Summer Newsletter 2023

Upcoming Events

August 21-25

SF Waldorf School Sports Camp

Volleyball and Soccer training for rising SF Waldorf 6th - 8th Graders

9:30 am - 4 pm

Letter from our Administrative Director

banderson@sfwaldorf.org

REGISTER HERE

August 21

First Day of High School, Convocation

August 23

Preschool Parent Orientation

7-8:30

August 24

Kindergarten Parent Orientation

7-8:30

August 27

Dear Friends,

Summer break allows a time for reflection for SFWS faculty, staff, and board. Over the past year, SFWS analyzed results from the Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism, relaunched the annual Parent Survey, and completed the self-study for accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC) and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) as well as for our renewal membership in Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)

Each of these efforts asks the school to examine our work, our striving, our goals, our shortcomings, and our achievements. During these processes, we have begun to think about the idea of appreciative inquiry—to focus efforts of change, improvement, and growth by building on our strengths. In this newsletter we highlight some recent strengths and successes in our Community Fund, college placements, athletic victories, engaging creations, and academic pursuits. We also celebrate our greatest strength, the love and dedication of our fabulous faculty. In particular, we offer deep gratitude to Dr. John Burket and Ms. Maria Helland-Hansen at the beginning of their retirement. We appreciate their deep insights over their many years of commitment to the students and colleagues of SFWS. We will strive to grow and develop from their example, reflecting on the gifts they brought and cultivating those strengths within ourselves and our school.

August 28

Kindergarten Slipper Drop-Off

August 30

First Day of Preschool through Grade 8

Sincerely,

Craig Appel

Contact Atheltic Director Bryan Anderson for half day options.

Honoring our Retiring Teachers

faces we will dearly miss seeing on campus in the fall

The San Francisco Waldorf School community has been blessed with many talented and dedicated teachers who have served the school for years. Two of these treasured educators have retired this year: John Burket, high school sciences teacher, and Maria Helland-Hansen, therapeutic eurythmist and eurythmy teacher. We’d like to share these reflections and realize this is just a tiny snapshot of their impact on all of us.

School Teaching Program through Rudolf Steiner College in 2000.

Dr. Burket received his Ph.D. in soil science from Oregon State University, his MS in biology from the University of Oregon and his BA in geology from the University of Vermont. After graduating from college, John Burket took over the ownership of his family’s farm in Pennsylvania, converting it to an organic grain and livestock operation. During this time he also earned his teaching certificate in biology and general science and taught science for two years in a public high school. We learned that Dr. Burket found Waldorf education while he was looking for a preschool for his daughter Emma. As a farmer, he had read about biodynamic farming and anthroposophy but had not made the connection to Waldorf education until his visit to the preschool, where he loved what he saw. He completed his Foundation Year at the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Training Program and taught math and science blocks in the eighth grade at the Eugene Waldorf School. Dr. Burket completed the High

During the spring of San Francisco Waldorf High School’s inaugural year, 1997-98, John Burket came to us from Eugene, Oregon as a visiting biology block teacher. Humanities teacher David Weber remembers that John’s presence was warm and thoughtful, and all of the students and teachers liked him and admired his teaching. When the question arose in the College: should we keep asking John down as a guest, or seek a full-time biology teacher, this struck some of us as the wrong question. We asked, what if we simply offer John a full-time position? Colleagues said, oh no, he has a life in Eugene, and won’t accept. We said well, he can’t accept if we don’t ask him. So we offered John a full-time position, and he accepted! We felt like we had won the lottery with this kind, knowledgeable, well-trained and skilled teacher and colleague, who put his heart and soul into the teaching, the colleagueship, and the work of the school every day for two and a half decades. Always honest, truthful, and considerate, John’s thoughts were tuned toward the good of the whole, and he helped set a standard for decency and respect.

A memory from another long-time colleague, Joan Caldarera: An easygoing person, dubbed “the nicest man in the world” by members of the pioneer class, John amazed us all when he lost his temper and stood up for our students in the parking lot at Fort Mason after they

were angrily confronted by a car owner who said they’d thrown a ball at his car. He was a fierce Papa Bear! And we loved him for it.

Dr. Paolo Carini remembers one day, after the high school moved from Fort Mason to Valencia Street. Dr. Burket was teaching biology in the “Apollo Annex,” a former liquor store that the school rented for science classes, a block from Annunciation Cathedral (headquarters for the high school from 2000-2007.) Suddenly water started to pour out of the ceiling! Someone, in a hotel room above had left a faucet open and water was leaking into our “science lab.” What a mess!

Another day, Dr. Burket took small baby fishes and wrapped their heads gently with a wet cotton ball and put their bodies under a microscope. Suddenly the students could see blood circulating in their arteries and their hearts beating. It was magnificent!

Another time, Dr. Carini accompanied Dr. Burket as he took the students out to search for a plant that was growing around the

“I will always be grateful to Dr. Burket for inspiring me to pursue an advanced degree in biology.”

alumna brttany salazar, 2012

Dr. John Burket

campus. That plant would become their “friend” for the next 4 weeks. Everyone would go outside each day and sketch “their” plant during main lesson and observe its many transformations.

productions of The Shepherds’ Play and was known to join in conversations with students about “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or anything else that was of interest to the students! Member of the College of Teachers, High School Steering Committee, and Board of Trustees, he was thoroughly immersed in the life of the school. We will miss John Burket and we look forward to hearing about his life up in Oregon tending his land and being a grandfather. Campus favorite Gus the dog will also be retiring to the countryside with Dr. Burket. We wish them both the best! ~

Maria was born and raised in Bergen, Norway, the third child of six. Her American mother was an accomplished artist and her Norwegian father an architect. Her father had survived torture in a WWII concentration camp where hewas imprisoned for his work with the underground resistence movement.

Alumna Brittany Salazar, Class of 2012, writes “I will always be grateful to Dr Burket for inspiring me to pursue an advanced degree in biology. When the zebrafish would not mate during my 10th grade embryology main lesson block, Dr Burket set them up again and allowed me to conduct my own observation of zebrafish embryo development during the next semester. I spent every break in the biology lab checking in on my “babies.” At the end of the school year he let me take the fish home where they lived long lives in my home aquarium. Dr Burket also let me take fruit flies home that summer for my own genetics studies. These experiences led me to study biology in undergrad, get a job in a zebrafish lab out of college (where I learned that zebrafish can be quite picky about mating!) and now I am nearing the completion of a PhD in cancer biology. I would not be where I am today without Dr. Burket taking the time to foster my scientific curiosity during and outside of his main lessons and honors course.”

Additionally, we all remember that John often acted in high school plays, was a shepherd in countless

Maria HellandHansen

After high school Maria worked at the Vidaråsen Camphill community. The Camphill movement, one of many initiatives for social change derived from Rudolf Steiner’s teachings, is dedicated to valuing the humanity of all individuals, those with and without intellectual disabilities who live and work together. During her time at Vidaråsen, a doctor gave a presentation on the life cycle of a plant, highlighting the metamorphosis inits growth. Maria grasped the lawfulness of nature, ralizing that there is an invisible world informing the visible, physical world. During this time, also, a therapeutic eurythmist recognized that Maria had a talent for eurythmy. So at 19, Maria met both anthroposophy and eurythmy and knew this was her path.

Perhaps you have met Maria Helland- Hansen’s gaze. If so, you have not forgotten the brightness of those big sparkling eyes nor the warm feeling experienced from Maria’s interest in you. It is this pure interest in the essence of the other that characterizes her. Even if she is not introduced to you as a therapeutic eurythmist, you sense that she is a healer.

During many in-between moments Maria can be seen watching the children playing in the yard and if you are lucky to be nearby, Maria will share with you what she sees in the individual children’s movements. We and the children are so lucky she found her way to our school.

Maria also worked on the oldest biodynamic farm in Norway, Slettner gård. Here she deepened her knowledge of Anthroposophy while learning many aspects of biodynamic principles and farming.

Maria traveled extensively, and worked at another Camphill, Jøssåsen farther north in Norway. At 25 years old she moved to Järna, Sweden and began her eurythmy training, which takes 4 years. The training took place near an anthroposophical hospital where Maria worked as a nurse assistant for two years after she finished the eurythmy training. She had a deep need to understand the human being and the healing properties of eurythmy and other aspects of the anthroposophic approach to healing. Later Maria moved to Oslo and taught pedagogical eurythmy at a Waldorf School before her next

A High School teacher spends a day in Preschool

This year for the faculty in-service days, Early Childhood and Grade School teachers spent a day visiting High School classes and then High School teachers visited Early Childhood and Grade School classes. We had done this before and found it to be a very enjoyable and informative way for teachers to get a sense of the whole arc of Waldorf Education. Also, Sigh school teachers get a small glimpse of some future students and what they are experiencing, and Early Childhood and Grade School teachers get to see some of the students they taught in the past and how they have developed. I saw several beautiful moments of reunion when High School students greeted their former teachers. For my visit, I chose the far end of the spectrum and spent a morning at the the Elves Corner with Heidi Schwarzenbach, Robin Brown, and eight beautiful two-to-four-yearolds. I knew that the Preschool children spent a large part of their time outdoors rain or shine, but somehow that knowledge did not translate into action when choosing my wardrobe for the day. I wore my normal teacher garb, consisting of street shoes and (nice) jeans. Luckily, my parka is 100% rainproof because that day it was pouring and

cold to the point that at times the rain achieved the status of falling slush.

I arrived at the Lyons Gate a bit late and saw, through the downpour, groups of very small children waterproofed from head to toe playing amongst the trees. I made my way carefully towards them across the soon-to-be certifiable mud and greeted Heidi, Robin, and the children. I was painfully aware (in more ways than one) of my lack of rain pants and rubber boots, but Heidi and Robin made me feel welcome as they kept their skillful eyes and ears on the activities of the children. The children were absorbed in playing with sticks, climbing partway up stumps of trees, and examining the increasingly larger rivulets of water running down the hill. I thought to myself that these children were getting the best environmental education in the world by being left to their own explorations in the wonderful rain without some adult telling them what to look at or touch. It didn’t seem like it to the children, but Heidi and Robin heard and saw everything that was going on. At one point, Heidi took a child’s hand and guided them to a piece of branch

that had been set up as a balance beam and assisted them in walking across it. They did this several times and then the child went back to playing with the others. After this, Heidi quietly told me that she had heard this child talking about the train wreck and environmental disaster that happened in Ohio. The slippery wooden balance beam successfully diverted the child’s attention away from something not suited to their developmental stage by providing a challenging and fun experience.

Free play and exploration of nature

After a little cup of warm tea for everyone under a huge cypress that kept away a portion of the raindrops,

a heartfelt reflection by dr john burket, science teacher and board member, upon ending years of service

A Preschool student playing in the Presidio forest in full rain gear and ready for anything

Preschool

Continued from page 5

we started making our way back to the nursery classroom on Sacramento Street. Heidi told me that they normally stay in the woods longer until after their snack, but that the rain was intense, and we did hear what sounded like a small clap of thunder. I made her promise she wasn’t cutting the outdoor time short because my wet pants and shoes made me look like I had just walked through a swamp, and she assured me this was not the case (but I think it may have been a factor).

Various children helped pass the snacks around and everyone helped clean up and sweep. Play time came next and then a short time of quiet rest stretched out on the floor. The children were fully engaged in all these activities with only gentle direction or redirection from the teachers.

This was a special day that then brought all three nursey classes together in the big nursery room to celebrate Heidi’s birthday. Heidi was seated in the front with Nichola who gave her a beautiful introduction and a cape. Then Susanna told the story of a little angel travelling through the heavens and across the rainbow bridge to first find the kingdoms of nature and then her waiting parents. The children were rapt with attention as were Bodo, Paolo, and I who, along with Monique, sat in the back row. After singing Happy Birthday a couple of times, a cake with candles blown out by Heidi, and a treat, our group went back to Elves Corner for a lunch of pasta, soup, chips, and carrots.

Continued from page 4

move, to Dornach, Switzerland to undertake the two year therapeutic eurythmy training.

A handholding walk back to the classroom through the rain and puddles with me in the caboose position was interspersed with songs, imaginary obstacles that needed to be overcome, and a few running dashes down a safe section of sidewalk where Heidi first had the children wait for her to get about 20 yards ahead of the group and then released them to come running and yelling towards her. It was really fun. Back at the classroom the children changed into a dry set of clothes with only minimal help from the teachers. I checked, but there were not any pants my size in the cubbies, regardless though, the warm classroom still felt, looked, and smelled like heaven. After the children were changed and had washed their hands, we sat down for a snack at a big round table.

And then it was time for the transition to after care and my departure. The children, teachers, and I exchanged waves and goodbyes, and as I walked to my car, I realized I had been smiling for about 3 hours straight. Thank you, Heidi and Robin and children, for welcoming me into this amazing experience of early childhood where less is more, and the world is full of magic and wonder. ~

In 1993, Maria moved to the United States with her partner, Rodney Sutton. They both joined the faculty of SFWS and Maria taught eurythmy to 1st through 4th grades and offered therapeutic eurythmy. Maria was very involved in the school, belonging to the College of Teachers for 12 years. She went to Norway in 2004 to care for her dying mother, then returned to SFWS in 2006 and became the therapeutic eurythmist for the grade school and the high school.

Maria is the co-director of the Therapeutic Eurythmy Training in North America, hosted by Camphill Copake, in upstate New York. She has also been teaching constitutional polarities and therapeutic eurythmy in Bay Area teacher trainings since 2000 when she was part of a research project on constitutional polarities with David Weber, Dorit Winter, Dr. Bob Dudney and Amie Wong.

Now, in what promises to be an active retirement, Maria will move to her own little farm in Sweden and will travel to continue co-directing and teaching in the Therapeutic Eurythmy training.

We have been honored to know and work with her and will miss her deeply. We wish her all the best.~

Preschool train back to the classroom

Storytime in the Preschool classroom

Have you seen these year’s Portal? A summer’s day is a perfect time to enjoy pages of writing and art by our talented high school students from grades 9 through 12. Enjoy this excerpt, and read it online

by Lauren Lum

In the uncertain economic climate we found ourselves in this past year, it is a major feat to have achieved our Community Fund goal of $675,000. Thank you to everyone who donated to this year‘s Community Fund campaign.

We received gifts from 350 current & alumni families, grandparents, special friends, faculty, staff, and community partners. The median gift size was $500. Overall, our community participation reached 78%, with the 2nd grade achieving 100% participation, celebrated with a class ice cream party.

We have room to grow to reach 100% participation, which is important because it signals to the community the commitment each of us have to our students, faculty, and the mission of SF Waldorf. We stand stronger as a community when we all participate at a level that is meaningful to us and our families. Additionally, as we plan for a future capital campaign, it strengthens our financial standing with foundations and lenders.

I hope you‘re enjoying summer and are looking forward to fun community events when return in the fall including Stern Grove AllSchool Assembly and Winter Fair.

- Eric Norman, Advancement Director enorman@sfwaldorf.org

Cover painting. Griffin Engels, oil

L, top: A Portrait of Jimmy Leonard. Evan Lee, oil.

L, bottom: Woman with flower. Riley Freeman, ink.

High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team

For more high school highlights, follow along @sfwaldorfhighschool

The team was honored at City Hall by the SF Board of Supervisors for their outstanding achievements.

12th grader H. Rutherford goes for the dunk. He‘ll be playing for University of Puget Sound this fall.

11th grade guard M. Macdonald gets air during layup after layup.

The Curtain Call

grade 8 class play & the senior play

By the time our 8th graders finish there time at the Grade School, they will have put on one class play each year since first grade and watched countless productions to help them hone their craft, inspire the imagination, and build skills that extend beyond the standing ovation. We have seen how these artistic team efforts help them to develop their quick thinking, problem solving capacity, and self-confidence. Grade 8 did a “wonder”ful job this year injecting classic characters with life and humor in their class play.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

At SF Waldorf School, acting and play production don’t end at the Grade School. Each year, our High School students can choose to participate in the annual play or musical theater production. Additionally, in Grade 12, seniors can choose between completing a Senior Project or putting on a Senior Play. Audiences were thrilled to have been given the gift of Argonautica before the end of their tenure at SFWHS. The cast showed total engagement, focus, and intention. The clever adaptation of the Greek epic of Jason and the Golden Fleece allowed for the students to light the stage with their wit and passion.

Argonautica

Argonautica

Photo Credit: Scott Chernis

Woodworking towards Grade 8

evan milburn, grade school woodworking teacher

In the Grade School curriculum, woodworking begins in Grade 5, when a child‘s hands are strong enough to work with harder materials and their will focused enough to materialize their creative vision from a slab of wood. The previous years of working with beeswax and clay, kneading dough, chopping vegetables, and knitting have strengthened their hands and sharpened their ability to focus, to see a task all the way through and create an orignal, tangible, purposeful, and beautiful object. Woodworking is about learning to apply one’s will in meaningful work, learning to be strongly assertive when needed, but also sensitive at times when refining one’s project. It‘s about bringing one’s own personal touch to the project and working with the special quality of the wood. Woodworking class also has the social elements of learning and further instills the benefit of working together.

The three-legged stool that each 8th grader sets out to make seems like a simple enough piece of furniture; yet there is a lot of hard work involved. The student needs to be flexible and balance their creative ideas with the practical demands of the stool’s function and stability. This challenge helps them to build an autonomous way of thinking and a positive attitude when when faced with hurdles. At the culmination of their Grade School years, our Grade 8 students not only show follow-through and ingenuity when tackling a task but also build something lasting with their practiced hands and ready imagination. Take a look below at some of their stools from this year. Well done!

Grab some garb or a gift for your favorite student, alumnus, grandparent, or friend from the SF Waldorf Spirit Store. Show some love for the school with a “W” baseball cap, nautilus tee, or a wolverines tote. We know everybody loves a hoodie in the city, so stay tuned for new items coming soon! Inquire at the front desk for in-stock items.

Alumni News

will perry, sfwhs class of 2019, volleyball player, coach, and sportswear entrepreneur

San Francisco Waldorf High School alumnus and recent Endicott College graduate Will Perry took his love of sports all the way through college as a collegiate Men’s Volleyball Player at Endicott College where he majored in Sport Management with a minor in Exercise Science. Having seen the power of community and engagement, he began to network with Endicott alumni in his field and landed an extraordinary internship as Volunteer Assistant Coach for the Boston College women’s volleyball team in 2022.

While a student at SFWHS, Will made the well-known Bay to Bay Volleyball Club in Silicon Valley where he played throughout his high school career and coached for the club during the summers. While a student-athlete at college, Will launched an athleisure label, Drop Dimes, “which he pitched at the 2022 and 2023 Spark Tank, nabbing the second place $3,000 prize at this year’s competition. (The label’s name is a riff on every volleyball player’s goal to pass the ball so accurately it could land on a dime. ‘It started out as just designing custom shorts for Bay to Bay, but quickly expanded into supplying gear to other clubs and having professional athletes rep the designs,’ he said.”

From Will’s 2019 graduation speech at the high school, we understand what he learned from his time at SF Waldorf, what he took with him to Endicott, and what drives his endeavors in sports:

“But of all we have experienced, what will we bring with us into our lives, what lessons will we accept as part of who we are and who we hope to become? This question was a challenge, a test of the genuine growth of our individual selves. This question prompted an understanding that the Waldorf community is one that inspires creativity and freedom of thought, evokes strength and fearlessness, and supports individualism and independence. But more than anything, Waldorf teaches the power and significance of gratitude and love.”

What’s next for Will? Whether it’s playing collegiate volleyball in graduate school or growing his athleisure clothing label, we’re sure he’ll smash it with this approach.~

Read more in this Endicott College news article

Waldorf Alum Connect

for alumni and alumni families

Congrats, Class of 2023!

Please keep in touch.

You can update your SF Waldorf alumni profile and let SF Waldorf know about your achievements and projects on our website. We‘d love to hear from you!

Waldorf alumni and their families can also find exciting opportunities and offerings on AWSNA’s Waldorf Alum Connect platform:

• Waldorf Alum Business Directory

• Networking opportunities

• Mentorship and mentee opportunities

• Jobs and internships

• Alum parent registration

• Alumni map by location, industry, year

• Book clubs

• Plain ol’ fun

Alumni and families can register to connect with community.

To see where the Class of 2023 is off to, out of the many colleges and universities they were accepted to, flip the page.

Will Perry. Photo Credit: Endicott College

COLLEGE MATRICULATION

congratulations, class of 2023, as you head of this fall to...

Bard College

Barnard College*

Beloit College

Bennington College

Boston College

Brandeis University

California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)*

California State University (Chico)

Chapman University*

Colorado College*

George Washington University

Indiana University (Bloomington)

Lewis & Clark

McGill University

Occidental College

Parsons School of Design at The New School

Pitzer College

Santa Clara University*

Sarah Lawrence College

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Sonoma State University

Southern Oregon University

Tuskegee University

University of California, Davis

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Colorado, Boulder

University of Denver

University of Puget Sound*

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California

University of Utah

University of the Pacific

Wesleyan University

*multiple students enrolled

Photo Credit: Scott Chernis