heartbeat - Portland Waldorf School - Est...
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heart beat DECEMBER 2014 From the Whole to the Parts: Learning to Read and Write in 1 st Grade BY ELIZABETH WEBBER, 1ST GRADE TEACHER IN THIS ISSUE... Reading & Writing PAGE 1 Winter Assembly PAGE 3 All-Parent Survey PAGE 4 Math Program Update PAGE 5 Lower School Open House Alumni Basketball PAGE 6 School Store PAGE 7 Simplicity Parenting PAGE 8 Library Booster Club PAGE 9 Camphill Community PAGE 10 Community Events PAGE 11 There may be no subject in Waldorf education that elicits a more passionate response than the manner in which writing and reading are introduced to children in the grades. Indeed, the impulse and methods for literacy instruction are quite different from other educational models. But the Waldorf approach to writing and reading is rooted in nearly one hundred years of pedagogical wisdom and practice, and this approach creates for the children a meaningful and holistic introduction to the richness of the written word. The Waldorf curriculum is informed by the stages of child development, with the guiding principle of introducing material at the appropriate time. Waldorf schools aim to engage the whole human being – not only through thinking, but also through feeling and willing. Reading and writing instruction engages all of these – preparing children for reading through storytelling, artistic work, speech and movement. The 1 st grader lives strongly in the world of pictures. For thousands of years, pictures were our form of writing. Eventually, as human thinking evolved, the pictures evolved as well - becoming more abstract - until we arrived at our current alphabet, which was developed by the Phoenicians and came to us via Greece and Rome. As the 1 st grader is not yet developmentally ready to grasp these abstractions, we first engage the children through story. (continued on Page 2) “M” is for “mountain”... an example of writing instruction from the 1st Grade. Photograph by Elizabeth Webber.
Transcript of heartbeat - Portland Waldorf School - Est...
heartbeatDecember 2014
From the Whole to the Parts: Learning to Read and Write in 1st GradeBy ElizaBEth WEBBEr, 1st gradE tEachEr
In thIs Issue...
Reading & WritingpagE 1
Winter AssemblypagE 3
All-Parent SurveypagE 4
Math Program UpdatepagE 5
Lower School Open HouseAlumni Basketball
pagE 6School Store
pagE 7Simplicity Parenting
pagE 8LibraryBooster Club
pagE 9Camphill Community
pagE 10Community Events
pagE 11
There may be no subject in Waldorf education that elicits a more passionate response than the manner in which writing and reading are introduced to children in the grades. Indeed, the impulse and methods for literacy instruction are quite different from other educational models. But the Waldorf approach to writing and reading is rooted in nearly one hundred years of pedagogical wisdom and practice, and this approach creates for the children a meaningful and holistic introduction to the richness of the written word.
The Waldorf curriculum is informed by the stages of child development, with the guiding principle of introducing material at the appropriate time. Waldorf schools aim
to engage the whole human being – not only through thinking, but also through feeling and willing. Reading and writing instruction engages all of these – preparing children for reading through storytelling, artistic work, speech and movement.
The 1st grader lives strongly in the world of pictures. For thousands of years, pictures were our form of writing. Eventually, as human thinking evolved, the pictures evolved as well - becoming more abstract - until we arrived at our current alphabet, which was developed by the Phoenicians and came to us via Greece and Rome.
As the 1st grader is not yet developmentally ready to grasp these abstractions, we first engage the children through story.
(continued on Page 2)
“M” is for “mountain”... an example of writing instruction from the 1st Grade. Photograph by Elizabeth Webber.
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
Reading & Writing, cont.
Teachers tell stories orally, from memory, and through these stories (often Grimms’ tales in 1st Grade), the children are exposed to rich language, which supports the later acquisition of reading.
Storytelling also teaches children to listen deeply. Each child creates an inner story with his or her own pictures and this process lays the foundation for reading comprehension. Once a child has the ability to form mental images from the stories he or she hears, the process of decoding words comes more naturally.
After listening to and retelling stories, artistic work engages the whole child. Upon hearing the Grimms’ tale, “The Fisherman and his Wife”, for example, the children draw a fish. Out of the fish, the letter “F” develops. From another Grimms’ tale, “The Water of Life”, the W emerges from the water, or waves. In this way, we awaken a feeling for the letters. From the image, we move to the abstract letter and then to the sound that each letter makes. Care is taken with the proper pronunciation of the consonants. Vowels, which express an inner soul mood – amazement or wonder in “A”, sympathy or astonishment in “O” - are introduced by color and gesture, rather than image.
Speech exercises and the teacher’s modeling of proper speech strengthens the teaching of writing and reading with poems, verses and tongue twisters. Movement helps the 1st grader
to integrate the material through rhythm, repetition and engagement of the limbs.
By the end of 1st Grade, children compose meaningful sentences and begin to read what they have written. Reading always begins from the children’s own writing, which engages their whole being. Thus, via story, picture, writing, speech and movement, the children are led to reading.
Rudolf Steiner said, “If one teaches things in a way that makes a one-sided claim on the child’s intellect and the merely abstract acquisition of skills, then the development of the native will and sensibilities is checked; while if the child learns in the manner that calls upon its whole being, he or she develops all around.”
The Waldorf method of writing and reading instruction allows children to develop a personal relationship to language. We see in the later grades that this gradual and holistic approach creates readers who can not only decode, but are able to comprehend, question and come to their own understanding of material. Most importantly, this gentle unfolding allows children to discover pleasure and fulfillment in language and reading, developing a meaningful connection to language and a love for the written word.
“F” is for “fish”. From “The Fisherman and his Wife“ by the Brothers Grimm. Photograph by Elizabeth Webber.
“W” is for “wave”. From “The Water of Life” by the Brothers Grimm. Photograph by Elizabeth Webber.
Photograph by Elizabeth Webber.
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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An Invitation to Our Winter Assembly
By cyndia ashkar, for pWs faculty & staff
December 19, 11am @pWs gym
You are warmly invited to join us on the last day of school for our Winter Assembly as our staff presents “The Elves and The Shoemaker” with dancing, eurythmy and singing. In this fairytale, “a shoemaker, through no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had only enough leather for one pair of shoes. But, as he had a good conscience, he cut them out at night, commended himself to God, and went to sleep…”
Waldorf schools the world over have a tradition of giving the gift of a performance to their students in the winter season. This time is celebrated in many cultures with reverence and warmth - these celebrations provide hope. Warmth, humor, and reverence are some of the qualities we wished to embody in our gift, in pictures that young as well as old can comprehend.
At PWS this year we chose to offer one of the genuine fairytales, recognizing their universal message and appeal to all ages. Young children live in a fairytale consciousness, and subconsciously know that every character in the tale is an aspect of their own being. We all are, on an inner level and at various times, a king, a princess, a knight, a witch. We receive assurance from these stories whose message is that, ultimately, through helpful action, good will prevail, sometimes seemingly miraculously. Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.” Fairytales help nourish, in all ages, a sense of wonder, imagination and assurance of our connection to something higher than our everyday self.
The latter takes many forms in various cultures. It can simply and universally mean connection
to our higher, more noble self. What part of us does the shoemaker represent, in fairy tale images? He is one who helps where we are physically connected with the earth. He makes shoes for us. He sees where the shoes we wear have become worn, thereby sensing our unique burdens. Because of this, he is in a unique position to help us find our higher self.
In a collaborative effort, our teachers and administrators are playfully elaborating on the characters of the story while ensuring they remain true to archetypal pictures and processes. In appreciating the helpfulness of the shoemaker, his wife and the elves, there is reverence. Humor comes in with the buyers who are looking for shoes. Warmth weaves its way throughout, in our hearts’ connection to yours, as we perform for our beloved students, parents and community.
Come and enjoy the merriment!
December 2014
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
First Annual Parent Survey By Mary BEaton, dirEctor of adMissions
After a month of working together, our draft was presented to the Early Childhood faculty and the Grades faculty in their section meetings. Christopher Zinn and Shanti McCarter, High School Co-Chairs, reviewed the draft on behalf of the High School. Next, a revised version that included faculty feedback was presented to our leadership: Patricia Lynch (College Chair), Kelly O’Halogan (Faculty Chair), Wendy Rea (Administrative Chair). After weaving in the leadership feedback, our tech-savvy committee member Stephanie Baartz-Bowman loaded it on Adobe so we could save a forest while surveying our community.
As the folks who were involved in creating the survey came from all parts of our community, so too are the questions on the survey equally comprehensive. Categories range from classroom experience and communication to the spiritual life in the school. It’s broad! We also tried to tailor the survey to correspond with actionable items that would help guide our future work.
The results of the survey will be compiled and reported back to the College, Board, Parent Council and to you, our community, via our school newsletter in March. We hope you’ll take the time to complete the survey so that we’ll have a complete picture of our collective concerns and our common areas of satisfaction. While we know many will do so, as an added enticement towards high participation we’ll be offering raffle prizes the first week of January when the survey launches!
After you participate in the survey, if you have ideas for next year’s or would like to participate in its creation, please contact me at [email protected]. Thank you!
This January, we will be welcoming the new calendar year with a festive launch of our First Annual PWS Parent Survey! We have surveyed our parents many times over the past 32 years, but this year have committed to making it an annual event.
The impulse for a survey came from two sources… parents who were feeling unsure of where to bring feedback, and the school (staff & faculty) who are hoping to better serve our parent body. The goal of this survey is to identify areas for improvement and of satisfaction within our school, with corresponding actionable items.
Starting in early fall, a group of parents gathered together each Friday morning to brainstorm, and then edit and frame the content that would comprise this questionnaire. In addition to myself, our group included Stephanie Baartz-Bowman (PWS parent), Robert Cseko (Alumni parent, former PWS Administrator), Maya Muir (Alumni parent, Board member, former Enrollment Coordinator), Dave Renzema (PWS parent, Parent Council Co-Chair) and Kim Ybarra (PWS parent).
If you see these wonderful folks in the hall, please join me in thanking them for their generosity of time and energy… they were all volunteers and this was a mammoth task! Each week, for an hour and a half we organized, refined, discussed and debated until we came up with a working first draft of questions and categories. While the topics varied widely, what was apparent and remained consistent throughout were three things: the thoughtfulness involved, the collective hope that we could constructively improve PWS from the inside, and the deep love and gratitude each of us carries for our children’s school.
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
Math Program Updates By kElly raE o’halogan, faculty chair
You might know Rebecca and Jerry Soloway as the grandparents of Kate (1st Grade) and Maddie (3rd Grade), but did you know they are experienced Waldorf teachers, with an expertise and love for math? It’s true! We are so happy to have them as a resource and a driving force while we work to strengthen our math program.
You may recall last year we had David Booth and Jamie York, both notable Waldorf math teachers, visit our school for week-long consultations, teacher observations and teacher trainings to strengthen the math program and ensure that our students receive a solid mathematical understanding before heading on to the next phase of their lives. One goal of our longer-term math initiative is to hire a full-time math specialist who can oversee the entire math curriculum, particularly in middle and high school.
In the meantime, Rebecca Soloway has stepped in as High School Math Coordinator. She started the year mentoring our new high school teachers. Now that they are off to a robust start, Rebecca is focusing on the broader needs of the math program. She holds weekly department meetings with the teachers, observes classes, and ensures correct placement of students and follow-through with assignments.
Much of Rebecca’s work going forward will be designing the math department of our future. As noted previously, we envision a full-time math specialist who would be responsible for both the middle and high school math programs. Moving in this direction, we have hired Jerry Soloway, who begins teaching 7th grade math after Thanksgiving Break. He and Ms. Churchill will share the teaching responsibilities, working together to meet the diverse needs of the 7th grade students.
We are grateful to the Soloways for their tireless efforts on behalf of Waldorf education and particularly for their work here at PWS. Both Rebecca and Jerry bring a wealth of experience to PWS, as evident in their biographies below:
Rebecca Soloway – Waldorf Teacher Training, B.S. Mathematics, MA Ed., Special Education Certification. Rebecca taught for 23 years at The Waldorf School of Garden City in Long Island, NY. She was a class teacher and a middle school and high school math teacher. Over the years she served many roles including faculty chair, college chair, teacher evaluator and mentor. She is active in the Anthroposophical Society and the School of Spiritual Science.
Jerry Soloway – B.A. Psychology, Waldorf Teacher Training, MA Ed. Jerry taught as a class teacher for 14 years at the Lexington Waldorf School and The Waldorf School of Garden City. He also taught in elementary public school in New York for 19 years. Jerry continues to evaluate and mentor teachers. He is also active in the Anthroposophical Society.
Rebecca and Jerry have two children, Genevieve (’96) and Gareth (’99), both graduates of The Waldorf School of Garden City.
This month, special thanks goes out to parent and technology wizard stephanIe baartz-boWman. Stephanie provided invaluable help as we transitioned to online sign-ups for Parent-Teacher Conferences this year! If you see her, please take a moment to say thank you!
Know someone else who has gone above and beyond?
Send suggestions for our Gratitude Corner to Grace at [email protected].
Gratitude Corner
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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LOWER SCHOOL Open House
January 10, 20151:00 - 3:00 pmPhotos by Jesse Michener, MariaMa Loos-DiaLLo & Lisa harrison
rsvp to [email protected]
December 2014
Alumni Basketball Game & SocialDecember 19, 4:30pm The PWS Alumni Committee is pleased to invite alumni,
families, and current and former faculty & staff to the Alumni Basketball Game & Social on December 19 (the last day of school). The game will begin at 4:30pm, and there will be refreshments set up in the High School afterwards and time to chat!
If you’re interested in playing, please let Akari know at [email protected].
To RSVP, or with any questions, please contact Grace at [email protected].
We hope to see you there, and at the Spiral of Lights on Tuesday, December 2 at 6:30pm. As always, drop us a line and let us know what you’re up to on the Alumni page of the PWS website at www.portlandwaldorf.org/alumni or by emailing [email protected]. Happy Holidays!
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
make one take one calenDar12/4 Wooly Animals12/11 Snowflakes12/18 Window Stars
specIal holIDay saleWe will be open on Saturday, December 20th from 10am–2pm for a Special Winter Solstice Shopping Day. Receive 20% off one item when you spend $25 or more!
holIDay gIfts Come in and browse beautiful working re-creations of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions kits, handcrafted wooden rollie cars, popular Kinetic Sand, art supplies and kits, handcrafted locally made brooms, new PWS sweatshirts and t-shirts, beeswax candles that burn into an angel silhouette... Check in daily for new shipments!
And don’t forget to “like” our facebook page!
By yvonnE csEko, storE ManagErFrom the Spring Creek Store
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
By lisa WEinEr, pWs parEnt & siMplicity parEnting counsElorSimplicity Parenting
Kim John Payne, family therapist and author of Simplicity Parenting, spent the early years of his career working with children in refugee camps on the Thai-Cambodian border. The children Payne worked with had problems with anxiety, controlling behaviors, hyperactivity and angry outbursts; the expected symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
What was unexpected, however, was what Payne found when he moved to London and opened a private practice -- he saw the same types of post-traumatic behaviors in the upper- and middle-class children whose families presented for therapy. This startling realization got Payne thinking about what these seemingly privileged children were so stressed out about. He discovered that children living in our world today are suffering from the effects of an “undeclared war on childhood,” the “weapons” of which are “too much, too fast, too soon and too sexy.” Out of that realization, Simplicity Parenting was born.
Payne found that when he helped families to simplify their lives, the results were dramatic. Children moved away from troublesome behaviors, seemed happier and more carefree, their school performance improved, parents reported less discipline issues and more times of shared family connection and joy.
Simplicity Parenting helps parents to simplify in four realms -- environment (paring down the mountains of toys), rhythm (creating dependable flow to the day/week/year), scheduling (preserving time for family and for children’s deep play) and filtering out the adult world (protecting the innocence of childhood).
Today, Simplicity Parenting has evolved into a worldwide “slow parenting” movement. The book has been translated into twelve languages and certified Simplicity Parenting coaches
teach classes and workshops around the globe. Copies of the book can be found in our school library and store.
Portland Waldorf School is thrilled to be hosting
a weekend with Kim Payne this spring!
frIDay, aprIl 17th Evening lecture at First Unitarian Church
saturDay, aprIl 18th Workshop here at PWS
Save the date!Simplicity Parenting
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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By ian tErrEll, liBrary ManagErFrom the Library
December 2014
Greetings from the Portland Waldorf School Library! Right now, we have a fine selection of books about the celebrations of the winter season.
In the Christmas section, of course we’ve got Dickens’s giant collection of stories, but we also have Mary Pope Osborne’s tightly paced Magic Tree House adventure, Christmas in Camelot. You may also find some story collections in the Chanukah section illuminating. Check out The Spotted Pony by Eric Kimmel or The Stone Lamp by Karen Hesse. In the Seasonal Winter collection there is A Kwanzaa Fable by Eric Copage, as well as a long-time favorite, Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, with illustrations by Susan Jeffers (like the beautiful one above).
As always, we will take any and all books you care to donate. You may also donate a special book in honor of a loved one’s special event, or just because you think we need it. We will put a book plate inside commemorating the event and the date, and the book will remain in the library for posterity. Have a joyful holiday season!
By davE rEnzEMa, pWs parEntJoin the Booster Club!
As you may have heard, PWS now has a Booster Club. The Booster Club provides volunteer and financial support for our Middle School and High School athletic programs.
Anyone can be a PWS Booster! The Booster Club coordinates volunteers to do things such as setting up the gym prior to games, playing the national anthem, scorekeeping, clock management, selling concessions during home games, and decorating (banners and signs) for game days. If you would like to become a Booster Club member or would like to volunteer/share your talents in any of these areas, please contact Dave Renzema at [email protected].
The Booster Club’s Mission is:To provide a strong and consistent funding
source for sports activities at PWS.
To promote the ability for all students to participate in sporting activities at their level of interest.
To include sports teams and activities as an integral part of the community life at PWS and fostering school spirit through athletics.
To facilitate our sports programs as a positive reason for students and families to choose PWS.
Let’s Go Wolfpack!!!
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
By Mary BEaton, dirEctor of adMissions
Camphill Community Update
Thank you to all of the wonderful folks who joined us in November for our first meeting regarding the possibility of a Portland area Camphill community!
Our first meeting was held at Bothmer Hall...many thanks to the Takacs family for offering us this wonderful space. With over thirty people in attendance, we represented a wide mix of the various Waldorf schools in Portland, members of the Anthroposophical Society, as well as some special education folks interested in offering their expertise to our project.
Robin Lieberman graciously opened with an introduction, as well as an explanation of how she came to be involved in this emerging project. Robin introduced her colleagues in this venture: Kelly Hogan (Mother Earth School), Mary Beaton (PWS) as well as Jonie Hurt (Cedarwood) in-abstentia.
Next we heard from Karen Arthur who described her years of experience working as a Camphill community elder. She is now a retired resident at the Kimberton Camphill Village, and she took questions from the audience regarding both her life and the organization of the Camphill as a business.
Next, we broke out into groups based on our interest for the first step in forming a community: getting to know one another. The four groups were: Adult Community, School, Land, and Infrastructure. We went around our circles introducing ourselves and also sharing a bit of the why and how... why we were interested and how we hoped to help. This was an exciting time in the meeting as it quickly became apparent that there was obvious enthusiasm, experience, talent, and commitment along with a healthy dose of
caution - all welcome for a burgeoning venture.
Three of the groups will move forward as envisioning, while the Infrastructure group will begin setting the wheels in motion for whatever project (or projects) will eventuate. This will include organizing a mailing list and setting up a 501C3 as well as incorporating. Many thanks to Tom Klein who offered much support in these realms!
Speaking of moving forward, our next meeting will be held at Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2nd St., Portland, in the South Performance Space (thank you Elizabeth Nugent!) on sunDay, January 25 from 4-6pm. Please bring a snack to share; tea will be provided. If you couldn’t make the first meeting, please do join us for the second!
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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December 2014
Scrip for the Holidays
By davE rEnzEMa, parEnt council co-chair
WeDnesDays (begInnIng January 21, 2015) 8:45 - 10:00am pWs grImm room $15/sessIon
Come and experience the beauty and moods of the ever-changing seasons through color and gesture. We will work with watercolor and dynamic drawing exercises. No experience necessary! Led by Cheri
Munske of Transformative Arts, former PWS faculty and alumni parent.
Registration appreciated but drop-ins are welcome. We will meet on Wednesday mornings when school is in session.
For more information or to register, contact Cheri at [email protected]; 503-484-4133; www.transformativeartspdx.com
Wonderful Wednesdays Painting Group
Scrip gift cards make great holiday gifts! A lot of us give gift cards to family and friends during the holidays and now you can support Parent Council programming at PWS by purchasing gift cards through the Scrip program.
We have cards from most national retail companies and many local stores available for order. You can purchase in-stock Scrip/Gift Cards or make special orders from Dave Renzema in the lobby or in the Spring Creek Store on Fridays. Orders placed on or before December 15th will be available to pick up on December 19th. Please contact Dave with any questions at [email protected].
hear tbeat / PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
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monDay tuesDay WeDnesDay thursDay frIDay sat/sun12/1 12/2
Spiral of LightsAlumni 6:30PMCommunity 7PM
Adult Blacksmithing6-9PM
12/3
Spiral of Lights
Basketball GamesJV Boys 3:30PMVarsity Girls 5PMVarsity Boys 6:30PM
12/4
Circus Class 1:30-3PM
Adult Basketball7:30-10:30PM
12/5
St Nicholas Celebration
Adult Eurythmy 8:45AM
Community Choir8:45-10:15AM
Social Renewal Study Group 10AM
Knitting Circle 12-1:30PM
Basketball GamesVarsity Girls 5:30PMVarsity Boys 7PM
12/6
St Nicholas Day
Cedarwood Winterfaire
Early Childhood Open House
10-11:15AM
Basketball GamesGirls 5:30PMBoys 7PM
12/7
12/8
Parent Council Meeting 6:30-9PM
12/9
Basketball GamesJV Boys 4:30PMVarsity Girls 6PMVarsity Boys 7:30PM
Alumni Eurythmy 6:30PM
Adult Blacksmithing6-9PM
12/10
Walk Through the Grades 9-10:30AM
Music Concert (Grades 5 & 6) 7:30PM
12/11
Circus Class 1:30-3PM
Adult Basketball7:30-10:30PM
12/12
Sta Lucia Celebration
Adult Eurythmy 8:45AM
Community Choir8:45-10:15AM
Social Renewal Study Group 10AM
Knitting Circle 12-1:30PM
12/13
Micha-el School Make-A-Gift Fair
Music Concert (Grade 4) 10AM
12/14
12/15 12/16
Hanukkah begins at sundown
Basketball GamesJV Boys 4:30PMVarsity Girls 6PM
Varsity Boys 7:30PM
Alumni Eurythmy 6:30PM
Adult Blacksmithing6-9PM
12/17 12/18
Circus Class 1:30-3PM
Adult Basketball7:30-10:30PM
12/19
Early Dismissal12:30PM
Adult Eurythmy 8:45AM
Community Choir8:45-10:15AM
Social Renewal Study Group 10AM
Winter Assembly11:00AM
Knitting Circle 12-1:30PM
Alumni Basketball Game & Social 4:30PM
12/20
12/21
12/22
No School (Winter Break)
Board Meeting 6-8PM
12/23
No School (Winter Break)
Alumni Eurythmy 6:30PM
12/24
No School (Winter Break)
12/25
No School (Winter Break)
Christmas Day
12/26
No School (Winter Break)
12/27
12/28
12/29
No School (Winter Break)
1/5School Resumes
12/30
No School (Winter Break)
Alumni Eurythmy 6:30PM
12/31
No School (Winter Break)
1/1
No School (Winter Break)
New Year’s Day
1/2
No School (Winter Break)
1/3
1/4
december
Please remember that schedules change! For the most current information please visit www.portlandwaldorf.org/calendar.
December 2014
