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SEATTLE WALDORF All-SCHOOL NEWS | JANUARY 16, 2018
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GRADE 1 MATH MATERIALS REFLECT THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL WORLD |
Is Zero a Pile?
The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility -- these three forces are the very nerve of education.
-Rudolf Steiner
It's mid-main lesson, and students are passing out red and blue velvet bags to each other (the bags made lovingly by their eighth grade buddies!), singing a song about grasshoppers that I taught them earlier in the year. It's one we sing regularly when we hand out materials: "Grasshoppers three a fiddlin' went, hey! Ho! Never be still...." The lilting and delightful first graders sing along joyfully, some belting it out with vigor, some humming the tune while they pass bags to their friends. When all bags are handed out and silence settles across the classroom, I instruct them to take out their math mats and open the bags.
A hum of work ripples amongst the children as they discover what is in the bag. "I have beautiful stones!" one child discovers. "Shells, sea shells," another child exclaims. "I think mine are almost gems!" a third child ponders. And so begins a math lesson in grade 1. Yes, we are using manipulatives, as so many schools do, but these manipulatives are from the natural world and were actually collected by the children and their families over the summer. They turn them over in their hands, admire them, and lay them out lovingly. And so begins the child's engagement and love of the materials and the work they are doing.
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| GRADE 1 MAIN LESSON BOOK -- MATH |
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I begin very simply, asking questions that draw the children in. What do you have? How many are there? Their enthusiasm is palpable. Some children recognize the treasures. And the classroom is quite abuzz with answers and chattering to each other. Some have 10, some 13, some 15, some 9. Some are counting correctly, some not quite, but it's all fine at this stage of the lesson. And this variety of quantity in materials is all done with conscious effort on the teacher's part.
Because then, my next request: Children, please place 10 treasures on your mat. Now, this may seem a simple request, but in early first grade it is anything but. The children get to work, counting out their stones or shells or gems. A hand shoots up: "But I only have 8!" The child looks puzzled. Her desk partner's brow wrinkles and some concern is shown on other faces. "Oh my," I say, with genuine concern. "How many more does she need?" I ask the class. For a moment, confusion rules. This is the first time we've encountered this problem. I wait, knowing that the class can solve this problem together. Learning through questions, "inquiry-based learning," is one that research shows drives student curiosity, knowledge retention, and, frankly, from what I've seen as a Waldorf teacher, genuine desire to solve a problem
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Yearly Planner for 2019-2020
We are pleased to share the
Yearly Planner for the coming school year. You can also find it on the
Calendar page of our school website.
To minimize disruption to student learning and class communities, we encourage families to plan vacations and travel to align with school breaks.
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Re-enrollment and Financial Aid Information
Re-enrollment for the 2019-20 academic year is just around the corner. Please be on the lookout for information by email at the end of January.
Your re-enrollment documents will be available in My BackPack on
Friday, February 1 for you to sign and submit.
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GRADE 7 PERSPECTIVE DRAWING |
Key Dates and Details
- Sign your enrollment agreement in My BackPack by Thursday, February 7.
- Your tuition deposit will be automatically processed in FACTS on Friday, February 22.
- Families who completed their Financial Aid application by January 7 will see their adjusted tuition on their enrollment agreements.
- Families who completed their Financial Aid application after January 7 will need to sign their enrollment agreement by Thursday, February 7, and will receive their financial aid decision by Friday, March 15.
Please let us know if you have questions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with your family in 2019-20.
-Meg Petty, Director of Admissions
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NO SCHOOL - ALL CAMPUSES
Friday, January 18 (Teacher In-Service Day)
Monday, January 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Monday, February 18 - Friday, February 22
(President's Day and Mid-Winter Break)
School offices will be closed January 21 and February 18
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Break Care is available for children age 5 through grade 5
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 UPCOMING EVENTS
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COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
Parenting in the Digital Technology Landscape
Hosted by the SWS Pedagogical Council
Tuesday, January 29 | 7:00 p.m.
Huckleberry Hall, Seattle Waldorf School
2728 NE 100th Street, Seattle, WA
Join us for an evening of thoughtful presentations and engaging conversations as we navigate the world of digital technology as a community. Hear from members of our community as they speak to the impact of digital technology on play in the young child, alternatives to media for the grade school child, the introduction of the Cyber Civics curriculum in the middle school, the social and emotional implications for the high school student, and the impact of our own use as adults.
Conversations led by:
- Angie Light :: The Effects of Technology on Play -- How to Help the Young Child Experience True Play
- Mende Coblentz & Fred Ingham :: Healthy Gaming
- Betsy Weill :: Cyber Civics Curriculum
- Daniel Packer :: The Enchantment and Disenchantment of the World through Technology
- Holly Koteen-Soule :: Attention as Love -- Love as Attention
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TEA TIME!
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID WERK |
Tea with Tracy and Bonnie
We warmly invite SWS parents to join Tracy Bennett, Head of School, and Bonnie Freundlich, Meadowbrook Pedagogical Chair, for tea, cookies, and conversation on any of the following dates:
- Monday, January 28 at 8:30 a.m., Meadowbrook
- Tuesday, March 5 at 8:45 a.m., Kinderhaus
- Friday, April 26 at 8:30 a.m., Meadowbrook
- Monday, May 20 at 8:45, Kinderhaus
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Inspire '19: Join the Expedition!
Inspiring Love of Nature
We are excited to announce our community celebration, Inspire. Plan to join the expedition on
Saturday, March 30 at The Mountaineers in Magnuson Park. Celebrate our outdoor education program and raise the paddle to fund initiatives that will help our students explore the outdoors!
Watch for an invitation with details coming to your inbox soon.
Join Our Planning Committee
If you would like to get involved more in our SWS community or have ideas about making Inspire even more inspiring, please join our fun group of volunteers. We would love to have you on board!
Please contact
Natasha Kuhn.
Support Inspire as a Sponsor
Please consider joining our
sponsorship circle today! Sponsorship underwrites the cost of the event and helps keep ticket prices affordable for an evening of dinner, dancing, and just plain fun. Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to get visibility within our school community as well as demonstrate your commitment to an education that inspires enthusiasm for life-long learning and a love of nature. Please contact
Natasha Kuhn to find out more about the sponsorship opportunities.
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Upcoming School Tours
There are many aspects of our school that are best experienced by visiting our campuses.
Follow this link to register for a tour! Tours are for adults only.
HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS
Tuesdays, 8:45-10:15 a.m.
January 29, 2019
April 30, 2019
MEADOWBROOK CAMPUS (Grade School and Early Childhood)
Tuesdays, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
February 5 & 12, 2019
April 2, 2019
KINDERHAUS (Early Childhood)
Tuesdays, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
February 26, 2019
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HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
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UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS
Optional social time starts at 6:30 p.m.; meetings run from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Grade 9 ::
Tuesday, January 22
Grade 10
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Tuesday, January 22
Grade 11
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Tuesday, January 22
Grade 12 :: Wednesday, March 5
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| GRADE 9 BASKET |
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Parent and Adviser Conferences
Parent-adviser conferences are in full swing at the high school! This is the very important time of year when parents and advisers to come together to discuss student development, strengths, needs, and progress. The adviser availability schedule was sent out in an email on Wednesday, January 9. Please contact the high school office at (206) 522-2644 to schedule your appointment.
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THE ORIGINAL AQUAPONIC SETUP
IN SCIENCE NORTH |
From Seeds to Deeds
Growing with the Flow
In the beginning, the students named the fish -- Trinidad and Trish, Penelope and Angus, and the others. There were just too many to name.
The racks were made from PVC pipe, carefully angled to provide the proper drainage, like a marble maze but for plants.
The fish swam in an orange plastic bin, a pump bringing the water to a tank on top of a bookshelf. There, gravity took over, dripping the water through the pipes strung on a repurposed pantry rack.
Sometimes the pump malfunctioned, spilling water out of the pipes, and whoever was last to leave the school might adjust a valve, hoping that whatever they changed wouldn't leave plants or fish high and dry while the floor of Science North became a wading pool.
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| BLANKETS OF PEA SHOOTS AWAIT THE HARVEST |
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In the late months of 2017, the grade 11 and 12 students in the Special Topics elective class, then called "Sustainable Food on the Table," tended the fish, built the grow rig, planted various seeds, and test-marketed their products to see what consumers liked to eat.
Fast forward to late 2018. Last year's students formed a new high school club called "Grow, Eat, Repeat," while this year's class became "Seeds to Deeds."
"Our vision is learning how to grow the food, and we're getting good at that," teacher Jay Freundlich said. "Then there's learning how to operate a business, and we're just at the start of that." Grow, Eat, Repeat members run the business, while Seeds to Deeds students tend the farm.
The class meets in a space with a new name, too -- the Aquaponics Lab. It's filled with commercial growing racks, an enormous above-ground pool, and rainbow grow lights. Now a hundred nameless fish swirl around a giant pool.
And plants. Thousands of tiny plants. The indoor farm inhabits a good portion of a storage space that previously housed theater flats, where tents were set out to dry after outdoor education trips.
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AN ELECTRIC CARVING KNIFE HELPS THE CLASS COMPLETE THE HARVEST |
Back when the fish had names, a serendipitous conversation led to the donation of roughly $40,000 worth of equipment from the Millionair Club Charities to the Seattle Waldorf School sustainable agriculture program. The equipment filled a school bus and a pickup truck.
"There are probably 50 fans, a commercial microgreen growing rack, 50 to 80 grow lights -- some designed for a mission to Mars by the University of Arizona -- pumps, tanks, and more growing racks," Freundlich said.
SWS math and science teacher Freundlich has been farming Whidbey Island's Happy Valley Farm for the past 18 years. He tends a dairy herd and a you-pick farm. When he began teaching the elective Sustainable Farming class, he never imagined the Millionair Club rig would become available.
"Theirs was a hydroponic system, using chemical salts to fertilize," he explained. "We are an aquaponics system, which is a living system with fish."
The former grow system in Science North is now a demo operation, growing lettuce and kale that the class harvests to enjoy the occasional salad. Having the larger space and rigs of the Aquaponics Lab has allowed Grow, Eat, Repeat to scale their business. They've begun selling greens to the Magnuson Cafe & Brewery next door to the high school.
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| CLEANUP AFTER THE HARVEST |
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The plants aren't the only things that are growing. SWS hopes to make Seeds to Deeds an entrepreneurial program that incorporates skills of communication, math, planning, and teamwork. Class curriculum incorporates nutrition, environmental issues including food waste, and a social justice focus -- who gets access to good food?
The SWS community also has an opportunity to partake of Seeds to Deeds bounty. Plans -- and plants -- are growing for a "salad-bar CSA" to begin later this month. Subscribers to the school-based community-sponsored agriculture operation will enjoy a twice-monthly head of lettuce and portion of pea and sunflower microgreens. Anyone interested in subscribing can contact [email protected] for more information.
-Karin Swanson, College Counselor
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Jasmine Flower
Not only do grade 12 students study language and culture in Chinese class -- they sing! Students and their teacher, Yi Wang, with production support from a grade 12 film club student, created a video of the students singing the Chinese folk song, "Jasmine Flower."
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| GRADE 12 CHINESE STUDENTS FILM THEIR PERFORMANCE OF "JASMINE FLOWER" |
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GRADE SCHOOL NEWS
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Grade School Assembly
This year's Grade School Assembly will be held
Sunday, January 27, 4 - 5:30 p.m. at Shorecrest High School. Students in grades 2 through 8 will share music and excerpts from class lessons with the community.
The Grade School Assembly is a wonderful opportunity to see the progression of Waldorf education across the grades. Bring family and friends to delight in this special event!
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LIBRARY SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SEPTEMBER 2018 |
Got Books?
Not yet, but we are on our way to opening the doors to our new library space on the Meadowbrook Campus following some unanticipated setbacks this fall. Just as we were preparing to craft and install our bookshelves and other furnishings, heavy rains brought water into the entire lower level of the Farmhouse, including our existing preschool classroom and our newly completed World Language and Library spaces. And, just when we thought we had determined the source of the water and restored the affected areas, we had round two of flooding. Needless to say, we have been disappointed by the delays and are determined to resolve the issue once and for all.
We now anticipate completing repairs and installing shelves over the Mid-Winter Break in February. While the library will not be brimming with books, we look forward to opening the doors and sharing this wonderful new space with our students and families in March. Stay tuned for more information -- we will be looking for volunteers to help get us ready for business!
We are very grateful to the nearly 150 generous donors who made this inspiring addition to our campus possible!
-Tracy Bennett, Head of School
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| GRADE 1 WATERCOLOR |
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Grades 1-4: World Languages Assembly
The principal aim of teaching languages in a Waldorf school is to encourage a positive attitude toward people of other cultures and languages. In addition to fostering an ability to empathize with others, language-learning offers individuals other perspectives on their original language and culture.
Students in the lower grades begin their language studies with recitation, singing, games, and a variety of listening and speaking activities. These methods strengthen their ability to listen to others and to follow and grasp spoken and unspoken intentions, and also enhance sensitivity to language at all levels -- not merely the semantic.
Seattle Waldorf School will hold its World Language Assembly for grades one through four on Thursday, January 17, 8:40 to 9:15 a.m. in Huckleberry Hall. Parents are invited to enjoy songs, poems, dances, and plays presented by Spanish and Japanese classes.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD NEWS
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PRESCHOOL CLASSES ENJOY WINTER PLAY OUTDOORS
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID WERK |
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SPORTS NEWS
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GRADE 11 SHADOW BOX ART |
Winter Sports at SWS
Seattle Waldorf School winter sports programs are keeping kids moving despite the short days and winter weather.
The high school running club is racking up the miles by the week at Magnuson Park. They continue to participate in monthly community runs through the
Magnuson Series
monthly races.
SWS basketball teams include boys and girls middle school teams and a high school boys team. We've welcomed members of the Magnuson Park community into our high school basketball program, filling openings and helping bridge the school's connection to the greater Magnuson community. The middle school girls basketball team is currently undefeated, with about half of the season behind them -- way to go! View the full season schedules at the following links:
The high school coed winter Ultimate team won their first game of the season vs regional champs, Nathan Hale, on Saturday. There is a lot of young talent on our team, as well as seasoned veterans. Come and watch a game! Follow this link to view the schedule through February 9. More dates will be added soon.
-Megan Owens, PE Teacher/Athletic Director
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EXTENDED DAY NEWS
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GRADE 4 WATERCOLOR |
Extended Day Programs
- Middle School Musical Revue (Mondays/Wednesdays -- registration closed)
- Grades 7 & 8 Basketball (Tuesdays/Thursdays --registration closed)
- Winter Art Club (Tuesdays - registration OPEN!)
- Strings Technique (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays -- registration OPEN!)
- Spring Ultimate (Tuesdays/Thursdays -- starting late February)
- Middle School Photography Club (Wednesdays -- registration OPEN!)
- Chess Club (Wednesdays -- registration OPEN!)
- Garden Club (Mondays -- registration OPEN!)
Seattle Waldorf School Presents its First-Ever Middle School Musical Revue!
Join our 21 talented performers from grades 6, 7, and 8 for selections from a wide variety of musicals, both new and old. Performances will be Friday, February 1 (7 p.m.) and Saturday, February 2 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.), in Huckleberry Hall at our Meadowbrook Campus. Run time is approximately one hour; no intermission. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets.
-Annie Paladino, Drama/Theater, Extended Day, & Summer Program Coordinator
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PARENT ASSOCIATION
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The SWS Parent Association will meet on Friday, January 31.
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| HOLIDAY WREATH MADE BY SWS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS FOR NORTHLAKE TINY HOUSE VILLAGE |
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News and Opportunities from the Sunshine Service Committee
December Giving at Northlake
Tiny House Village
In December, the Sunshine Service Committee continued our partnership in support of the residents living at Nickelsville Northlake Village (tiny house village). We collected blanket donations during Winter Faire and delivered them to the village along with a holiday wreath that was made at Winter Faire and delicious baked goods donated by some of our SWS community members. Unexpectedly, there were five gallons of leftover soup from PCC, in addition to several loaves of bread that we took to the village as well! It was a wonderful opportunity to share a warm meal with the residents. The blankets, food, and wreath were much appreciated! Lastly, during the week of Christmas, some SWS community members cooked a holiday meal for the residents, which was also very much appreciated. Thank you to all of our volunteers!
Living Room Play
Would you like to host a performance in your living room? The Sunshine Service Committee recently learned of this interesting opportunity for adults. Coming to Care is a short play created to stimulate conversation about the ongoing crisis of homelessness in Seattle and elsewhere in our country. Follow this link for more details! If you are interested but cannot host in your home, we may arrange for a small performance at SWS. Contact Piper Hackett for more information.
Up Next: Share the Love Pet Food Drive -- Week of Valentine's Day!
The Sunshine Service Committee invites students and all members of our community to donate cat and/or dog food during the week of February 11-15. We'll have collection boxes in the Meadowbrook lobby and the pet food will be donated to The Seattle Animal Shelter. They can only accept cans. You can contact Jessica Haselby for more information and we'll send out a reminder at the beginning of February. This annual event benefiting The Seattle Animal Shelter is a way our community can share our resources and contribute to our local Seattle community.
"Share the Love" this Valentine's Day!
-Piper Hackett & Jessica Haselby, Sunshine Service Committee
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IN THE COMMUNITY
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Refugee School Supplies Drive
Grade 8 student Nadia is doing her eighth grade project on youth refugee resettlement, and as part of her project she is organizing a school supplies drive. Everything you donate will be gifted to The International Rescue Committee. School supplies like notebooks, pencils, markers, rulers, erasers, and especially backpacks (preferably non-gender-specific) in good shape, used and new, are greatly appreciated. The donation box will be in the Meadowbrook lobby from
Tuesday, January 22 to
Friday, February 1.
Thank you so much for donating!
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| GRADE 10 CHARCOAL |
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Dr. Douglas Gerwin Speaks
A Quarter-Century of Waldorf Graduates
"There were so many seeds planted within me that are even now just beginning to break the soil. So many things that teachers told me that I didn't understand at the time, but now feel that I do."
-Survey Respondent
On January 14, parents, faculty, and staff gathered to listen to Douglas Gerwin's fascinating presentation entitled, "A Quarter Century of Waldorf Graduates." Executive Director at the Research Institute for Waldorf Education (RIWE), and Director of the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program at the Center for Anthroposophy, Mr. Gerwin brings more than 60 years of experience in Waldorf education.
It was with a blend of science and humor that Mr. Gerwin presented the initial findings from the Institute's recently completed research, which surveyed 1,066 Waldorf high school graduates from the 42 Waldorf high schools across North America. All participants graduated in the last 25 years; 35% of whom had graduated in the last five years. 20 of the respondents were from Seattle, which was on par with the national profile. And 38% of those surveyed had attended a Waldorf school from kindergarten all the way through grade 12.
RIWE was fortunate to be able to collaborate with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in crafting the survey, which included questions that could be posed both to Waldorf graduates in this survey and graduates of other independent schools by NAIS. This comparison was quite enlightening because of the similarities and differences. Some of those are highlighted below.
A few of the statistics that stood out over the course of the evening:
- 32.7% of Waldorf graduates majored in science (social and behavioral) in college/university compared to 24.4% of independent school graduates.
- 78% of Waldorf graduates felt very well or well prepared for college, compared to 83% of independent school graduates.
- Top career choices for Waldorf graduates: education, medicine, social services, computer science, and fine/performing arts.
- Top career choices for independent school graduates: education, medicine, financial services, legal, and business.
- When Waldorf graduates were asked which qualities of their education had the most lasting impact, the top answers were: relationships, inspiring teachers, and small class sizes.
The Research Institute for Waldorf Education will be releasing additional study data as we head into the 100th anniversary celebration of Waldorf education, so stay tuned for more interesting information.
-Lea Werbel, Director of Marketing and Communications |
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Local Lectures for Parents
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Daily we strive to inspire learning, courage, and joy in the developing human being.
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