IN THE LOOP A Publication for the Alumni Community Please share this newsletter with friends and family.
Recognition for Waldorf Education
of Lexington
Winter 2012
In This Issue
them to tour our school. On another recent occasion, Recognition for a young Harvard student from Waldorf Education India visited the school for a tour motivated by his interest in Waldorf pedaThe Art of gogy as an educational choice for India. Walking Slowly After his visit, he sent me an article entitled Cleaning Up “Waldorf Education in Public Schools.” (Papano, Harvard Education Letter. Nov/ Alumni Profile: Dec 2011.) The writer compares Waldorf Ben Deily, Class of ‘82 education to the slow food movement with its preference for homemade, unprocessed Holiday Fair Reunion foods and poses the question as to whether this could be a solution for school reform. Please Join Us... This is due, in large part, to the successWelcome in the May-O ful expansion of Waldorf charter schools which is creating interest in its methods. Olympic Memories A recent article in the New York Times and television reports on the national Milestones NBC Evening News and local Fox News in Philadelphia all explore Waldorf ’s “low tech” approach to education and its appeal to “high tech” parents in Silicon Valley and beyond. The NY Times front page article explained how, in contrast Robert Mendenhall to tech-enhanced education, Waldorf is Memorial Benefit Concert an “unmediated education,” that places March 9, 2012 the human relationship between teacher 7:30–9:30 p.m. and students at the center of the learning Follen Church process. (Richtel, “A Silicon Valley School Reserve here. That Doesn’t Compute.” Oct 22 2011.) Fly Me To the Moon These broadcasts and articles highlight Second Annual Gala the rising credibility—alongside a signifiAuction, Dinner and Dancing cant new visibility for Waldorf at the naMarch 31, 2012 tional level. As an alumni parent of three 6–11 p.m. Waldorf graduates, it is very gratifying to Charles Hotel, Cambridge see Waldorf education begin to receive the Reserve here. recognition that it deserves. The one thing notably missing from all of these reports May Day are interviews with graduates. Perhaps you May 5, 2012 have experiences and reflections you would 10 a.m.–1 p.m. like to share with us? We would love to hear from you!
by Robert Schiappacasse, School Director It is a pleasure to contribute to this first edition of the alumni community newsletter for the Waldorf School of Lexington. During the course of my first year at WSL, Waldorf education and its methods have been highlighted in mainstream media and educational circles. In February I was asked to make a presentation at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Professor Gigi Luk, a specialist in brain research, is teaching a course to 40 graduate students in “Cognitive Neuroscience and Education.” Since their final project centers on early childhood curriculum development, I asked two of our kindergarten teachers, Wendy Margo and Leah Palumbo, to join me. As Waldorf professionals and parents of Waldorf alumni, we saw this as an opportunity to share the history, philosophy, and methods of Waldorf education with students at a leading graduate school of education. After our oral presentation to the students, Wendy passed out beeswax to the group and laid out a puppet show on the floor in front of the class to give the students an experience of Waldorf ’s developmental approach. As Wendy began the story, students slipped out of their chairs onto the floor—with a piece of beeswax softening in their hands—delighted to hear and see a Grimm’s fairy tale. They readily shifted from a cognitive to a sensory and imaginative experience that impressed on them how the Waldorf method engages young children. We encouraged the students to keep in touch and invited
Waldorf School
Community Events
Relearning the Art of Walking Slowly by Serena Eastman, Class of 2004 Studying abroad at University of Cape Town last spring semester, I relearned the art of walking slowly, a skill I had originally developed during my 15 years as a Waldorf student (nursery through Twelfth Grade). At UCT, class periods were 45 minutes with 15 minutes in between. How ridiculous! I thought at first. Walking the speed I normally walk in Boston, I would weave around all the South Africans meandering to class to arrive at my next class 10 minutes early. Once there I would find a seat in the huge lecture hall and tap my pen or foot, waiting for the lecture to start. Then I began looking around me as I walked, unconsciously slowing my pace. I soon saw that the point was not that we might need 15 minutes to get from class to class; rather, it gave students freedom and time to slow down and enjoy learning and the beautiful weather and views, to have a few moments to sit on the steps looking out over the city and chat with friends or self-reflect. I began to think of my life in the US as a fast-forward track on a movie reel. It was so crammed with activities, assignments, and rushing from one place to the next that I often felt like a machine spitting out papers, lab reports and art projects simply to have them done, rather than enjoy the process and learn from them. I missed the opportunity for self-reflection and self-centering that Waldorf had offered me, and now Cape Town was offering me. By not cramming too much into a day or class and by providing opportunities to turn inward, space was created for the cultivation of oneself as a sentient, alert, human being rather
Serena and a lemur eyeing each other in Madagascar
than an academic automaton. As children at Waldorf, we were well supported in walking slowly by going on nature walks and imagining worlds. Waldorf promoted an engagement and appreciation of the present moment and focus on the inbreath and outbreath of life. The ability and acceptance of walking slowly engendered by Waldorf philosophy and practice allowed for internal quiet, peace and self-reflection that I will carry with me throughout my life. It planted the seed and let me figure out the best direction in which to grow. Now, as I plan and prepare for life after graduation from Wellesley College in May, I still walk slowly. I know how to speed up when necessary, but for the most part, I’ll take 15 minutes to walk what I could do in five. Serena graduated from Waldorf High School of Massachusetts Bay in 2008 and is completing her BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Studio Art at Wellesley College.
Help Us Clean Up Our Database Having just celebrated our 40th Anniversary, we are re-invigorated to make our community, which has grown exponentially over these past four decades, more active and vibrant. You—our alumni, alumni parents, and friends—are a very important part of this effort. We want to help connect you with each other, to invite you to join our community events. We want you to come back to visit and share your experiences with current families. We are proud of what you do in the world and who you have become and want to let others know through our communications.
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Maintaining accurate contact information is crucial in order for us to stay connected and continue to communicate. Help us stay in touch by updating your contact information. Please encourage other alumni, alumni parents, and friends to update their information. You can forward the email that links to this newsletter to fellow alumni and their parents. Have you never updated your contact information? Have you moved recently or changed phone numbers and/or email addresses? Please click here to update your mailing address, phone number(s) and email address.
Alumni Profile Ben Deily, Class of 1982 After graduating with the first 8th Grade class, Ben attended the Commonwealth School in Boston where he co-founded the local cult band, Lemonheads, with classmate, Evan Dando. The two shared frontman and songwriting duties for the band’s first four releases and two US tours. While the Lemonheads went on to sign a record deal with a major label, Ben moved on to the next stage of his life: studying literature at Harvard. He moved back and forth from West Coast to East Coast for work and personal inclination until he re-settled back in the Boston area where he continues to ply his trade and to entertain his fans with his band, Varsity Drag. His wife Lisa, an actor and member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, plays bass. As to the details, we thought it best to let Ben speak for himself.
Tell us how you came to the Waldorf School. OK, well—once upon a time… I first walked into Waldorf as a member of our first-ever First Grade, back in 1970-something-or-other. I was five years old. Our teacher was Karen Weiland, until Fourth Grade—at which point William Brandes took over. Fact is, as a family we’re pretty well mobbed-up with the Lexington school. My mother Betsy—currently a part of the High School staff—worked with the school since I was in Third Grade. Both my younger brother and sister attended—and graduated—as well. So needless to say, there’s a lot of old Main Lesson books piled up at my folks’ house.
What was the Waldorf community like? Well, those were different times for the school...and for the world. But to the point: our parent body in the 70s and 80s was made up of a passionate, dedicated, rather ragtag coalition of the willing, from 60s hippies (both current and former) and back-to-the-earth health-food enthusiasts, to well-heeled (and not-so-well-heeled) New Agers of all stripes, to ordinary liberal-minded folks like my own parents who wanted their kids to experience something more rich and deep than was on offer in the local public (and even private) schools. It would be rather hard for me to do it all justice. Let’s just say, (a) they were a very interesting group, and (b), well, you just had to have been there. The faculty themselves were an even more extraordinary bunch…passionate and willing to sacrifice in all sorts of ways for the school and for the kids. What do you do now? Wasting my life in the advertising trade. As was my (admittedly depraved) childhood dream. Specifically, I’m a copywriter/ “associate creative director”—and have been for more years than would be politic to admit. A short list of clients I’ve created work for would include
Clos du Bois wines, Oral-B (“the brand more dentists use”), Microsoft, PETA, CBS Radio, FirstWind (a Massachusetts-based wind power company), Aflac, and my current full-time client Harley-Davidson. (WARNING: It may be hazardous to your health to combine the above brands/products in any way other than in an advertising portfolio. At the very least, do NOT attempt to operate a motorcycle—or a 164-ton GE wind turbine— while brushing your teeth with wine.) What brought you to this line of work? Subterfuge, cunning and strategic bribery. OK, I’m just kidding about the cunning. Well, here’s the story: upon graduating from Harvard (along with my fellow first-ever-Waldorf-classmate and best pal Lukas Oberhuber) in the 90s, I realized that advertising was the only white collar profession that would allow me to draw, write, design, talk in funny voices, listen to (and make) music and films all day, and still get paid for it. Oh, and it was also the only thing—besides teaching English—that I might be remotely qualified to do with a degree in English and American Literature. I also did the following calculus: you can work in advertising for a decent interval, and retire into teaching English (my other dream-job-type aspiration)—however, the advertising industry has never in the history of the world, to the best of my knowledge, allowed a former English teacher to “retire” into being a copywriter. Thus, my course was set. You have written music and played in a band on and off since high school. What influenced your love of music? Well, as a family, we’re pretty much a Van Trapp-level of obsessed when it comes to music. My mom’s been a music teacher on and off for years, my sister is a choral soloist, my brother’s a professional singer/pianist/drummer/guitar player and music director…my grandmother, in her
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time, was a prolific songwriter and a boffo singer…so the music has always been around. Nevertheless, Waldorf was a huge influence in making it an integral part of my everyday life from such an early age. Everything from our in-class recorder playing and singing, to the school orchestra and our Gilbert & Sullivan musicals, all of this has been a part of what made me grow up as someone confident to learn and play by ear, to take risks, to just PLAY music rather than worry about “performing” it. It saddens me that so many people I meet—who never had the benefit of Waldorf—have been fed the lie that they’re “not talented” or “not musical.” That’s nonsense. And anyone, given the exposure and experience I was lucky enough to get through eight years at Waldorf, would discover that they were every bit as “musical” as they wanted to be. Tell us about being part of the first graduating class. In retrospect, it was actually quite remarkable. I mean, every time we reached a new grade, well, we were the first version of that grade...ever. We, our teachers, and the institution had to figure it all out for the first time, each time. Obviously, that made for a kind of frontier spirit...and a lot of adventures: the first ever main lesson block in this-thator-the-other subject. The first-ever Shepherd’s Play. The first-ever Farm Trip. And so forth. Can you describe your most vivid memories at Waldorf? Not to wuss out, here, but far too many to count. That having been said, well: building snow forts in the blizzard of ’78; the advent gardens, lit with candles…the smell of the pine boughs, the hush, the amazing feeling of threading your way through that spiral shape filled with wonders; Mrs. Weiland’s little frog puppet, Monsieur Grenouille, who helped us with French lessons; performing a scene from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” in Fourth Grade (I played Caesar; Lukas played Brutus; after I had been brutally stabbed and left on the steps of the Senate, no one ever lowered the curtain, so eventually I had to get up and just slink offstage); our first-ever Gilbert & Sullivan musical, “HMS Pinafore”; wet-watercolor painting, and how our skills evolved over the years; Mr. Brandes’ indelible
lessons in everything from science to the poetry of Robert Frost (large swaths of which we memorized, and which I still get to enjoy in my brain to this day). Honestly, the passion for the written word—poetry in particular—instilled in us by Mr. Brandes is something that measurably impacts my life to this day…even to this moment. He shared with us the greatest imaginable gift. I mean, really, in that way I feel he gave us the keys to the kingdom. Everything in my academic life that came after—prep school, college—built on what he imparted to us. And on a personal level, I credit him with being a big influence in steering me towards the abiding passions of my life: poetry and language.
Are there any insights you could share about Waldorf education for current students? As is usually the case with old duffers, I have nothing to offer but clichés. Let me see, um…treasure this time. Make the most of it. These days won’t come again. Also—to the greatest degree that’s reasonable—don’t sweat the kind of nonsense that can be measured only by a standardized test. If you’ve got a good teacher, and work on the fundamentals, the rest will take care of itself. For instance: I (and a lot of my classmates), following a standard Waldorf curriculum, didn’t learn to read until Second Grade…but by Third Grade we were reading at Sixth Grade level or so. My class included future national merit scholars, and from a class of six, two of us graduated Harvard with honors. Waldorf education is beyond adequate to prepare you for the “college of your choice,” or whatever it is that kids and their parents worry about these days. And it has the capacity to give you something far more valuable: an actual lifelong appreciation for the sciences, the arts, for culture, for nature—for all the majesty of the universe and of human endeavor within it. (They often say that sort of thing “can’t be taught,” but that’s rubbish; it is taught at Waldorf.) In fact, I can’t imagine how I would approach my work without the habits of mind, and the integrative, “holistic” (for want of a better word) viewpoint I learned throughout my childhood at the school.
Varsity Drag Tribute to Alex Chilton You can watch the video with Adobe Reader by clicking on the photo. For Macs, you may need to download the newsletter to view this embedded video with Reader. As an alternative you can watch it on YouTube by clicking here. You can find out more about Ben, his work, and his music at bendeily.com and varsitydrag.bandcamp.com.
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Holiday Fair Alumni Gathering Once again recent WSL alums gathered at the Holiday Fair to catch up, share high school news and holiday cheer.
Teacher Paula van den Broek with 2008 classmates including Ben Clements
Meike Faber, Charlie Canty, and Laura Breitenfeld, Class of 2009
Oliver Wass and Lucy Cooper-Hauser Class of 2009
Evan Jaccodine, Class of 2010
Lilia Gaufberg and Lucy Kania, Class of 2008
Teacher Stephen Bloomquist with 2011 classmates
Please Join Us...
oncert, ndenhall C Annual Me of the in support March 9, emorial ndenhall M Robert Me d n u F Scholarship
Second Annual Gala* Fly Me To the Moon Saturday, March 31, 2012 The Charles Hotel, Cambridge RSVP by March 6
Original artwork by Mirja Troppenhagen, P’19, ‘21
Be on the look out for your invitations to two fabulous, festive upcoming community events. If you are not on our email list, then consider this your evite. The annual Mendenhall Concert, honoring the vision of an amazing man, is one of the most special events of the year. Come and enjoy outstanding performances by the Music Faculty and guest musicians. We hope to see you at the concert and the dessert reception that follows. You can purchase tickets here. Get in touch with fellow alumni or alumni parents and join us at the second spring Gala*. It was thrilling to see so many old friends at last year’s 40th Anniversary celebration. Come back for this year’s event, featuring Six, a band co-founded by alumni parent, Walter Ogier (P ‘04). You can make reservations here. *Alumni age 21 and over cordially invited to attend
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Welcome In the May-O Here in the Northern Hemisphere we look forward to May Day, the festival that bids farewell to winter and welcomes the renewal of spring. After the quiet introspection of the cold months, it is so delightful to don festive flowery garb, throw off one’s cares for a little while, and cheer Lady Spring as she banishes King Winter once again, and the world is made new. It is heartwarming as the school community gathers round the Maypole, voices raised in the old songs, as the Morris Dancers and other students perform. All generations are gathered: the sweet new babes, the frisky school kids, the flirty teenagers, the amused elders, and those fearlessly treading the path of middle age. The School sends out an invitation to its many generations of revelers—alumni, alumni parents, and friends—to make merry with us around the Maypole and feast on strawberry shortcake.
Reconnect with old friends on Saturday, May 5th from 10:00 to 1:00, and raise your voice to familiar May Day melodies sung since the school’s beginnings. Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbalow We were up long before the day-O To welcome in the summer, To welcome in the May-O The summer is a-coming in And winter’s gone away-O
Riddle me
this:
more it higher the ts e g t a h W Snow n? comes dow rass me in the g e se u o y st Fir yellow gay. dressed in hite, in dainty w Next I am way. n then I fly a Dandelio I? m a t a h W
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Spirit of the Olympics
Ralph Brooks has been living and loving the Waldorf Olympics every May for the last twenty-two years. His infectious enthusiasm for good sportsmanship imbues the day with delight, camaraderie and community spirit. Under his leadership, this Fifth Grade rite of passage now includes schools from five regions, including Quebec in Canada, hosted on our grounds. The following is one of Ralph’s favorite memories. A few years ago, a young girl slipped and injured her ankle while competing in the Long Run. She was crying as she hobbled past the pond, struggling to finish her event. Seeing her distress, her classmates who were some distance away, hastened to her aid and the entire class ran in together, victoriously completing the final event of the day in the true spirit of the Olympics. Mr. Brooks and the whole school warmly welcome you to attend the Olympics on Friday, May 11. Come cheer this year’s Fifth Grade, relive your own glory days, perhaps even judge an event. Contact Ralph Brooks at 781-863-1062 ext. 550 if you would like to assist.
Treasured Memories by Laura (Wells) Conti, Class of 1996 While the tradition of the Olympics was fairly new when I attended the Waldorf School, it immediately became a very important event and a day that was eagerly looked forward to by the entire school. In fact, a spectator may have thought the tradition at our school dated back to Ancient Greece. I was in First Grade when the first Olympics were held and I remember looking up to the Fifth Graders with awe. Once in the older grades we would beg our teachers for as much time as possible outside to watch the games, and it was the best when you could peer out the windows in the back of the school to catch short glimpses of the festivities throughout the entire day. But of course the most memorable year for me was when I became an Olympic athlete. For many months we prepared, learning wrestling in the classroom and perfecting the Ode to Zeus. Once spring came, we moved outdoors to the field behind the school to practice discus, javelin and the long jump. On that anticipated day in May we were ready. Our deep purple sashes with a gold felt Greek letter affixed were proudly worn over our white attire. The wreaths were made,
the judges were set. All the oranges were cut and athletes from Pine Hill, Cape Ann, and other Waldorf Schools began to arrive. But where was Mr. Brooks? He was at the hospital with his wife, who was in labor with their first child! He promised to come to the Olympics just as soon as he could. Would he make it for the opening ceremony? It wouldn’t be the same without him! We were all jittery waiting in the classroom for the Olympics to begin and for news from Mr. Brooks. Just before it was time to head to the field we got word that his daughter Amanda had been born early that morning and he was on his way. When he arrived we sang “Happy Birthday, Amanda” in her honor. After which, our class stormed down to the field full of energy and excitement and the rest of the games are a blur. I remember a tough wrestling match and leaving school tired and very proud with a medal hanging around my neck. What was so special for me is that, for the first time, I was aware of a network of other Waldorf students. This special connection continued when some of our Olympic competitors from Cape Ann joined our class at the newly founded Waldorf High School. The Olympics is a deeply treasured experience of my Waldorf education. Nearly 20 years later my sash and medal still hang in the window in my childhood bedroom. Laura graduated from Waldorf High School of Massachusetts Bay in 2000 and St. Josephs College in 2004 with a BA in Communications. She is Events and Public Relations Coordinator at Wide Horizons For Children, Inc.
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Milestones February 29, 2012 Dear Alumni and Alumni Parents, Here is where we want to record happenings in the lives of alumni and alumni families to share with our Waldorf community. Tell us about a graduation, a marriage, a trip, a birth, a new job, a new school, a move to another city, state, or country. Have you started an orchestra or a band? Have you joined the Peace Corps? Have you taken to the stage? Have you received a scholarship, a fellowship, or other recognition for your talents? Email your news to: alumni@thewaldorfschool.org. Our deadline for the school’s Summer Bulletin is April 27. We hope to hear about reunions, high school and college highlights, internships, gap years, marriages, and new babies. Any news that you would like to share is welcome! What’s more, we will profile one or two alumni each year so you may receive a phone call or email from someone in our alumni network. Help us by updating your contact information at the school’s website. We want to hear your words, your perspective. We are grateful to Ben, Laura, and Serena for taking the time to share their stories with us. We plan to solicit articles, but if you have an idea that you’d like to share, by all means, email us and let us know.
Best Wishes, Carol and Elizabeth
Editors Acknowledgements We thank all the parents and alumni who have shared their photographs with the School for this publication, including:
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Carol Damm P ‘09, ‘11
Elizabeth Green P ‘09, ‘15
Vito Aluia, P ‘07, ‘11 Laura Conti, ‘96 Ben Deily, ‘82 Amy Durlach, P ‘15, ‘18 Serena Eastman, ‘04 Mary Ann Wells, P ‘96, ‘97
© 2012 Waldorf School of Lexington. All rights reserved. 739 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420 781-863-1062