Marin Waldorf School for Prospective Families 2020-2021 by marinwaldorfschool

2020-2021 Founded in 1972, we are Marin County's only AWSNA-accredited Waldorf school. For almost 50 years, we have instilled our students with curiosity, creativity, social responsibility, and a lifelong love of learning.

Our School at a Glance Our Faculty are trained Waldorf teachers from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Class size is capped at 24 in kindergarten through 8th Grade. with 50 faculty members on staff. We Build Community outside the classroom through: Frequent parent evenings and parent education events Festivals and special events yearround, from assemblies to our beloved annual Children's Faire High School & Beyond Top high schools choose Marin Waldorf School graduates for their strong academic preparation, socialemotional skills, confidence in the classroom, and active engagement in the local community.

The Waldorf Curriculum is interdisciplinary, project-based, and rich in languages, healthy movement, expressive arts and music, mathematics and the sciences. Throughout the school year, students study:

English Mathematics Science Social Studies Visual Arts Handwork

Foreign Languages Physical Education Music/Orchestra Theater Arts Outdoor Education Woodworking

Off-Campus Educational Experiences and Field Trips are integral to the curriculum. Each year, students spend time engaged in team building activities and off-campus events, with overnight outdoor education trips beginning in 3rd Grade.

Our Campus Our Lucas Valley campus covers 10 tree-filled acres, and includes two preschool classrooms, two kindergarten classrooms, eight grade classrooms, a library, organic teaching gardens, a music room, a wood shop, large playing fields, and playgrounds.

Learning Through the Developmental Stages of the Child First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

The child has completed the formation of their physical body and is ready to begin work with their mind. Children learn best at this age by entering the world with love, sympathy and wonder.

The child is like a butterfly who has just emerged from the chrysalis sitting upon a leaf poised for flight. This is the time when they discover their relationship with the world around them. They are eager to participate in everything that comes to their attention.

This is the “Crossing Point” for a child. They start to question everything and feel separate from the world. They sometimes suffer from loneliness and fear. At this time it is important for the child to learn self sufficiency.

The child is “Encountering SELF” This is a time where they are finding stability and strength as an individual yet working harmoniously together.

Prescribed curriculum for this age?

Imaginative stories, exploring nature, music, foreign language, handwork and painting

Arithmetic, drama, poetry, painting, grammar, nature study, handwork, foreign language, flute.

Practical farming and gardening, building shelters, drama, music, foreign language, long division, measurement and grammar.

Human and animal studies (zoology), geography, long division, fractions, geometry, composition writing, violin, foreign language.

Fifth Grade

Sixth Grade

Seventh Grade

Eighth Grade

The Fifth grade child has crossed over into harmonious balance where they can begin to flourish. This is the time to establish foundations for their future.

The child takes a firm, intentional step into the outer world and becomes aware of the changes in their body. With increasing awareness of the physical self, the time is right for study of the physical body of the earth.

As the seventh grade child enters puberty they are on their way to selfhood. A spirit of inquiry and creativity needs to be fostered to allow for a sweet entry into adulthood.

The child experiences a birth into intellectual consciousness. They become more aware of themselves and their own organic processes, drives, and rhythms of their body.

Prescribed curriculum for this age?

Ancient Civilizations, botany, research compositions, foreign language, string ensemble, painting, sculpture, geometry, ratios & proportions, class play.

Roman history, geology, minerals, climate, physics, astronomy, literature, biography speech, drama, history, recitation, pre-algebra, business math, cultural studies, choir, woodworking.

Renaissance and Reformation, Age of Exploration, creative writing, speech, drama, Euclidean geometry, business math, chamber orchestra, perspective drawing.

Age of Revolutions, Civil Rights, Shakespeare, creative writing, speech, drama, Euclidean geometry, human physiology & anatomy, organic chemistry, physics, aerodynamics, meteorology, chamber orchestra, carpentry, perspective drawing.

School Profile Founded in 1972 MWS Waldorf School: Co-educational, private Waldorf, preschool through 8th grade day school, with 220 students. Our Waldorf curriculum provides a well rounded academic education that is enlivened by the arts, music, movement, foreign languages, and community festivals. Our program fosters critical thinking and problem solving, (left and right brain thinking) healthy social interaction, and a love for learning that prepares students for high school, college and university admission. Academic Standards: The highest standards in all areas are expected from both students and teachers. The focus of our integrated, developmentally-based curriculum is to foster the student’s critical thinking skills, emotional and social intelligence and physical activity. The school expects students to establish a routine for doing homework and to be responsible for completing it. Extensive written reports and regular conferences keep parents informed, allowing parents and teachers to work closely together to monitor each child’s progress. Letter grades are introduced in the middle school grades, but teachers continue to instill the motivation to excel come from within the student. Our multi-disciplinary curriculum: Every child at Marin Waldorf School is taught a complete liberal arts curriculum that includes all the academic subjects of math, science, language arts, geography, history as well as foreign languages, environmental sciences, music, visual arts, physical education and sports, drama, woodwork, handwork, and outdoor exploration. Faculty & Class Sizes: Our faculty and staff numbers 48. Preschool class size is limited to18 students; each kindergarten class and each grade are limited to 24 students. Campus & Facilities: Founded in 1977, Marin Waldorf’s campus includes 10 acres, two pre-school classrooms, two kindergarten classrooms, eight grade classrooms, library, organic teaching gardens, music room, and woodwork shop, and large playing fields. Tuition Assistance: A limited amount of tuition assistance is available. Transportation: Parents make use of our carpool network. Students attend from north of Petaluma, San Francisco, south of Mill Valley and West Marin. Accreditation: Marin Waldorf School is the only school in Marin County that is fully accredited by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). Selected Local High Schools attended by our graduates: Marin Academy, Branson, San Domenico, Marin School, St. Vincent’s, Marin Catholic, Urban, Sonoma Academy, SF Waldorf, Summerfield Waldorf School, International School, Bay School. Sample Colleges attended by our graduates: Brown, Carleton, Cal Poly, Cornell, Colorado College, Chicago Art Institute, Dominican, Lewis and Clark, Mills, MIT, Naval Academy, North Western, Oxford, Rhode Island School of Design, SF State, Stanford, Oberlin, Sarah Lawrence, Skidmore, Smith, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, U of Washington, Vassar, Wesleyan, Willamette, Williams, Yale.

Back to Basics: Raising Children In The Digital Age By Richard Freed “This is impossible,” Emily, the mother of three boys, exclaimed. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to give my kids more technology or less.” Emily felt paralyzed because she was caught between digital-age parenting advice and what her heart told her was right. Online articles claimed that children need freedom with gadgets, but she knew a number of teens who spent their lives on their phones, spurned their families, and suffered from emotional problems. Emily was also dubious of promises that devices are the key to kids’ success, as she knew more than a few game-obsessed 20somethings who still lived with their parents and showed no signs of being productive. The Surprising Science of Raising Happy, Healthy Kids In meeting with parents like Emily, I acknowledge the confusion about what is good parenting in the digital age. For guidance, I suggest looking to the science of raising healthy children. What it’s revealing is extraordinary: that even amid the trappings of our tech-obsessed culture, children’s connections to family and school are still the most important factors in their lives. In other words, it’s time we get back to the basics. There are other elements of raising healthy children, including engaging kids in creative and outdoor play, and showing them what it means to be a good friend. We also need to teach kids self-control and how to use technology productively. Yet, children are better able to acquire these abilities if they have strong connections with family and school. Children learn the value of nature when parents expose them to the outdoors. And kids acquire self-control, or grit, by persevering through challenging school assignments. The Two Pillars of Childhood Family is the most important element of children’s lives — even in this world of bits and bytes — because we are human first. We can’t ignore the science of attachment that shows our kids need lots of quality time with us. Such experiences shape children’s brains, and they foster our kids’ happiness and self-esteem, while diminishing the chances that they will develop behavior or drug problems. Second in importance only to family is children’s involvement with school. Nevertheless, some question the value of traditional schooling, claiming that in the digital age kids learn best through exposure to the latest gadgets. But, according to the Pew Research Center, the value of a college education is actually increasing in recent decades, providing youth higher earning potential and significantly lowering their risks of unemployment or poverty. And how do colleges gauge admission? Not through high scores on video games or the number of social media friends, but instead by measuring kids’ understanding of the learning fundamentals taught in school, including the ability to read, write, and do math well. Bait and Switch “He has little interest in joining us on family outings... and it’s like pulling teeth to get him to do homework,” Andrea, the mother of 12-year-old Kevin, told me. Turning to Kevin, who was sitting next

to his mother, I asked him what he liked to do instead. “Play my game,” he responded matter-offactly. From my work with families, I knew there was a good chance that Kevin would tell me video games mattered most. For girls, they often disclose that it’s their phones which distract them from family and school. Too many parents are now the victims of a bait and switch. They are sold on getting tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets for their children with the promise that these will allow kids to contact family and get ahead in school. But soon after kids get the devices, they use them mainly for selfamusement. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids spend only 16 minutes a day using the computer at home for school; in contrast, younger children spend 5 ½ hours and teens 8 hours each day with entertainment screen and phone technologies. That extraordinary amount of time spent playing with devices is often at the expense of kids engaging with family, reading, and completing schoolwork. Connecting Kids with Family and School How can you build your child’s life around family and school in this age of distraction? Apply authoritative parenting, the most effective parenting style, to your kids’ tech use. Authoritative parents are loving and highly engaged in children’s lives, and they provide high expectations and limits to support those expectations. To be loving and engaged with our children, it’s best if parents and kids have lots of time away from devices to be fully present with one another. And to provide kids high expectations and limits, parents should not try to be their children’s friend, but rather understand that they have the responsibility to set tech limits (even when kids push back) to foster distraction-free family moments, reading, and study time. Your home environment also shapes your children’s connection with family and school. Consider employing the rule used by many leading tech execs that children and teens not use screens and phones in their bedrooms. This encourages kids to spend time in shared family spaces and also increases the odds that they will use computers and other devices productively. The Essence of Parenting Besieged by changes wrought by the digital age, parents are searching for how to best raise their kids. What’s clear is that the essence of a healthy childhood isn’t found with phones and other devices. Instead, it’s children whose lives center around family and school who have the best chance of being happy and successful—two qualities that never go out of style. Richard Freed Psychologist, author, and speaker on parenting in the age of digital technology

P A R E N T

P E R S P E C T I V E

Tracie Pezzullo, whose daughter, Olivia, attended Marin Waldorf School before starting high school at Sonoma Academy, shares her experience and

REFLECTIONS

observations as a parent.

Olivia has attended Marin Waldorf School since 1st grade. This has been an

FROM

educational experience which has allowed Olivia to thrive. When we visited Marin Waldorf School the first time we knew that the school was the perfect fit for her. Waldorf education focuses on the whole child, awakens the natural

AN ALUMNI

curiosity of a child and enables creativity in all aspects of education. The philosophy behind the education has allowed Olivia to develop her natural

PARENT

affinity to the arts, feel and play music, be challenged and excel academically and build strong relationships with her peers, her teachers, her community and nature.

The experiential based learning has taken her outside the classroom where she has lived as a gold miner without the modern conveniences of our time, plowed soil with the power of a workhorse in her hands on a biodynamic farm, worked with her classmates to the rhythm of working a tall-ship, and trusted her teacher to deliver her to the beach on a pitch black night hike similar to what the indigenous Miwok people would have done. She has been inconvenienced, experienced physical challenges and overcome things she might have felt she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Olivia has gone outside her comfort zone and done speeches in front of her school community and felt their hope and support for her, she has become someone else in plays, and has been steadfast in offering her ideas and opinions in class.

Olivia works hard, she is very studious and gives 110% in her work. We have never had to encourage Olivia or supervise her home studies. She sets high standards for herself and does the work. She has been fulfilled by her school experience. She cares deeply for her school, is respectful to her teachers and the community and does it all with a smile on her face.

“It was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.” ~ 8th Gr Student

The 8th Grade Expedition: A journey, inside and out We paddled downriver for five days, singing, swimming, playing, and walking with our ancestors. Every night we built our camp and made meals together in a new place. It was as though we ourselves were the ancient ones, finding our way along the shores of the river, winding itself endlessly through canyon walls. When the river portion of our trip was complete, we headed to our host familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. Our host, Gwen, welcomed us and treated us like family, calling the students her grandchildren and Mr. Neale and I her children. We harvested the corn from the field, put the ears in an earthen fire, buried it in mud, and once it was steamed we opened the corn and hung it up to dry. As we worked we enjoyed tasting the sweet steamed corn right off the cob, but the rest would be dried and then ground to be used in ceremonies throughout the coming year. Gwen shared with us the story of her people and her family, and opened her home and heart to us. In exchange, we helped work on her house, split logs to make firewood, and hung solar panels, for there is no running water or electricity there. Gwen taught us to greet our ancestors each morning at sunrise and feel their loving energy. We all love knowing that through our work, we have left a part of ourselves there - forever we are connected to that homestead, a place Gwen openly invites us all to return to at any time in our lives. This adventure took us on a journey where we explored not only the great outdoors, but also our own inner landscape, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It was a life-changing experience for us all. ~ Rising Percey, 8th Gr Teacher

FACES OF

Marin

PROMOTION

2017

THE FACES OF

Tech Execs Choose Screen-Free Parenting Vikrum Nijjar, Engineer at Google; Jordis Weaver, PM Global Enterprise Operations at Autodesk; Guido Quaroni, VP Software R&D at Pixar Animations Studios; Eric Brewer, VP of Infrastructure at Google At Ma r in Wa ldor f School, pa rents ca n prov ide their children with a stress-free, screen-free, natural childhood, like they had when they were young. School days are filled with wonder, exploration, movement, music and freedom of expression - essential elements to a child’s development. Tech parents believe their children should be engaged in the world around them, not restricted by devices or media messaging. They believe “the classroom of the future is the classroom of the past.” Guido Quaroni, VP Software R&D at Pixar, Board Member and father of three says, “The most interesting people are those who master humanistic views, social skills,

collaboration, art and form. We need more problem solvers, critical thinkers and visionaries. The arts and sciences are timeless but today’s computer technology will eventually become obsolete...computers are tools, not a methodology.” Through Marin Waldorf’s creative approach to academics a nd it ’s dedication to the preser vation of childhood, parents feel it uniquely inspires their children’s sense of self and their capacity to shape the future. 755 Idylberry Road, San Rafael, CA 415.479.8190 • marinwaldorf.org

Application Process How to Apply to Preschool & Kindergarten

How to Apply to Grades 1-8

1. Online Application - Complete our online application at http://mytads.com/a/marinwaldorf

a. Kindergarten Applicants: Submit Teacher Recommendation form to student’s current teacher

2. Submit Teacher Recommendation form to student’s current teacher and transcript release to student’s current school

b. Kindergarten Applicants: Tuition Assistance - Families interested in applying for tuition assistance can apply at http://www.marinwaldorf.org/tuition -assistance

3. Tuition Assistance - Families interested in applying for Tuition Assistance can apply at http://www.marinwaldorf.org/tuitionassistance

2. Interview - Once application materials are received, families will be contacted to schedule an in person interview for both the parents & child with the teachers

4. Interview - Once application materials are received, families will be contacted to schedule an in person interview for both the parents & child with the teacher 5. Arrange a 3-day shadow visit for your child with the teacher & class

1st – 8th Grade Tuition & Fees 2020-2021 Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:10am-3:15pm; Thursdays: 8:10am-2:15pm Note: For an additional fee, aftercare is available until 5:20pm Monday through Friday Tuition: $ Please note:

Tuition Assistance is available for families who qualify and the maximum award is 50%. Marin Waldorf offers Sibling discounts of 20% for the second child and 35% for the third child.

Payment Options: One Annual Payment: Full tuition and fees due by June 1, 2020. Semi-Annual Payment: Payments due by June 1, 2020 and December 1, 2020. A 2.5% interest fee will be added to tuition paid semi-annually. Monthly Payments: Twelve payments are due each month from June 2020 – May 2021. Payments are withdrawn from your bank account through FACTS Tuition Management (a one-time $45 set-up fee is charged by FACTS). A 5% interest fee will be added to tuition paid monthly. Fees: Application Fee (One Time Only) A non-refundable fee of $75 must accompany each prospective student’s application. Enrollment Fee (Annually) A non-refundable enrollment fee of $500 is required to enroll each child. This fee must accompany a signed contract to secure enrollment. When a student enrolls prior to the contract deadline the enrollment fee will be credited toward total tuition for the 2020-2021 school year. Other fees:

•

A non-refundable fee will be added to the contracts of students in 3rd – 8th for the various field trips offered.

Marin Waldorf Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tuition is among the most affordable of independent schools in Marin County, and our programming is full, multidisciplinary, and nurturing.

How do we do it, and why? Our faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees are deeply committed to keeping tuition as affordable as possible, in addition to providing needs-based financial aid to families who qualify. One in three current families receives financial assistance, with awards covering up to 50% of the cost of attending Marin Waldorf School. By design, our tuition does not cover the cost of running our programs. We ask families to make a financial contribution to the Annual Giving Fund, which helps us close the gap between our income and our operating budget. We do this because we are committed to building a student body, faculty, and staff who reflect the cultural and socio-economic diversity of the Bay Area.

PRIVATE AND GROUP TOURS

"Our oldest son has once again become the kind, caring child we used to have. He is learning to feel more confident and capable. Our younger son is being taught the skills he was missing in public school - improving memory, imagination, describing his feelings and ideas more clearly." â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MOTHER OF 1ST & 3RD GRADERS, WHO JOINED MWS IN 2019-2020

Learn more about what sets Marin Waldorf School apart. Email Chantal Valentine at admissions@marinwaldorf.org to schedule your tour or to learn more about Marin Waldorf School.