Newsletter Archive
School Bulletin for the Week of January 31, 2007
starring…you!
The true Red Carpet Gala Stars…You!
Ye stars are many…la-la!
Who shine in our sky…la-la!
Ye stars who twinkle…la-la!
Are the stars of our Red Carpet Ga-la! (la-la?)
We wish to thank ye all…
Who have helped Auction Central have a ball…
By asking in stores and asking by phone…
Like EC Culbert family, the Simones!
Or Auction Reps like Greg Scott…
Who gently prods his EC Donkel families to plot…
What they can present to the donation that's super…
Like the antique Zulu hat from the Bender-Hoopers!
We have a lovely Irish cottage from Gary Katz…
And Cubs tickets from the Motyka family (don't laugh!
There's always next year, they say…)
To drown your sorrows at the Rechtin family South Carolina cottage (or pray! ).
We thank our handymen like Clay Byrne…
And hair stylists like Candy Listowski, who turn…
And say, “Forget your brains…let me make you a diva!”
(While you're reading Lisa Moser's donation of a set of encyclopedias…!)
The Lazars' donation will have your children in bliss…
Not unlike the theater tickets by Isabel Liss…
Or the lovely Ro Hart's fairy chest…
Or Ann Cousineau's donation of a tie-dye party — what a fun mess!
We have so many Waldorf stars who shine…
Who have worked hard to make the impossible sublime…
More “thank-you”s we wish we said…
But most of all we hope to see you at the Red Carpet Gala…in your Red!
PS: Late Breaking News!! The Auction Donation Form is now available online in a printable format!
-the Auction crew
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All Are Invited to the 10th Grade Play
Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman
Based on the Stories of Ovid
Thursday, February 15, 2007, 7:30pm • Friday, February 16, 2007, 7:30pm
Suitable for grades 7+
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around the blocks
Here is what the grade school is working on now:
•1st Grade — Mrs. Poole Language Arts
•2nd Grade — Ms. Triggiano Arithmetic: Borrowing & Carrying
•3rd Grade — Ms. Desouches Language Arts: Writing
•4th Grade — Ms. Vaca Language Arts: Norse Mythology II
•5th Grade — Ms. Moskowitz Ancient Egypt
•6th Grade — Ms. Szymanski History & Language Arts: Middle Ages
•7th Grade — Mr. Husseini Algebra with Mrs. Trevillion
•8th Grade — Mrs. Trevillion Meteorology with Mr. Husseini
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kick off!!
Attention sports fans! This is the weekend we’ve all been waiting for…Super Bowl XLI! In honor of the occasion, the Instrumental Music Festival, originally set for this Sunday, is being rescheduled so that none of us has to divide our loyalties. Details will be announced as soon as they are worked out. Go Bears!
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a circus first
For the first time ever, we have contracted with the Actor’s Gymnasium to do our Circus Club! The Actor’s Gymnasium is one of the most experienced and recognized youth circus training institutions in the country. Your young children will get a great introduction — but, even more exciting, your older student will be challenged.
Rumble Club starts on Tuesday and we have added our last few classes. We now have West African and West Indian dance! Please sign up soon for both these programs as space for both is limited and they are filling up fast. If you need payment arrangements or have any questions, please call Andrea Shaffer at 773.465.2662 ext 8323.
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what’s in seasons
Did you know that the Waldorf calendars, day planners and notecards, all of which feature artwork of Waldorf students from all across North America, are produced entirely by the Chicago Waldorf School? This program has been in place for over 15 years and contributes significantly to our school’s operating funds — and thereby helps reduce our tuition!
2007 calendars and planners are now 50% off their retail price. Stop by the Four Seasons Shop Tuesday through Friday from 8am-4pm. If these hours do not work for you please call the Shop at 773.828.8800 and we will attempt to make special arrangements for you.
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media watch
(Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of an article entitled From Daily to Occasional. Perhaps some of you parents out there can relate to the incident described below.)
I went to pick up our daughter at a playdate and found the two girls eating lunch while staring at a video. Both three years old, the girls saw each other frequently. I had voiced my preference for no TV/videos during playdates, but in a non-confrontational and shrugging-my-shoulders sort of way. While my friend mostly agreed with me, she had her reasons for pulling out a children's video. This young friend of mdaughter's is a double-high-octane kid. By three years old she could drop kick a ball high into the neighbor's yard. She ran everywhere (and fast) and fairly flew across monkey bars. She climbed high and jumped down without a fear in the world. She ran all over the house, up the stairs two at a time and leapt down three, four or more at a time. One of her favorite stunts was to jump up high in the air, extend both legs out in front of her and land with a great thump on her bottom. My daughter would crumple in peals of laughter as her beloved friend did this repeatedly for her benefit. Her mother tried to get her daughter to slow down, calm down, but to no avail. Always covered in bruises from all the heart-stopping activity, her mom found no other way to have her sit still for more than a minute than by sitting her down in front of a video as a down-time technique.
By the time the program and lunch were over, the two girls had been watching for about an hour. I cringed and wondered what I was in for. I gathered up my daughter's shoes and told her it was time to leave. It was winter and cold outside, so we had a few things to get on her before heading out. At first she ran off with her friend to hide, then when I got her to come back, she was starting to cry and refused to put anything on, shaking off anything I managed to get on her. When she was smaller, I could just scoop her up under one arm, legs kicking behind me, and not get hurt. Now as she arched her back when I started to force the shoes and coat on, I marveled at the gritty strength of a determined three-year-old. My friend tried to help with cheery comments about getting together again really soon, how about the day after tomorrow? The screaming and kicking grew more aggressive and progressed to an all-out, face-down-on-the-floor-pounding-fists-and-kicking-legs tantrum. I collapsed on the couch not sure whether to laugh or cry. My friend and I looked at each other, at a loss. Then, her daughter, taken with my daughter's splendid display, dropped to the floor and joined in the screaming-and-kicking tantrum as a show of camaraderie. This sent my daughter over the edge. “Stop copying me!” she screamed at her friend, and bawled even louder at the injustice. I could hardly believe what I was experiencing, and wondered if my hearing would ever recover. We sat there, my friend and I, in a bit of shock. Then I decided I'd had enough. “Right!” I declared to my friend, “Shall we take a walk then?” She agreed. We put on our coats, grabbed our daughters' shoes and winter gear, and we were out the door in 10 seconds.
That did it. Both girls were at the window in seconds, crying for us. We beckoned to them, and shoes and coats were donned outside. As the girls ran ahead, we walked silently for a moment. Then I turned to my friend and said as calmly as I could that we'd discovered our daughter really shouldn't watch TV or videos, that this was the behavior that always followed. My friend was surprised and puzzled, but then and there agreed to not include videos or TV in any future playdate.
-Sylvie Desouches, 3rd Grade Class Teacher
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high school corner: around the blocks
Here is the current block rotation:
•9th Grade Main Lesson: Human Biology with Mr. Holdrege
Art Block:Clay with Mrs. Vig
•10th Grade Main Lesson: History through Language with Mrs. Huckabay
Art Block: Drama with Ms. Everhart
•11th Grade Main Lesson: The Enlightenment with Mr. Trevillion
Art Block: Metals with Mrs. Vig
•12th Grade Main Lesson: Calculus with Mr. Starzynski
Art Block: Human Form with Mr. Dozier
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coach’s desk
The high school girls found out that every second in a game matters, only they found out the hard way. The girls played a strong shooting game against the St. Gregory team to the final seconds. With a 2 point lead in the final seconds, sophomore forward Sanja Ramirez seemingly wrapped up what could have been the game ending rebound, but the St. Gregory’s coach was allowed to call a time out, which stopped the clock from running down. After an unfortunate turnover, St. Greg’s had 1.6 seconds to try to tie or win the game. After the 1.6 seconds all was not happy on the Waldorf bench, for a player on St. Greg’s made a three-pointer to win the game. The girls did bounce back from playing poorly prior to this game and with two games left before the league and state tournaments hope to keep playing well and put a couple more wins in the book before its all said and done.
The high school boys came out on fire against St. Gregory and took a 10 point lead into half time. Led by Noah Pool’s reemergence as a player to reckon with and a couple of 3 balls from Danny Nickson and Tanner Rubin the boys were playing at the top of their game. In the second half Dennis Robles and Josh Collins tried to keep the intensity up while St. Gregory made its comeback but foul trouble kept the two defense stoppers at bay, which led to St. Gregory’s pulling away in the 4th quarter.
The boys then had a visit from CollegePrep of America. It was a see-saw battle throughout the 1st half. In the second half Josh picked up his game with 6 steals and another handful of rebounds but it was not enough as CollegePrep got hot outside the 3-point line and started to pull away.
Upcoming Games:
High School Boys
•Saturday, February 3rd
Home vs Ida Crown, 7:30pm
High School Girls
•Tonight, January 31st
Away vs Roycemore, 4:30pm
•Friday, February 2nd (League Tournament)
at Cristo Rey vs N Lawndale, 5:30pm
•Monday, February 5th (Regionals)
at Holy Trinity vs Francis Parker, 6:00pm
Middle School Boys
•Thursday, February 1st
Away vs Ancona, 5:00pm
Go Thunder!
-Christian Schnell, Athletic Director
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digestion corner
Thanks to Dru Muskovin for sending this article!
Excerpted from Can Polyester Save the World? by Elisabeth Rosenthal, NY Times, January 25, 2007
. . . clothes — and fast clothes in particular — are a large and worsening source of the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming, because of how they are both produced and cared for, concludes a new report from researchers at Cambridge University titled Well Dressed? The global textile industry must become eco-conscious, the report concludes. It explores how to develop a more “sustainable clothing” industry — a seeming oxymoron in a world where fashions change every few months.
In terms of care, the report highlights the benefits of synthetic fabrics that require less hot water to wash and less ironing. It suggests that consumers air-dry clothes.
…while many people have grown accustomed to recycling cans, bottles and newspapers, used clothes are generally thrown away. “In a wealthy society, clothing and textiles are bought as much for fashion as for function,” the report says, and that means that clothes are replaced “before the end of their natural life.”
Dr. Julian Allwood, who led a team of environmental researchers in conducting the report, noted in an interview that it is now easier for British consumers to toss unwanted clothes than to take them to a recycling center, and easier to throw clothes into the hamper for a quick machine wash and dry than to sponge off stains.
He hopes his report will educate shoppers about the costs to the environment, so that they change their behavior. Part of the problem is that neither manufacturers nor customers understand much about how and when clothing purchases degrade the environment, since these can occur anywhere from the harvest of cotton or the manufacture of synthetic fibers to how — and how often — the garment must be washed.
“We’ve got fantastic standards when it comes to food, but it is all brand-new when it comes to clothes,” Mr. Barry admitted. “We have a lot to learn.”
In their efforts to buy green, customers tend to focus on packaging and chemicals, issues that do not factor in with clothing. Likewise, they purchase “natural” fibers like cotton, believing they are good for the environment.
But that is not always the case:while so-called organic cotton is exemplary in the way it avoids pesticides, cotton garments squander energy because they must be washed frequently at high temperatures, and generally require tumble-drying and ironing. Sixty percent of the carbon emissions generated by a simple cotton T-shirt comes from the 25 washes and machine dryings it will require, the Cambridge study found.
A polyester blouse, by contrast, takes more energy to make, since synthetic fabric comes from materials like wood and oil. But upkeep is far more fuel-efficient, since polyester cleans more easily and dries faster. Over a lifetime, a polyester blouse uses less energy than a cotton T-shirt.
People hope “we’ll find new sources of energy, so we won’t really have to change much,” Dr. Allwood said. “But that is extremely unlikely.” To cut back the use of carbons and make fashion truly sustainable, shoppers will have “to own less, to have less stuff,” Dr. Allwood said. “And that is a very hard sell.”
See an article that you think belongs in the digestion corner? Send it along to Brian Gleichauf!
-Brian Gleichauf
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classified
P/T Positions Open at CWS: After-Care Assistant — Monday-Friday, 3-6pm. $12/hour. Parent Child Assistant — Hours TBA Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as needed. $12/hour. Interested individuals email Ilene Warfield or call 773.465.2372.
Mathematics Tutor: I am a CWS parent who is state-credentialed in math and currently offering tutoring. I encourage students to take ownership of math concepts through the use of physical math models and by allowing them to pursue their natural curiosity. The initial consultation is free. $35/hour. Please call Verne Petersen at 773.478.7695.
New Yoga Class: From 8:15-9:15am on Tuesdays in Roberta’s fantastic new space at 1228 W. Loyola (just one block east of school, directly across from the Sophia Garden). This Hatha Yoga class will be taught by Cheryl Henley (mother of 7th grader, Keven Henley), a long-time Iyengar yoga teacher and founder of Wild Onion Yoga. Space is limited. For more info, please call 847.869.0250.
Remediation Services: Waldorf graduate (CWS and WWS K-12) offering remediation tutoring to 3rd-12th graders in reading, writing and early math. M.A. in Learning Disabilities (Northwestern University) and training in neurodevelopmental exercises Sessions individualized to meet the learning style of your child. A holistic approach offering movement exercises and nutrition tips to support learning Call Jennie Cain 847.987.5943.
Massage Therapist with 15 years experience! CWS mom, Roberta Schmatz, is now offering massage in her space just down the block. Come in for an hour or just 15 minutes. Call 773.972.3549 for an appointment.
Four Free Friendly Felines born December 4, 2006; ready to go January 29th. Socialized and eager to meet their new families. Fone Fast for Friendly Service. All must go!! Call Elaine 773.456.7658.
Caricature & Portrait Artist: Professional illustrator/cartoonist, Andy Willis has over 35 years experience in all areas of visual art. Learn to draw whatever you want! Classes on Tuesdays, beginning February 27th for 6 weeks, $100; 3-5pm at Roberta’s (1228 W Loyola); will pick up from school. To reserve your spot call 773.972.3549!
Looking for an experienced, nurturing, fun-loving child-care provider? If so, I would love to meet you and your family. Have worked for the past 10 years as child-care provider both in a day care and private settings. Ages newborn -12 years. Excellent references; own vehicle. Available March 1st (possibly sooner). Experience with Waldorf family. Stephanie Probst 773.263.0592.
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