a deeper relationship with the school and the community. Parents are vital in supporting fundraising our school’s Community Fund campaign, in the fall and winter, as well as the spring auction, among other fundraising activities.

Festivals

Through a range of seasonal festivals, we strive to awaken the child's reverence for the wonder and beauty of life, and connection with the rhythms of the earth and cosmos. These festivals are observed in the classroom and at all-school festivals, including Michaelmas,

D. Student Progress Communication

Student progress is shared with parents through parent/teacher conferences, written reports, and progress reports.

Progress reports

Grades seven and eight will receive preliminary progress reports including grades after the first six weeks of school and in early March

Fall Conferences

All grades, preschool to 8th grade, hold parent/teacher conferences in November. For grades students, conference are held with your child’s class teacher; however, subject teachers will relate any important observations to the class teachers before the conferences are held. Additional conferences may be scheduled on an as needed basis.

Spring Conferences

Spring parent-teacher conferences are held on an as-needed basis.

Midyear and Year-End Reports

Parents of students in grades 1-8 will receive a written report twice a year: at the end of the first semester, in January, and at the end of the second semester, in July. Written reports contain a description of the class content and block descriptions, rubrics tracking student progress in different academic disciplines, and personal comments from teachers.

VI. Communication Policy and Procedures

At Marin Waldorf School, we believe that clear and effective communication is essential to maintaining a healthy school community. While difficulties and differences of opinion are inherent in human encounters, we are committed to communication practices that lead to increased awareness of the needs of others, the community as a whole and ourselves.

A. Email Communication Policy

Marin Waldorf School strives to maintain healthy communication among all the constituencies in the school. In a school setting, email communication is the most convenient and efficient way for us to share logistical information, clarification, and setting up appointments. Face-to-face conversation is the appropriate avenue for resolving more nuanced issues or concerns.

If you have a potentially emotionally charged concern, email should only be used to schedule an appointment with the appropriate party or decision maker. Our faculty and staff will make every effort to address your concerns promptly and schedule a face-to-face meeting.

Generally speaking, class or group emails should remain of an informational or logistical nature. Class parents distributing such emails should clear them with the class teacher or appropriate staff member before distribution.

B. School Communications to Parents

Our goal is to provide information that is accurate, clear, timely, and relevant, and to ensure that the flow of information is consistent, predictable, and at a manageable volume.

Teachers are available for phone conversations or meetings if requested. Please respect the teachers’ privacy by directing all phone calls to the school. In most cases, teachers will return parent calls at free periods during the school day. The best way to contact teachers to arrange a meeting or a phone conversation is through email. To contact any teacher please use their full name at marinwaldorf.org. (firstnamelastname@marinwaldorf.org)

The school also keeps parents informed via regular email announcements, events, the website and a weekly newsletter recently converted to a blog format on the school website, www.marinwaldorf.org.

C. Class Communication

The class teacher communicates regularly with parents about class activities throughout the year, beginning in the fall with an overview and plan for the year, a class schedule and information on field trips as well as parent support needs and opportunities. Class communications are typically handled either through email and class newsletters or at regular class meetings for the parents. Designated class parents sometimes assist the teacher by handling urgent class information by email.

D. Emergency Communication

The school has a contract with an emergency communication system, which has the capacity for broadcasting simultaneous text, phone, and email messages in case of an emergency or a weather-related school closure. When you enroll, your contact information will be added to our emergency database and you will automatically receive emails and phone calls from the school in case of emergency.

E. Addressing Parent/Teacher Concerns

Any concerns regarding the child and the parents' relationship to the class should be taken to the teacher first. It is the intention of the teacher to receive and respond to all parent needs and concerns that arise whenever possible. If the issue is not resolved, parents should contact the Early Childhood Director or Grades Director.

F. Addressing Parent/School Concerns

It is the intention of the Administration, Faculty and Board to receive and respond to all parent needs, concerns and suggestions about the school whenever possible. Concerns of a broad pedagogical nature can be addressed by the Early Childhood Coordinator or Grades Director. Any concerns regarding overall school policies, procedures or facilities should be addressed to the School Director.

VII. Health and Safety at School

A. Emergency Plans and Preparedness

1. Emergency Communication

The school has a contract with an emergency communication system, which has the capacity to broadcast simultaneous text, phone, and email messages in case of an emergency or a fire- or weather-related school closure. Following enrollment, your contact information will be added to our emergency database and you will automatically receive emails and phone calls from the school in case of emergency. We test the system at the beginning of each school year, during which time parents have the option to opt out.

Students will be signed out only to those people indicated on the emergency form. Students who are not picked up will be kept at the school, or taken to the home of a teacher or staff person. In the event that the entire school is evacuated, a notice will be posted at the front. (The Marinwood Fire Dept. will become a command post in the event of an emergency, and although the Community Center next door is not a designated shelter, the Red Cross has an agreement with them to utilize the facilities in the event of a disaster.) Please make sure your child’s emergency forms are filled out completely and kept up-to-date.

2. Emergency Preparedness

We have emergency preparedness plans in the case of fire, earthquake, shelter-in-place, and dangerous intruder. Our administrative team attends annual trainings to ensure we are following best practices, and these plans are reviewed and updated annually, then reviewed in detail with the faculty.

3. Drills

In accordance with local laws and best practices, we conduct periodic earthquake, fire, and shelter-in-place drills during the school day.

B. Health

1. When to Stay Home

Please keep your child home if they are showing signs of illness. The following outlines common symptoms and when to keep your child home from school.

Symptom

Fever

Keep your child home if:

They have had a fever of 100 degrees or higher in the last 24 hours, even if the student is fever-free in the morning.

Stomachache They have had one or more episodes of vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours. Vomiting with evidence of food allergy reaction, food poisoning, or other non-infectious cause can be handled on a case-bycase basis.

Sneezing or Runny Nose

Sore Throat

Cough

Earache

They are sneezing a lot, and their nose won’t stop running.

They have tender, swollen glands and a fever of 100 degrees of higher. If your child has strep throat, they must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school, even if they are feeling better.

They cough frequently, cough up phlegm, or the cough sounds like a bar or is accompanied by a sore throat or wheezing.

Their pain is constant or severe a sign of otitis media.

Rash They have a rash that blisters, develops pus, is uncomfortable, or indicates the student might have chicken pox or impetigo. All other rashes must be covered by clothing or bandage.

Sick children seldom, if ever, gain anything by attending school. They are much better off at home where they are most likely to get the necessary care for recovery and early return to school. Keeping ill children at home also protects other children, their family, and the school staff from infection.

A child must stay home for at least 24 hours after a fever and 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

2. Communicable Diseases and Family Notification

If your child contracts a contagious disease, such as strep throat, pink eye, or COVID-19, please notify the school registrar at registrar@marinwaldorf.org or via telephone at 415-479-8190 as soon as possible so that we can notify all families with whom your child may have come into contact. For more information and county guidelines regarding communicable disease, please refer to Marin Health and Human Services Communicable Diseases: Exposure Notices/Fact Sheets

Please note: All health-related information shared with MWS staff will be kept confidential.

C. Air Quality Closures

When smoke from wildfires affect Marin County's air quality, we may have to suspend school for one or several days.

1. AQI Limit

School is suspended when the air quality in San Rafael is 150 or above according to AirNow at 6am the day of the closure. (Please see more about our process for closures below.) All classes and aftercare programs will be suspended during emergency air quality closures.

2. Makeup Days

We do not make up school days lost to emergency closures. However, we may choose to reexamine that policy during a given school year if there are a large number of air quality closures.

3. Family Notification

If the air quality index (AQI) is below 150 at 6am according to the public website AirNow, we will open school. If the air quality is 150 or above at 6am, we will send an email as well as a text/phone message to our families through School Messenger, our emergency alert system, no later than 7am, canceling school for that day. If you do not receive a text and/or email, school is open.

4. No Midday

Closures

Based on Marin County Office of Education standards, if school is open in the morning, we will not close midday if the air quality rises above 150. In the case that the air quality rises above 150 during a school day, we will move students to indoor classrooms, each of which has been provided with a HEPA air filter and an ionizer.

5. How We Monitor Air Quality

Per guidelines set by the Marin County Office of Education, we rely on AQI readings from AirNow, a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies. We do not use data from privately held companies, such as Purple Air, or individually operated air-testing sites or monitors to make decisions about whether or not to open school.

VIII. Student Life and the Curriculum

Scope and Sequence

From early childhood to 8th grade, Marin Waldorf School teachers follow a carefully outlined scope and sequence, which sets academic goals for the math, reading, literacy, and language arts skills taught each year, within the context of the rich Waldorf curriculum. These guidelines provide the teachers with a framework for skills acquisition, by grade level. (Please see Academic Assessments and Evaluations, below, for more information.) Parents can review the full Scope and Sequence here

Life in the Preschool

Preschool consists of a small, intimate group of children, ages 2 years 9 months to nearly 4 years old who come together three or five mornings a week with a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. Lead teachers are fully trained and certified in Waldorf education and have experience in early childhood settings.

An aftercare program is available for Preschoolers from 12:45 p.m. until as late as 5:20 p.m. The teacher-led preschool program is very nurturing and rhythmical in nature. Activities are planned at the same time each day, rotating through the week. This rhythmical element ensures a strong sense of consistency, order, and security – essential to the healthy development of the young child. Everything that is done in the class has a purpose, instilling a sense of joy and care for every task. The atmosphere is homelike and focus is on play.

The preschool room is structured to offer a variety of play activities, both individual and group. Outdoor playtime is scheduled every day, even in rainy weather. During the morning, children have ample opportunity to run, jump, climb and engage in circle activities.

At the beginning of every week the teacher prepares a simple story, accompanied by rhyme, song and puppetry to which the children sit and listen. The underlying purpose is to cultivate the child’s imagination and strengthen memory; skills that will be further developed in the Waldorf Kindergarten.

The children help the teachers to prepare a healthy, wholesome mid-morning snack, which is then enjoyed by the class.

Throughout the year the changing seasons, along with a number of festivals, are incorporated into the daily and weekly rhythms of the preschool. Each child’s birthday is celebrated with at least one parent present. Opportunities to observe a variety of multi-cultural and ethnic celebrations present themselves throughout the year.

Life in the Kindergarten

The Marin Waldorf School has two kindergarten classes; each has mixed age groups, from four years, three months to seven years old. Children must have turned four by June 1st to enter kindergarten in the fall. Two classes have two teachers and a maximum enrollment of 24 children. Kindergarten is a five-day program. An aftercare program is available for Kindergarteners from 1p.m. until as late as 5:20 p.m.

Before the age of seven the young child takes in the world primarily through their senses. Because kindergarten teachers understand that young children take in their environment so completely that they hardly distinguish themselves from their surroundings, teachers make every effort to nurture the senses of the young child with an environment that is beautiful, natural and carefully tended. The kindergarten room is softly painted, contains natural toys, a variety of objects from nature, simple dress-up items, various play environments, open space and an everchanging, seasonal nature table.

At this age, children learn about the world through imitation. Teachers strive to be models worthy of imitation for the young child and to bring joy to every activity. They seek to surround every child with genuine warmth. They also offer rich imagery through story and song to foster the children’s healthy play and to stimulate their imaginations. Play, the most natural activity of the young child, allows children to explore the world and their role as social beings. Simple, natural materials for play allow their imaginations to create and transform the environment as they explore and interact with their peers. Free play in the classroom and out on the yard are a large part of the kindergarten. Structured activities like circle time and story time give inspiration to children’s imaginative play.

During their morning activities, the teachers provide many examples and opportunities for meaningful work. The children help with preparing their daily snack, setting out painting supplies, washing dishes, sweeping, grinding grains, chopping fruits and vegetables, baking bread, and sewing. They also engage in seasonal projects such as creating handmade toys, dolls or crafts (for example, felting fire-balls for Michaelmas, sewing gnomes in winter, making knot dolls and table puppets in spring to later take home and care for). All of these activities foster a

reverence for work both practical and creative, develop an appreciation for the creative process, and build healthy habits and capacities for later life.

Teachers bring a sense of harmony and security to the children. Each day brings the children from active creativity to quiet stillness, from fine-motor play to large motor movements. Teachers also strive to develop within each child a healthy sense of the self as an individual as well as their place as a vital member of the group. All of this helps to develop balance and wellbeing.

The weekly rhythm brings a different nutritious grain-based snack for each day of the week. Woodworking, painting, crafts, beeswax modeling, eurythmy and a hike in nature each has their day and provides a rich artistic experience to further nourish the senses. Within the rhythm of the year, the different moods of the seasons are brought as well as the celebrations of our community’s festival life.

Throughout the week, the teachers tell nature stories, folk tales or fairy tales from around the world. The magic of the spoken word touches the children’s picture-building imaginations and enriches their vocabularies while developing a love of language – all of which are the basis of literacy skills. Acting out these tales and seeing them as puppet shows allows the children to go deeply into their imaginations and explore the many roles of the human being. Albert Einstein once said, “If you want your children to be brilliant, tell them fairy tales. If you want them to be very brilliant tell them even more fairy tales.”

The children learn to care for the environment and respect the work of others by the practical activities of gardening, cooking, cleaning, polishing, sweeping, tidying up their toys and keeping everything in its place. Creating order in their world gives rise to a capacity for inner discipline and a respectful relationship with the environment.

The mood of the kindergarten is gentle and dreamlike. It is a homelike environment in which the child can live free of self-consciousness, guided by example rather than by explicit instruction. Pentatonic songs, the pentatonic lyre and glockenspiel support this mood. Additionally, the absence of electronic media and games creates a quieter, more calming environment.

The preschool and kindergarten faculty have a weekly meeting to study, plan and discuss their work. They host a yearly conference for Bay Area kindergarten teachers and attend the November Teacher’s Conference at Rudolf Steiner College. They also frequently attend workshops. They hold the responsibility of bringing many new families into the Waldorf community. This effort includes celebrating festivals, as well as hosting open houses, special workshops on parenting and handwork, and regular educational evenings for parents

Morning

Verse – Grades 1-4

The sun with loving light Makes bright for me each day. The soul with spirit power Gives strength unto my limbs. In sunlight shining clear I do revere, O God, The strength of humankind Which Thou so graciously Has planted in my soul, That I with eagerness May strive to work and learn. From Thee come light and strength, To Thee stream love and thanks.*

Rudolf Steiner, (translated by Helen Lubin)

*There are small variations in each class due to different translations

First Grade

First Grade is a bridge between the kindergarten and the grades. Creating form through a strong rhythm is the task of the teacher: rhythms through the day, through the week, and through the seasons of the year.

The year begins with the discovery that behind all forms lie two basic principles: the straight and curved line. The children find these shapes in their own bodies, in the classroom, and in the world beyond. Straight and curved lines are then practiced in many ways: for example, through walking, drawing in the air and in sand, on the blackboard and finally, on paper. Through form drawing, children strive to achieve symmetry and harmonious balance of form while also training motor skills. Form drawing awakens their powers of observation and provides a foundation for introducing the alphabet.

In first grade, children are introduced to the letters of the alphabet through fairy tales and stories. In this way, the children experience the development of language concretely and creatively; instead of learning the letters as abstract symbols, letters emerge out of pictures formed through lively imaginations within the children. "S" might be a snake sinuously slithering through the

grass on a secret errand; "W" might be in the formation of waves in a blackboard drawing of a story.

Pictures drawn on the blackboard by the teacher, and in lesson books by the children, illustrate the stories told in the classroom. Short descriptive sentences might accompany these pictures. Sentences are first composed together and written on the board, then copied individually into lesson books from the teacher’s model. In this way, the children joyfully create their own illustrated books for their first reading material.

First graders are exposed to archetypal life elements through storytelling. As the stories are told, children feel the archetypal experiences of journey, quest, and challenge to overcome. They awaken to moral truth; they yearn to see evil deeds paid for and good deeds rewarded. They also experience the mystery and magic of the spiritual world through transformation: the frog becomes a prince; princes and princesses are bewitched and then freed; the poor tailor becomes a king. Life’s inner journeys are reflected in such tales. Children learn about the natural world through nature stories, in which they meet archetypal elements such as Sun, Moon, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Wind. The true facts of nature are always presented in vivid, dramatic form through story, seasonal songs, and poems. These imaginative pictures and stories help to inspire love, sympathy, and wonder.

In a similar way, the children experience the qualities of numbers before learning addition or subtraction. For example, what is "oneness"? What is there only one of in the world ("one sun, one moon, one unique being who is me!")? Number quality is explored through objects in their surroundings: for example, the nature of four as it is found in squares and rectangular shapes as well as chair legs, walls in a room, etc. Number qualities are explored in nature (four seasons, four cardinal directions, four elements, for example). Movement, such as stepping and clapping to strong, rhythmic choral speaking of the numbers, helps children gain an inner experience and relationship to numbers. Counting is reinforced through the manipulation, in imaginative ways, of small natural objects, such as stones and acorns, and wood. After practical experience in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, the written symbols for these operations are introduced and practiced on paper or on chalkboards.

First graders enter the world of music mainly through the pentatonic scale. In this scale, all the notes have a harmonious sound in any order they are played. The songs often reflect the mood of the season. In addition to providing a rich musical experience, playing first the integral flute and later the pentatonic flute develops finger and hand-eye coordination, concentration, listening skills, rhythm and sense of timing, and breath control.

Handwork in the first grade serves several important purposes. Learning to knit is an

indispensable first grade activity, since a close relationship between finger movement, speech, and thinking exists. The patterning and repetition in knitting also helps with later math thinking. Painting in the first grade is intended to give the children an experience of working with color rather than attempting to create formed "pictures." Children are guided in exploring the relationships between the three primary colors, red, yellow and blue, through color imaginations and narratives. At this age, the wet-on-wet method is used, to encourage the flow of color rather than attention to form.

The first grader’s feeling for form is developed through modeling. Both beeswax and clay are used as modeling materials. Coloring with beeswax crayons and learning to draw whole shapes rather than mere outlines also builds the children’s sense of form. In creating their lesson books, first graders learn to develop a sense of reverence for their work and an appreciation for beautiful work. Blank pages may be formed with colored borders, which help children develop spatial awareness.

The imitative genius of early childhood makes this an ideal time to learn other languages through hearing and speaking. Spanish is taught in the first grade at Marin Waldorf School. At this age, children learn to imitate and speak this new language primarily through songs, poems, games, and movement.

Eurythmy, an art of movement developed by Rudolf Steiner, is taught by a teacher specially trained for this task. Eurythmy exercises affect the children's grace of movement, sensitize hands and fingers, heighten spatial awareness, and stimulate musical, poetic and dramatic awareness. In the first grade, eurythmy helps children develop a healthy sense of self and others, creates healthy breathing, and enlivens the space in which children work and play. In addition to eurythmy, games class helps children learn to move, play and work together joyfully.

The first grader’s day is full of stories, artistic experiences, and social interactions.

Second Grade

Second graders are typically much more confident than first graders. They are boisterous, lively and begin to show a sense of humor.

Rudolf Steiner has described the seven-year life cycles, and the importance of the moment when the forces working within the child cast off the baby teeth and construct a smile that gleams with permanence and strength. Second graders have this process well underway. They are on the threshold of newly awakening faculties. Energies freed from the process of forming the body now awaken the subjective world of feeling - wonder, pity, joy, tenderness and sorrow. These are the currents of air upon which these new little butterflies will rise and find their relationship to the world.

Second graders retain the love of the archetypal imagery experienced in the first grade stories, but as their feelings awaken they are also ready to see the dual aspect of human nature. Their own feelings of sympathy or antipathy may be unsettling for the adults in their lives, and require us to seek creative responses.

We do not wish to burden the seven/eight-year-old with responsibility for their strong judgment, so we must seek other ways to show them the foibles of their own animal natures. Literature from every culture provides fables that show people's animal characteristics pitted one against another. The pictures speak to the children's imaginations, allowing them to form their own inner pictures, so the morals need not be given to them. A second grader has a ready appreciation for a fox who invites a stork to dine on a low plate from which the stork cannot manage to feed itself, simply so that the fox may enjoy the other's shortcomings. But to see the stork "pay the fox in its own coin", and invite it to a sumptuous meal served in an impossibly tall vase, is to show the child the scale of justice that Mother Nature uses in balancing her affairs.

On the other hand, the second grader is also fed by hearing stories of people who sacrifice for the highest good of all. Stories are told about people from all over the world who have felt a calling to make the world/ their community a better place. Some example of these people may include Nelson Mandela, Malala, Martin Luther King, Joan of Arc. St Francis

In Waldorf Education, ideally the teacher usually progresses with their pupils from first to second grade. The class teachers, who can look back on all their pupils' previous learning experiences and build step-by-step on their own foundation, can endow their teaching with real unity. Also, children who are very sensitive to readjustments and changes are given the security of knowing one personality and method intimately and thoroughly.

As the students progress through the grades the teacher continues to model respect and caring for one another and to promote healthy social relationships. These healthy relationships are a core component of the class curriculum. The pedagogical story plays an important role in guiding the children’s social relationships. The children can create inner pictures that speak to them of certain behaviors and identify with the natural consequences of such behaviors.

In the second grade spoken word, animal fables, legends of great and courageous people, Native American tales and the Irish legend of The King of Ireland’s Son are used for the study of language arts. The children learn cursive writing by joining up the letters in a flowing script. This writing pictures the movement of the breath as it streams through sound after sound, linking them together in smooth continuity

In arithmetic, the children carry out more complicated operations with the four processes. Imaginative stories still form the basis of these problems. Through rhythmic counting accompanied by accented clapping and movement of the whole body, they learn to count by twos, threes, fours and fives, and can begin learning the multiplication tables. The children learn place value, carrying and borrowing.

Nature study continues in connection with poetry, legends and imaginative descriptions of natural processes.

Painting and modeling give artistic expression to subjects encountered in the main lessons. Handwork projects exemplify an important principle: that the work created by our hands can be useful and functional as well as beautiful. They knit flat forms that are transformed into animals; animals that give so many lessons to them through the year.

Foreign languages (Spanish), and singing and flute lessons continue to be taught in the second grade, with eurythmy leading the children into a more conscious forming of vowels and consonants. Students continue to enjoy games class.

Third Grade

The third grade is often called the turning point of childhood. Every age has its drama, but the nine-year-old is going through a change that is particularly profound; you might hear Waldorf teachers referring to it as "the Crossing Point," "The Watershed," or the "Rubicon". Rudolf Steiner described how the nine-year-old experiences, at a spiritual level, what the three-year-old experienced when first using the word "I." Before the age of nine, the major part of the child's being is not yet incarnated, and instead, it lives within all they perceive. They feel inwardly related to everything, and can identify strongly with all the images presented to them. Now, however, an experience arises of oneself as something independent of everything else. This brings the first suffering of loneliness, but also the first conscious joy of solitude. It brings the first capacity to understand death as a reality. The child may suddenly feel insecure; their relationship with nature, with eternity, with others, and with themselves, has to be reestablished. The poignant image of the "fall from paradise" is not lost on this age child. The third grade curriculum helps the child to meet the world in which they live by developing confidence in basic life skills through practical studies and by strengthening and developing fundamental academic skills.

Bible stories from the Old Testament, and creation stories from indigenous cultures as well as stories about farming, shelters, and clothing from various lands and cultures are the basis of the literature in third grade. The language arts lessons come mainly from these sources, which are shared orally by the teacher and retold in writing by the children; dictated orally by the teacher,

or summarized together for their own lesson books. In the third grade, the children are challenged to write, read, and spell with ever improving accuracy. They write their own stories and poetry, as well as retelling those stories they hear in the morning lesson. Work is also done with correct punctuation and the beginning concepts of basic grammar (called more pictorially, “doing, naming, picture words, etc.”). Regular reading classes, spelling activities, and dictation help build language skills.

Math in the third grade is a continuation of the four processes (multiplication, division, addition, subtraction). These are practiced with regular mental math activities in the main lesson as well as in practice periods every week. A consistent effort is made to master the multiplication tables, one through twelve. Long division and multiplication in columns are introduced while borrowing and carrying are strengthened. In addition to this foundational math work there are the studies of time, money, and measurement (linear, dry, liquid, weight) that go hand in hand with the work in practical skills.

The practical skills, including cooking, farming, house-building and making clothing, give a hands-on learning experience, build confidence in one's relationship to life and provide many opportunities to practice both language and math skills. These activities comprise the science curriculum of the third grade. Weather guides the farmer, compost improves the soil, yeast expands the bread and all the necessities of daily life give rise to questions to ponder and problems to be solved.

The third grade takes scenes from the Old Testament, farming, seasonal activities, and others derived from practical studies for experiences in modeling beeswax, plasticine, or clay and in watercolor painting, as well as in the many drawings of their main lesson books.

The form drawing lessons develop in complexity. They include mirrored forms, forms on two axes, inverted forms, and metamorphosed forms echoing shapes in the natural world.

The children continue daily singing of songs related to the curriculum and begin now to sing in rounds. They also begin to learn to read music. This is introduced through imaginative stories and images. The class moves from the pentatonic flute begun in first grade to the soprano recorder or C flute instrument.

The third grade takes a trip every year to a biodynamic farm where they are able to participate fully in many of the things studied through the year. There they garden, build compost piles, cook, weed, shear sheep, plow fields, milk cows, feed the animals, and develop their muscles through strenuous activity. Many third grade classes take day trips to visit a blacksmith, a cheese making company, a mill, a brick maker, or a construction site.

The third grade learns to crochet in handwork, making useful items. They continue their study of Spanish, gardening, games and eurythmy. Each year the children perform a play that comes from their curriculum.

Fourth Grade

To understand the fourth grade curriculum and why it is so suited to the nine and ten-year old, one must first look back to the preceding years of schooling, especially the curriculum of the third grade. There, the children, who until now have lived in a certain harmonious relationship to the world, were cast out of paradise. They were no longer allowed to dwell in the fairytale realm of the first grade or even fluctuate back and forth between heaven and earth as in second grade when the stories of saints and fables were told to accompany this duality.

Just as the people in the Old Testament were challenged by their as they learned to survive, make shelters, work the land, so did the third graders learn the rudiments of survival by studying farming, house-building, the making of clothes, and the preparation of food. All along, the stories of great men and women of the Hebrew nation and other cultures are told. A feeling of wisdom and justice prevailed. Still wrapped in this blanket of trust, the third grader felt protected from the cunning of the world.

In the fourth grade, that mantle of trust has been tossed aside and the child feels very separate from the security and comforts that previously were supportive. This is a time to look around and see how one stands in relationship to that which is near, and to find security and uprightness through that relationship. The number four is a sign of stability, strength and balance. Therein lays a sense of steadiness and completion. It is this sense of four in the midst of separation and defiance that is at the very heart of the fourth grade curriculum.

Throughout the year the children hear and read stories of heroes from Norse mythology,the Finnish legend of the Kalevala and other mythologies from different cultures. In all of them the hero emerges as someone to look up to, emulate, laugh at, or respect. There may still be the miraculous feats, and yet the human qualities; the emotions, the struggles, and the confrontations are emphasized.

The studies of local geography (Marin County, the Bay area, and California), beginning mapmaking, and early California history give the children a strong sense for the specific character of the place in which they live.

A comparative consideration of the human being and animal is studied. Understanding of oneself and one's own relationship to the world grows as one understands the different animals, their

unique qualities and characteristics, and the way they are connected to their particular environment.

In language arts, the students' skills in reading, writing, and spelling are practiced and developed. Grammar is more formally introduced with parts of speech and punctuation as a focus. Students begin to write book reports and share their reading experiences with their classmates. They begin to research and create reports on various aspects of the curriculum. Composition, narration, and self-expression in writing are furthered and letter-writing skills are introduced. Children begin to write with a pen and library skills are developed.

In math, the processes of long division and multi-digit multiplication are practiced until consistent. Then, the fourth grade plunges into the study of fractions, a further reflection of the separation or fragmentation that they are experiencing. They are introduced with physical objects to demonstrate truths before meeting abstract mental concepts. After the groundwork has been laid, then fractions are practiced through all the four processes.

As in the Kalevala, where the very world is sung into being, singing is a daily creative activity. In addition to unison singing and rounds from previous years, we now add two-part songs. The children’s newly strengthened individuality now gives them the ability to hold their own in this part-singing as they could not have done successfully before: canons and rounds form a natural bridge to this exciting new skill. They show their first real delight in harmony, and the minor key answers a deep-felt need leading inward in self-discovery. Now, standing as individuals they try to work harmoniously together.

The fourth grader is given a violin, something delicate and yet powerful that will not oblige shortcuts to success. With practice and dedication, a harmony of sound begins to emerge and a new orchestral community is forged.

The fourth grader is at odds with the world. Questions take on a personal twist, “How do you know?” Many opportunities are given to meet these oppositions in quite unexpected ways, ways in which the child can have the experience of crossing, while at the same time being led, towards a wholesome resolution. In handwork, original designs are made that produce a colorful design executed in tiny cross-stitches. The result is a beautiful wholeness from many little crossings.

Celtic knots in form drawings are challenging tangles of skill and beauty. The sense of separation serves to provide objectivity, otherwise, one might get lost in the complexity of crossing lines, some hidden beneath, others crossing above, creating depth on a flat surface.

Watercolor painting, modeling, and drawing continue to support the various topics of study. Spanish, games, handwork (embroidery), and eurythmy are also a part of the weekly fourth grade schedule.

The curriculum is supported and strengthened by various field trips throughout the year. These often include an overnight on Indian beach and a trip to the Miwok village, a journey into Gold Country, a visit to the missions, to Monterey Bay Aquarium, and to the elephant seal colony at Año Nuevo.

Morning Verse – Grades 5 and up

I look into the world In which the sun is shining, In which the stars are sparkling, In which the stones repose; The living plants are growing, The feeling beasts are living, And human beings, ensouled, Give dwelling to the spirit.

I look into the soul, That lives within my being. God's spirit lives and weaves In sunlight and in soul-light, In heights of worlds without, In depths of soul within.

To Thee, O Spirit of God, I turn in earnest seeking To ask that strength and grace For learning and for work In me may live and grow*

Rudolf Steiner (translated by Helen Lubin)

*There are small variations in each class due to different translations

Fifth Grade

The fifth grade children see the world with a calmer curiosity. They will soon leave another phase of childhood behind them and cross a new threshold of experience, but during the fifth grade year they are imbued with the same image of perfect balance as the ancient Greeks. The child of this age is often seen as having reached the pinnacle of childhood where for a moment all is harmonious, full of beauty and confidence, where one can fully flourish. The curriculum supports this by building on already established foundations, as well as introducing new elements to prepare them for the next step.

Ancient history in the fifth grade starts in the vibrant images and heroes of the great writings of ancient India. Then follow the new advances in thinking, as well as wonderful stories and unique cultural manifestations of ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and early Greece.

After a journey through the world mythologies and the cultural richness of early civilizations, history now introduces exact temporal concepts and proceeds in sequence. It stirs the students to a more intense experience of their humanity by the way it is introduced. With the story of Alexander the Great, biography will henceforward be a cornerstone to the manner in which events of the past are understood.

Every means is used to give the children a vivid impression of these ancient cultures. They read translations of poetry, study written symbols and sample arts, crafts, and foods of various ancient peoples; trying their hands at similar creations.

The study of North American geography emphasizes contrast. Every consideration of the earth’s physical features is linked with a study of the way human life has been lived in the region; the human uses of natural resources, industry, and produce. The Native Americans, as first people of these regions, are studied and talked about.

As a continuation of their study of the living earth, the fifth graders study botany, the plant world. The children go out to experience the plants as they find them in nature or in the garden. They observe, draw and discuss the cycles of plant life.

Composition, spelling, grammar, and reading are developed steadily as the children read and write about what they are learning. Skills are refined with longer report writing, and more individual writing in lesson books. Revision and refinement of composition, further understanding of grammar and more complex punctuation, like the proper use of the colon and semi-colon is learned.

In math, we begin the year with review (as all grades do), refreshing the students on the four operations, with increasingly complex work, and then dive back into fractions. Fractions are a challenging concept and take time to understand. By the end of the year, the students will have a thorough understanding and will be introduced to decimals, which most students enjoy after the intensity of fractions. Geometry, measurement, and time will also be studied. We will work on becoming proficient in mental math, developing number sense and the ability to work flexibly with numbers. These skills are essential for success in higher mathematics. It will also make calculations so much easier in the years ahead.

The study of geometry is based on observation and imagination. Various elements of geometric form are rendered freely, without the use of instruments. The basic language of geometry - line, point, segment, angle, intersection, parallel, circle, polygon, etc. - is introduced in preparation for the precision work in sixth grade.

Regular choral singing is practiced and the recorder is used in relation to the main lesson. Children continue to play the violin, with the introduction of the viola and cello to the class orchestra.

The class play is an integral part of the school year, as the children continue to expand their skills with longer individual parts.

Woodworking begins and handwork continues in this grade. Knitting involves using four needles as the children create socks or mittens. The children continue with wet-on-wet watercolor painting and drawing with the class teacher.

Eurythmy, Spanish, gardening, and physical education continue. The fifth grade participates with other schools in the Greek pentathlon. This is an event where the children are judged by grace and beauty, as well as proficiency with the skills of discus, javelin, long jump, hand-to-hand wrestling, and running.

Both botany and geography are experienced firsthand as the children go on field trips to observe nature and the land that nourishes it. These trips not only deepen their learning, but also strengthen the social bonds of the class. Fifth grade trips sometimes follow the great naturalist, John Muir, to Yosemite Valley; other class teachers chose a coastal destination such as Big Sur. Cultural experiences may include a meal at an Indian restaurant, a visit to a production of the Ramayana, and almost always a trip to the Egyptian Museum in San Jose.

Sixth Grade

Sixth Graders inhabit the awkward territory that bridges childhood and adolescence. Most of them are experiencing the onset of puberty, the lengthening of their bones, new social and sexual impulses, acute self-consciousness, and the birth of a new kind of thinking, which is capable of analyzing cause and effect and connecting their inner experience with the outer world. They tend to be argumentative, idealistic, quixotic, sharp-tongued, and easily hurt. In short, they present a bundle of contradictions and possibilities that are ably met by the sixth grade curriculum.

Study of Rome leads the children to important questions about good and evil, the law and governance, and the consequences of our deeds. Later in the year, they learn about different cultures experiencing life and changes during the Middle Ages. This examination is a metaphor for the inner journey upon which they are now embarking as they seek to find their individuality on strong principles which will begin to come from within rather than from without.

They now have the capacity to look at the world with new eyes, to not only see and hear and feel what is around them, but to begin to understand these and other less visible processes. Through a systems approach to the study of geology, they learn that our seemingly solid earth is, in fact, involved in dynamic change, that the beach pebble they hold today may have traveled far and gone through many metamorphoses. Through astronomy, they learn about the stars and our solar system, created and held by physical laws, which connect the macrocosm to the microcosm. In a darkened room, they observe the light that radiates from a single candle and embark on a phenomenologically based study of physics (optics, acoustics, heat, magnetism, and electricity), which they will build on through the remaining years of their Waldorf education.

Study of the geography of the Americas aids their understanding of the relationships between place and culture. Applying our new understanding of heat, for example, the students are able to see how climate, ocean currents and prevailing winds affect our lives and our livelihoods as well as the development of civilizations. Fifth grade studies of Botany are furthered through a more focused look at the relationship between insects and plants. The children learn through these studies to make connections and to see life as a web of such intricate interconnections.

Basic skills are furthered and deepened. They learn to apply practical business math (introducing percent, ratio and proportion) to the task of creating a small business plan. Focus is on applying what they know and being able to use their math skills to solve practical problems. They explore geometry through the divisions of the circle and observe how these lawful geometric forms arise and repeat in nature. In language arts, they learn to organize information into paragraphs and short compositions, using topic sentences and topic paragraphs. Creative writing, eliciting their inner responses to experiences and phenomena, helps them make connections to their more objective study of the outer world. They are surprised to discover that they now have opinions,

which are bursting to be expressed. Monthly book reports, book chats and literature read and discussed by the whole class not only encourage reading, but also widen their understanding of each other. Sixth Graders must begin to take responsibility for accuracy in spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. The study of English grammar, which is supported by their Spanish classes, rounds out the language arts program.

The arts weave through main lesson topics, but with greater complexity than in the lower grades. Alto and tenor recorders add three part harmonies. Choir and/or orchestral experiences demand greater cooperation and skill. Classes continue in woodwork, handwork, eurythmy, physical education, and gardening. A dramatic production related to the historical periods they have studied offers the opportunity to live into other times and cultures.

In sixth grade, the students begin to participate in the Outdoor Education Program each week for the last two periods of each Friday. Through this program, they participate in environmental education, adventure programs, and artistic activities that enhance their understanding and love of the natural world, leading them to become effective stewards of our precious natural resources.

All of these studies help the children to develop a healthy interest in the world. This interest is their greatest protection from the possible pitfalls of early adolescence, intensified by a popular culture that encourages premature sexuality, use of mind altering substances, and self-centered preoccupation. Rather than stuffing the children with information and predigested ideas, the curriculum is designed to foster development of capacities – for feeling, imagination, and wonder – that will form a strong basis for thinking as they continue to mature through the grades.

Seventh Grade

Seventh graders are adventuring across a threshold that leads to selfhood. They bring an inexhaustible curiosity to the world around them. This curiosity is sparked by an inner shift that is occurring physically in their bodies, as well as spiritually in their souls, and promotes selfawareness and the ability to think critically. Capacity for judgment develops out of striving to know who they are. They tend to question authority and begin to explore the intricacies of social relationships. The inner turmoil of the 13-year-old is beautifully guided and mirrored by the seventh grade curriculum.

The historical time period that reflects the quest for self is the Renaissance. Individualism, as personified by figures like Joan of Arc and Galileo, overcomes feudalism. Human capacities seem limitless, as epitomized by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. As these historical exemplars stood in the face of adversity and dared to say what they believed to be true, so too

must each adolescent. Their doubt of authority and their resistance to outer direction mark a giant step toward self-re-creation and individual thinking.

The language arts block of “Wish, Wonder, and Surprise” involves creative writing and literature, but its horizons extend much further. It is designed to bring consciousness, balance, and refinement to the adolescent’s emotional life. The students see how personal a wish is, how it comes from deep within and goes towards the outer world. They see how wonder comes from a meeting between one’s inner and outer worlds, and how surprise really originates outside and impresses itself upon the individual. They learn that a variety of styles can be employed to convey specific feelings accurately and effectively. Awakening consciousness through selfexpression also brings the students confidence and a sense of liberation.

Study of mechanics begins with the lever principle as found in the human arm. From their experimentation, the students learn basic laws of physics and their applications in the machinery of ancient and modern times.

With the beautiful legend of the bringing of fire to earth by Prometheus, organic chemistry is introduced as a study of the combustion process. Fire can be observed externally in the breaking down of substances by oxidation and internally as combustion in the human organism (the digestive processes). Physiology is introduced as the study of life processes in the human: blood circulation, respiration, reproduction, and nutrition in connection with digestion, health and hygiene.

World Geography covers the whole globe. The students’ knowledge of astronomy is called upon to further their understanding of climate, tides, and other influences on the cultural and economic life of the peoples of the earth.

This year, the seventh grade will polish up their practical math skills and work on deepening their ability to think mathematically and abstractly. Some of our main areas of focus will be the introduction of algebra, complex percentages, rates and ratios, and the metric system. Their algebra study, which will also be a main lesson, will include negative numbers, expressions, equations, and graphing. Geometry topics will include angles, circles (including an introduction to pi), polygons, and formulas for determining perimeter and area of more complex forms. We will continue our work with mental math, with a focus on developing number sense and the ability to work flexibly with numbers, both of which are essential for success in higher mathematics.

Service projects can be strongly affirmative. Beneath growing layers of negativism, the children must learn to say “yes” to themselves. This takes courage when there is a strong tendency to

withdraw and protect. But as one historian noted, “If Columbus had turned back, no one would have blamed him, but no one would have heard of him either.”

The seventh grade continues to participate in weekly eurythmy, physical education, handwork, choir, orchestra, Spanish, Outdoor Education, and woodworking.

Eighth Grade

The eighth grade year is the culmination of the lower school curriculum, looking back at all that has gone before and preparing for the next step: entrance into high school. The students are ready now to take up a thoughtful study of the underpinnings of modern history: the political, social, and intellectual revolutions, which have set the stage for modern life. At this age it is essential for the young adolescents to enter with great interest and enthusiasm into the life of their own time.

Language arts are divided in three parts: grammar, composition, and literature. In grammar, there is a review of the parts of speech: noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Also reviewed are parts of a sentence: subject, predicate, complements, prepositional phrases, independent and subordinate clauses. This work is strengthened by the study of Spanish, where students scrutinize the language in more detail. In composition, they learn how to organize ideas by identifying the audience; choosing a voiceactive, passive, or both; recognizing the importance of the opening and closing paragraphs; and by avoiding repetition, both in words and content. Students write expositions that explain, inform, classify, define or review, according to what is desired. Also they begin developing the basics for research papers, with emphasis on deductive thinking. In literature, students read books assigned by the teacher or by choice, creating the opportunity to share impressions, thoughts, likes, and dislikes. They compare the writers’ styles and write reports addressing different aspects of the work. Short stories and poetry mark the rhythm of the literary year.

Opening the year, we will rethink how our entire mathematical system works with the study of number bases. Briefly introduced last year during the algebra main lesson, this is a thoughtprovoking topic which will require the students to be flexible in their thinking. The students’ facility to think algebraically and geometrically will progress throughout the year and signals an ability to generalize and find order in the mathematical world. Reasoning and adaptability are critical to being successful in math. As the students’ ability to think conceptually increases, the study of algebra expands to include fractions in linear equations, the distributive property, functions, and the laws of exponents.

Geometry is taught in Main Lesson and includes the construction of platonic solids. This will be supported in our track class with advanced work with square roots, the Pythagorean Theorem,

and mastery of the square root algorithm. Dimensional analysis, proportional relationships, exponential and linear growth, and statistics rounds out eighth grade math.

In physiology, students study the skeleton, muscular systems, and the senses.

In history, the colonization of the United States is seen against the European background to the imperial expansion. Then students follow the progression from the American Revolution to the international economy of trade and slavery that led to the Civil War, its outcome and long lasting consequences. Then they study the backdrop of the French Revolution, to the storming of the Bastille and Napoleon. Connecting these historical events, they learn about the Industrial Revolution and the desire for knowledge, led by the Enlightenment philosophers and scientists, and how it transformed the world into modernity.

In world geography, we put together all the pieces of the historical puzzle on the world map, from the fall of the Roman Empire (the Mediterranean world), through the European expansion (Africa, Asia, America and their oceans), to the establishment of the United States as a nation.

In physics, there is a review of sixth and seventh grade work, followed by the study of meteorology, hydraulics and electromagnetism. A strong connection is made with the Industrial Revolution presented in the history block, so as to allow students to understand how work was made more efficient through the application of simple, well-controlled tools.

In chemistry, there is review of water and metals. The students then study carbohydrates: sugar, starch, and cellulose, and their vital importance for humans.

A number of special events celebrate and conclude the end of the eighth grade year and of the elementary school journey: a major play; an independent project on an area of personal interest that asks the student to do research, write a paper, and share a practical or artistic presentation; and a class trip, often with emphasis on community work. In some classes, service work is carried on through the year and in others it manifests as a specific project.

The eighth grade continues to participate in weekly eurythmy, physical education, handwork, choir, orchestra, Spanish, Outdoor Education, and woodworking.

Music Throughout the Curriculum

Music holds a highly important and daily role in the Waldorf curriculum. The reasons are manifold. Through studying and making music, we learn about the world and ourselves. The elements of music teach us about time, space, order, and sequence. The words and sounds help us to experience our feelings and thoughts in deeper ways. When we work together to create

music, we are challenged to learn the social graces of expressing ourselves thoughtfully, sensitively and with the right timing. The practice of music may not always bring instant inspiration, but music can take us beyond ourselves, enriching the soul and rekindling the spirit. In a Waldorf School, children are involved in music every day. Class teachers start the day with singing and recorder playing, bringing the children together in a focused activity that requires all to listen and tune into themselves and the group. Music also plays a central role in many of the class plays and school assemblies. Classes often work to master something they will share as a performance.

In addition to music activities that take place each morning, the students have a number of formal music classes each week. In grades one through three, the children have music class twice each week. In first and second grade, these classes concentrate on singing, playing the flute, and practicing general music skills such as careful listening, pitch-matching and rhythmic clapping. In third grade, the class begins playing the recorder, learns music notation and begins singing in rounds.

In grades four through eight, our students have music four times each week. Grades four and five have violin or strings class and general music class each two times a week. In violin class, they learn to play the violin and have their first experience establishing a practice routine at home. In fifth grade, strings students may move to viola or cello (if studying privately) and the class becomes an orchestra, beginning to focus more on ensemble skills such as matching intonation and articulation, rhythmic precision and dynamics. These skills continue to deepen in sixth grade orchestra. In general music class, the students learn to sing rounds and two-part songs, play recorder music in parts, and study music notation and sight-reading. They also experience songwriting and playing various percussion instruments.

In grades seven and eight, our students are placed in an orchestra ensemble class or a recorder ensemble class meeting twice each week. In addition, they have choir once a week. These music classes focus on deepening their experience of playing or singing in an ensemble through exercises and preparing pieces. We work to expand their knowledge of written music, teach some of the basics of music theory, and give an introduction to music history and various styles.

The Music Department at Marin Waldorf School is really made up of everyone who is involved in this community. That means children, parents, extended family, private lesson teachers, kindergarten, class and subject teachers, and staff! Each of us can and does contribute to music in our community. Whether you sing or play an instrument with or for your children, support them in taking lessons on an instrument, or are merely the most enthusiastic and receptive member of the audience, you are an integral part of this process.

In addition to the way you keep music alive in your own home and life, here are several ways you can support your children's musical journey at this school:

● Ask them to sing, play or teach you songs they are learning at school.

● Be active with their practice schedule for violin and ensemble classes. Make sure they complete their assignments and if possible be present when they practice, giving your input and encouragement.

● Enroll your children in instrumental lessons after school at Marin Waldorf School or elsewhere.

● Have them join a local youth ensemble such as Crescendo, or Marin Children’s Chorus. Learning to play an instrument can be a highly fulfilling and interesting activity, particularly for children who are age nine and older.

● Attend school assemblies and/or value and encourage your children's participation.

● Offer your assistance in making our programs more engaging. If you have music or drama skills to offer, we would love to hear from you and welcome your support for events like May Faire.

After-school instrumental lessons are available at Marin Waldorf School and we encourage students to take up private lessons on an instrument. Private lessons will be available on a variety of instruments depending on the availability of independent instructors.

Homework

Homework is introduced in the lower grades, with limited short assignments to complete at home, alongside at-home skill-building (like memorizing multiplication tables and spelling words) that benefit from independent practice.

In the upper grades (5-8), students will gradually be given more homework assignments each year. Homework assignments are based on the teacher’s best understanding of the average time needed to complete the task. Duration of assignments varies among students.

In addition to homework, students in all grades are expected to complete unfinished classwork at home.

Academic Evaluations and Assessments

In addition to continual assessment by their class teacher and subject teachers throughout the year, students at Marin Waldorf School are formally assessed at several important checkpoints.

Kindergarten/Rising First Grade

In the second year of kindergarten, children are assessed on their cognitive, emotional, and physical readiness for 1st grade. These assessments are generally performed by our school’s educational support staff and/or outside (non-Marin Waldorf School) contractors.

2nd Grade Screenings

Students are assessed by an independent (non-Marin Waldorf School) teacher/consultant for grade-level achievement in reading comprehension and fluency, auditory processing, spelling and writing, mathematics (the four processes), and gross and fine motor skill development, among other essential areas.

5th Grade Screening

Students are assessed by an independent (non-Marin Waldorf School) teacher/consultant for grade-level achievement in reading comprehension and fluency, vocabulary, spelling, writing, and math.

Midyear and Year-End Reports

Students in preschool and kindergarten do not receive written reports from teachers; however, early childhood faculty meet periodically with parents to discuss a student’s development in preschool and kindergarten, including formal conferences in November.

Parents of students in grades 1-8 receive a written report twice a year: at the end of the first semester, in January, and at the end of the second semester, in July. Written reports contain a description of the class content and block descriptions, rubrics tracking student progress in different academic disciplines, and personal comments from teachers. These reports comprise a student’s official transcript from Marin Waldorf School.

Grading

In 7th and 8th grade, students receive letter grades for all main lesson blocks and subject classes in their midyear and year-end reports, which are part of the student’s permanent transcript.

Graduation Requirements

All prospective graduates at Marin Waldorf School are expected to satisfactorily complete the 8th Grade curriculum, which includes block classes, a volunteer requirement, an outdoor education trip, and an independent research project. Students who have completed the 8th Grade curriculum are eligible to graduate.

In the case that a student does not complete all components of the curriculum satisfactorily, the student’s classroom teacher and the school director will jointly determine that student’s eligibility for graduation from the program.

IX. Field Trips

Class field trips are an integral and exciting part of our grades school curriculum. All students are expected to attend class field trips. We depend on the cooperation of parents, teachers, and students during off-site events.

A. Requirements for Participating Students

● Permission slips must be signed by the parent before their child may attend the field trip.

● Before a field, parents must provide documentation of any medication and instructions for its use if it is to be administered by the teacher. All medications must be in the original container and parents need to fill out the Administration of Prescription Medication form (see Appendix). Students may not bring medications that are not discussed by parent and teacher.

● Parents should only purchase extra supplies or treats for the class trip upon the teacher’s request and approval.

B. Student Guidelines for Field Trips

● Students shall be well-behaved and treat chaperones with respect and gratitude. Students are our ambassadors in the public eye and should represent the school accordingly.

● While traveling in vehicles, students must wear seat belts at all times when the vehicle is in motion.

● Students who are on suspension may not attend field trips, unless granted a special exception by the school.

● Students must have a signed permission slip to attend a field trip.

● Students may not switch to another car.

● Students may not leave a field trip location without permission from the teacher.

● Students will respect the school policies on all off-campus and overnight field trips. All school rules are in effect during a field trip including school media and electronic rules, and the dress code.

● Students who violate behavioral rules will be disciplined accordingly.

C. Required Paperwork for Chaperones and Drivers

For all paperwork required to drive or chaperone on a field trip, please refer to Appendix III: Volunteer and Field Trip Packet.

D. Field Trip Guidelines for Chaperones, Drivers, and Parents

As adults on a class field trip, your primary responsibility is to assist the teacher in supervising the students and making the trip run smoothly. We expect parents to set an example by demonstrating maturity in actions, attitudes, language, and dress and to adhere to the following guidance.

● No alcohol, drugs, or smoking are permitted on any school trip.

● Parents must inform the teacher, prior to departure, of any medication or physical limitation that could restrict their ability to chaperone or drive on a field trip.

● Chaperones and drivers should bring their cell phones but should not use them for personal calls while chaperoning or driving. Please remember to share you cell phone number with the class teacher and other chaperones/drivers before departure.

● Students should never be left unsupervised. Know exactly how many students are in your group. If you need to arrange a personal break, please arrange for the students to be supervised with the teacher or another chaperone.

● Children must never be left unattended in a vehicle.

● The use of cameras is regulated by the teacher.

● The teacher will make vehicle assignments for students. Drivers are responsible for the children in their car during the trip and should follow the teacher’s guidance about seating arrangements.

● Seat belts must be worn at all times and doors must be locked when the vehicle is in motion. It is required that you will obey all traffic laws, including speed limits.

● Do not make unscheduled stops or side trips without the express consent of the teacher in charge.

● The driver and students should be provided ample opportunity to use rest area services on every trip. If a rest stop is an emergency, please safely phone the teacher in charge to coordinate an additional stop or get permission to deviate from planned stops

● For overnight field trips in grades 1-4, the teacher will make tent assignments for all students and chaperones. Adult chaperones and teachers may be assigned to an individual tent or may be assigned to a shared tent with two or more students. Any changes to these policies or to tent assignments must be made with express consent of the teacher.

● For overnight field trips in grades 6-8, all students and adult chaperones/teachers will sleep in individual tents.

● Parent chaperones should never be left alone with a child at any time. Any exceptions to this policy must be made with express permission from the teacher/school staff on the trip.

Each driver should carry in their car:

● A packet of sealed emergency forms for the class.

● Any necessary medications for children riding in their car.

● A working cell phone and the contact information for the teacher and all other drivers and chaperones on the trip, in case of emergency. Please note that phones should be used when the car is not in motion, unless a hands-free device is used, and should be restricted to field-trip issues or emergencies.

School rules are in effect during a field trip. No media or electronic devices, including the radio, should be used in vehicles unless the teacher has made specific allowances.

If there will be a change in the arrival time back at school, drivers will call the “designated home parent,” as well as the school office, as soon as possible to inform them. It takes time for families to be contacted and to rearrange plans for pick up.

X. After School Programs

Children may not remain on campus after school is dismissed. For parents who would like to pick up later than designated dismissal time, the school operates aftercare programs for children in preschool through 8th grade.

A. Preschool & Kindergarten Aftercare Program

Marin Waldorf School’s early childhood aftercare program is designed with the young child in mind, continuing the rhythm of the school day with rest/nap, snacks, outdoor time, and free play. Aftercare begins immediately after the regular school day is over, with two pickup options: 3pm and 5:20pm. Aftercare is offered every day school is in session except the last day before winter break and the last day of school. Aftercare is an extension of our Early Childhood Program and therefore is subject to very specific teacher-student ratios. Aftercare is available for preschool and kindergarten students on a contract-only, first-come, first-served basis.

B. Grades After School Program

The grades after-school program is available to students in grades first through eighth. The program begins immediately following grades dismissal (3:15pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, and 2:15pm on Thursday) and runs until 5:20pm. Aftercare is offered every day school is in session except the last day of school before winter break and the last day of the school year. Aftercare is offered by contract only.

C. Music Lessons

Our music teachers help coordinate afterschool music lessons for MWS students on campus. Music classes are considered a part of our aftercare program. Students must sign up for the

aftercare program on the day of their lesson unless their lesson is immediately following dismissal.

XI. Festivals and Events

Marin Waldorf School celebrates the changing seasons with major all-school festivals, as well as smaller seasonal events, throughout the year. Observing the changing seasons fosters a sense of harmony with nature and establishes a predictable rhythm to the school year.

A. The Autumn Festival Season

The autumn festival season reflects the bounty of the harvest as well as inner and outer preparation for the darkness of winter. The following are the major fall festivals.

Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29, takes place near the autumnal equinox. Our annual pageant celebrates the change of season and the kindled light of our community at the annual Michaelmas pageant, which tells the story of George of England and the battle between the archangel Michael and the dragon. Through songs and verses, the children introduce us to the people of the village, the brave knights who defend them, and the dragon, who appears amid a cloud of smoke and marching to the rhythm of a beating drum. Parents are invited to attend the annual pageant.

Dia de Muertos is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated on campus with the creation of a community altar to our departed loved ones and ancestors, student performances, and special projects in early November as part of our Spanish language program. Parents are invited to attend the annual assembly/performance for Día de Muertos and to contribute a photo or remembrance for the school alter.

B. The Winter Festival Season

The winter festival season celebrates the image of light shining in the midst of darkness.

The Winter Spiral

Held in early December, a few weeks before the winter solstice, the Winter Spiral is a celebration of the light that will return to earth as the seasons change, and a moment to connect with our own inner light. In a simple yet meaningful gesture, students walk oneby-one along a spiral path, created with evergreen branches, while holding a symbol of light in our hands. Parents are invited to quietly observe.

Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of light is observed in many classes with story, song, and the lighting of the menorah.

St. Nicholas’ Day falls on December 6. Nicholas “visits” the classrooms during the wee hours of the morning, leaving treats and verses for the children.

Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar. Lunar New Year is particularly celebrated in East Asia, influenced by the Chinese New Year and the Chinese Calendar. At Marin Waldorf School, Lunar New Year is celebrated as part of our Mandarin program, with decorations, special Chinese treats, and an assembly.

C. The Spring Festival Season

The spring festival season reflects nature’s breathing out, the rising of plants and the return of the sun. Easter, Passover, and Nowruz are part of this festival time and are celebrated in some classes before the Spring Break.

May Faire is celebrated with a festival for the community on a Friday afternoon in early May. Each class in grades 1-8 performs a may pole dance, accompanied by the 7th-8th grade orchestra. Alumni, faculty, and parents are also invited to dance. Grandparents and special friends are invited to attend and are honored at the event.

D. Other Festivals and Events

Throughout the year, individual classes celebrate festivals that are age-appropriate or closely related to the curriculum such as Succoth/Sukkot, Diwali, the Jewish harvest festival; Martinmas; Candlemas; and Valentine’s Day.

E. Performances and Assemblies

In harmony with our robust music and instrumental program, students perform in several special events throughout the year. We also convene as a community during several all-school assemblies.

The Rose Ceremony, a welcoming event for new first graders, is traditionally held on the first day of school. First grade and 8th grade families are invited to attend.

The Winter Assembly is traditionally held off campus in a large concert hall. Parents, relatives, friends and community members are invited to attend.

The Spring Assembly is held in the amphitheater at school, and it includes a performance by our strings ensembles.

Spring Instrumental Concert is an opportunity for students in the grades 4-8 strings/orchestra program to perform at an off-campus venue for parents and community members

May Faire is an opportunity for the 7th-8th grade orchestra to perform (see above).

The Rose Ceremony and Last Day of School Assembly is a performance opportunity for grades 1-8 and a goodbye to our 8th grade class, is traditionally held on the last day of school. Our entire community is invited to join us in bidding them farewell.

Middle School Assemblies only special topics are held periodically for students in grades 6-8, including an annual assembly Martin Luther King Day and Earth Day.

8th Grade Graduation is an opportunity for the graduating class to perform for faculty, staff, friends, and family; the 7th grade orchestra accompanies the event.

XII. The History and Philosophy of Marin Waldorf School

A. Accreditation and Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

Marin Waldorf School is accredited through the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and is a member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). Being an accredited school means that we are committed to a culture of self-study, peer review, collaboration, and an ongoing deepening of our work on behalf of the students we serve. We are the only accredited Waldorf school in Marin County.

The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is a nonprofit membership organization of independent Waldorf schools and institutes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. AWSNA’s goal is to strengthen and nurture Waldorf education and to advance Waldorf principles worldwide. AWSNA also sponsors and conducts a number of programs, including conferences and workshops for teachers, parents, and school trustees. It provides schools with the consultation and mentoring services of experienced teachers and publishes a broad spectrum of materials addressing curriculum and school organization including the bi-annual journal, Renewal. Two faculty delegates represent our school at semi-annual business meetings.

To become a member of AWSNA, schools must complete an extensive evaluation process, which includes observation, interviews, and document review, as well as a self-study. Schools are evaluated for their demonstrated commitment to AWSNA’s eight Principles for Waldorf Schools. These principles reflect the core values of Waldorf education and inform the policies and practices of Waldorf schools in North America.

Below, we share AWSNA’s seven principles and how Marin Waldorf School embodies them.

1. The image of the human being as a spiritual being informs every aspect of the school. Marin Waldorf School is committed to nourishing the body, soul, and spirit of every child in our school community. From preschool to 8th grade, we promote an experiential, imaginative, and supportive learning environment, which provides ample opportunity for creative expression and social interaction. Our faculty observes and has reverence for each other, for our families, and for the growth of every child as their individuality unfolds through each stage of childhood.

2. Waldorf schools foster social renewal by cultivating human capacities in service to the individual and society.

Our work as educators is to inspire students to grow into capable, compassionate, and curious adults. We do this in many ways. We place extraordinary value on practical, hands-on work across subjects and grade levels. We promote social-emotional skills and true human connection in and outside the classroom. We teach children to cherish the Earth and their role as its

stewards. These values are emphasized at every grade level, and they are augmented by strong programs in social ethics, environmental education, service work, independent projects, and community partnerships in middle school.

3. Anthroposophical understanding of child development guides the educational program. It is a priority for our school to hire and maintain a skilled faculty of formally trained Waldorf teachers who understand and value Rudolf Steiner’s vision of child development. Throughout the school year, our teachers frequently participate in professional development activities, giving them the opportunity to reflect, connect with each other, and deepen their commitment to Waldorf education and the work of anthroposophy.

4. Waldorf schools support freedom in teaching within the context of the school’s shared agreements.

Every class at Marin Waldorf School is unique, led by a teacher who brings their individual ideas, imagination, and experience to the students. At the same time, our faculty is united by shared objectives and agreements, which help ensure the strength and integrity of our programs. Curriculum standards and assessment rubrics, a detailed scope and sequence for the curriculum, faculty mentorship program, articulated policies for parents, students, and employees are among the many shared agreements that provide a framework for our academic programs.

5. The conscious development of human relationships fosters individual and community health.

Every morning at Marin Waldorf School, the class teacher individually greets their students with a smile and a handshake. Why? Because we know that deep, healthy, enduring relationships are essential to a child’s education and to the well being of our school community.

One of the hallmarks of Waldorf education is looping, in which a teacher stays with the same class for multiple years, fomenting the bond between teacher and student. In the Waldorf classroom, a healthy social life between peers is promoted through activities like singing together in choir, rehearsing for the annual class play, moving together in eurythmy, and discussing current issues with a compassionate mentor in social ethics classes.

Social life extends to our parents and families. Community-building events like the Harvest Fair, Winter Spiral, assemblies, Grandparents Day, and May Faire, in addition to frequent parent evenings and all-school community coffees (our monthly morning social hour) are essential parts of life at school.

6. Spiritual development in support of professional growth is an ongoing activity for the faculty, staff, and board.

As educators, we believe that our own spiritual development is what allows us to be grounded, clear thinking, inspired, and work out of love as we stand before the children. Our faculty and staff have a rich and diverse set of practices by which they strive to incorporate spiritual activity into their personal development, self-awareness, and work with students, peers and parents. We encourage and invest time and resources into the spiritual growth of our faculty, staff, and leadership, including a robust program of ongoing personal and professional development activities for our teachers. Our school has a particularly close relationship with the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, whose February conference and summer refresher courses are held on our campus and attended by the majority of our teaching staff.

7. Collaboration and shared responsibility provide the foundations of school leadership and governance.

Our school is overseen by three interrelated bodies: the Board of Trustees, the School Director and Administration, and the faculty represented by the College of Teachers. The School Director, the Board of Trustees, and the College of Teachers actively and intentionally seek to work through direct communication, collaboration and inclusivity.

8. Waldorf schools honor and embrace human diversity and dignity. As a Waldorf school, we celebrate the diversity of humankind, and we are committed to the principles of human dignity, social justice, and equity in our school and throughout the world. Our school’s active Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) Committee oversees an annual program of educational events for the community; the committee has also worked steadily on reviewing and auditing teaching practices, curriculum, and seasonal festivals. Equity and inclusion has been a focus of our staff recruitment efforts, and we are working to become more inclusive to a wider range of families through a robust tuition assistance program and targeted scholarship programs.

B. History

In the fall of 1972, three young mothers, Sharon Rosen, Lesley Rosenberg, and Norma Davidson, opened the Marin Children's School in the Davidson family home in Fairfax, California. Co-founder Lesley Rosenberg was a parent, the original kindergarten teacher, and the bearer of the vision and will to create a Waldorf school.

Seven months after opening, Marin Children’s School moved from Lesley Rosenberg's home to the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Mill Valley. The school remained at the church for five years, adding a grade each year and growing to an enrollment of around 70 children, with classes through sixth grade.

In 1975, the school’s name was changed to Marin Waldorf School. It continued to strive to live by its ideals, receiving much encouragement from the College of Teachers of the Sacramento Waldorf School. No fees were charged and no salaries paid; the school operated on gift money from parents and friends, and it paid its teachers according to their need. At that time, a total revenue of $35,000 paid all the bills and supported five teachers and their families.

In 1978, the school moved to a new home at Blessed Sacrament Church in San Rafael with a kindergarten and three grades. At this location, the school’s enrollment grew to 150 children in kindergarten through seventh grade.

In need of more space, the school moved to our present site in the summer of 1983. The 10-acre campus, filled with oak trees and meadow, was formerly home to Lucas Valley School, a public elementary school. The following year, in 1984, Marin Waldorf School celebrated the graduation of its first eighth grade class. In 1985, a full-time administrator was hired, and in 1986 a second kindergarten was added.

By 1997, enrollment had reached 200. The school leased more space on our Lucas Valley campus and remodeled the new rooms to create two kindergartens with full kitchens, as well as a library, a therapeutic eurythmy and resource room, and additional office space.

In the fall of 1999, German as a second foreign language was added in complement to the existing Spanish program. In 2004, our first preschool class opened. In January 2008, a new library and woodworking building were constructed. In 2011, the school began the Middle School Outdoor Education Program, and in 2012, Mandarin replaced German as the second foreign language.

In 2023, Marin Waldorf School celebrated its 50th anniversary at Deer Park Villa in Fairfax, California. In attendance were co-founder Lesley Rosenberg’s two sons, Graham Rosenberg and Jason Rosenberg, and co-founder Norma Davidson’s daughter Tonee Norman, as well as Norma’s grandchildren. Former teachers Karen Rivers and Kristine Deason were keynote speakers, and Manette Teitelbaum was specially honored for more than 40 years of service to Marin Waldorf School. In conjunction with this event, our library was officially renamed the Manette Teitelbaum Library.

As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, the school announced the inauguration of a new scholarship program, the Native Reconciliation Tuition Program, which makes our school tuition-free to Native American students. This program joined another scholarship program, Lesley Rosenberg Inclusion Scholarship, which was established by director Megan Neale in

2022 and provides tuition scholarships to families with demonstrated financial need from underrepresented communities.

C. The Vision and Philosophy Behind Waldorf Education

The first Waldorf school was founded in 1919 by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian-born scientist, educator, artist, and philosopher, in Stuttgart, Germany. Emil Molt, a local factory owner, asked Steiner to start a school for the employees of his company, who, in return, asked the school to shift its focus from the employees to their children. Starting from this single school, Waldorf education has grown into a worldwide movement, with over 1,000 schools around the globe. In 2019, Waldorf education celebrated it’s 100-year anniversary.

The Waldorf curriculum is based on Steiner’s belief that education should call forth all of a child’s innate capacities: physical, social, emotional, and artistic, as well as intellectual. Lessons and activities are developmentally tailored to meet the child’s changing sense of self and his/her relationship to the world. Each successive year’s curriculum appropriately addresses emergent aspects of the child’s development.

Main lesson subjects are taught in blocks of three to four weeks, enabling the students to focus intensively on one subject at a time. Other specialty subjects, such as art, crafts, eurythmy, foreign languages, gardening, music, and physical education are taught year-round. Academics, arts, and practical skills are all vital parts of the Waldorf curriculum. The children benefit from studying a variety of subjects, helping them to develop multiple capabilities and a wide breadth of knowledge.

In a Waldorf school, the class teacher stays with the same class for multiple years, in some cases from 1st to 8th grade, which strengthens relationships and allows the teacher insight into each student’s unique talents. We uphold this practice whenever it is in the best interests of the class.

Students create their own main lesson books from the material that the teacher presents in class. As the students move up in the grades, reference books, classic literature, and group discussion increasingly supplement the class teacher’s oral presentations.

While the essence of the original curriculum formulated in 1919 is highly relevant today, all teachers continually strive to make their lessons timely to meet the needs of their students in an ever-changing world.

The word "Anthroposophy" comes from the Greek roots "anthropos" (human being), and "sophia" (wisdom). Waldorf education is one of many initiatives sponsored by the Anthroposophical Society, which was founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1923. Other areas of

anthroposophical endeavor include biodynamic agriculture, architecture, medicine, curative education and communities for handicapped children and adults.

For more information about these and other initiatives or membership, we recommend reviewing the website for the Anthroposophical Society in America in Ann Arbor, Michigan at www.anthroposophy.org.

D. Organizational Structure

Marin Waldorf School is organized as an independent California nonprofit corporation and recognized as tax exempt by the Federal Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c) (3).

Our school is run by three interrelated bodies: the Board of Trustees, the School Director and the College of Teachers. All have the welfare of the children as their top priority.

1. The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees (the Board) is the legal governing body of the school. It focuses on developing policies and providing oversight to assure the school’s effective performance in the following areas:

● Legal, incorporation, maintenance of tax-exempt status, and operation in accord with laws;

● Financial stewardship, including tuition and budget policies and approval, fundraising (both capital and operating), investments, site infrastructure and property lease;

The Board has up to 14 members including parents, teachers, and former parents or outside community members who have demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to the aims of Waldorf education. The board includes three voting faculty members: the college chair and two additional faculty representatives who are appointed by the faculty from among its membership. The school director serves as ex-officio, non-voting member. The board’s officers (a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer) are elected annually. Board decisions are made by consensus. Board members contribute a considerable amount of time, resources, energy, and expertise toward the development of the school.

The standing committees include:

● Executive, responsible for acting on behalf of the Board in between Board meetings and when the Board is not able to convene to address urgent concerns (such as matters affecting the legal or fiscal well-being of the school).

● Management Evaluation, monitors and evaluates the work of the school director.

● Strategic Planning, develops and oversees 3-, 5- and 10-year organizational plans.

● Finance, oversees the operating budget, financial plans and policies, and oversees the tuition assistance program.

● Development, oversees the school’s fund-raising activities.

Community members need not be on the Board to serve on a committee and are encouraged to contact the committee chairs or the Board Chair to indicate their availability. Board terms are typically three years.

2. The College of Teachers

The College of Teachers is a group of faculty who are committed to holding the vision of Marin Waldorf School, and to anthroposophy as a guiding principle. The College of Teachers is responsible for strengthening the spiritual, pedagogical and cultural life of the school, and for supporting the faculty’s decision-making process through thoughtful discussion of issues important to Marin Waldorf’s health and growth.

The College of Teachers meets weekly. The content of the meetings includes anthroposophical study, self-development study or pedagogical study, as well as discussion of current school issues.

A College of Teachers Chair is selected by the College of Teachers’ members annually, and represents or designates a member of the College of Teachers to represent the group in meetings and on the Board.

The College of Teachers advises the school director on pedagogical programs and decisions.

The Faculty works with the College of Teachers to fulfill specific responsibilities through the following mandated committees:

Upper Grades, addresses issues in the 5th-8th grades, and oversees curriculum development, standards, program needs and goals of these grades.

Lower Grades, addresses issues in the 1st-4th grades, and oversees curriculum development, standards, program needs and goals of these grades.

Early Childhood, oversees kindergarten, preschool, the preschool and kindergarten aftercare programs, Parent-Toddler group, early childhood education and related outreach.

Subject Teachers, discusses issues and children in various classes or grades.

Festival, oversees the planning and preparation for the school's festivals and assemblies, and facilitates multicultural activities.

Teacher Review and Evaluation, staffs and coordinates teacher evaluations.

Student Support Committee, oversees support for children in need, including child studies, assessment plans, outside services, and remedial and curative activities in the school.

3. School Director

The School Director is responsible for overseeing and managing all pedagogical, curriculum and teaching operations. The School Director oversees the evaluation and mentoring of all teachers, all teacher reports and correspondence, serves as a delegate to AWSNA, oversees the Master Teaching Schedule, the teacher search and hiring/dismissal processes, oversees substitution and new teacher orientation, attends Parent Association meetings, and attends the meetings of the Board and the College. The School Director is accountable to the Board of Trustees for human resource issues regarding faculty and collaborates with the College of Teachers regarding pedagogical issues.

The School Director is the chief business officer for the school, responsible for directing and managing all legal, administrative, financial and facilities operations and school-wide communications. The School Director manages the office and business staff of the school: the Grades Director, Early Childhood Director, Admissions Director, Office Manager, Registrar and Finance Director.

MWS Parent Handbook

I. Mission Statement, Core Values, and Statement on DEIJB

Mission Statement of Marin Waldorf School

Our Core Values

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Marin Waldorf School

II. Daily Schedule and Attendance

C. Grades Early Release Days

D. Attendance

Grade School Absence Procedure

Grades Late Arrival Policy

Designated Contacts for Pickups

Late Pickups

Early Childhood Absence

Early Childhood Late Arrival Policy

III. The Front Office

A. Contacting the School

B. Front Office Hours

C. Contacting Your Child During School Hours

D. Dropping Off Items During School Hours

E. Visiting Campus During School Hours

F. Solicitation

G. School Communications

IV. School Policies and Procedures

A. General Campus Rules

B. Behavioral Expectations at School

C. Grades Playground Rules

D. Unacceptable Student Behavior

General Guidelines

Prohibited Items

Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol

Sexual Harassment

E. Discipline Policy

F. Kindergarten Guidance Policy

G. Dress Code

Shoes and Clothing (All ages)

Jewelry and Cosmetics (all ages)

Additional Guidelines for Middle School (Grades 6-8 Only)

When Clothing Is Out of Compliance

Clothing for Gym/Movement Class and Outdoor Education

Raingear

Concert Dress for Grades 4-8 at Instrumental Concerts

H. Parking Lot Rules

I. Cell Phone Policy

V. School and Family in Partnership

A. Parental Support of Behavioral Expectations

B. Media Mindfulness

C. Parent Involvement Opportunities

The Parent Association

Class Parents

Assemblies

Festivals

D. Student Progress Communication

Midyear and Year-End Reports

VI. Communication Policy and Procedures

A. Email Communication Policy

B. School Communications to Parents

C. Class Communication

D. Emergency Communication

E. Addressing Parent/Teacher Concerns

F. Addressing Parent/School Concerns

VII. Health and Safety at School

A. Emergency Plans and Preparedness

B. Health

1. When to Stay Home

2. Communicable Diseases and Family Notification

C. Air Quality Closures

Closures

VIII. Student Life and the Curriculum

Scope and Sequence

Life in the Preschool

Life in the Kindergarten

Morning

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Morning Verse – Grades 5 and up

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Seventh Grade