Newsletter Archive
School Bulletin for the week of October 3, 2007
back by popular demand… and at a new and exciting time – it’s waldorf 101!
The College of Teachers and the PTO warmly invite and encourage parents to attend a one day comprehensive session of Waldorf 101. To better accomodate our busy parents, this year the class will be held on one day, Saturday, October 20th, from 8:00am-4:00pm. Parents will have the opportunity to hear about the roots of Waldorf education and the principles of child development that stand behind the teaching. We will explore Rudolf Steiner’s picture of the spiritual human being and will discuss the whys and hows of the curriculum in light of Waldorf’s educational philosophy. There will also be academic and artistic presentations from a variety of enthusiastic teachers. Come and experience how your children learn! Bring all the Waldorf questions you have wondered about for a long time. Also, please bring your own lunch. To assist in planning, registration is required with the Main Office.
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therapeutic eurythmy
You Are welcome to join us for a Therapeutic Eurythmy Workshop on Breathing Issues Wednesday, October 10, 2007 from 7:00-9:00pm, featuring a Lecture & Demonstration with Dr. Andrea Rentea & Susanne Zipperlen. Come prepared to join in an experience of these exercises… Please wear comfortable clothing!
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around the blocks
Here is what is coming up next on the grade school block rotation:
• 1st Grade – Ms. Petersen Language Arts
• 2nd Grade – Mrs. Poole Language Arts: Legends of Saints and Noble People
• 3rd Grade – Ms. Triggiano Arithmetic: Measurement, Times Tables
• 4th Grade – Ms. Desouches Social Studies Local Geography
• 5th Grade – Ms. Vaca Arithmetic Fractions/Decimals
• 6th Grade – Mrs. Moskowitz History & Language Arts: Ancient Rome
• 7th Grade – Ms. Szymanski Algebra with Mr. Trevillion History & Language Arts: The Renaissance
• 8th Grade – Mr. Husseini Science: Physics
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off to an inclusive start
Thank you to all who came out for last Friday’s talk on Social Inclusion given by Kim John Payne. The talk marked the beginning of a long term relationship between Kim and CWS and the start of developing a Social Inclusion vision for our school. The undertaking of this vision is a testimony to the strength of the CWS community.
Kim will return in January 2008 for a four-day visit that will include another public lecture, a two-day in-service training with faculty and staff on January 21st and 22nd and a one-day training with a yet-to-be-identified Social Inclusion Coordinating Team of teachers, parents and students. He will then consult with the Social Inclusion Coordinating Team and will make one visit each year over the following two years. The goal is to weave a strong social fabric that will remain in place for years. For those who missed the talk, an audio recording on CD of a previous Social Inclusion lecture is on sale at the Four Seasons Shop, as well as several other of Kim’s lectures. Kim’s lecture focused on finding the healthy center point between the extremes of hyper-parenting, which stunts a child’s growth, and permissiveness, which leaves a child feeling lost and unsupported.
In the olden days, rituals and ceremonies, like vision quests and tribal initiations, helped bring children into the adult world of freedom and responsibility. Our modern world is bereft of such ceremonies, but children are still expected to grow and mature. Rudolf Steiner predicted that as traditional ceremonies decrease in importance, our children will be “initiated” by intense social interaction. We elders can best help our children if we have cleared our own lives of the behaviors that we are hoping to stop in the children. Put downs are a common occurrence in our culture. He asked that all community elders try some “weight watchers for put-downs”. Begin by becoming conscious of your put-downs. Try to stop yourself before you say something disparaging or belittling. When you feel a put-down coming on, ask yourself “What’s up? What’s making me feel so powerless?” Kim ended with a quote from Gandhi: We must become the change we wish to see.
-Judy Lubin, PTO Co-Chair for Parent Education
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get a little crafty
All Early Childhood parents are welcome to attend crafting mornings every Monday after drop-off. Help make precious treasures for the 2007 Holiday Fair Children’s House. Learn something new or share your crafting knowledge. Meet your fellow EC parents while you glue, knit, felt or sew! We meet at 1228 W. Loyola from after drop off until noon.
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let’s rumble!
Rumble Club registration forms were sent home with grades 1-4 last week. So far, we have Terran Doehrer and Jutta Distler teaching folk dance on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in October and November. Grades 1 and 2 should sign up for Wednesdays. Grades 3 and 4 should sign up for Tuesdays. This program is designed to be social, casual with short term or sporadic commitment. While it is fine to sign up for consecutive classes, it is not necessary. We wanted to offer an alternative to other after-school programs that require regular attendance and long-term commitment. Please participate to the extent that it enriches the life of your child. This year we are expanding our program to include: different ethnic dances, magic, puppetry, theatre, clowning, and may include science classes. Please watch the Bulletin and your child’s lunch box for more information, or check Ms. Shaffer’s message board on the school web site. Thank you for your interest and support!
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one coach’s desk
Last night we hosted Catherine Cook and tomorrow will play Ancona in our gym. Games start at around 4:30pm, so please come out to support our team! Our team currently is 28 girls strong. Our B team beat Roycemore and the A team defeated the British School last week. With the help of EC parent Kevin Rooney, the more experienced girls have been moving toward a three-hit, “bump-set-spike” attack. The girls are hard-working and spend practices jumping, rolling on the floor and doing push-ups.
Upcoming Games: Middle School Girls Volleyball
• Thursday, October 4 Home vs Ancona, 4:00pm
• Tuesday, October 9 Away vs Lycee Francais, 4:00pm
We will host the league tournament on October 26th and 27th. We need your help with the scoreboards, greeting and other items. If you can help with this or any other task for our home athletic events, please contact Ms. Shaffer at x8323 or through her message board.
Go Thunder!
-Andrea Shaffer, Athletic Director
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what’s in seasons
New in the Four Seasons Shop this week: Barefoot books, Rescue Remedy, dolls and board games from Germany and beautiful felted gnomes by Mrs. Driscoll!
Parents of 6th, 7th and 8th graders – we are now carrying books just for you: Making Math Meaningful by Jamie York and Between Form & Freedom by Betty Staley. Back by popular demand: Thieves Oil is now available; come and get your very own bottle in the store! And don’t miss the note card sale: All note cards from past seasons are now just $5 a bundle! Store hours are Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm and Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm.
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dzienkuje bardzo!
That means Thank you very much in Polish. Second grade class teacher, Susan Poole, would like to thank class parent Pawel Smal (Zofia) for his generous donation of time and materials this summer. Pawel ingeneously transformed a pile of drawers into a beautiful, kidney shaped teacher’s desk that will surely be handed down from teacher to teacher for years to come. Come to the 2nd grade classroom to see Pawel’s craftsmanship for yourself!
Dzienkuje bardzo, Pawel!
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marketing cws
We are looking to have help with promoting our school! Please come by the Main Office and pick up our open house/visiting days postcards to take to your businesses and community spread the word!
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lost & found
Lost & Found is all new this year! We have a new box, courtesy of Norman Teague (Elijah Teague, grade 5), in a new location right across from our recycling center in the west doorway of the west building. You can check the box at any time, but we will also be rolling the box out into the main hallway every Friday at pick-up as a reminder for people to check for their missing items. Beginning on November 5th, the Salvation Army will be making monthly pick-ups to empty the box on the first Monday of every month.
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right number
Please note that the phone number that appears on the front cover of the School Directory for Early Childhood 773.828.8802 is a dedicated line for absence notifications only. All other Early Childhood business should be directed to the Early Childhood Office voice mail line 773.828.8452.
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high school news
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around the blocks
Here are the October block rotations:
• 9th Grade Main Lesson: Organic Chemistry with Mr. Kotz Art Block: Drama with Mrs. Everhart
• 10th Grade Main Lesson: Greek Geometry with Mr. Starzynski Art Block: Sculpture with Mrs. Vig
• 11th Grade Main Lesson: History through Music with Mr. Spade Art Block: Landscape Painting with Mr. Dozier
• 12th Grade Main Lesson: Russian Literature with Mrs. Huckabay Art Block: Metals with Mrs. Vig
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around the camp fire
The high school leaves for its annual camping trip to the Indiana Dunes after morning lesson on Thursday. They return on Saturday afternoon.
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psat alert
The PSATs will be given on Saturday, October 20th; this test is mandatory for all 10th and 11th grade students. If a student cannot attend they will need to bring written permission from their parents to the High School office by Thursday, October 18th at 4:00 pm.
Students need to be at the school on the 20th by 7:45am; 10th graders will meet in the high school Spanish room and 11th graders will meet in the History room. Students will need to bring #2 pencils, erasers and calculators from home (you can read about what is NOT permitted on page 17 of the PSAT Student Guide). The cost of the test is $13 – checks can be made to the Chicago Waldorf School.
We do have a few fee waivers for 11th grade families who qualify. If you think you might qualify or have other questions about the PSATs, please contact Eliza Bivins at 773.828.8468 or send her an e-mail.
All 10th and 11th grade students have received their Official PSAT Students Guides in their boxes at school.
-Eliza Bivins, College Counselor
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ticket to ride
All high school students are required to have a CTA student pass. The cost is $5 which provides the student with 1/2 price transportation fares between 5:30am and 8pm Monday through Friday. The CTA is making a limited number of these passes available to CWS; they will be given out on a first come, first served basis. See Ms. Ying for more information.
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another coach’s desk
The high school girls had a busy week with Young Women’s coming into town on Wednesday night only to go home with a lop-sided loss. The girls came out fast and Young Women’s never had a chance!
On Friday, the Thunder traveled down to second place Cristo Rey. We could not establish any kind of run and fell to Cristo Rey in two close games. The girls then had to wake up early on Saturday to play in the St. Benedict Invitational Tournament. Our girls came as the underdogs. We opened up the tournament by pushing Taft, a tournament favorite, to the limit. Some great overall play and scrambling almost led to an upset but Taft went on to win 26-28 and 23-25. We then played against Amundson; the fire of the first game followed our girls and after losing the first game 22-25, we came back and won the second game 25-16! After an hour and a half break the girls fell to St. Ben’s. Our league record is now 4-3. Overall it is 6-5.
As of this year, the middle school boys have a Flag Football team. In their first game against Pulaski they lost 26-32, however, they played well and have the confidence to play and beat any team.
Upcoming Games: High School Girls
• Monday, October 8 Home vs Noble Street, 4:30pm
• Tuesday, October 9 Home vs Roycemore, 4:30pm
Upcoming Games: Middle School Boys Flag Football
• Tuesday, October 9 Away vs Catherine Cook, 4:00pm at Pulaski Park
Go Thunder!
-Christian Schnell, Athletic Director
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community announcements
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home sweet home
Tamarack Waldorf School is excited to present Family Matters with author, parent educator and inspired homemaker, Shea Darian. Ms. Darian will be giving a keynote talk on The Sanctuary of Family Life designed to offer inspiration to parents, grandparents, educators and care givers at 7:00pm Friday, October 12, 2007. The following day there will be a follow-up workshop from 9:00am-noon on Creating Home as a Haven for the Soul which will explore practical approaches to cultivating sanctuary within the home and family. Advance registration is encouraged. For more details or to register, please visit Tamarak Waldorf School’s web page or call 414.277.0009. The Tamarack Waldorf School is located at 1150 E Brady St, Milwaukee, WI.
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on a clear day
Former CWS parent Jennifer Anglin-Gutierrez will be performing “On a Clear Day…Songs about Seeing” at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret, Thursdays October 18th and 25th at 8:00pm. Davenport’s is located at 1383 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Check out their web page for more info. This is a great weeknight activity! Come out, be entertained, have a drink if you like and still be home before 10:00pm! See you there!
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food for thought: america discovers columbus
CWS Parent, Sheila Donohue (Julia, EC4; Seamus, 1st grade) offers the following reflection: In 1492 Columbus and his crew, lost, battered, and stricken with dysentery, were helped ashore by a people he described as “neither black nor white … fairly tall, good looking and well proportioned. Believing he had landed in the East Indies, he called these people Indians. In fact, they were part of a great population that had made its home on this continent for centuries.” A population, whose customs differed from tribe to tribe, but who shared a common belief that the earth is a spiritual presence to be honored—not mastered.
As we approach our national holiday “Columbus Day,” I am reflecting on true American knowledge and how I will share it with my children.
Source: The Wisdom of the Native Americans by Kent Nerburn.
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classified ads
Custom Woodworking by Pawel Smal: Specializing in solid wood and traditional joinery. For pictures of my work go to www.myspace.com/198232179. You can also call me at 773.858.1252 with ideas for your project.
Remediation Services: Waldorf graduate (CWS & WWS K-12) offering remediation tutoring to 3rd-12th graders in reading, writing, and early math. M.A. in Learning Disabilities (Northwestern University) & training in neurodevelopmental exercises. Sessions are individualized to meet the learning style of your child. I take a holistic approach & offer movement exercises and nutritional tips to support learning. Please call Jennie Cain at 847.987.5943
Looking for Childcare: We are looking for a caring and responsible individual with previous experience looking after infants to take care or our 2 month old daughter 3 days per week. We live in SE Evanston, close to the EL and METRA. Please call Gabriela at 847.477.5971.
SolFire Homes & Realty, the first “Green” brokerage firm in Chicago, is seeking an office assistant who knows Quick Books and spread sheets, filing & general office skills. An organized, positive, self-starter, with a “green sensibility” is a plus. Call Chuck Ginsberg 773.456.0134 or e-mail your resume to Chuck directly.
Infant Massage Class: Beginning in the neighborhood, starting October 15th for 5 weeks. Please contact Soham Wilkerson for details. 773 764 5807.
Quinn Baron, a new 7th grader, would like to find another family (or two?) who wishes to carpool. We’re near St. Francis Hospital, SE Evanston. Mom, Rachel Baron, works from home, is flexible for both drop off or pick up. Fun family, safe driver, reliable Call 847.208.9264 or 847.332.2174, or send Rachel Baron an e-mail. Peace!
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newsletter submissions
• Deadline for all material is Friday 3:00pm.
• Submissions should be emailed to Stefanie Safran and are subject to editing if longer than one paragraph. Written submissions may also be handed in at the front desk.
• 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.