Parent Bulletin, January-February 2010

Ru d ol f S t ei ne r S c ho ol

BU L L E T I N

January/February 2010

Letter from Our Administrator Joshua Eisen

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Thoughts from the Back Office

Pg. 3

Letters from Parents

Pgs. 4-5

Main Lesson Books

Pgs. 6-7

Social Consciousness

Pgs. 8-9

Creative Writing

Pgs. 10-11

Notes from the Upper School

Pgs. 12-13

Cooking with Chef Li

Pg. 14

Development Committee Update

Pg. 15

Important Dates • MLK Holiday/School closed 1/18 • Conversations in Jazz 1/26 • Faculty Development Day 2/18 • President‘s Day/School closed 2/16, 2/17

Dear Members of the Rudolf Steiner School Community, With winter break past, school back in session, and warm memories of holidays to sustain us, I write to bring you news and updates on the many projects and processes that are ongoing and new. Also, to welcome the six new families who have recently joined our community.

As many of you may remember, the School began a three year engagement working with Kim John Payne and his approach to Social Inclusion. This initiative was launched in 2008.

As part of this work, a group of sixteen High School students began the student-centered portion of this program this past fall.

This group, the Social Action Committee (SAC), meets weekly and is led by Marina McGrew with help from Brooke Brosenne, Brian Plane, Clio Venho, and Marta Morales, with periodic visits by Mr. Payne.

The SAC is focused on cultivating awareness of positive social interactions, and brainstorming about strategies to resolve negative behavior and situations that

occur – often daily – helping both those who instigate an environment of discomfort as well as those who feel targeted.

As announced at the beginning of the year, two important topics of conversation this year are diversity at the school, and issues regarding learning differences. Since September the College of Teachers and other interested faculty members have gathered weekly for a study of learning differences and learning challenges. In a rich conversation on the Monday after Thanksgiving, Dr. Paul Yellin of the Yellin Center led a faculty workshop on learning differences. He will return this winter to give a presentation to parents. We will have another professional development day dedicated to this topic later this winter.

In addition to attending our in-house professional development workshops on learning differences, the Early Childhood faculty will also work this winter with Nancy Blanning, veteran Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher and Remedial Specialist, in January, as well as attend the East Coast Waldorf Early Childhood Con-

ference this February 12th14th.

The Diversity Committee is in its second year. Teachers, parents and administrators are engaging in a lively discussion in which all are invited to participate. The committee looks to this community to help us define ―diversity‖ and ―multiculturalism.‖ Their purpose is to raise consciousness so that we may form a consensus about what diversity means in the Waldorf context. You are invited to contact them with your stories and are encouraged to join them in this important and ever- evolving conversation.

This year we are making a concerted effort to reach out and engage our alumni.

Our alumni, alumni parents and grandparents are an important part of our community many of whom seem eager to reconnect to us based on their positive experiences and memories. In addition to other initiatives, an alumni facebook- page was created on December 9, 2009 and met with immediate success. Within the first 24 hours we had 47 fans. Simply by word of mouth, after just one

ADMINISTRATOR’S

CORNER

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Administrator’s Letter continued month, our page boasts 161 alumni ‗fans‘ – several of whom were ―lost‖ to us and without up-to-date contact information in our system. Because these individuals found us on facebook, we were able to obtain current information and begin reconnecting with them.

higher at 85%, and so we have plenty of room for growth. As I‘m sure you have heard, the percentage of parent participation in the Annual Fund is a critical number for foundations and financial institutions considering grants or financing to our school. Your gift matters and is deeply appreciated.

In another first for us, on January 11th the tech department, headed by IT Manager Sharad Rai, will launch an extracurricular Robotics program for our High School students. This after-school program will include Planning & Design, Building a Robot, and Programming the Robot for Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Last year's national fiscal crisis put a heavy strain on our families and the School's tuition assistance program, so the Board and Finance Committee sought reductions in expenses for next year's budget. While enrollment remains stable, other expenses, such as medical benefits, have increased greatly. The Finance Committee, Treasurer, Business Manager, and College collaborated to balance the budget while protecting the integrity of our programs. This work is ongoing.

By now you have received a letter from Judy Bachleitner, Honorary Chair of Annual Giving, as well as a follow up letter appealing to you to give to the Annual fund. For those of you who have already made a gift, we want to thank you for your generous support of the school, and for those who have not yet made their gift, we ask that you please strongly consider supporting the Annual Fund as generously as you are able to. Last year 64% of our parent body gave, and we have reached 24% thus far. Our goal is always 100% participation. An average level of participation in independent schools is 80% and the average for Waldorf schools is even

In our continuing efforts to be more environmentally mindful, we have been testing and installing automatic, occupancy detecting light switches, we will replace some more of the older, singlepane windows with double glazed this coming summer, and we have nearly eliminated the use of paper goods and disposable plastic in the cafeteria.

This last initiative is reducing expenses by roughly six thousand dollars each year.

nouncement of the following year‘s first grade teacher. And each year the College of Teachers takes up this important issue with a keen eye and ear to Waldorf teaching experience, personality, and ability to collaborate and work closely with the many other experienced faculty throughout the school who, together with the class teacher, form, educate and hold each class and each student within that class. The College of Teachers will announce the name of the First grade teacher by the first week of March.

Though extensive, this letter by no means includes all of the exciting growth and changes happening within our School. The cold of winter has set in, the days grow longer, and with this season something quieter and cloaked begins. Drawn in and dormant as the seed appears to be, winter is a time of work in the invisible world that will give rise to new life at spring. I thank you all for making our fall semester so rewarding and look forward to a generous and restorative winter.

Yours truly, Joshua Eisen

Each year parents eagerly await the an-

ATTENTION PARENTS! Do you have a question you‘ve been dying to ask - a parenting topic you‘ve wanted to discuss - a ―thank-you‖ you‘ve been meaning to write to an instructor or staff member? If so, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!! The ―Parent‘s Corner‖ will now be a regular feature in the bi-monthly bulletin. Submissions should be 500 words or less and emailed to ediskin@steiner.edu no later than the assigned deadline date. If you are interested in writing an article for the bulletin, contact Eileen Diskin - Director of Alumni and Community Relations - at 212-535-2130 ext. 204 or via the above email address.

Our hope is that this article fosters community relations amongst parents - providing a communicative outlet to express what‘s on your mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

ADMISSION’S

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Thoughts from the Back Office By: Irene Mantel, Admissions Director, N-6 Talking about admissions at independent schools in Manhattan provides room for amusement, joy, and sometimes horror.

It‘s a numbers game, they say; the board of directors wants to see the numbers.

They are right! Especially when one remembers that 89% or more of a school‘s revenue comes from enrollment. Each enrollee counts.

of work in education. If they leave Steiner after a tour and feel they have learned just one or two things about children, about themselves, and about a different way to approach childhood, I feel I have had a good day and have provided the right service to the school.

As to the parents themselves: They I could share numbers with you. That‘s come in all sizes. Some are too big to not hard with the excellent technology at be comfortable on my teeny couch. our fingertips. I could tell you about the You know it: the little, almost elegant full open houses, and about the phones Italian one in my office that took that keep ringing, eager parents inquiring months to find. For them, the chance even after the application deadlines have to reflect on the meaning of childhood often elicits powerful emotions passed. as parents revisit their own experiBut that‘s not what I had in mind when I ences and speak about their children‘s agreed to share some thoughts for this particular qualities. The conversations month‘s Bulletin. Instead of numbers, I range from everyday issues such as wanted to write about the in-between, the bedtime routines, discipline, diet, etc., forces that stirred me eight years ago when to broad topics that involve a discusI thought of moving from my position as sion on the balance between nature school administrator to the critical work vs. nurture (progressive vs. traditional of admissions. pedagogies), and how the Waldorf approach synthesizes such polarities.

As far as my work on behalf of enrollment at Steiner, I was always told to sleep on all As to myself: Trained as a Waldorf major decisions for three days. I do think teacher and coming from a family of of all applying families not just for three many teachers, at heart, I remain one. days, but many days. Day and sometimes I still whisper to children on buses to at night, too. It is such a huge responsibil- stand up for the elderly or pregnant. I ity to help make the important decisions can‘t do otherwise. I still correct mison which families join our community. spellings and grammatical errors. And Yes, of course, we interview the children.

I want to impart something of value But honestly, in an ideal world, they to the families that come through the should all be welcome, as they are at pub- school. It‘s OK if they don‘t want to licly funded schools. Since we can‘t offer come to Steiner, though it saddens me a space to everyone who would like one, I to think their children will miss out! am moved to reflect on the stories the But I invite them then to make prospective parents share. Sometimes they Steiner their ―other‖ school. Some do. are just a layer or two deep, many times They enroll elsewhere, but they come they reveal more. Sometimes there are to our fairs, to our workshops when tears as the parents remember what is they can, or just stay in touch. Some really important to them about their child- home-school, for any number of reahood. Some parents remember their child- sons, but drop an email about which hood in detail. Others don‘t. Some wish to book they should read or to ask if I replicate certain experiences, others want know of other folks in the city with the opposite direction. They all want to whom they could connect. How wonlearn about themselves and their children derful is it to be able to serve an instiand I feel so lucky to be able to share tution that can be a clearing house, an freely of my experiences after thirty years exchange. I still dream about Saturdays

at Steiner. Can‘t we invite our neighbors who have been watching our children grow up for decades? Breakfasts and maybe a short talk, an author‘s reading, a little art exhibit, or just chats. On a cold, rainy day, what would be better?

Or even on a brisk, sunny day?

It all comes back to enrollment, doesn‘t it? Not so long ago we were given one million-plus dollars in the form of a Taco Bell in California, bequeathed to Steiner School by a dentist and his wife who fell in love with our School and children when they would pass regularly on the sidewalk. They didn‘t have children, but they saw what an amazing contribution the Steiner School made to so many families and thereby to the life of New York. They wanted to help.

And they did, right when we needed it most. The day will come when we will hoist just the right sculpture in the honor of Mr. and Mrs. Zolot. That‘s about enrollment, too - because people talk. And they talk about their children and the children‘s school. And when they say pleasant things about us and about their experiences, it goes a long way. Whenever one family meets with me, I know intuitively that they will speak with others. So if you think of the 300 applications to the lower school each year and that each parent speaks on average with at least ten people about our school, we are already reaching 3000 people each year. And that doesn‘t include those that pass through but don‘t apply.

That is another way to look at numbers.

Through outreach and ultimately with the interview process, we bring to the world our unique approach to education and childhood and with it an awareness of the true nature of our humanity and the promise that each child manifests. It is essential work, now more than ever.

Well, so I will keep talking about what I love: Waldorf education and about the children and alumni/ae and their families. Thanks for listening.

PARENT’S CORNER

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Separation Anxiety: a Parent’s Point of View By: Jennifer Hoyden, 1st grade parent A few days before this school year began, Ms. Bombieri called me up and asked if I would talk at the New Parent Orientation about my experience with Separation Anxiety. A year before I sat in the orientation as a new parent to the school. I listened to the teachers and to the parent speakers. I learned about rain pants, and that I should buy some. I sang a song about a squirrel, picked up a little gift basket for my daughter and went home. Vivian entered Kindergarten the next week and we learned what day to bring a piece of fruit or vegetable, we learned what Vivian‘s symbol was, and we learned a lot of new names. Then we spent the next 9 months racking up a lot of separation anxiety experience.

And now, a year later, I was being asked to speak on the topic. Vivian was going to start First Grade that week, literally graduate into First Grade with the Rose Ceremony. The first weekend after that start of school, I would present her as a success story of separation anxiety. We were a success story. She had a wonderful three days of school. She participated in the Rose Ceremony with the unwavering calm and maturity that I knew her to possess. She climbed all the stairs to the fifth floor all three mornings like a pro, unfazed by my wheezing and gasping. She shook her teacher‘s hand and entered First Grade.

Every day. A success.

So I had my thoughts about Separation Anxiety nicely organized for the new parents, written down carefully on a piece of paper the night before. Despite my confidence about Vivian and our gold medal achievements in the Can-Part-In-TheMorning-Without-Tears category, my voice trembled like a leaf that was being shaken as I spoke. It shook more than the blurry piece of paper I was holding. But I got the words out, made most of the points I had written down and later got to meet a few of the really great new parents who kindly introduced themselves. My visible terror at public speaking was clearly amusing, so, overall, it was a success.

Then the second week of First Grade began, and I learned that we‘re still learning.

I could say that Vivian cried that week, or I could say that she cried for the next few weeks, or for…hang on, let me consult my calendar…the next 5 weeks, but ―cried‖ doesn‘t quite sum it up. I weathered the concerned looks and the innocent inquiries from parents and children alike each morning as I left my crying Vivian with her teacher and 23 steady classmates. I got lots of sympathy and hugs every day, as did she, and I nodded optimistically at the assurances that were offered.

And then, sometime around week 4, I learned some new things. I learned that although we had been held in the protective and guiding heart of the Downstairs Kindergarten the previous year, Ms. Scheinfeld in the Upstairs Kindergarten belonged to us as well. Absolutely and positively, through her support and insight, which she readily shared, she proved that she was our teacher too. She, together with a very compassionate mother now in the Downstairs Kindergarten, reminded me of something which our new teacher already seemed to grasp: who Vivian is, and how to help her. So I learned that our previous success was not an end but simply a chapter. And Vivian stopped crying. So our entry into First Grade is another success – a success in learning.

What else have I learned since coming to Steiner? I‘ve learned that Ms. Panepinto has 6 arms, 10 eyes, she literally knows how to juggle and, and she stitches up beautiful crowns, can knit, and has compassion to spare. I learned that the Fall Fair workshops are the best places to meet some of the most modest, outrageously talented and decent people, whose friendships I am grateful for. I learned that the anticipation of getting a new First Grade teacher is way scarier than the actual new First Grade teacher, who, it turns out, is the best, most invested, committed, generous patient man on the planet. Mr. Kotansky is going to lead us through 8th grade and I am not scared.

Maybe I'll pass this to Jim or Susanne and maybe they'll politely tell me to write on volunteering opportunities at the school instead, or the wonderful things I've learned through the Adult Education activities I've had the privilege to participate in.

I won't mind. I just first had to write this "Thank you" that I constantly feel, all the time, to all the people who are making our every day at the school so positive, because maybe they don't know that the stories they share, or their wit or their knowledge means so much- is teaching us so much. Maybe I‘m gushing too much.

Forgive me, I'm still learning.

PARENT’S

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Letter from a Prospective Parent By: Shawn Atkins Echoing through my thoughts as I walked into Central Park to meet my daughter at the zoo after the tour was the lovely little wash-up song sung by the kindergarten teacher. I was so moved to watch the orderliness and harmony of their routine…how the assistants gently (as if they were placing a crown of the most delicate flowers!) put aprons over the children‘s heads before they headed to the sink, and especially how the smiling little boy held a large orange-red towel in his lap and helped the other children dry their hands. What an image of serenity and cooperation. It reminded me of my favorite scene in Fellini‘s 8 ½ (another wash-up scene) where the children scamper under and between the large, luminous white sheets of swaying laundry, while a woman sings and gathers them up for their bedtime baths.

Thank you so much for your generosity of time and experience this morning. This second glimpse of the inner workings of the Steiner School left me with so many images, sounds, objects and ideas to think over as I build my understanding of Waldorf education. I loved the great respect with which the 1st grade teacher addressed his students. (May I ask you to draw a bridge…[to complete the letter A]). (Not to mention the pictorial strength of his words!) Of course I can see how this courtesy and respect as well as the imaginative tincture of his words will then be mirrored back to him by his students. The wooden spoons that we saw in the woodworking studio, in all stages of becoming—from rough sketch to polished object, simultaneously exuding beauty, creative thought and usefulness—reminded me of the glimpses we got throughout the tour of the students themselves.

And not only the students, but the parents below in the cafeteria, and in the Parent/Child workshop, all spoke of different stages of creation—knitting needles in hand, wool being stuffed into gauze, a little lamb not yet complete—this intertwining of education and creation, this absolute recognition of the potency and uniqueness of each individual, helped me again to realize in yet another corner of my heart, what has drawn me to Waldorf education from the start. I hope for my daughter an education that possesses such an organic rhythm, in which imagination and knowledge, the heart and head, one‘s passion and intellect, learn to work in unison.

All this to say, more more please! I look forward to the Fall Fair and our March 1st 10am playdate. In the meantime, please let me know of any lectures, study groups or workshops open to prospective parents. As I mentioned to your husband at the Open House, I am currently doing a Steiner reading group and doll-making workshop online with a group of mothers, some of whom are new to Waldorf education and others whom were Waldorf-educated themselves and are now schooling their children in Waldorf schools. I am always open to learning more, and going more deeply into the writings.

Also, I am in the process of organizing a small Waldorf playgroup/study group for a few parents in my Astoria neighborhood. It should be interesting as we are all culturally very different (Brasilian, Pakistani, Spanish and myself) and relatively new to Waldorf ideas, but all very interested in the merging of creativity and education. I will keep you posted on how this progresses.

Again, thank you for giving us such a thoughtful and meticulous inside-out view of the Steiner School. I really had a wonderful, wonderful time.

Very truly yours, Shawn Atkins

MAIN

LESSONS

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2nd grade Fables with Lee Stevens

MAIN

LESSONS

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5th grade study of Buddha with Timothy Hoffmann

SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

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Update on Copenhagen Discussions By: Student Council President Over the last week it has been very interesting charting the progress, or lack thereof, of the Copenhagen meetings. This diverse group that President Obama will join on Friday, is a collection of representatives from various countries negotiating for what they feel is just. One of the major issues that has arisen is how poor nations will follow the policies established for affluent nations. I think that Mr. Boer, the top United Nations climate official in Copenhagen, states the situation very well when he states ― There are 400 million people in India who lack access to electricity. How do you switch off the light bulb that you don‘t have?‖ The United States involvement in these discussions should not be looked upon, by the other 192 na-

tions, as a lot of talk and no action because we currently have our own regulations for cape and trade stalled in the Senate. The United States and China are two of the greatest contributors to the pollution of the planet, and unlike China thus far, the United States is taking initiative in not only complying with the necessary monitoring of emissions of the U.S, but by also making it possible for smaller nations to thrive as a product of these discussions.

As the protesters outside the Bella Center can attest, this is only the beginning of something that may have to be eventually engraved in stone. But at the moment this is a ground breaking moment, and what I find particularly interesting is that nations may possibly be able to be rewarded for maintaining forests, swamps, and various other carbon-

absorbing environments to accumulate carbon credits. Scientists are now researching plants that are efficient in absorbing carbon dioxide.

I do not know what will come of these talks in Copenhagen, but I do know that this is a very important moment, and one of many discussions that will follow what may be a continuous debate on how we as a global species can come to a consensus about confronting climate change. We have the technology; wind turbines, solar panels, electric cars, etc. But instead of relying on what is more profitable, it may be necessary to look at where we are and where we are heading, especially when it comes to our dependence on oil.

The Copenhagen discussions are a drop in a reservoir; a reservoir that we must fill to its brim.

Martin Luther King’s Legacy in the High School By: Brian Plane, History Teacher

No historical figure receives greater or more thoughtful treatment in our high school than Martin Luther King, Jr. There exists a singularity of focus on King and his legacy. By tradition, the Civil Rights movement and King‘s monumental role within it are thrust upon high school students at an annual assembly held each Wednesday morning following our national celebration of Martin Luther King Day. Student leaders have always taken up the work of planning, organizing, and participating in this assembly, creating a platform for sharing newsreel footage, recitation, current events, performances, singing, poetry, and homemade films. All this has come, yes, as a reminder of past injustice, as a tribute to King‘s achievements, as a riveting example of moral courage and progress in the contemporary age.

But perhaps most striking has been

the students‘ enduring reverence for King, his vision, his admonition that we seek—that we all continue to seek—that elusive “society at peace with itself.”

Thus the students, through the assembly, have sown the seeds of inquiry and inspiration, and it is my privilege to step in as history teacher . The curriculum formally turns to Martin Luther King and the stormy 1960s in the 12th grade year, in our students‘ final history main lesson, and rightfully so. For what better subject to elicit discussion of the contradictions within our democracy, the ideals and harsh realities behind the American dream? Hopefully, the students appreciate the fruits of idealism, while also experiencing the bitterness of ideals unfulfilled, of promises broken, of flaws exposed or confronted anew.

Where have we been? Where are we going? In what do we believe? These

are questions high school students intuitively link to Dr. King, his times, and the contemporary world, questions that make the formal study of the 1960s a highlight within the high school curriculum.

SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS

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Social Inclusion and the Student Action Committee (SAC) By: Marina McGrew, 11th Grade Advisor The Rudolf Steiner School has made a commitment to work with Kim John Payne and his approach to Social Inclusion. This initiative was launched in 2008 with a group of faculty members. Last fall, following a day-long workshop with Kim Payne, a group of sixteen High School students began the student-centered portion of the program. This group meets weekly and is led by Marina McGrew with help from Brooke Brosenne, Brian Plane, Clio Venho, and Marta Morales.

Our work is guided by Mr. Payne‘s approach, as written in his workbook/ manual and presented in workshops.

In addition to discussions about regular "put downs," we talk about bullying, teasing, and exclusion. SAC members shared personal experiences involving teasing and bullying, and ex-

pressed how they would have liked adults to help solve these problems.

The group is focused on ways to cultivate awareness of these social ills, and with strategies to handle situations that occur – often daily - in this community.

Our goal is to help those who instigate an environment of discomfort as well as those who feel targeted.

groups, they will form a "code of compassion" with the younger students. They will also participate in workshops with Kim Payne and select faculty, learning to play the roles of supporters and aids to students. This activity will spotlight mediation of various types, and provide useful models for conflict resolution.

The continuing work of the group will include forming socially-oriented ―role plays‖ to perform for younger students.

These will be followed by discussions that explore how interaction and communication can shift to be inclusive rather than exclusive and hurtful. In preparation for this task, SAC students have begun visiting Lower School classes, two or three students per grade, to acquaint themselves with the younger students and observe patterns of interaction. Working in small

Kim John Payne is a former Waldorf teacher. He is now involved with schools worldwide, helping integrate a Social Inclusion approach into their communities. He has written two books, "Games Children Play" and "Simplicity Parenting", has been mentioned in Time Magazine, and has been interviewed on National Public Radio about his work: building an awareness of and tools for social inclusion in communities.

Defining Diversity By: Gabrielle Latessa Ortiz ’83, Diversity Committee Alumni Representative Justin Peyser, Parent Co-Chair Diversity Committee The Diversity Committee at RSS is in its second year. Teachers, parents and administrators are engaging in a lively discussion and you are invited to participate.

We look to our community to help us define ―diversity‖ and ―multiculturalism.‖ Our purpose is to raise consciousness so that we may form a consensus about what diversity means in the Waldorf context.

Some of the questions we discuss are: How might we expand access to our school? Is there support for expanding scholarships? How diverse are we? Should our student body and staff be more inclusive? Should they represent New York City, racially, ethnically, and economically? What does ―multiculturalism‖ mean for a

Waldorf curriculum? What does diversity teach? What would Rudolph Steiner say to diversity? How if at all should festivals and narratives adapt?

Is the work any different in early childhood, the grades and the high school? How do other Waldorf schools treat diversity?

We hope to answer these questions with workshops, lectures, meetings and discussions. We wish to reach out beyond our school, to access communities who know little of Waldorf Education, and could benefit from understanding what our school has to offer.

It is in this spirit that we ask for your input. Each of us has a unique experience of our school so your feed-

back is vital. How do you see the curriculum? How did students with cultural or economic differences get along at school? Does the school environment support or not support your cultural values, religion, or background? We invite you to contact us with your stories. Please join us in this important and ever- evolving conversation.

Contact us with your comments: Gabrielle Ortiz: gabortiz@earthlink.net Justin Peyser: jbpeyser@nyc.rr.com

7TH

GRADE CREATIVE WRITING

WITH CYBELLE

AFABLE

AND

APRIL

PEREYRA

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7TH

GRADE CREATIVE WRITING

WITH CYBELLE

AFABLE

AND

APRIL

PEREYRA

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MESSAGES

FROM THE

UPPER SCHOOL

Thoughts on Being “Highly Selected” By: Marisha Plotnick I had arrived. After the most grueling application process of my life, including a final interview before a committee that grilled me on Waldorf education (―So, how do you work with largeheaded children?), I was on the campus of Columbia University as the Klingenstein Fellow. One whole year of pure study. My dream had come true.

With stars in my eyes I had been drawn to the mathematics library, only one of the eleven (count them, eleven!) different libraries at the university. That September morning, we had read in my cognitive science class The Aims of Education by Alfred North Whitehead. Wait, I knew Whitehead!

The mathematician! Co-author with Bertrand Russell of the Principia Mathematica. Some quick Googling confirmed that he had also published some important work on Projective Geometry in the early 20th century.

And now I sat in the reading room of the library with a crumbling first edition of that geometry book on the table before me. This was heaven.

As the year wore on, there were many such moments of bliss. Encounters with primary texts I had never read, or never even known about. Hours of devoting myself to the pure pleasure of wrestling with original thoughts.

However, I quickly found that ―highly selective‖ has a dark side.

Simply put, a highly selective institution doesn‘t need to teach.

There were some bright spots; two or three professors who were artists in the classroom. These were the ones who knew how to pull a discussion deeper. They were able to recognize when something important had been said and pursue it. Teachers who

Page 12

8th Grade Triangles with Marisha Plotnick

could read the mood in the room and understand what was needed: uncomfortable silence or a good joke.

But they were the rare ones. Mostly, classroom discussions were lively but superficial, assignments were shallow, and the readings were simplified summaries of complex ideas. That professors at a school of education should have so little skill at pushing the envelope of learning was disappointing indeed.

Unfortunately, I too often saw a similar dynamic in the highly selective schools we visited on our field trips.

In too many classes I saw teachers simply present material, leaving it up to the students to make sense of it.

Many, through exemplary habits of hard work, did. But most of their work seemed to happen at home with the textbook or with their tutor.

The classroom seemed to be more about absorbing and organizing information than about making sense of the world. I did see great teaching in surprising places: a public high school in the North Bronx, a public kindergarten in the South Bronx. In these non-selective institutions I saw skillful teachers meet the children who came through their doorways, recognize where they were, and bring them into the right kind of work to make them skillful at learning.

By the end of my year, it was clear that my program in Private School Leadership was all about the school as institution, and strong institutions have no necessary connection with superb teaching and learning. They might. Or they might not. I am much less awed now by name recognition, and much more interested in what happens in classrooms. It‘s so good to be back at work again.

Acute Isosceles Triangle

Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

Obtuse Scalene Triangle

MESSAGES

FROM THE

UPPERS SCHOOL

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New After-School Robotics Program By: Sharad Rai, IT Director This January, we will launch an exciting new Robotics program for our High School students in grades 9-12.

This after-school program is designed to supplement the traditional learning environment; where students can have fun while building skills like creativity and problem solving.

students will acquire real-life computer programming skills!

So why robotics? Robotics lends itself to project-based tasks that reflect real-life problems with a measurable and attainable goal. It is not so much about learning the nuts and bolts of robots themselves, but The Program is designed to take stuabout using robotics to highlight dents through a planning and design and explain concepts in math, sciphase which requires them to brainence and technology. Students can storm and come up with ideas about apply basic robotics knowledge, what they would like their Robots to learning through an immediate and do. From this point the building visceral process: design, trial and phase will familiarize students with the experience. working parts of a robot, from its regular moving parts, ultrasonic and Building and designing solutions light sensors (which determine obsta- takes curriculum-based skills like cles and ambient light in the room to mathematics, science, and engineerengage its ―on‖ light and make pathing, to a higher level. Because these way adjustments), to the sound sensor activities are based on construction which hears the voice command and and problem solving, they encouradjusts the robot‘s behavior. age children to learn not only through listening, reading, and writThe core and most exciting part of ing but also by using their bodyRobotics will be programming the kinesthetic and spatial intelligence. robot for Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This, in turn, increases their ability Students will learn and use the to understand. programming language ―RobotC‖ to write programs for controlling a Ultimately, the Robotics program robot‘s movements. The bonus – will encourage and prepare students while they‘re having fun creating for a wide range of professions by intelligence from the ground up, emphasizing skills in decision

Beginning January 11th Robotics will meet Mondays and Fridays from 3:30-5:30pm in the High School Basement.

making, problem solving, verbal and written communication, and computer programming. In addition, it will offer a way for our students to enjoy technology and have fun in a creative environment.

The Robots are coming!

IN

THE

KITCHEN

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Seaweed

By Leslie Li, Chef SEAWEED – who doesn‘t like it? Well, I happen to love it, especially now that we are eating winter vegetables and soups.

Finding new ways to use seaweed can be a challenge, but I have found a wonderful recipe that I hope you try at home. Terry Walters has recently written Clean Food, published by Sterling Publishing Company Inc. in 2009, from which Arame with Caramelized Shiitake Mushrooms heralds. This book is ―a seasonal guide to eating close to the source‖ and while it incorporates interesting nutritional information and offers healthy food choices, it is also full of creative and simple recipes that use a wide range of diverse foods, all of which are available at your local market. This is one of the best cookbooks I have come across in recent years, and I am so pleased that Ms. Walters has graciously given us permission to share this winter recipe with you.

Rudy and I have served at least a dozen dishes from this cookbook and they have all been very tasty and well received. So, even if you think you might not like seaweed, give it a second chance and try Arame with Caramelized Shiitake Mushrooms. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Arame is a mild tasting seaweed, or sea vegetable, high in minerals, calcium and iron. Diakon is a Japanese radish that can help lower cholesterol. Skiitake mushrooms help flush toxins and decrease fat and cholesterol in the blood. Tossed all together, simply delicious!

Arame with Caramelized Shiitakes Makes 6 servings 1 cup dried arame 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 12 shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced 3-4 shallots, thinly sliced 2 carrots, shredded 1 3-inch piece diakon, peeled and cut into matchsticks 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds Toasted sesame oil Sea salt Place the arame in bowl and fill with enough water to cover. Soak 10 minutes, rinse, drain and set aside.

In large skillet over medium heat, sauté shiitakes in grapeseed oil 10 minutes. If pan starts to stick, deglaze with 1 tablespoon tamari or water and continue stirring. Even if mushrooms appear done, make sure to sauté the full time to bring out their richness and caramelized taste and texture. Remove from heat and place in separate bowl. Return skillet to stovetop.

Heat remaining 1tablespoon grapeseed oil in skillet and sauté shallots 3 minutes. Add carrots, Daikon, mirin and remaining tablespoon tamari and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add shiitakes and arame and heat through. Toss with toasted sesame seeds. Season to taste with toasted sesame oil and sea salt, serve and enjoy. Thanks again to Terry Walters for allowing us to share this recipe with you.

I would also like to thank everyone who helped make the Fall Fair Café such a success and the Fall Fair an enjoyable day. In particular, Louise Randolph, parent extraordinaire, MaryLynn Lorinz, hand work teacher and café chef, Marisha Plotnik, math teacher and cashier, parents Joelle Meyer, Gabriella Ortiz & Eugenia Bone, who expertly helped peel, chop and dice as well as the host of other parent volunteers who served the day of the event. Thank you all for your time and sense of humor!

If you have any questions about the food program, the kitchen, what your kids may or may not be eating, or just want to talk about food, please feel free to contact me. I can be reached at lli@steiner.edu or by calling the lower school at extension 232.

My office hours are usually between 2-3:30pm, Mondays and Fridays.

From Rudy, Rafael, David, and me, we wish you all a happy Winter Holiday Season. Eat well, be happy and stay healthy!

NOTES

TO

OUR

COMMUNITY

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Blessings and Gratitude Reflections from the Development Committee by Parent Chair, Joy Phelan-Pinto How We Give Thanks Each season brings its own rhythms and pleasures but I must confess to being especially partial to the warm festivals and holidays of this chilly time of year, beginning with the Fall Fair and culminating in the Thanksgiving and Winter assemblies at All Soul‘s Church. These inspiring events bring to life the beauty of the season and the strength of our community.

The dedication of our faculty and the gifts of our students are strikingly revealed through such gatherings, which also provide the community with the gift of celebrating together. These uplifting assemblies never fail to reaffirm my gratitude for Waldorf education and the blessings that Rudolf Steiner School bestows upon all of us, parents as well as students.

The Annual Fund None of this would be possible, of course, without the community‘s support of the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is the financial bedrock that sustains all events, and the participation of every community member is vitally important.

Your invitation to support the Annual Fund was mailed in mid-December. Kindly pledge or make your donation soon, so the school may fulfill its goal of 100% parent participation early in the new year.

In these financially uncertain times, there is no better use of our charitable contribution than to the school that is embracing, sustaining and educating our children.

Annual Fund gifts allow the school to keep faculty salaries competitive, attract the finest new teachers, improve its facilities and enhance our children‘s programs. Moreover, Annual Fund gifts enable the school to uphold its strong tradition of financial assistance, which has been especially significant in the last year as the financial downturn has adversely affected a number of families in the community and the school has done its utmost to support them.

100% participation is more than just a goal – it‘s a necessity. It raises the school‘s standing in the educational and financial communities and reaffirms the dedication and commitment of the Steiner parent body in a measurable way. It also serves as an inspiration to all involved. Please help us achieve it.

With Blessings and Gratitude….

All of us on the Development Committee have enjoyed celebrating the holidays with our friends at Rudolf Steiner School and look forward to a crisp, bright winter and New Year.

We also thank you in advance for your support of the Annual Fund. Every gift—great or small—is received by the school with deep appreciation and will be put to good use.

NOTES

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

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Foundation for Small Voices: Toy Drive Update The Foundation for Small Voices extends a deeply heartfelt thanks to the Rudolf Steiner School community for its strong support of our 10th Annual Holiday Gift Drive. With the earnest efforts of students, teachers, staff members and parents, the School assisted the Gift Drive in meeting its goal of delivering 10,000 gifts to 10,000 children.

This partnership in community service brought rewards, both expected and not, for everyone. In this economy and environment, making connections between communities and individuals not only helps and heals, but also brings promising sounds of a better world for all of us. The Steiner community, through the Foundation for Small Voices, reached children in neighborhoods of every borough of New York City as well as 2500 children living in an impoverished village in Kenya. Gifts ranged from food bags, to winter coats and wool scarves, to new beds, to adventurous board games, and books. All of these gifts have given hope to children, letting them know that their voices are being heard. Thank you for listening with us.

While the Foundation looks forward to the School's support with next year's Gift Drive, our organization's work does not end with the holiday season. If you are interested in continuing to help or becoming more informed, please contact us at smallvoices@gmail.com or visit our website, foundationforsmallvoices.org.

A Celebration of Small Voices The Foundation for Small Voices proudly announces the release of "A Celebration of Small Voices: 10 Years of Children's Songwriting Workshops", a CD filled with the voices of children from across the globe, including those of RSS's own Eighth Grade, singing their own "Welcome to My World".

Other songs include "I'll Find Freedom" (All City Children's Choir, Cheyenne, Wyoming; "If I Could" (East Stroudsbourg High School, East Stroudsbourg, PA); "One by One" (Tanzania Street Children), and "Small Voices" (Combined School Choirs, Beijing, China). Each of the songs was written in the Foundation's signature workshops with composer (and Steiner parent) Jim Papoulis. Some of the children had never sung a note or written a poem on their own before they walked into the workshop.

The Foundation for Small Voices is dedicated to using music to cross cultural, generational and ideological boundaries to raise awareness and funds for national and international music and mentoring programs for children. To purchase the CD please order by emailing smallvoices@gmail.com (we can deliver to the school!).

Childrens CD Release Alexandra Geis (P20) just released her debut singer/songwriter album, eXTeNdeD pLaYdATe. Her 2nd grader, Cordelia, contributed her singing voice to 4 of the tracks and her horse artwork to the illustrated lyric & coloring booklet that accompanies the CD. Made for kids (and the folks who listen with them--over and over again), the album travels from pop to swing; reggae to alt. rock; electronica to country and more: a rockin' companion for all adventures whether on the road or home on the range. Come visit at thegoodbatchband.com, print out coloring pages and have a listen!

11TH WITH

AND 12TH GRADE SCULPTURES RENATE POLIAKINE

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