Education for the 21st Century |
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Dear Families,
Welcome back from what we hope was a restorative break with family and friends. Please mark your calendars for Registration Week coming up on March 14! You will receive an email link from the Registrar with details at that time.
We would also like to take this time to encourage everyone to be good neighbors to our friends who live on Canyon Drive: there have been many recent reports of speeding cars both on the street and in the parking lots. Let's all take care of one another and slow down...no class or job or appointment is worth the harm an accident could cause. To quote a popular local neighborhood sign: "Drive as if your kids live here!"
Thank you all, and Happy Monday!
Warmly,
Alyssa Hamilton
WSOC Communications Coordinator
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Dear families,
A few months ago, I shared the seven principles of Waldorf education, developed collaboratively by AWSNA member schools and adopted in 2016. These principles are a focus of our accreditation process, which is at its midpoint with a mid-cycle review coming later this spring. Our continuing responsibility is to reflect upon how the school meets each of these principles. Today, I’d like to focus on Principle #7: Collaboration and shared responsibility provide the foundations of school leadership and governance.
According to the recommendations of Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf schools do not rely on a traditional, hierarchical governing structure. Instead, Waldorf Schools are “self-administered,” with interrelated bodies (or “spheres of leadership”) sharing the work of administering and governing the school. The Anthroposophical context of these “spheres of leadership” is best explained in the AWSNA Publication Administrative Explorations (“Three Pillars of Healthy Waldorf Communities,” Robert Schiappacasse, 2000):
Rudolf Steiner indicated the new direction that we must take to create a healthy Waldorf culture early in the century in his writings on the threefold social organism. He outlined how human society and organizations need to seek a threefold organization, which lives archetypally in the human form and physiognomy. . . . Like the threefold human body, our schools are healthy when a dynamic balance can be maintained between each of the three realms (cultural, economic and rights). . . . [T]he more these three spheres can be empowered with explicit leadership, competency, and clear expectations and communication procedures, the more support each area can give to the others and the less likely will be the tendency to polarization. . . . We need to consciously cultivate pedagogical leadership, administrative leadership, and Parent/Board leadership by identifying individuals based on competence, and giving them clear mandates and job descriptions on behalf of those they serve. This threefold sociological theory suggests that by increasing the independence of society’s three primary realms in such a way that those three realms can mutually correct each other is an ongoing process.
I am currently a member of AWSNA’s Waldorf School Leadership Research Committee that is facilitating a collaborative process with the goal of identifying innovative strategies that will have the greatest positive impact on organizational culture in AWSNA member schools. The process aims to develop a better understanding of the strengths and barriers related to governance and leadership in Waldorf schools.
The Governance Review Committee at WSOC also continues to scrutinize governance and leadership practices at the school to ensure that the school meets Principle #7. With representation from the Board, the Faculty and Administration, and guided by Sunbridge Institute Executive Director Jessica Ziegler, who has a professional focus on leadership skills and governance issues, the Committee meets regularly to review our governance structure that balances the leadership of administration and faculty effectively.
Warmly,
Kevin McDuff
School Administrator
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What Parents & Alums are Saying About WSOC |
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Budget Q&A with Kim McGovern
WSOC Business Manager
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Are you curious about how WSOC budgets each year? We asked our Business Manager to answer some questions about the process.
Who makes budget decisions?
The Budget Mandate Group (BMG) makes recommendations to the Board for the future school year budget. The BMG is a dynamic group of individuals composed of Board members, Administrative staff, College of Teachers’ members, current parent volunteers, and Alumni parent volunteers. We are so grateful for their time and energy! These members hold monthly scheduled meetings throughout the year to define and maintain financial sustainability for WSOC. We investigate issues and uncertainties building on trends both internally and externally.
From whom do you collect “input”?
Internally, we rely heavily on past data and the input from all of the various realms of the school. Externally, we rely on information from the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and the National Association of Independent Schools. Studying external trends helps us to navigate the foreseeable future with certainty and it can also challenge conventional thinking and open our eyes to possibilities that were previously unseen.
Who provides financial oversight?
Redwiz CPA provides a financial review. The healthy planning around our finances leads to healthy budgets and confidence in the stewardship of the tuition dollars they collect.
What financial trends do you assess?
The trends we assess each year are the economic outlook (inflation, job growth), the enrollment outlook (our attrition rate, affordability, early interest), and the staffing outlook (salary and benefits, retention rates, staffing needs.
Is the money spent in the same year it is generated?
As a not for profit entity, each year every tuition dollar is put to work to support all of our financial needs for that year. The remarkable programs and staff make WSOC the unique school that it is.
How does our not-for-profit status affect our budget?
Our not-for-profit status affects the way we plan to budget. Each year we get as close to break even as possible while leaving a surplus amount dedicated to funding our reserve accounts. The presence of reserve accounts increases an organization’s ability to absorb or respond to temporary changes in its environment or circumstances.
Can we expect the tuition rate to continue to climb each year? If so, how much?
We anticipate a 3-5% increase in tuition on an annual basis. We have adopted this approach because we feel that it gives families the opportunity to prepare for a planned, small, steady increase rather than delaying an increase and then raising the tuition by a large increase unexpectedly. The small, steady increase covers the rising costs for salaries and benefits for our faculty and staff and other rises in fixed expenses.
What are some of the major expenses?
Some of our major expenses are salary and benefits for staff, insurance, and classroom expenses.
Any new expenses this year?
New expenses this year involve the costs related to getting the Nursery program up and running. We are so pleased to be adding a new trailer to house the program.
Anything else you'd like to add?
In creating a budget each year, strong consideration is given to tuition increases and the financial sacrifices families make to support this community and our students. As such, we continue to offer our tuition adjustment program and sibling discounts to further our work of providing community diversity. As we plan for the year ahead, we are excited to provide a robust experience for you and your students this year and for years to come! The ability to provide the continuity of education from 18 months to 18 years is a gift to our students generously supported through annual balanced budgets.
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Admissions Updates with Kathy Christian
Admissions Director
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Dear families,
It's that time of year when we are asked to make a recommitment to our Waldorf education and to the next step in our shared journey. As we make the decision to re-register our children and plan for the next year of their growth, we may stop to consider the path we have chosen. Our path is not a traditional one by many standards, but it is rich in value.
Looking around campus, beauty, meaning and wonder are everywhere! Early Childhood students and teachers preparing for their long walks on the bluffs of Fairview park; 5th Graders daily care and attention for their beloved goats, Moose and Squirrel; Lunar New Year celebrations and dumpling making with Luo Lau Shi, Mandarin teacher; 10th grade students sharing their newly-deepened capacities for poetic expression during their Poetry Evening; 12th grade students proudly sitting for their senior portraits. No other form of education provides an academic experience this enriching, authentic and joyful.
The gift of a Waldorf education for your children is likely one of the largest and most important expenditures you make each year. It is the gift of creative critical thinking skills, resiliency, self motivation, self-control, inspiration, concentration and grit, which will send them out into the world with all the tools they need to succeed. We all want our children inspired and passionate, not stressed and burned out. We want our children to know themselves deeply and to live life deep in meaning, joy and success.
Kathy Christian
Admissions Director
Families new to our school community recognize WSOC students’ special qualities:
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Spring into Spring! We are all ready for the upcoming spring in the store with oodles of new products arriving daily. Current events might have slowed down our supply chain a bit, but we will continue to provide you with lots of beautiful seasonal items!
We look forward to seeing your lovely faces in the store soon!
With love,
Nona and The Angels
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Next Coffee Chat: Discuss Budget & Tuition |
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Scrip of the Month:
Eat Chow
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Eat Chow, a local community favorite, is a sleek cafe with an eclectic New American menu, including breakfast, lunch and dinner fare, wine and craft beer. Hands down one of our biggest go-tos for a delicious meal and great ambiance.
1802 Newport Blvd.
Costa Mesa
211 62nd St
Newport Beach
See Scrip Coordinator Pam Lusk in The Company of Angels for more information about purchasing Scrip!
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Grade 6 enjoyed a robust round of activities in conjunction with their medieval history studies. The activities included castle building (and subsequently learning which techniques invaders might use to take down a castle!), Medieval Games, putting their knightly mettle to the test (with the help of a representative from the Belegarth Medieval Combat community, Mr. House) with a day of swordplay in the spirit of experiential learning, and a special "Feast of Fools" dinner with the students, main lesson teacher Mr. Storm and class parents.
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Valentine's Day celebration in the high school. Thank you to high school parents Erica and Peter Norgaard for making this special event happen! |
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Lower grades students watch gleefully as upper grades students participate in outdoor activities on the blacktop. |
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Mon 2/28, 4:30p - 5:15p • Nursery Parent Conference
Mon 2/28, 6p • Board Meeting
Tue 3/1, 8:45a - 9:45a • Room Rep Meeting
Tue 3/1, 6:30p - 8:00p • Grade 6 Parent Evening
Wed 3/2 • Playgroup and Bridge Parent Meeting
Wed 3/2, 1:15p - 2:00p • Nursery Parent Conference
Thu 3/3, 8:45a - 9:45a • Parent Enrichment for Early Years parents
Thu 3/3, 6:30 pm - 7:30pm • Grade 8 Parent Evening
Mon 3/7, 3:30p - 5:00p • Tea with the 12th Grade
Mon 3/7, 4:30p - 5:15p • Nursery Parent Conferences
Wed 3/9, 1:15p - 2:00p • Nursery Parent Conference
Wed 3/9, 6:30p - 7:30p • Grade 3 Parent Evening
Thu 3/10, 8:45a - 9:45a • Parent Enrichment for Early Years parents
Sat 3/12 • SAT Test Date
Mon 3/14 - Fri 3/18 • All School Re-Registration
Mon, 3/21, 6 - 8:30p • Board Meeting
Tue 3/29, 9:30a - 12:30p • ANA Meeting for So. Cal. Waldorf Schools
Wed 3/30, 9:00 - 11:00a • Walk Through the Grades
Adult Education: click here to learn more or register
Fri 3/4, 5:00p - 9:00p • Adult Education Program Grades (Foundation Studies: 7pm-9pm)
Sat 3/5, 8:30a - 4:30p • Adult Education Program (all)
Tue 3/8, 6:30p - 9:00p • Adult Education Program (Foundation Studies: 7:30pm - 9pm)
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Help us get to first place! We are currently in 7th place with 372 lbs. collected. Contest ends March 18. Bring your batteries to the front office and place them in the collection box. Thank you! |
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Addressing Whole Child Wellness in Schools
Educating the whole child by offering an education environment that helps students stay balanced and thrive both academically and emotionally needs to become a mainstay of school culture and curriculum. Schools should develop communities where...
Read more
www.waldorfeducation.org
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Faculty and Student Wellness: Embracing the Interdependence
Earlier this summer, during an online discussion about grading practices, a teacher made a familiar, yet rarely challenged assertion: "When a student gets a D/F-or even an A-in my class, that's the grade they earned." My translation: "I provide...
Read more
www.nais.org
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Waldorf Alum Connections
Did you know that AWSNA offered a continental New Year happy hour for alums across the continent? Seventy-five alums attended and it was a blast! Quarterly social events are now on the schedule.
Need an architect, an artist, an accountant? Support alum businesses and share with your community the alum business directory.
- The Continental Waldorf Alum Business Directory
- currently listing 125 businesses
- sharing alums' successes and endeavors far and wide
- Mentorship and Mentee Opportunities
- with 100s of alum registrants offering themselves up as mentors, the potential support for young alums is truly boundless.
- Alum Parent Registration
- the platform welcomes not only alums, but alum parents as well, with the hopes of parents sharing job postings and internship offerings
- School Community Pages*
- fully manage events and registration in one place
- integrated Zoom for events
- full fundraising capabilities offered directly through the WAC platform
- * offered for an additional annual fee
- Internship and Employment Postings
- Searchable Alum Map by location, industry, class year, school affiliation and more.
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Click here for WSOC College of Teachers, Board Members and Administrative Rotation
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Waldorf School of Orange County
2350 Canyon Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92627-3948
(949) 574-7775
wwww.waldorfschool.com
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