Newsletter Archive
School Bulletin for the Week of November 29, 2006
our light in the darkness
This year the College of Teachers would like to invite the parents and children in grades 4 and up the opportunity to experience the Advent Garden.
Date: December 5, 2006
Time: Anytime between 7:00-8:30pm
Dr. Karl Schubert, a teacher in the Stuttgart Waldorf School,created the Advent Garden in the 1920s. Rudolf Steiner gave Schubert several forms drawn on paper to be used whenworking with the children; among them were the involuting and outgoing spiral, which Schubert incorporated into the layout of the Advent Garden. However its history comes from Bavarian farmers. Their custom was to place fir twigs on a table and form them into a simplified garden, which was lit up by candles mounted on apples, an old parable of paradise.
The kindergartens and grades 1, 2, 3, 8 and 12 celebrate this festival on the Tuesday following the 1st Sunday of Advent. The children enter the darkened auditorium as music is playing; it is very quiet and still. All around the garden here and there are glimmering crystals, stones and shells, representing the three kingdoms: mineral, plant and animal. As the children sit quietly, the teacher tells a story. After the story, each one of the children takes his apple and walks the spiral to the central light, a candle on a stump in the middle of the garden, and lights his candle. Then s/he must make the all-important turn, place his apple anywhere along the way he chooses, and exit the garden. As more children walk through the garden, the brighter the room becomes, until the garden is filled with light.
This image for me, at this time of year when the daylight is fast dwindling and our lives instead of slowing down go at a rapid pace, often brings a moment of peace. Seeing the children walk through this dark garden, find the light and carry it out is a vision for the future.
You must carry the quiet mood described above. As you enter the school building, pick up your apple and enter the dark auditorium as quietly as you can. Sit on chairs on the stage and wait your turn to walk through the garden, light your candle and carry your light out. If you wish, you may sit awhile, listen to the music, and enjoy the quiet and the beauty of the garden. When you leave, take your apple with you.
-Ro Hart, Early Childhood Lead Teacher
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Holiday Fair
Saturday, December 2, 2006 • 9am-5pm
Advent Garden
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 • 7:00-8:30pm
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finally fair!
The Holiday Fair is this Saturday, December 2nd! Here is just a little last minute news about the Fair:
•The baking gnomes are busy baking! Please bring your baked good of any kind (made in your kitchen or someone else’s) to the main entrance on Friday or to the back of the auditorium on Saturday morning.
•Please continue to bring any cardboard egg cartons and/or tin cans to the Main Office; there is a white tub waiting to receive them.
•Pocketman needs helpers to wrap things up (literally and figuratively) on Friday morning after drop-off in the Development Office. Come and chat and wrap for an hour and a half or so.
•Holiday Fair Raffle Tickets — the hottest ticket in town! Raffle items still needed. Please bring your raffle donations to the Development Office.
•If you have somehow missed signing up for a shift, please look over the Shift Assignment Sheet, find a shift you can fill and contact Sara Zimmerman directly.
•Please bring the kids, friends and family to the Holiday Fair! Shop, craft, eat lunch, drink coffee, eat cookies, see a little holiday entertainment and enjoy the day.
See you there!
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care to not share
We would like to alert the entire Chicago Waldorf School community to the fact that there have been numerous cases of bronchitis and pneumonia reported by both students and faculty/staff over the past several weeks. For the health and safety of you and your family, the student body and the community at large, please keep your children home if they are not well.
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what’s in seasons
The Four Seasons Shop will be closed on Thursday, November 30th and Friday, December 1st in preparation for our appearance at the Holiday Fair. We’re sorry for the inconvenience; however, we hope that you will come visit us at the Fair. We have a plethora of new merchandise perfect for holiday gifts such as our new collection of note cards, day planners and calendars featuring artwork from Waldorf schools all around the United States and Canada. Our book selection is fileld with magical tales of fairies and dragons accompanied by stunning illustrations, cookbooks, craft ideas, holiday tales, informative child developement materials and much more. Our handcrafted wooden toys are perfect for boys and girls with wild imaginations: beautiful shields and swords, gnome houses, fairy beds, boats, tractors, kitchen sets, animals of all shapes and sizes, breathtaking nativity scenes and so much more…
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dare to care
Would you like to help an impoverished grade school or high school student have a Waldorf education in South Africa?
Remember those photos of makeshift recycled metal houses in the inner cities of South Africa? These are home to South African students in need.
How about supporting the educational needs in the Chengdu Waldorf School in central China? Help to build the relationship that Ms. Driscoll began with her visit to China last year.
Would you like to help provide medicines and basic needs for families with desperate needs in Peru? These families live in the mountains and subsist by farming and producing small crafts in a poor economy as they try to maintain their families and their traditions under the most challenging circumstances.
And, of course, there is Esperanza, the Waldorf-inspired school right here in Chicago for developmentally disabled adults and children. Perhaps you would like to pick up a star with a child’s name from the Giving Tree, shop at the Holiday Fair for a small gift and bring it to us to wrap.
And our tradition continues! Bring your address book and for $5 we will send a beautiful window star to any place around the globe. what a great a lasting gift for someone far away!
So, how can you help? Very simple! Drop by the Care to Share Room (5th grade classroom) at the Holiday Fair and check out our beautiful seasonal wares for your shopping pleasure. We have great treasures for every member of your family - felted snowmen, little sheep, beaded bracelets, painted boxes, silk scarves and other fine handmade items from our parents and students. This is a fabulous place for all ages to shop. So please stop by, fill your stockings and share your support with families all over the world.
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giving tree
Down on Grand Avenue there is a small Waldorf-inspired school for children and adults with developmental disabilities. The name of this school is Esperanza (which means ‘hope’). These inner-city families are dealing with the overwhelming challenge of supporting a family in addition to caring for their special-needs family member. At Esperanza there are many infants and toddlers who could use our generosity.
Each year, some CWS students take on the Giving Tree project. They ask for support from those of you who are so inspired to provide a gift for one of the little ones whose name and age are written on one of the stars on the Giving Tree, perhaps with some gift suggestions. Take a star from the tree, which will be located in the main hall of the school (with an additional location in the Early Childhood hallway) and put your name, telephone number and the little code number from your star on the sign-up sheet by the tree. Please bring your wrapped present to the Main Office or to the Care to Share Room at the Holiday Fair. Don’t forget — our school store, the Four Seasons Shop, has many small gifts that would be great choices. These children and their families will appreciate your generous spirit during this season of giving.
-Lily (10) and Naomi (8) Muskovin
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paperwork patrol
Students who are still missing mandatory paperwork such as Emergency/Permission Forms, Medical Examination Forms and/or Immunization Waivers, will not be allowed to attend classes beginning Monday, December 4th until their files have been brought into compliance. The Chicago Waldorf School is required by the state of Illinois to maintain this documentation. All families with outstanding paperwork have been contacted by letter and phone over the past several weeks so there shouldn’t be any surprises if this applies to you. If you have any questions, please contact Sheree Moratto, Interim Co-Administrator, at 773.828.8461.
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around the blocks
All grade school classes have recently changed blocks or will be changing blocks in the near future. Here is what comes next in their block rotations:
•1st Grade — Mrs. Poole
Language Arts: Vowels
•2nd Grade — Ms. Triggiano
Arithmetic
•3rd Grade — Ms. Desouches
Language Arts
•4th Grade — Ms. Vaca
Human Being & Animal
•5th Grade — Ms. Moskowitz
Ancient Persia & Mesopotamia
•6th Grade — Ms. Szymanski
Decline & Fall of Ancient Rome
•7th Grade — Mr. Husseini
History: Henry VIII to Newton
•8th Grade — Mrs. Trevillion
Solid Geometry with Mr. Trevillion
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media watch
Media Watch has been pre-empted this week by Holiday Fair preparations. Media Watch will return to its regular slot next week. Stay tuned!
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applying yourself
New applications for Early Childhood, 1st Grade and 9th Grade are due this Friday, December 1st. If you didn’t get your application filled out over the Thanksgiving weekend, you still have a few days left. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
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let’s play auction
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came a spider who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away, so…
She high-tailed it to the Auction!
Look for the Auction crew at the Holiday Fair. We will be selling tickets and tables for the Red Carpet Gala on March 10, 2007. Buy early and find yourself hosting the Marilyn Monroe table or perhaps the John Wayne table, as well as many other choices of star-studded tables available to host for the Auction.
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many items, she didn’t know what to do.
Her family and friends at her they did scoff,
So, she took all her things and auctioned them off!
Got items? Remember, you can pick up Auction donation forms and solicitation letters or drop off donated items at Auction
Headquarters. And where’s that, you ask? Directly across from the main school building in the Development Office.
Auction Bells! Auction Bells!…see you at the Holiday Fair!
-Shannon Kerr & Katybeth Jensen-Ruscitti and the Auction Crew
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digestion corner
The Digestion Corner has taken the week off, but will be back.
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high school corner
around the blocks
Next in the high school block rotation:
•9th Grade
Main Lesson:
Descriptive Geometry with Mr. Gleichauf
Art Block:
Metals with Mrs. Vig
•10th Grade
Main Lesson:
Meteorology with Mr. Holdrege
Art Block:
Veil Painting with Mr. Dozier
•11th Grade
Main Lesson:
Medieval History with Mrs. Huckabay
Art Block:
Drama with Ms. Everhart
•12th Grade
Main Lesson:
Physics: Optics with Mr. Kotz
Art Block:
Metals/Clay with Mrs. Vig
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coach's desk
Our high school girls basketball team had their first home game last Tuesday against the tenacious North Lawndale team. Our girls played hard and gave it everything they had, but could not keep up with the ladies from North Lawndale. Next up for the girls are two home games — tomorrow, November 30th against Northtown Academy and next Tuesday, December 5th, versus Young Women’s. Come out and see the progress this group of girls has been making.
The high school boys will play their first game of their season today at Chicagoland Jewish. There will be room on the bus for any fans who would like to come with us to cheer on the boys’ new team. By the time this goes to print, the middle school boys team will have played against Ancona and will be preparing for a
December 7th game against Near North Montessori.
All of our teams have an extremely full season ahead so there will be plenty of opportunities to come out and support our sports program. You can find a complete game schedule on the online at Sports Calendar so that you can know where to go when.
Go Thunder!
-Christian Schnell, Athletic Director
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community announcements
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welcome to the world
Congratulations to Claudia King (6) and family, Gina and Antonio Mondragon, on the arrival of new addition, Stella, born November 26th. Stella weighed in at 7lbs 15 oz. Our best wishes to them all!
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condolences
Our thoughts and prayers are with our day porter, Manno Shaqe, on the passing of her father, Shefki Ramadani.
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thankful thoughts
It’s hard to feel thankful when you’re coughing and sputtering your way through pneumonia but, by golly, I do! From the moment our family came to CWS, we have considered ourselves to be very fortunate to be part of a caring, generous and supportive community…but never more so than over these last few weeks. Thank you to all who have delivered delicious meals (and tea and vitamins) to our doorstep, driven our children home from school, sent flowers and cards and emails, left funny voicemail messages…I could go on and on. I am so grateful for the support and perhaps even more for the lesson it’s teaching our girls about people taking care of each other. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I look forward to returning to school soon.
-Amy Kahn and family
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arcturus winter term
The Arcturus Waldorf Teacher Education program begins its winter term of classes on Friday, December 8th and Saturday, December 9th. This weeend si also a regularly scheduled Open House. Feel free to come sit in on a class or a day of classes at no charge or obligation. Learn everything about Felting with Claude Driscoll every Friday evening at 7:30pm. Please check our website Arcturus Teacher Training for the winter schedule. For more information call 773.761.3026 or email Arcturus.
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substitutions
Singing Winds School in Rivergrove is presently looking for people interested in being on our substitute list. Please let us know your area of interest, or we will consider you generally interested in our Early Childhood Program (3-6 years) and grades programs (1st-6th grades). Monetary compensation awarded. Please call us at 708.452.7100.
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bella voce
Bella Voce sings holiday music of joy and wonder, clear night skies and a warm stable. Listen to exquisite settings of hymns to Mary, a jocular story surrounding the Child’s birth, the ecstasy of the three kings and carols to calm your frenzied soul. Note: 3rd grade class teacher, Sylvie Desouches, will be singing with Bella Voce! Performance times and locations:
•Saturday, December 2nd, 7:30pm
St. James Cathedral, 65 E Huron, Chicago
•Sunday, December 3rd, 4:00pm
Immanuel Lutheran Church, 616 Lake St, Evanston
•Sunday, December 10th, 7:30pm
St. Procopius Abbey, 5601 College Rd, Lisle
For tickets, please call 312.479.1096 or visit Bella Voce.
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classified ads
CWS Aunt and Art Institute Graduate Student interested in part time babysitting. Lives in Wicker Park area. Call Charlotte at 443.388.1416.
Beautiful Coop Apartment for Sale in Rogers Park! Upstairs neighbor to Sylvie Desouches (3rd grade teacher) and Isadora Harper (1). Huge 2 BR, 1 BA. Hardwood floors, recently redone, new appliances. Front and back sunrooms, porch, backyard, storage, fully equipped exercise room. Short walk to CWS, the el and the lake. Live in a place where you can like your neighbors! A steal at $200,000. Call the owners anytime: Kevin or Sarah Jane at 773.508.0637 or Sarah Jane at 773.510.2682. Or call Jacque Harper or Sylvie Desouches to learn more before talking with owners 773.764.4654 (please, no calls after 9pm).
Joyful, transformative Yoga for Women workshop Sunday, December 10, at YogaNow, 5258 N Broadway from 2-5pm. Experience the joys of the season in a deeper way by releasing your inner Light with yoga and breathing. Absolute beginners always welcome. Please register by calling Rachel Fiske at 773.404.1955.
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