A LU M NI MAGA ZINE
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S u m m er 2 0 1 8
Dear Alumni, Friends and Community Members: ALUMNI MAGAZINE Volume 2, No. 2 - Summer 2018 Cynthia Shore Editor Janine Pearson Graphic Designer Jeffrey Baker School Administrator Pat Lord Development and Marketing Director BOARD OF TRUSTEES Melissa Coleman, President Andy Smith, Vice President Cheryl Slover-Linett, Secretary April Vogel, Treasurer Thomas Baudhuin John Braman Janine Pearson Jeffrey Baker, School Administrator Thomas Keppel, Business Manager Pat Lord, Development and Marketing Director Jennifer Warren, Admissions Director and Social Media Manager The Santa Fe Waldorf School is an independent, nonprofit organization with accreditation through the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA). Additionally, our school is a full member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN) and the New Mexico Athletics Association (NMAA). We welcome and serve students from a variety of social, economic, ethnic, cultural, and international backgrounds.
The days are stretching now in light, length, and warmth. A hush has fallen over the school campus following a joyous week of ceremony wherein we ushered another group of seniors over the demarcation line that identifies them now as alumni. Welcome Class of 2018! As the school year winds down, I am struck by how well the school’s Rose Ceremony invites our community to celebrate the relationships we’ve formed over the year. This ritual creates a reverent opportunity for recognition of all who are departing. And, as is the case every year, it is not just the seniors who are leaving our wonderful school community: a few faculty members and staff members are also stepping away to walk new paths. I count myself among them, having now served five years as school administrator at the Santa Fe Waldorf School. I will be departing in October to return with my family to the Pacific Northwest. It has been a great honor to work with such a fine community of talented people, and I take many life-long lessons with me from my experiences here. For many of our alumni, perhaps the best-known figure departing in just a matter of weeks is Cita Riley. Many alumni may know her from the years she was a parent here at the school, but she has also served as a parent council member, board member, college member, admissions director, and most recently, as the grades office coordinator. With well over two decades of connection to the school, “Ms. Cita” is a revered and much-loved part of our community whose daily presence on campus will be deeply missed. The high school’s most recent issue of the literary and visual arts magazine Taliesin carries a special inscription honoring Ms. Cita’s work, and any who wish to send good wishes or make a gift to the school in her honor can do so by contacting Pat Lord at plord@santafewaldorf.org. Throughout this magazine you’ll see reflections of different life journeys. Coming out of a season of not just ceremony, but wilderness trips and class trips as well, we’ve had students as far afield this past month as Florida and Catalina Island in California. High school students descended into deep canyon lands, rafted the Rio Chama, and worked with draft horses in valley fields framed by the Rocky Mountains. These are the literal, physical, journeys that spark an inner journey of self discovery. They help us identify our truths, passions and feelings of responsibility. We hope that fond memories of SFWS continue to inspire your next steps, and we encourage you to take a moment this summer to let us know where you are in time, space, and inspiration.
Warm Regards,
D
Jeffrey Baker School Administrator
SFWS TODAY: News Highlights $3.5 Million in Tuition Assistance! To mark the 35th anniversary of the Santa Fe Waldorf School, the Board of Trustees announced this spring that the school is upping its game to increase tuition assistance. As a “thank you” to the greater Santa Fe community, the school will earmark a total of $3.5 million in tuition assistance over the next five years, not only maintaining our current level of support to those families presently receiving tuition assistance and scholarships, but also engaging new families who may think that an independent school like SFWS is out of reach. By expanding the reach of tuition assistance, our sincere hope is that more families will join the school, enhancing and diversifying the overall school community while opening the door to Waldorf education for more children in the region. When the school community grows, we all benefit from new energy, enthusiasm, and talents!
Athletics The Booster Club continued to improve upon its vital role in supporting our athletic teams. This year, the club supplemented the athletic budget with just under $8,000, covering expenses that included sports scholarships, new uniforms, state competition fees, coach stipends, and coach education. The club also inaugurated a new way to build school spirit—our very own Santa Fe Waldorf Wolf mascot! Thanks to Waldorf parents Micayla Durán and Parker Jennings for creating the incredible mascot costume, which helped our mascot bring a new level of crowd support for our teams.
Track and Field: Coach Cole reports an awesome track and field season, with a strong finish at the last two regional middle school meets and the Varsity District 1A meet. The middle school boys got first in District and the girls got second overall.
Faculty and Staff: Hellos and Goodbyes This fall, the school will welcome Ken Friedman as the rising Grade 7 teacher. Friedman brings with him 16 years of experience as a Waldorf teacher as well as training in Spatial Dynamics, and past professional endeavors as an author and musician. He will be relocating with his family from Connecticut to Santa Fe this summer. Micayla Durán will join the school this fall as the new Grade 1 teacher. Durán is a school parent who has worked at SFWS as a substitute, aftercare teacher and movement instructor over a number of years now, and is very excited to step into the role of class teacher. In addition to recently finishing her Foundations course, Durán will attend specific Grade 1 curriculum training this summer and meet with class families for home visits.
Our new Waldorf Wolf mascot!
Girls Basketball: The first season of the Waldorf/Desert Academy co-op team, part of a three-year experiment for the two athletic programs, was a “great experience for everyone,” according to Coach Mike Velarde. The girls “were from rival schools and for them to come together was wonderful. They got close like sisters,” he says. Three Waldorf students joined seven from Desert, and the group blended the two schools’ team names—the Wolves and the Wildcats— into the Wild Wolves to win eight games. Says Velarde, “That was a big victory for this program.” Boys Basketball: The boy’s varsity team had a “borderline heroic” season, according to Coach Enrique Otero. Plagued with multiple injuries, roster changes and players moving out of state, the team brought in three brave 8th grade players and persevered to make it to the state tournament ranked 16th in New Mexico. Unfortunately, in the first round the Wolves played—and lost—to the defending champions, who took the state title again this year.
Additionally, the school is very pleased to welcome Taylor Rubottom to the role of aftercare lead, and Devon Corbet in the position of grades office coordinator. SFWS will be saying heartfelt goodbyes to Grade 6 teacher Peter Wollheim, who will continue his career in Arizona, retiring Grades Office Administrator Cita Riley (see profile on page 5), grades spanish teacher Patricia De Dios, aftercare and grades office staff member Maureen Wheat, Early Education Specialist Kyce Bello, and music teacher Casey Andersen (HS Class of 2010). Longtime faculty member Jennie Baudhuin, who just graduated an eighth grade class, will now support the school by assisting with various classes. We wish everyone the best in their new futures.
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SFWS TODAY: News Highlights Board of Trustees
Mother’s Day Celebrated with Riddles & Revelry
Board President Dana Barnard concluded his sixth and final year as a board member in June. Barnard served in nearly every officer role on the board during his tenure and has been instrumental in working with strategic planning efforts including the Renaissance Scholars Program and the Campus Master Plan. He will remain connected to SFWS through work with a new committee that will focus on potential alternative revenue streams. Thank you Dana for all of your hard work, dedication and enthusiasm these many years!
An intimate group gathered in Hooper Hall on May 12 to share a dinner provided by parent Bina Thompkins with music provided by alumni parent Matthew Andrae. A silent auction and raffle of items donated by parents and faculty helped raise $2,000 to benefit the students at SFWS.
The board unanimously voted in current SFWS parent, Melissa Coleman, as the new president for 2018/19. Coleman is the owner of La Puerta Originals, Inc. in Santa Fe and has long been associated with a variety of nonprofit institutions. Her professional career includes Director of Campaign and Development for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe; Director of Development for the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC and New York; and Campaign and Communications Manager for United Ways in New York, Chicago and Memphis. Her daughter Story has attended the Santa Fe Waldorf School since 2010 and is currently in the high school. Coleman has served for the past four years on the SFWS board and also worked for a year as the school’s interim development director in 2013-14. The board also welcomes current SFWS parent, Janine Pearson, beginning this summer. Pearson is a graphic designer and the owner of J9design, which provides print and web design services for local and national clients, including the design of our alumni magazine. She was co-chair of the school’s Parent Council for two years, has served on the philanthropic committee, is currently on the school’s marketing committee, and has volunteered in many different capacities over the past 10 years, including being a class parent and Holiday Faire captain every year.
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Summer Camp!
After a hiatus, the school is once again offering summer camps, thanks to camp director Leigh Patton, a former handwork teacher at the Anchorage Waldorf School who also directed the summer camp program there for six years. In Santa Fe, the four week-long camps are for children in rising second to fifth grades, open to all children whether or not they are enrolled at SFWS. Camp offerings cover fiber arts, world cultures, recycling and upcycling arts, and hands-on art history.
Video Celebrating 35th Anniversary In celebration of our 35th anniversary next year, we are working with Windswept Media to develop new videos for our web site, Facebook, and other supportive marketing opportunities. Over a two-day period, the team interviewed faculty, students, alumni, and parents to create three different videos, each two to three minutes in length. The first of our new videos will be unveiled at the school’s Summer Breeze golf tournament on August 6.
HELP US GET A NEW VAN— WE’RE HALF WAY THERE! We need $5,000 for a new van to begin replacing our aging school-bus fleet. Help us get the job done by “purchasing” a part of our new vehicle! Donation suggestions include: q $25 - Sparkplugs q $50 - Wipers q $75 - A tire q $100 - A window q $250 - A clutch q $500 - A muffler q $1000 - An engine We will work with Kia of Santa Fe, under the ownership of Michael Sambilene, to find an appropriate van to meet school needs. For more info about how you can help, contact Pat Lord at plord@santafewaldorf.org or visit santafewaldorf.org/donate-now.
SFWS TODAY: Graduation 2018 PRESENTING THE SANTA FE WALDORF CLASS OF 2018! The Class of 2018 finished their time at the Santa Fe Waldorf School in stellar form. This outstanding group of students was accepted by 30 colleges, coast to coast, from the University of Massachusetts to Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. And as a class, they were offered $1.2 million in merit scholarships!
Scholarships & Awards Waldorf scholars won awards from the following institutions: • Century Bank Super Scholar Award • Montezuma Lodge Scholarship Award • Del Norte Credit Union Scholarship Award • LANL Employee’s Scholarship Award • Organ Donation Society Scholarship Award
Colleges The 12 students from the Class of 2018 will attend the following colleges: • Cornell College, IA • Ithaca College, NY • Northern Arizona University • Trinity University, TX • University of Utah • University of New Mexico
The SFWS High School Class of 2018: Back row, left to right: Tucker Smith, Eytan Libedinsky, Owen Leriche, Cameron Vanderlaan, Pablo Spitzer, Usha Walsh Front row, left to right: Brianna Poole, Eliana Blum, Devta Khalsa, Amia Cressman, Mariposa Childson, Martine Perez
Photos by Susanna Green 3
ALUMNI PROFILE Marshall Johnson High School Class of 2007
B.A. Astronomy and Physics from Wesleyan University, 2011 M.A, University of Texas, Austin, 2011 Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin, 2016 CURRENT WORK: Columbus Prize Postdoctoral Fellow at Ohio State University, Department of Astronomy
STUDYING THE STARS TO EXPLORE NEW ASPECTS OF THE COSMOS How was your college experience after Waldorf, both personally and academically? I had a good time in college, making a lot of great friends who I’m still in touch with. I took up contra dancing, and was on the Wesleyan sailing team for my freshman year. I have a lot of good memories from that time, but also very nearly burned myself out by pushing myself with work, perhaps in retrospect, too hard. The AP Calculus class that I took at Waldorf enabled me to jump straight into advanced introductory physics and astronomy classes, giving me a significant boost academically. Looking back, I’m glad that I decided to attend a liberal arts college, Wesleyan University, where I could both get an excellent education in astronomy and physics, and also pursue other interests. In addition to Russian language classes, I took courses in everything from Greek history to the role of interpretation in fiction. I spent the second semester of my junior year studying abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, which was a breath of fresh air. The academics there weren’t quite so intense, and I relished the opportunity to experience living abroad and to explore new places.
How did you choose your profession and how did you decide to keep pursuing higher degrees?
“WALDORF ENABLED ME TO JUMP STRAIGHT INTO ADVANCED INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY, GIVING ME A SIGNIFICANT BOOST ACADEMICALLY.” 4
I’d been interested in space since I was just a few years old, and around the time I started at Waldorf in 2003 (for 9th grade), this crystallized into wanting to be an astronaut. I decided that being an astronomer seemed like the most fun way to get there, as I wanted to go down a more science-oriented than engineering-oriented path. As I got older and got to know myself better, I realized I’m not really cut out to be an astronaut, but by that time I had already decided that I wanted to do research in astronomy for my career. Having a Ph.D. in astronomy is a requirement for most research jobs, hence the many years of education.
What is your current work today? I’m very lucky to work with several great international collaborations on various planet search projects, including projects related to NASA’s Kepler and TESS missions, and ground-based transiting planet searches including the KELT collaboration and the McDonald Observatory Planet Search.
My research focuses on discovering and learning more about exoplanets—planets orbiting other stars. I work mostly on planets around stars which are more massive, larger, and hotter than our own sun. These stars tend to rotate rapidly. Our sun rotates once every 25 days, but these stars can rotate once every day or two. This necessitates the use of special techniques, which I’m one of the world’s experts on. I am also interested in measuring the orientation of the planetary orbits with respect to the stellar rotation. The planets in our solar system orbit in the same direction as the sun rotates, more or less over the Sun’s equator, but this is not always true for exoplanetary systems. Some planets orbit over their stars’ poles, or even in the opposite direction as the star rotates. We don’t know exactly why this is, but I’m working in part on discovering why, which will tell us something about how planets form and migrate to where we see them today.
Looking back, how does a Santa Fe Waldorf education benefit your life today? I think that the single biggest benefit is that Waldorf really taught me how to write well. My mentors and the referees on my papers have consistently noted this, and I all too often find myself in the position of correcting grammar and spelling problems on papers that I’m a co-author on.
STAFF PROFILE Cita Riley SFWS Parent Board of Trustees College of Teachers Admissions Coordinator Elementary School Office Coordinator Olivia “Cita” Riley is retiring this year after a 30-year relationship with Santa Fe Waldorf. Her well-known and much-loved presence has served the school in almost every capacity besides teaching. Raised in Fort Worth, Riley will commute between there and Santa Fe. She moved to the City Different in 1986 as a trained physical therapist when her then-husband David got a job here. Told about the school by her sister-in-law in Albuquerque, Riley enrolled son Winston, now 32, to the Waldorf-themed Wee Spirit school. Daughter Hunter, now 28, started several years later, and then both children moved on to the SFWS kindergarten. “There was so much beauty and warmth. I learned about the school’s reverence for the outdoors and I wanted to instill that in our children,” says Riley.
On the more personal side, the exposure to a wide variety of artistic techniques and methods through the various high school art blocks has definitely increased my appreciation for art, and how much work and training goes into that.
She was soon asked to help start a parent association, and in 1994, became the co-chair of the Holiday Faire, creating the Renaissance theme that was part of the Faire for decades. In 1996, she joined the Board of Trustees, and its enrollment and development committee which started the school’s Scrip fundraiser and the Visitor Mornings program.
What is the best part of what you do now?
As her children moved through the grades, Riley continued to be sold on Waldorf education. “It was not a boring way to approach academics. I loved the way the teachers came alive, and I had never seen such caring teachers.”
Discovering new things about the universe. It’s an amazing feeling to be the first human to ever see a new aspect of our cosmos. (Conversely, the worst part of what I do now is debugging computer code.)
What are your future plans? Hopefully getting a permanent job in astronomy, either as a faculty member at a college or university, a researcher at an observatory, or a support scientist for an observatory or a NASA mission. The job market in astronomy is very competitive, so I have little idea where I’ll end up.
What do you do for fun? Reading, creative writing (mostly short fiction, mostly sci-fi and fantasy), board and tabletop games, and hiking. Contact Marshall at www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~johnson.7240/#
So inspired was she by the quality of education her children were receiving, Riley stayed on the board for 14 years, six of those years as a voting member, the remaining in an ex officio capacity while serving as the school’s admissions coordinator from 2005 to 2013. Riley also served on the College of Teachers from 2010 to 2017. “It was an amazing opportunity to dive in with a very different perspective,” she notes. Over the years, Riley has also been a yoga teacher and the executive director of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony. But Waldorf is where she has devoted the majority of her working life. How does she feel looking back at her decades given to SFWS? “I have just loved being involved in so many different areas of the school,” she says happily. “I just felt like the faculty is very devoted and engaged, and I enjoy working with people with that level of commitment.” 5
SFWS TODAY: Community Engagement SFWS BRINGS TERRY TEMPEST WILLIAM’S BRAND OF “HEALING AND NATURE” TO SANTA FE Hannah Laga Abram, Rising Grade 12 She’s so beautiful. That’s the first thing I think when I shake hands with Terry Tempest Williams. She radiates a quiet sense of power, the kind that comes from knowing yourself to be doing the work you need to do; the power carried by anyone whose most nurtured relationship is with the wild. It is also the rare power that graces any woman who is deeply at home with her own boundless capacity to feel, and as I touch her hand, I feel that beauty tingle into my skin. SFWS High School students—seniors Eytan Libedinsky and Amia Cressman, sophomores Koray Gates and Colibri Yellowhorse, and I— spent a couple of months preparing for Terry’s visit by studying her work with our mentor Kyce Bello, a SFWS early education specialist who has studied her work. We read some of Terry’s books, discussed her style and themes, and reflected on our own personal connection to them. Terry came in March and spent a fascinating afternoon at the high school. Then the five of us were invited to the stage at the James A. Little Theater to have a public conversation with her for the evening.
Grade 9 Project Brings Bicycle Safety to Santa Fe Bicycle safety is part of a larger vision of community service that the ninth grade and Class Sponsor Elliot Ryan have for doing good in Santa Fe. Following the class’s plan to do specific community service every year of high school, Ryan wrote a successful grant to Wells Fargo’s Golden Apple Foundation and the group was on its way! Partnering with the Mellow Velo bike shop, the Santa Fe Bike-to-Work Week Initiative and the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization, the class amassed 80 bicycle bells and 100 bicycle lights, which were installed and given to city cyclists during a community ride event on May 18. The students also wrote and distributed a handbill explaining safety for both riders and pedestrians. About a dozen bells went to riders from the New Mexico School for the Deaf. Luckily one SFWS student had been taking courses in ASL! The goal is to have the students take over more aspects of the community service project each year. In their senior year, the group will do their own grant writing, planning, collaboration, and project execution. The now-rising 10th graders are already discussing possibilities for their spring 2019 community service.
What began as a slightly nerve-racking “help-I-have-to-speak-into-the-mic” sort of performance, swiftly became a transformative experience for us all, audience included. Terry’s uncanny ability to speak with five teenagers as utter equals soon made us all much more comfortable: all the better to begin discussing the deeply uncomfortable questions that are the most desperate of our time. An hour later, half the audience in tears, we stood up and held hands, bewildered. As I gave Terry a hug, thanked her, promised to visit her at Harvard, I thought how incredibly blessed I was to have met someone with so much wisdom, courage, humility, and honesty. But the rarer gift, I realize now, is that she spoke to each and every one of us with the full trust that we could grow into all those things and more. Now that is what I call inspiring. Laga Abram is a rising senior at the Santa Fe Waldorf School. Williams gave a talk on “Healing and Nature” on March 12, 2018 in Santa Fe at the James A. Little Theater. Her visit was part of a regular program by the Santa Fe Waldorf School to bring environmental educators to New Mexico. Richard Louv was the inaugural speaker in 2016. 6
Art Students to Create Illuminated Sculpture for Holiday Show at Santa Fe Botanical Garden Grades 10 and 11 have embarked on a two-semester art installation program with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, which puts on an annual three-week “GLOW” exhibit of illuminated sculpture during the holiday season. SFWS students spent this spring designing and creating proposals for three possible installations. One was chosen, and in September, the group will create the piece that will ultimately be installed at the exhibit for the holiday season.
SFWS TODAY: College Essay UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENTLY Martine Perez, Class of 2018 Once again I slammed my bedroom door. Moments later, I was sprawled across my floor in a puddle of tears.... I couldn’t do my math homework. The numbers spiraled through my mind, my thoughts chaotic and confused. My world was coming to an end like it had so many times before. In the chaos, one emotion stood out above the rest: anger. Anger became the outlet for my confusion. Anger was my shield against the mental blocks. I felt inadequate. Why couldn’t I keep up with my second-grade classmates? This anger was a cry for help. I was eight years old when I was diagnosed with multiple learning differences: dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), executive function, and processing issues. I did not understand why I felt like I had no control. I was lost. I did not know how to control my thoughts, or my reactions. It felt as if everyone in the room knew what to do but me. My classmates were turning in their completed worksheets while I was staring at a blank page. The endless sets of numbers and letters pounded me relentlessly like surging waves in a stormy sea. I was drowning and I did not know why. My learning differences lied to me; they told me, “You are worthless and incompetent” and “You are not good enough and you will never keep up”. These degrading and undermining thoughts fed my anger. Discovering that I learned differently than my peers allowed me to understand this anger. I realized that I was drowning—so, I started to swim. Though the anger did not completely disappear, I was able to transform it into determination, tenacity, and discipline. Overcoming these obstacles has been no easy task. I changed schools from public to a Waldorf education, endured countless hours of tutoring, and suffered many breakdowns. Not once did I give up. I was constantly challenged to understand who I was as a learner and really see my strengths and weaknesses. My new school integrated the arts into all academic disciplines. These art experiences enabled me to unlock my creativity. I had to navigate through the chaos: I had to problem solve and be flexible as I found my way through the artistic process. My anger began to soften. Outdoor experiences and learning through movement also played significant roles in my education. I came to learn that being in nature, whether I was building a fairy house or backpacking through the canyons of Utah, strengthened my resolve. I felt empowered as a student and this shifted my defeated attitude into determination. As I reflect on who I am as a person and a learner, I realize how I have been shaped by my learning differences. Rather than only illuminating my weaknesses, they have defined my strengths. I have progressed so much from my eight-year-old self. I now understand that my confusion and anger are inevitable, but they are temporary. I have learned to work through my emotional and academic roadblocks. Now, when I am given a math problem, I approach it with determination, tenacity, and discipline. These three values stand true in all aspects of my life today and I will carry them forward in the next chapter of my life. I no longer fight against the current, but use the ocean’s power to propel me. Determination, tenacity, and discipline have shaped who I am as a learner and a person. They give me the courage to silence the negative voices in my mind, the courage to work hard for what I want, and the will-power to never give up. Perez will attend the University of Utah in the fall.
SAVE THE DATES Summer Breeze Golf Tournament
Wolf Pack Trail Run
August 6, 2018 Hosted in conjunction with the Pueblo of Pojoaque and Buffalo Thunder Resort, the 2nd Annual Summer Breeze Golf Tournament is going to be a blast! A shotgun start, an awards reception, a silent auction and a raffle will all contribute to the fun at the resort’s Towa Golf Club. Discounted registration rates available for alumni! Call Pat Lord at 505-467-6426.
September 9, 2018 Help the Waldorf Booster Club continue its vital support for our athletic teams while also getting fit on a 10K or 5K run, or a 3K Fun Run! This is the main athletic fundraiser for our athletic program, and contributes toward sports scholarships, new uniforms and coach stipends. 7
ALUMNI PROFILE Cecelia Barnard
High School Class of 2015
Ohio Wesleyan Starting University of New Mexico, studying exercise science, fall of 2018 CURRENT WORK: Behavior Technician, Volleyball Coach
FINDING A NEW PURPOSE AFTER TRAVELING DURING A GAP YEAR How was your college experience after leaving Waldorf? I had a good experience transitioning from Waldorf. Academically, I noticed my organization and preparation for homework and exams were far beyond most of my freshman peers. I was able to comfortably communicate one on one with my teachers, contribute to class discussions, and reach out to tutors for help if there was a subject I wasn’t fully understanding. Personally, I also found it very easy to make new friends. I thought the transition to a school of 1,800 was going to feel more overwhelming than it did.
What made you decide to take an alternative path and leave college?
“NOT ONLY DO I FEEL THAT I GOT THE ACADEMIC PREPARATION TO COMPETE WITH MY PEERS ON A COLLEGE LEVEL, BUT I ALSO GAINED AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF SKILLS OUTSIDE OF THE ACADEMIC CLASSROOM.” 8
I left college after a year and a half because at that time in my life, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to be. After leaving, I traveled to Huay Pakoot, Thailand, to work with elephants, which is something that I knew I would love and have always wanted to do. Everything about that experience pushed me to function totally independently in a foreign environment. I lived among the Karen village people who taught me to cook and speak in their native dialect. I danced at a traditional Karen wedding, learned about the natural biological life in the area, made friends from all over the world, and learned to take data and health checks on elephants in the forest. I spent every morning walking with these elephants and tracking their behavior, physique, and diet. This data will eventually be published to better petition the cause of shutting down cruel city performance camps for these creatures. By the time I got home, I was confidently ready to live on my own, find work that would help me grow as a person, and do more of the things that make me happy.
What is next and where do you see yourself going in the future? I have been out of school for a year and a half now, and am returning to UNM in the fall of 2018. In that time, I traveled across the world, moved to Albuquerque where I have been living on my own, and currently work three different jobs. I work as a behavior technician for a company called Centria targeting social behavior skills for kids with autism, coach a national club volleyball team, and am working towards my Pilates teaching certification. I plan to study exercise science when I return to college. Although most of my work experience over the past year and a half hasn’t been geared towards my future career path, it has without a doubt shaped me as an individual. I’ve picked up diverse skills, and learned the pros and cons of different work environments.
SFWS TODAY: A New Campus Master Plan SFWS BOARD UNVEILS PLAN FOR CAMPUS THAT INCLUDES ART PARK, GYM AND THEATER The Board of Trustees has unveiled an ambitious new Campus Master Plan, presenting a future vision of the SFWS buildings and grounds intended to benefit children for generations to come. This plan, first presented at the all-school meeting on April 11, is broken into distinct phases to support every section of the school within our current 13-acre campus footprint. Key elements of the plan include a new gymnasium and theater space, an art park, a welcome center, and the expansion of some grade school and early childhood classrooms. Much of these proposed improvements are sorely needed. Admissions Director Jennifer Warren notes that the preschool and kindergarten were fully enrolled by June, in addition to a waiting list for the preschool. This wonderful enrollment boost is due in part to Parent/Child classes run by Early Education Specialist and Waldorf parent Kyce Bello. In recent months, the Strategic Planning Committee, comprised of parents, faculty, administration and friends of the school, held open forums for community feedback. This summer, the school is creating a designated Spanish Language classroom for the grades. SFWS will also relocate the 8th grade into Hooper Hall, allowing the 6th and 7th grades to form a middle school housed in the same building. Over the next two years, the committee will move ahead with steps for more substantial changes, including fundraising, architectural plans and permitting.
Looking back, how does a Santa Fe Waldorf education benefit your life today? Santa Fe Waldorf taught me to think holistically. The size and unorthodox method of teaching allowed me the opportunity to try so many different things throughout my high school and elementary school education. Not only do I feel that I got the academic preparation to compete with my peers on a college level, but I also gained an immense amount of skills outside the academic classroom. I can read music, play the cello, carve a stool out of wood, sew a dress, paint, write poetry, speak a little mandarin, write/film/edit a movie and survive in the wild.
Please describe your daily life. My daily life usually starts with a Pilates class in the morning, followed by my Centria job and coaching. After, I love to hang out with my friends, go to the gym, cook, paint/craft, play ukulele, play sports, hike, or go camping! On the weekends I do a lot of exploring around Albuquerque to different galleries and events if I’m not traveling with my club team to Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, and other regional tournaments.
What is the best part of what you do now? The best part about what I do now is having the ability to take care of myself by paying my own bills, cooking, painting, cleaning, and arranging my life in a way that helps me grow and better myself as a human being. Contact Cecelia at cecelia.barnard@me.com 9
ALUMNI PROFILE FROM ACTRESS TO TRAVELING THE WORLD AS A TOP WEDDING PLANNER How was your school experience after leaving Santa Fe Waldorf, both personally and academically? After graduating Mr. Oellig’s eighth-grade Waldorf class, I headed to Idyllwild Arts Academy, an arts boarding school in Idyllwild, CA, where I studied theater. The academics were rigorous, and our schedule was very demanding (7am-10pm Monday-Friday and 8am-12pm on Saturdays), but I felt shockingly prepared. I think my Waldorf education helped me to cultivate a diligent work ethic, which was very necessary, as well as the ability to be a creative thinker so I was able to navigate my way through the new and exciting challenges that were high school. Even though overwhelming at times. I graduated with honors and even won a coveted theater award my senior year.
Teissia Treynet
Grade 8 Class of 1998 Idyllwild Arts Academy, 2002
Magna cum laude, DePaul University Theatre School, Magna Cum Laude, 2006 CURRENT WORK: Founder, Firefly Events
“I THANK WALDORF FOR MY CREATIVITY, MY SENSE OF PLAY, MY ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT, MY WORK ETHIC AND DRIVE...MY LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS, AND MY PASSION FOR LEARNING. ” 10
After Idyllwild I headed to The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago, IL, where I also studied acting. My four years there were jam-packed and wildly fulfilling. I played roles such as Lady Macbeth and Desdemona, and got to work with some amazingly talented peers who have gone on to win Academy Awards, Tony Awards, and the like. The hardest part was acclimating to city life after living in more rural locales, but I quickly became a city girl and loved every minute of it. I graduated DePaul magna cum laude.
How did you choose your profession and how did you decide to start your own business? After graduating college, I worked in theater, film and television in both Chicago and Los Angeles. While pursuing my career as an actress in LA, I began working as the development coordinator for LAYN, the Los Angeles Youth Network, a wonderful nonprofit that helps get homeless youth off the streets. While working for LAYN, I began honing my skills as an event planner, planning fundraising events and galas. In 2008, my best friend, Rowan Finnegan (Grade 1, 1990), who I actually met in kindergarten at Waldorf, got married, and I helped him and his fiancé plan their wedding. It was shortly after this that I decided to start my own wedding and event planning company, Firefly Events, in Los Angeles. In 2011, I relocated to New York and opened our Manhattan branch of Firefly. Since then we’ve also opened an office in Jackson Hole, WY. Over the last nine plus years, I’ve planned and designed hundreds of luxury weddings and events all over the world, from Morocco, to Jamaica and Abiquiu, NM. My weddings can be seen in hundreds of magazines and online publications, and I’ve been named top planner by Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, The Knot, and Martha Stewart. Most recently, I launched a new company called The Firefly Method which is an online wedding planning program for engaged couples.
Looking back, how does your Waldorf education benefit your life today? In so many ways! I often tell my friends who are starting to send their children to school that my Waldorf education truly set the foundation for who I am today, and I could not endorse it more. I thank Waldorf for my creativity, my sense of play, my adventurous spirit, my unparalleled work ethic and drive, artistic sensibility, my love of the outdoors, and my passion for learning.
I do not thank Waldorf for my spelling abilities, but it certainly deepened my relationship with spell check. I kid! I truly think that Waldorf taught me to be a creative thinker above all else which has consistently propelled me forward in both my personal life and my career. Also, the friendships I made at Waldorf make up some of my dearest friends to this day (including my insanely kind and wonderfully devoted teacher Michael Oellig). A gift I will cherish for the rest of my life!
What is the best part of what you do now? I think the best part of my job is its versatility. I am part designer, part organizational master, part therapist, part accountant, and the list goes on. It’s almost as if I didn’t have to pick one profession, but instead have a multitude of careers which makes every day an adventure.
What are your plans for the future? I recently left NYC to live a beach life in Laguna Beach, CA, with my wonderful boyfriend Todd Putnam (who happens to be my best friend’s cousin, the best friend I met in kindergarten at Waldorf). I’m working hard on my new business venture, The Firefly Method, and adventuring on the weekends with friends and family. Also working on a book about the emotional journey of wedding planning, and finalizing the details for our 20-year eighth-grade Waldorf reunion coming up next year!
TEACHER PROFILE Fletcher Lathrop Class Teacher Board of Trustees College of Teachers Woodworking Instructor As the Santa Fe Waldorf community looks ahead to its 35th anniversary, Fletcher Lathrop is someone who can tell us all a thing or two about where the school has come from and where it is going. One of the school’s founding parents and board members, Lathrop first came to Waldorf through the agricultural writings of Rudolf Steiner. Lathrop and then-wife Ruth were organic gardeners. “A friend introduced us to biodynamic farming—Steiner’s lectures on agriculture are still my favorites,” he says. Through a study group on Steiner principles, Lathrop became equally inspired by Steiner’s educational ideas, especially those on how Waldorf education “tries to offer what students need to know comes through a human being, not a book.” In 1983, Lathrop joined a group of educators and parents to become one of the founding members of the school. All three Lathrop children, Justin, (Grade 8 Class of ‘89), Maria, (Grade 8 Class of ‘94) and Travis, (Grade 8 Class of ‘92) attended SFWS. Three years later, Lathrop became a grades teacher. “I wanted to examine the curriculum in depth! I was spending so much time at the school anyway, I thought I would give it a shot,” he notes with a chuckle. During that time, he and Thomas Baudhuin, then teaching kindergarten, started a woodshop in their classrooms.
What do you do for fun? I’m super outdoorsy! Lots of hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, snowboarding, etc…. I’m also determined to become a good cook, so trying to weave homemade dinners into the schedule on a weekly basis. Contact Teissia at www.fireflyevents.com or www.fireflymethod.com
This nicely combined two parts of his life. Raised in Austin, Texas, the son of a history professor and a music teacher, Lathrop and Ruth worked in El Salvador from 1968-69 with the Peace Corps. Upon returning to the States, Lathrop figured he’d settle in Colorado, where he had climbed mountains with his father as a boy. But instead, he followed friends who had asked him to come to Santa Fe to start a bookstore. The store never materialized, so Lathrop started working for a cabinet maker, eventually starting his own business which he ran for 15 years. During this time, Lathrop had started the practice of harvesting “dead standing” New Mexican wood and turning the logs on a lathe to expose the interior beauty. Because of this background, the school invited him to create the woodworking curriculum in 2000. The practice of exploring the inner nature of the wood has been the core of the curriculum, which he teaches from Grades 5 to 11. Waldorf continues to be a Lathrop family affair. Granddaughter Chloe is a rising Grade 2 student at the school and her grandfather reports with a grin, “She is really thriving. It’s so sweet for me to go out on the playground and get hugs”. 11
SFWS TODAY: Celebrating 35 Years! TELL US HOW WALDORF INFLUENCED YOU! In the fall of 2018, the Santa Fe Waldorf School will begin its 35th year—a milestone very much worthy of commemoration! As our community gears up to mark this achievement, we are reaching out to alumni, former faculty & staff and the Santa Fe Waldorf community to be in touch! Was there a teacher, student or staff member who was particularly influential in your life? Please write to Pat Lord, plord@santafewaldorf.org, and let us know! We will showcase your answers in future editions and on our website.
35th Anniversary Events: • Throughout the year: Student art exhibitions in various sites in Santa Fe. • October 1, 2018: School-wide anniversary celebration for extended SFWS community. • November 2, 2018: Reception honoring Renaissance Scholars, Board of Trustee and school volunteer retirements. • December 1, 2018: Community choir lead by Jill McCormick to perform at the Holiday Faire. And...in 2019, Waldorf Education will celebrate its 100th anniversary. If you are interested in helping us plan our local celebrations, we would love your ideas and energy! Contact Pat Lord at plord@santafewaldorf.org to see how you can help.
CELEBRATING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING With warmer temperatures this year to celebrate warmth and renewal—last year, it snowed!—students, families, faculty and the community enjoyed the traditional Waldorf spring celebrations of Mayfaire and Grandparents & Friends Day. Grandparents and friends gathered on May 3 to join their grandchildren in class for morning verse and Main Lesson. As the day progressed, visitors toured other parts of the school and concluded the morning with lunch in Hooper Hall with their grandchildren. On May 4 the whole community gathered for the Mayfaire parade and Maypole dances, followed by food, music, craft activities and games, including the ever-popular cake walk!
Indira (rising Grade 2) with grandmother, Frances Hatfield
KwaniEva Lopez (rising Grade 8) with grandparents Louise and Felix Lopez
Caleb (rising Grade 4) and Sophia (rising Grade 6) with grandmother, Mary Jo Dorr
The Johnson Family 12
Thalia Torrez (rising Grade 2) with family member
ALUMNI NEWS: Class Notes Celeste (Booth) Eizaguirre, Class of 2005 reports that she and her husband have been living in Europe and the Middle East for the past six months. Celeste is owner and photographer of Eiza Photography. Two years ago she photographed the wedding of Daniel Lockley, (HS Class of 2008) and she’s looking forward to photographing the wedding of Kyriane (Johnson) Miller, (HS Class of 2008) later this year!
Waddie CrazyHorse, HS Class of 2006 is enjoying the sunny
surfy life in San Diego while working as a full-time silversmith. He will be transitioning into van life after the summer wraps up. Please visit him during Cochiti Feast (July 14th) and Indian Market in mid-August in Santa Fe if you have a chance.
< MIguel Yi-Sandino, HS Class of 2005, was married on May 19, 2018,
to Briley Peters in Castle Rock, CO.
Shawn Thomas, HS Class of 2006 writes in: “I graduated culinary school and am a certified culinarian with the American Culinary Federation and Heart of Illinois Chefs. Follow me on Instagram to see my food! @shawnthomas703 #chefnstuff”
Jonathon Linch, HS Class of 2007 has recently racked up quite
a few accomplishments. He has finished an MBA with honors and certifications in finance and strategy at the University of Southern California, and earned a credential as a Project Management Professional. In addition, he has had a couple of patents issued and accepted a new role in February managing military avionics programs at Northrup Grumman. Most importantly, he has found out there has been a Waldorf school hiding across the street from his favorite hiking trail here in Los Angeles. He notes, “No wonder I like hiking in that area so much!”
Hunter Riley, HS Class of 2007 notes, “I was just featured in a book The Consent Guidebook by Erin Tillman. I also now have my own website, www.outaboutsex.com.”
Kyriane (Johnson) Miller, HS Class of 2008: “I am currently living and
working in Oxford, England with my husband, helping manage a yoga studio, cycling the countryside and exploring new places in Europe when we can. We are about to move our life up north near Manchester, England where I hope to pursue a career with the National Trust focusing on heritage, conservation and outdoor education.” Miller and her husband Ross
married to meet visa requirements in the UK last November with her parents Kymberly and Karl Johnson (SFWS Faculty 1990-2013), in attendance. The “big” wedding will be held in Santa Fe this coming September at the Evergreen Lodge at Hyde Park State Park.
Sylvie Neal, HS Class of 2008 writes in to let us know she moved to Berlin in July 2017, married her wife in October, and has been learning German and settling into life in Germany.
Natalina Cotter, HS Class of 2017, writes
in: “I took the year off after graduation to attend to my health and to gain a few life skills before starting at UNM, where I will be taking online and Honors classes in the fall. Last summer, I interned on the set of a local zombie film production, taking behind-the-scenes pictures for their social media and GoFundMe coverage, which was a blast! I’ve also gotten my driver’s license, completed an accounting course, and picked up bellydance over the course of the year.” Cotter also notes that she knit the sweater she is wearing in her photo!
Sophie Linett, HS Class of 2017, reports:
“My first year at Wesleyan was amazing! I’m playing on the coed ultimate frisbee team called Throw Culture, worked on a couple of plays, was on the Deans list first semester. I’m currently working on an organic farm in St. Johnsbury, VT. I’m planning on majoring in environmental studies and science in society with concentrations in biology and anthropology.”
Carlo Vera, HS Class of 2017, joined a
band called “1967” the fall of 2017. “It’s an alternative rock band and we play all original songs. I’m the lead guitarist, and all I can say is that it’s been fun. I do what I love (music) and travel, meet people and go to new places. Our last tour was in the west coast area. We played in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.”
Get in touch! We want to know what you are up to! Please keep in touch about any new life events—moves, new jobs, marriages, kids— we are interested in them all. Just send a quick email to plord@santafewaldorf.org. If you have a photo, even better! 13
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The Class of 2018 on their senior class trip to Florida: From left to right: Devta Khalsa, Tucker Smith, Owen Leriche, Martine Perez, Brianna Poole, Amia Cressman, Class Sponsor Raquel Castilla, Mariposa Childson, Eytan Libedinsky, Class Sponsor Matthew Burritt, Cameron Vanderlaan, Pablo Spitzer, Usha Walsh and Eliana Blum. Front Cover: Rising 10th graders, (from left to right) Tristen Poole, Eva Crocker and Will Smith stand in front of their drawings of Anne of Burgundy, Suleiman the Magnificent, and Ferdinand Magellan. Photo by Genevieve Russell
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