 |
|
WSOC January 2018 Newsletter
Happy 2018 everyone! It's a new year, a clean slate, a time for new beginnings and fond farewells.
We thank everyone for the beautiful creation that was Winter Festival, with all classes and faculty pulling together to offer booths with fun arts and crafts and delicious food and drink. We're grateful for our student musicians, parent volunteers, Festival singers, Grade 7's beautiful advent spiral and much more. A special acknowledgement to our Winter Festival committee for the many layers of painstaking coordination that go into a school event of this magnitude: Stacy Turek, Josh Boyle, and faculty members Holly Peterson, Naqib Shifa and MatanTsufim.
Thank you to our many dedicated volunteers, in particular
Kimberlee Streiff, Laura Fortino-Zeni and Christa Denson. Lastly, thank you to Christine Newell for another banner craft year for the Elves' Workshop, which sold out once again this year!
And now, go forth into the new year with your intentions set and your loved ones by your side. It's going to be an incredible year.
Aftercare forms for January are available at the bottom of the newsletter; please email to the appropriate aftercare supervisor before school begins if possible.
See you on January 8th!
Warmly,
Alyssa Hamilton
WSOC Communications Coordinator
"Things do not change; we change."
--Henry David Thoreau, Walden
|
January 5 Middle School boys basketball practice WSOC campus
January 8 Back to school
January 8 Middle school boys basketball tournament, Calvary Christian
January 8 College Planning evening with WSOC college counselor Areum Kim
January 10 Grade 10 parent evening
January 11 Middle school girls basketball tournament, Calvary Christian
January 12 IN-SERVICE DAY no school
January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, no school
January 17 First Grade Readiness evening
January 19 Adult Education
January 20 Adult Education
January 20 Middle School basketball tournament
January 22 High School application deadline
January 23 Adult Education
January 23 Grade 7 radio play, evening dinner
January 24 WSOC Parent Education event with Ruth Ker
January 30 Grade 5 Sequoia Trip
|
29 DAYS LEFT TO REACH $100K!
Dear Families,
The end of our Annual Giving Campaign is fast approaching. We have 29 days left to reach $100K! If you have already participated, thank you! Otherwise, please join
teachers, staff, board members and fellow parents in making a gift or pledge to Annual Giving so that we may achieve our goal of raising $100,000 in 100 days.
Our collective participation sends a powerful message within our community that we are all in this together and are committed to our school's success.
TOGETHER, EVERY GIFT MAKES A POSITIVE IMPACT.
On behalf of our students and faculty, thank you for supporting WSOC.
Happy New Year all!
Warmly,
WSOC Development Director
|
| Thank you to The Brenden Mann Foundation |
A heartfelt thank you to the Brenden Mann Foundation for awarding WSOC with a grant to purchase Macbooks and a laptop cart for the High School. The grant allowed the school to expand its laptop count from 17 to 32 Macbooks. Now, each student in any given class is able to work on a laptop independently during Main Lesson or as needed during a block lesson.
A second t
hank you to the Brenden Mann Foundation for generously providing holiday
appreciation gifts to WSOC's hard working faculty before the winter break.
The Brenden Mann Foundations' overwhelming support and contributions to our school's success are so very appreciated!
|
| Ms. Elisabeth announces retirement plans |
Ms. Elisabeth, our master Eurythmy teacher, has announced her plans to retire at the end of the school year. We will greatly miss her work and presence.
For more than 15 years, she has brought a deep appreciation and high quality of eurythmy to hundreds of students here at WSOC. She has guided children in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and choreographed and guided eurythmy plays and performances. In addition to her teaching work, Ms. Elisabeth has served as Chair of the College of Teachers, Faculty Chair, served nine years on the Board of Trustees, and organized and carried multiple conferences for Waldorf educators on our campus.
Ms. Elisabeth also has served the wider Waldorf community as an AWSNA Delegate (eight years), and as the AWSNA Leadership Council Representative for the Southern California/Hawaii Region (three years).
She is planning to continue residing in Costa Mesa rather than returning to Germany, as she loves the warm weather in sunny Southern California.
|
| WSOC Admissions upcoming events |
Welcome to new Playgroup Parents who have joined us for Session
#2 starting this month!
First Grade Rea
diness Meeting
Wednesday, January 17
6:30pm
Kindergarten Classroom
All kindergarten parents are welcome to attend
whether or not your child is of age for first grade.
High School Application Deadline is Monday, January 22nd for students from outside of WSOC.
Walk Through the Grades
Wednesday, February 7
9am
Meet in Company of Angels Garden
Please RSVP here
|
,
Faculty & Staff Spotlight:
Michelle Boynton
Michelle Boynton, a former engineer turned educator, teaches physics and upper level mathematics in our high school. Before teaching at WSOC, she was a founding faculty member and lead teacher at the Waldorf School San Diego (WSSD) high school where she taught for eight years. Ms. Boynton holds a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and worked in the industry for 17 years, including green building and net zero building projects. She earned her Waldorf High School Teaching Certification in 2011 from the Center for Anthroposophy and is currently pursuing a Masters in Education from the University of San Diego.
"I immediately saw that Waldorf education complemented a conscious parenting model," Ms. Boynton recalls as she looks back to the start of her search for the best education for her daughter Maxine. "I saw an alignment with our lifestyle at home." Maxine attended WSSD from K-12 and graduated from the high school in 2016 as a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student. She is studying mathematics and philosophy at Reed College in Portland, OR while also continuing her training in piano and interest in aerial circus arts.
|
|
|
Students in Ms. Boyton's class apply principles they've learned in physics to a Rube Goldberg project, in which a complex "machine' is built with strict time and materials constraints
|
In her teaching, Ms. Boynton strives to bring out the creativity in every student. "There's no educational model that compares to Waldorf in terms of honoring the creative process and developing problem solving capacities."
She believes that creativity, even in science and math, is fostered in an environment where struggle is normalized and it is safe to make mistakes. "As a teacher, it is a true joy to observe the 'ah-ha' moments...where the struggle and confusion give way to a sense of clarity and cognition for the student."
|
|
|
|
Volunteer of the Month: Josh Boyle
Josh Boyle, now an eight-year veteran of Waldorf School of Orange County, first heard about Waldorf education through an article in Mothering magazine. By coincidence, the daughter of a close friend had just started Pre-Kindergarten at WSOC. Josh visited the campus soon after. His first memory of the Early Childhood play yard?
"Butterflies," he laughs, clearly enjoying the memory. "There were butterflies everywhere."
Shortly after his initial visit, he and his wife Melissa Armstrong enrolled their daughter Elizabeth (now in Grade 4 with Ms. Yvette) in Playgroup with then-teacher Miss Uschi. Josh quickly found himself helping out around campus. If something needed to be done, he stepped in. He was first asked to be a Room Rep in Kindergarten. Being a Room Rep gave him a deeper understanding of the vital role parent volunteers play on campus, he says.
"I never realized how much the school depends on our efforts, especially once you get into first and second grade and take on big roles with the festivals." He praises fellow WSOC parent Christa Denson for bringing parent volunteers back onto the Winter Festival committee a few years back, including himself. Involving parents in these committees, he says, helps to deepen their commitment to the outcome.
In addition to being a Room Rep, Josh has played an integral part in WSOC's Winter Festival (in addition to set up and logistics, he's arranged music and played with the Festival Singers) and May Faire. These festivals are huge endeavors for faculty and parents alike, and require an immense amount of coordination, advance planning and a dedicated parent body. It can be challenging for busy parents to give the time and effort that they would like, he notes, but it's inspiring to see the heart that the WSOC community ultimately invests in each endeavor.
Being a volunteer, says Josh, affords parents a unique window into the inner workings of their children's Waldorf education.
"Every time I'm here at WSOC, I get to see things a parent wouldn't normally see. Several years ago, I got to observe three grades doing an Advent song, lighting a candle and singing a verse. It was amazing. I was sold."
"It's so much better than even the Walk Through the Grades," he adds. "As a volunteer, you get to see this education come alive whenever you're on campus. That's a parent's greatest reward."
|
|
|
An Evening with Ruth Ker:
"Warming the Space Between Us - Building
Trust in Early Childhood Relationships"
Wednesday, January 24th
7pm
Eurythmy Hall
Adults only please!
Free
Ruth Ker is a mother of two grown children who have been educated in the Waldorf school that she has pioneered on Vancouver Island, in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. She has been a teacher of early childhood education for over thirty years, first in mainstream education and then at Sunrise Waldorf School. She is a member of the WECAN board and author of the book, "You're Not the Boss of Me: Understanding the Six/Seven-Year-Old Transformation."
|
| Support our high school Snow Day |
|
With heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, we wish to thank each and every one in the community who shopped in The Company of Angels this past holiday season.
Remember, we have been here for these 26 years due to your continued support.
Looking forward to a marvelous 2018!
With Love,
The Angels
|
|
|
|
| Grade 2 performed their traditional Eurythmy play under the direction of Ms. Elisabeth on December 15th |
|
|
|
|
On December 20th, Grade 3 received a special visitor. Priscilla Cobb, a counselor at a charter school in Moreno Valley and fiancee of our own David Zedecker, Eurythmy accompanist, shared her spinning skills with a rapt audience.
|
|
|
|
On December 13th, Grade 6 visited Griffith Park observatory as part of their astronomy block
|
|
|
|
On December 21, the WSOC high school orchestra performed at a community event for adults and children at a holiday celebration in downtown Santa Ana.
|
|
|
|
Grades 1 and 8 do some bonding with holiday crafting
|
|
WSOC girls' volleyball team finishes season with second place in championship game
|
Our girls' volleyball team won 5 of 10 season games and
took second place in the final championship game. We are so proud of our team!
For full season statistics, click
here!
|
WSOC Student Council raising funds to support orphanage in Mexico
Dear Community,
WSOC Student Council is proud to offer an opportunity to change lives of disadvantaged orphans in Tijuana, Mexico. Students from the High School will be visiting Casa Hogar Sion on January 27th, 2018. In conjunction with this trip, we are fundraising to help support the building of a baby dorm adjacent to the orphanage. According to change in the Mexican legal system, babies in orphanages are no longer allowed to be housed in two-story buildings. For this reason, Corazon de Vida must construct a new facility before they can take any more new babies.
I understand that many different people, schools, and organizations ask for money to fundraise for a cause-especially around the holiday time. One hundred percent of the funding that we generate, however, will go to ensure a home and safety for children who have not been blessed into a family or who have been given up from a family that couldn't care for them. Therefore, a donation of any amount would be greatly appreciated. Additionally, if Waldorf School family members and friends are inclined, they can also spread the word and send out this information to everyone you know.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Camastral
President of Student Council
Fundraising page:
give.classy.org/whs18
|
|
|
|
A new addition for the Pitts family
We are excited to announce that Daniel Pitts, our high school math teacher and Eurythmy accompanist, and Katie Pitts, our high school choir director, are expecting their first baby (gender will be a surprise) in April 2018.
As this is their first foray into parenthood, they welcome any gently used baby items that you might like to share with them!
|
|
|
|
Introductory Singing Retreat Day with
with Christiaan Boyle, of Valborg Werbeck Svärdstrom's School of Uncovering the Voice
1pm
110 Martin Alley
Pasadena
|
|
|
|
Whether baking is an occasional hobby or a calling, we can use your treats in the Company of Angels! Sign up once, or 10 times, whatever works for you. All proceeds benefit WSOC and make everyone happy in the process!
|
|
|
Steiner study group at Company of Angels
We are happy to announce that WSOC community member Rajee Rajamani is forming a Steiner study group.
The group will begin with an essay by Rudolf Steiner, "The Education of the Child in the Light of Anthroposophy." It is a relatively easy read and has a good introduction to the basic ideas of Anthroposophy and yet, like all of Steiner's writings, there is always more that one can glean even from a second or third reading.
As with all Anthroposophic study groups, there is no leader in the group, and it is built instead on the questions and contributions of everyone involved. Rajee will act as facilitator.
Whether you are a seasoned anthroposophist and longtime community member or a new parent, the study group would love to have you be a part of it!
Tuesdays
1pm - 2:50pm
Company of Angels garden
Free
|
|
|
|
Help WSOC win up to $1,000 in the Costa Mesa Sanitary District's battery recycling contest
Battery collection bin is in the front office. Batteries accepted are:
Nine volt batteries must be taped on the ends for safety reasons.
For more information on the contest, click
here. For more on batteries accepted, click
here.
|
|
|
|
Important Documents & Links
|
|
#StartWithASmile
PrestoPay tutorial for Scrip here:
AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America)
|
Volunteer Driver Form (requirements are different for overnight field trips; ask your class teacher for details)
|
|
College of Teachers
Catherine Averett
Christiane Bohr
Jenell Carlson
Francesco De Benedetto
Gina Garrison (Chair)
Andrea Hubert
Angie Meier
Brooke Natzke
Holly Peterson
Lorri Valenzuela-Mier (Chair)
Board of Trustees
Lisa Arnquist
Megan Brown
David Burnett
Francesco De Benedetto (College Rep)
Gina Garrison (College Rep)
Gabe Frisby (Chair)
David Kruse
Leslie Morrison
Margaret O'Brien
Colin Severn
Olivia Slutzky
Adminstrative Rotation:
Jeff Barth
Teresa Alarcon
Gina Illes
Linda Timmons
WSOC Ombudsmen
Russ Bermejo
|
|
|
|
|
|
