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Dear Colleagues,
My ‘travel report’ for this edition comes from a recent visit to the Big Island of Hawaii, where I recently had the good fortune to visit the Kona Pacific Charter School. Hopefully, this description will warm all of you who have been buried in snow, ice, and rain over these past weeks. Spring will come! It was wonderful to see and feel aloha spirit in action and to receive another vivid reminder of the importance of location for our schools. Hawaii, the ‘Big Island’, is the youngest and largest of the Hawaiian islands. It is a giant volcano; from the seafloor to the top of Mauna Kea, it is the highest mountain in the world. Lava and rock fields are a reminder that it is seismically active: Pele, the Goddess of Fire, was stirring while I was there, with one day of what the locals call ‘vog’, a fog created by volcanic ash. You can really feel the growth and life forces of this amazing place.
Reflecting these many gifts of nature, the school setting is stunning: perched on a hill, surrounded by lush vegetation, with wooded areas for walks and play and a large garden. You approach the campus from a lower parking lot, up steep steps made of the dark, volcanic rock that is a dominant feature of the island. The steps provide a nice separation between the parking lot and school. The campus is open and airy; Kona may win the prize for most spectacular front office! The office includes a well-used lanai where meetings are held and student interventions and meetings take place throughout the day. Windows are opened wide to catch the trade winds.
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The school day at Kona Pacific starts with students being called to the central grassy area, not by a school bell but by a conch shell sounding long notes. The students and teachers assemble in a remarkably orderly manner and greet the day with the school song, sung in the Hawaiian language. Hawaiian culture is very much in evidence with a strong program of language, traditional crafts, history, and geography. This reflects one of the school’s “three braids” of their mission: Waldorf-inspired education, Hawaiian culture, and the land and agriculture. They told me that this is part of a relatively recent resurgence of Hawaiiana, including the language and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. History is being reclaimed and celebrated, reinforcing deep connections to land, sea, and sky. There are important lessons here for all of us at this time.
Decorations were still hanging from a community luau that had been held the previous weekend. I was fortunate to be there as the school celebrated the end of the Makahiki season, a time of moving from the rest period of winter (a very relative term!) to a new cycle of planting and growth, under the care of the god Lono. Celebration included a short play and presentations by the older grades on several of the “canoe plants” with food samples prepared by the students and enjoyed by all!
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This is a school with a great deal of heart warmth. Adults are generally addressed as auntie and uncle, aligned with Hawaiian culture. I saw many instances of older students helping younger students. This included a second grade hula lesson taught by a seventh grade student. Most of the children were very engaged and groaned when the short lesson ended.
The school has a strong pre-school program led by experienced Waldorf teachers. They spend a great deal of time outdoors (this is an outdoor-focused school overall given the climate, the gifts of its site, and limited indoor space). The preschool is tuition-free thanks to a grant from the Charter Commission. This allows access to a high-quality program but also comes with curriculum requirements and regular inspections. Again, my visit was well-timed as an inspector visited on my final morning. She spoke glowingly about the Valentine’s circle she had just participated in and the layers of learning this involved.
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Kona Pacific’s unique “three strand” approach presents a unique opportunity for exploring what Hawaiian Public Waldorf education could look like. The school has challenges that are familiar to most other schools, including recruiting and retaining teachers, the rising number of students with individual support needs, and adequate classroom space (intervention and remedial sessions happen in secluded spots all over campus). Some challenges are compounded by its island location far distant from other Alliance schools; it was reassuring for the school to hear that it shares many struggles with other schools. Other challenges arise out of its history: like a number of our schools, Kona had its beginnings as a small independent school. This was not a sustainable model for the area, but it provided fertile ground for a charter, which opened in 2008. The school is chartered by the state; Hawaii has one state-wide department of education instead of districts. Kona continues to navigate the differences between its early life as an independent and public school and the needs and demands of today.It is working to more clearly define roles, to resolve governance issues, to support and provide appropriate professional development for teachers, and to determine its identity as it looks to the future.
I am privileged to visit many schools. Every visit teaches me so much and raises new questions about what, exactly, a Public Waldorf school can or should look like as we enter the second quarter of this century. I look forward to being in communication with Kona Pacific as they continue to examine their task and to build for the future.
Mahalo to Kona Pacific for my warm welcome and aloha to all!
Liz Beaven
Executive Director
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Workshop Offerings:
Many heartfelt thanks to Mary Ruud who shared her enthusiasm for eurythmy with a group of lucky individuals on Saturday. Mary took everyone through a lively and enlivening series of verses and movements, with breaks to explain what we were doing and, importantly, why we were doing them. Mary manages to make this sometimes mysterious subject accessible and she embodies its strengthening, health-building power. Thank you so much, Mary!
We know there is no ideal time for workshops: we settled on Saturday for our series offered in lieu of our conference. Mary generously suggested that we record the eurythmy session to make it more available. The Zoom recording of the eurythmy session will be available shortly. Please check our website for the link, or look for it in our next e-newsletter.
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Coming up: Watercolor painting with Rick Tan!
This workshop is designed for teachers as Rick will be providing guidance in the use of painting in the classroom. Rick is known for his clear, reassuring, and beautiful approach to painting.
Saturday, March 8th, 10:00-11:30 Pacific.
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Upcoming Virtual Workshops – Free to Attend
Please visit our website for more information, including Zoom links when they become available. Be sure to mark your calendars!
These are offered free of charge: a small consolation in place of our conference.
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Rick Tan
Watercolor Painting Workshop
Date: March 8, 10-11:30 AM, PT
Workshop Overview:
Learn the foundational Five C's of watercolor painting.
Participants will use watercolor sets they have available to them. Rick will use Stockmar paints in blue, yellow, and red.
Bio: here
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Elizabeth Seward
Handwork Workshop
Date: March 22, 10-11:30 AM, PT
Workshop Overview: Overview of the handwork curriculum, grades 1-8: What, when, why, and how.
Offering conversational support for handwork teachers and others, including class management and simple short projects.
Bio: here
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Cassandra Bridge
Free Speech on Campus - Navigating Social and Political Tensions
Date: March 5, 11 AM - 12:30 PM, PT
*Workshop Overview:
Join us for an informative session focused on exploring the First Amendment’s protections for employee and student speech, key Supreme Court rulings, and their implications for school settings.
Bio: here
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Lisa Corr
Avoiding the Most Common Pitfalls Under the IDEA
Date: March 31, 11 AM - 12:30 PM, PT
*Workshop Overview:
Join us for an informative session focused on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This presentation will explore the most frequent challenges and misconceptions faced by educators and administrators.
Bio: here
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*Legal Workshops
These workshops will be available for school administrators and leaders.
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David Sewell McCann
A Virtual Course in Storytelling
Available Now: Pre-Recorded Course
Workshop Overview:
Intentional Storytelling in Emergencies
Bio: here
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Alliance Conference Update
Thank you to everyone who completed the recent survey about our annual conference. We had responses from over half our schools. Predictably, due to different school schedules and demands, responses were quite varied. After reviewing them and weighing our options, the Conference Committee determined that we will postpone until 2026. Preferences for dates were also very mixed; for next year, we will stay with our tradition of Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend (January 17-19). Save the date: more details will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.
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Professional Development and Teacher Preparation | |
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Upcoming Professional Development
and Teacher Preparation
Woodland Star Charter School: Parent Education Series
Feb. 26 & Mar. 12, 2025: In-Person, Glen Ellen, CA
https://conta.cc/4fT0v8V
Kairos Institute: Healing in a World of Need
Feb. 28 - June 15. 2025 courses: Online
July 6-11, 2025: In-Person, Wilton, NH
bit.ly/Kairos2025te-emergency-pedagogy/
WECAN: Parent and Caregiver Events
Spring 2025, Online
https://waldorfearlychildhood.org/news-and-events/parent-and-caregiver-events/
Leading with Spirit: Training programs: The Art of Facilitation, Prepared to Serve, and The River Raft and You
Spring 2025 offerings: Online
leadingwithspirit.org/
Sunbridge Institute: The Art of Storytelling
Apr. 4-5, 2025: Online
https://www.sunbridge.edu/courses-workshops/summer-series/
Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training: Weaving Wonder into Everyday Life with Toddlers
Apr. 27, 2025: Online
https://events.humanitix.com/taster-day-weaving-wonder-into-everyday-life-with-toddlers
Gradalis:
Teaching as an Art Week
Jun. 22-27, 2025: In-Person, Shining Mountain W.S. Boulder, CO
https://gradalis.edu/teaching-as-an-art/
Teacher Training
Jun. 22- Jul. 11, 2025: In-Person, Shining Mountain W.S. Boulder, CO
https://gradalis.edu/
Sunbridge Institute: Summer Series-
Leadership, Early Childhood & Grades 1-8
Jun. & Jul. 2025: Online
https://www.sunbridge.edu/courses-workshops/summer-series/
Great Lakes Waldorf Institute: High School Summer Professional Development
Jun. 30-Jul. 3, 2025: Online
Jul. 7-11, 2025: In-Person, Milwaukee, WI
https://www.greatlakeswaldorf.org/high-school
Journey School: Summer Renewal 2025- Art of Teaching
Jul. 7-11, 2025: In-Person, Aliso Viejo, CA
rsvpartofteaching2.pdf
Center for Anthroposophy: Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program
Class of 2027 enrolls this summer, July 2025. Online & In-Person
https://centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/waldorf-high-school-teacher-education/whistep/
New Adult Learning Institute: Grounded in Practice: A New Waldorf Foundation Year
Aug 18, 2025 - April 30, 2026: One Week In-Person (Vancouver Island, Canada) & 8 months Online (bi-monthly)
https://haven-wood.ca/nalinstitute
Gradalis: Understanding Waldorf Education Program
Sept. 2025-April 2026: Online
https://gradalis.edu/uwe-mentorship/
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Upcoming Conferences:
WECAN Birth to Three Conference: Companionship through Communication: Caressing the Seeds of Self
Apr. 4-5, 2025, In-Person, Seattle, WA
https://web.cvent.com/event/
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Public Waldorf is a service mark of the Association of Waldorf Schools
of North America and is used pursuant to a license.
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