Newsletter Archive
School Bulletin for the week of January 23, 2008
waldorf graduates: the study continues
On Tuesday, January 29th Douglas Gerwin will speak about the final results of the Waldorf Graduate Survey, which he and David Mitchell conducted for the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. This survey of 550 graduates from North American Waldorf schools covers a sixty year period, from the first US Waldorf high school graduates in 1943 to the class of 2005 and provides incredible insight about how these graduates felt a Waldorf education influenced their lives. Douglas’ talk will cover such topics as Waldorf graduates’ career paths, their views on human relationships, cultural and social interests and overall reflections on their Waldorf education.
Douglas Gerwin is the Director of the Center for Anthroposophy and has taught history, literature, German, music and life science at the Waldorf high school level since 1983. He presently divides his time between adult education, teaching in various North American Waldorf schools and mentoring Waldorf High Schools, including the Chicago Waldorf School. Douglas is also the editor of several books related to Waldorf education and Co-Director, along with David Mitchell, of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education
We hope you’ll join us for Douglas’ follow-up to last year’s lecture when he spoke about latest phase of the graduate survey. Refreshments will be provided at 7:00pm, followed by Douglas’ talk at 7:30pm.
...
The 8th Grade Proudly Presents:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Friday, February 1 • 7:30pm
Saturday, February 2 • 7:30pm
...
can she have your attention?
In the final installment of our January speaker series, Diane Levin will be coming to the Lake Shore Schools auditorium (1447 W. Pratt) at 6:30pm. Diane Levin is a professor of education at Wheelock College. She has taught early childhood education and human development courses for over 25 years. An internationally recognized expert, she helps professionals and parents understand and deal with the effects of violence, media and commercial culture on children.
...
media update
The Chicago Waldorf School is going to be featured on TV! CWS will be on 20 spots on both CNN and CLTV over a two week period to celebrate the Support of Education campaign. Exact dates to be announced in next week’s Bulletin.
Stefanie Safran, Director, Marketing & Communications
...
annual appeal
Let’s all make one of our new year’s resolutions keeping CWS strong and healthy now and in the years to come! Thanks to all of you who have participated in giving so generously to our Annual Fund. We are pleased to announce that we have received over $123,000.00 in gifts and pledges toward our goal of $280,000.00! You can make your pledge or contribution anytime before June 30, 2008.
Sheree Moratto, Co-Administrator
...
answer: frothy fridays
Question: What do you get when the 8th grade sells hot chocolate after school at the week’s end? Come warm up with a piping hot cup of cocoa served by the 8th graders outside at 3:00pm this Friday, January 25th and next Friday, February 1. You will benefit the class trip with your purchase! There will also be candy canes and cookies available to buy. See you there! strings concert The 3rd grade strings players will play their debut concert on Saturday, February 2, at 3:00pm in the auditorium. This will also be the opening concert of the year for the 4th grade orchestra. Musicians are asked to arrive in colorful festival attire at 2:30pm for tuning.
...
things i like about cws #217: the food
The holiday season means one thing for this CWS parent: my kitchen goes into factory mode, what with the Holiday Fair, parties, potlucks, lantern walks, teacher gifts, and so on and on.
I was thinking about this as I read, not for the first time, about a school which had – for safety/legal/ever-expanding-bureaucracy reasons – banned parents from bringing homemade treats for school birthday parties because they might contain something someone might be allergic to.
Rather than allow parents to act like adults capable of managing a situation, they simply force everyone to buy factory food from the nearest megaconglomerate outpost, because then it will be labeled in a standardized, legally-CYA way. Thus preparing their children for a lifetime of eating pre-processed plastic and thinking of their food as something that comes in a box, not from the earth and your own hands.
It’s not that we in the CWS community don’t face these issues too – far from it. Both my children’s classes have allergy issues we are careful to take into consideration, and taken as a whole, I’m sure the CWS community has more than its share of folks who are quite particular about what they eat – kosher, organic, vegan, locavore, snooty-foodie (that’s me!), whatever. But what we share is a refusal to fob the responsibility off on government and industry. Whether it’s an innate DIY ethic among those attracted to Waldorf education, the desire to show off (that’d be me again) or whatever, we still take pride in making food ourselves for sharing with our fellow CWS families on all these occasions – no matter if the rest of the world is rapidly moving in the other direction. In that way, we teach our children that food is something that comes from Mother Earth, from the noble farmer, from plants and animals we honor, and from our own kitchens and hands – and love. And as any 5-year-old in Early Childhood could tell you, it’s the act of sharing food you’ve made yourself that is the basic building block of civilization and community.
So as the holiday season passes and we all go on our January diets, I just want to say thanks to everyone whose wonderful food I tasted here or there, and I hope you enjoyed what I brought, too. It wouldn’t have been the same if it had come from a box with a UPC sticker on it, and neither would our community.
Michael Gebert, Liam (EC2), Myles (3)
...
toward a lice free cws: a manifesto
Every school has to deal with lice. At Chicago Waldorf School, we can deal with it smarter. The key is prevention, and that means making small changes of habit that will make a big difference not only for our own families, but for the whole CWS community. If we all follow a few simple rules, we should reduce the frequency of lice outbreaks at CWS and nit – I mean, nip – them in the bud when they do occur. As long as you have at least one child in Early Childhood or the Grade School, here are some words to live by:
• One comb or brush per family member. Designate one and only one hair-grooming instrument for each child and each adult in your family, and don’t share them. No exceptions, even on vacations or sleepovers. And the same goes for pillows. The only hair-contact item that’s okay to share is a blow dryer! Which brings us to…
• Blow dry, don’t air dry, your child’s hair. This may be the simplest, and certainly the least chemical, means of preventing lice. After every bath or shower, use a blow dryer on high heat to dry the child’s hair completely… that is, until all the hair is bone dry. Both the heat and the dryness make life hard for lice and their eggs (nits). If you can’t do this every day, do it at least twice a week.
• Don’t let them share hats, scarves, or coats. According to the scientists, most lice transmission occurs directly from head to head, but sometimes there’s a “bridge.” Tell your children not to share, swap, borrow, or try on each other’s hats, scarves, or coats. The idea is that a hat belongs to one person and one person only (yes, just like a hairbrush or comb).
• Use essential-oils in your child’s shampoo at least once a week. Tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus oils are all said to be effective against lice, especially in combination. These can be bought already mixed into shampoos and conditioners, or you can buy the little bottles and add a small amount to each new bottle of shampoo your children use. (Add enough so that you can smell it in the shampoo after you mix it in.) This isn’t a treatment if you already have lice, but it can help prevent re-infestation and transmission.
• Inspect regularly – don’t wait for itching or news from school. We can’t depend on CWS to inspect every class with the necessary frequency. And doing it at home doesn’t have to be time consuming. Just spend a few moments after the bath or shower looking carefully for nits, especially on the side of the head behind the ears. This can be a tender moment between you and your child (just ask those apes at Lincoln Park Zoo, who enjoy this sport for hours on end). And if you find evidence of lice, please keep your child home and notify your room parents.
As you can see, this is a “systems-level” approach: it’s only partially about protecting your child and your family; it’s also about protecting the rest of the CWS community. We can accomplish both goals simply by isolating one head of hair from another at home and at school. If we work together, we can minimize those critters and get back to what’s important.
Note: This document doesn’t cover treatment. There are herbal and chemical options. For the essential-oil-and-shower-cap approach, see this article. For the mainstream (pesticide-based) methods, see this article. Whatever approach you choose, please be thorough.
...
int’l eurythmy training
Announcing an exciting new professional eurythmy training with a comtemporary dynamic approach! Study on three continents, meet people from many different cultures and deepen your understanding of anthroposophy, all while studying eurythmy with some of the most accomplished master eurythmists in the world.
Beginning in August/September 2008, this new program will offer an accredited degree in eurythmy, leaving the participants prepared for pedagogical, therapeutic, performance and social applications in any number of different careers. The first semester will take place in Dornach, Switzerland, while the spring semester will be split between Austin, Texas and Sao Paolo, Brazil. For more detailed schedules and information on fees and registration, please visit impulse-eurythmy.org.
...
the third element
CWS parent Soham Wilkerson (Wilny, 7) is featured in a group watercolor exhibit in the Sunshine Gallery at the Unity in Chicago (1925 W Thorne Ave, Chicago) throughout the month of January along with two other women artists. This beautiful exhibit reveals a variety of styles and techniques made possible with their imagination, skill and the ancient art of watercolor. The exhibit includes representational and abstract paintings, mixed media, landscape, seascape and cards. Soham says“My paintings reflect my ongoing love affair with nature and color. I paint wet on wet watercolor technique. I am grateful for the special teachers who have helped me remember and recreate the beauty of color’s dance with light. My studies of Rudolf Steiner’s work and Waldorf education expanded my technique and awareness as an artist to engage in the tremendous healing power of color.
For more information, please call 773.973.0007.
...
food for thought
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
-Winston Churchill
...
classifieds
Kids Yoga at Yoganow Edgewater! Thursdays: Ages 5-7, 3:30-4:15pm; ages 8-11, 4:30-5:15pm. 5852 N Broadway, 773-561-YOGA or yoganowchicago.com.
Early Childhood Student & Experienced Childcare Provider is starting her own daycare in Evanston for babies/children 0-5 years old. She is kind, loving and gentle. Please call Marie at 224.392.9011 or via e-mail. Transportation provided if necessary. References provided. Hours are flexible, depending upon the needs of parents. Possible financial assistance available.
...
Four Seasons Shop School Store – Gifts for All Ages!
• Store Hours
Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm
Now Open Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm
Closed Sunday & Monday
Feel free to shop online, ask us a question via e-mail or call the store directly at 773.828.8800.
...
Bulletin Submission Guidelines
New Deadline: As of October 15, 2007, the deadline for all Bulletin copy is 3:00pm Thursday for inclusion in the following edition.
Submission Guidelines: All submissions must be typed. No handwritten submissions will be accepted. All submissions are subject to editing. Please email submissions to Stefanie Safran.
Community Announcements: Public events (open houses, lectures, performances) can run free of charge in the Community Announcemens section; there is a limit of one insertion per event.
Classified Ads:
All ads must be paid at the time of submission. A classified run is two insertions. Price per classified run:
• $6 – students, parents, staff
• $9 – alumni (students only)
• $12 – all others
Once your ad has run twice we cannot contract for immediate additional insertions. All advertising for goods and/or services will go under the Classified Ads banner.
:::
newsletter submissions
• Deadline for all material is Thursday 3:00pm.
• Submissions should be emailed to Stefanie Safran and are subject to editing.
• If you would like to receive the newsletter by email, send your email address to Stefanie Safran.
• If you have any questions, call Stefanie Safran in the Development Office at 773.828.8457.