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Table of Contents
ALL-SCHOOL NEWS
May Faire Celebration Parking For May Faire Historical Slide Show Kids Online Science Curriculum Ultimate News Staycation, Anyone? Focus On Faculty PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWSHigh School Branch Report Next Meeting At Grade School Survey HIGH SCHOOL NEWSEurythmy Showcase Choir At EMP Trip To Glenora Farm SWHS Panthers GRADE SCHOOL NEWSReturn Of Kaffee Klatsch May Day Preparations Parking - A New Solution? Curriculum Highlight Waldorf United EARLY CHILDHOOD NEWSSandbox Remodel COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTSProvided as a free service to the SWS community.
May 6, 2011Dear , We hope you will enjoy this current issue of the Connection with the latest SWS news. Feel free to forward the newsletter to interested community members using the Forward email link at the bottom of this newsletter, below our logo. They will then be able to subscribe to the newsletter. We regret to be able to include only some of the many wonderful activities that take place in our busy school life.  The Celebration Of May Faire All cultures have celebrations and rituals surrounding life, death, and the cycles of the earth. At Seattle Waldorf School, we, too, commemorate the seasons with activities that honor each aspect of the calendar year. May Faire is our last community-wide event before summer vacation and our way of recognizing the fertility of the earth, the resurrection of plants and flowers after the long winter months. Just as the forces of nature stream out across the land, replacing what appeared to be dark and dead during winter with new growth and vibrant colors, so do colorful ribbons stream out from our Maypole.
For our celebration, the eighth-grade teacher, along with his or her partner, are chosen as the May King and May Queen for the year. They will preside over the May Faire dancing, applauding the gift of each class.
From simple to intricate steps, the students practice in class the dances they will perform at the Faire, helping them to further develop their coordination and concentration. The dances around the maypole are a wonderful opportunity to observe the increasing skill level from one grade to the next. It is the special honor of the sixth grade to dance the traditional maypole dances. And, of course, the seventh and eighth grade classes perform the traditional May Day Morris dances. Teachers oftentimes will incorporate springtime songs, poems, speech, and movement into the daily classroom activities as they prepare the students for this festival.
Making and wearing flower wreaths is a favorite part of May Faire, adding greatly to the festive and joyful atmosphere. Many alumni attend this event, bringing with them memories of May Faire celebrations from years past.
Once Hirata Sensei's Japanese Fish are flying high and the sixth grade has drilled that hole into the ground and erected the Maypole, the excitement on the grade school playground is palpable: spring has arrived! Sheryl Madden, grade 5 parent, after an interview with Nettie Fabrie Click here for some of the history of May Faire celebrations. Click here for the flyer. Please join us tomorrow, Saturday, May 7, in welcoming the springtime! Enjoy the dances that call the sun to shine down upon us; eat your picnic with old friends and new ones; play field games, see a marionette puppet show and sample the many activities throughout the school. Honor the blossoming flowers by wearing festive spring attire!   BRIAR ROSE STUDENTS LOOK ON AS GRADE 8 STUDENTS GET READY TO PRACTICE THEIR MORRIS DANCE.
Parking For May Faire
Please remember that there will be no parking on campus. Parking is available up the hill at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church. Drop-off of children (with a responsible adult) and cakes, etc. is possible, but parking is not available. Please also remember to be mindful of our neighbors as we gather for the event. A Little Bit Of SWS History - Slide Show In Grade 7 Please join us this Saturday in the grade 7 classroom (on the second floor of the grade school) to watch our 6 minute slide show about the history of SWS, showing the many stages and homes of our school. The slide show includes new, never before shown footage of the grade school building at the time of purchase - a building only a true visionary could have loved. The slide show will be shown after the May Pole festivities. Feel free to enter the class room at any time. No tickets are needed! If Your Kids Are Awake, They're Probably Online The average young American (8 to 18 years of age) spends an average of seven and a half hours using a smart phone, computer, television or other electronic device. Read more about the results of a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation in this New York Times article. The researchers found the amount of media use was reduced in homes with rules regarding the use of media. Science In The Waldorf Curriculum In this issue we continue sharing articles relating to this topic. Today, please read about why we study Astronomy in grade 7 in the Grade School News section. In the next issue: Mucking around in early childhood. 
Ultimate News! Students and parents returned from Spring Reign, a big ultimate frisbee tournament, this weekend with exciting news. Not only did everyone play their very best and have a great time, the Waldorf United 'A' team won first place in their division! This team is comprised of SWS and Bright Water middle school students. Word has it that our high school team can't wait for the eighth graders to join them for next year's season... More in the High School & Grade School News section.
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Staycation, Anyone? I Flew to Hawaii One-way On Saturday And Earned $150 For Seattle Waldorf School. How did I do that, you ask? Well, I signed up for a GMA Passenger Research study to test the comfort and fatigue levels of Boeing airplanes. I completed a questionnaire online at gmaresearch.com/boeingtest and then was contacted by GMA to schedule a date for my "flight."
On Saturday (April 9th), I drove to Boeing Field and boarded a bus for one of the big Boeing warehouses. Inside one of the Boeing labs was a mid-section of a 767 wide-body airplane. We boarded our "flight" and made ourselves comfortable for a one-way trip to Honolulu. During the "flight" we were served drinks, snacks and a delicious box lunch catered by Gretchens of Course! Throughout the day, we completed questionnaires asking about our comfort and fatigue levels based on our seats, spacing, noise and temperature levels.
The 6 ½ hour flight gave me plenty of time to read the book I had brought with me. Other passengers watched movies, did homework, knitted, worked on their laptops or simply slept. It was pretty relaxed and easy to do.
After the "flight" was over, we boarded the bus to return to our cars. Participants could either opt to donate their $150 to the non-profit organization of their choice, ie., Seattle Waldorf School, or receive a $150 Visa gift card. I donated mine to our school.
Now - how do I get back home? This was only a one-way flight.......oh well, it's fine with me to be stuck in Hawaii.......!
If you are also interested in earning $150 for Seattle Waldorf School, please click here to find and complete the online survey/qualification form. Included in the form is a short medical status questionnaire which only Boeing will review to make sure you qualify for the research project. You will be contacted to schedule a date. Test days are Wednesday or Saturday through the end of September. Participants must be 21 years or older. Cindy Scheyer, grade 6 parent |
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Focus On Faculty
Mark Perry, teacher of grade 7, was born and raised in Seattle. He received his BA in English for Secondary Education, with a history minor, from the University of Washington. Mark lived and worked in Europe for five years, spending three of those years in Rome, where he developed an abiding love for all things Italian, including olives, pasta, Verdi operas, and Renaissance art. He studied one year in the Eurythmy School at the Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland. Throughout the late seventies and mid-eighties, Mark spent his time as a professional actor in Seattle and later worked as a video editor. After teaching in the Seattle and Edmonds public schools, he joined our faculty in 1995, graduating the 2003 eighth grade. Following his 2003-04 sabbatical year, Mark began a new cycle in 2004-05 with his current group of fantastic students and parents. In his free time, he likes to swim and hike (in the summer), listen to classical music, talk politics and economics with his grown son, Adam, walk his dachshund Lucy around his neighborhood, and attend openings at the Seattle Children's Theater, where his wife, Linda Hartzell, is artistic director.
Please also see the interview with Mark in the Grade School News section.
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 High School Branch
The High School Branch of the Parent Association met on Wednesday, May 3rd. They discussed plans for hosting a dinner for the Eurythmy troupe visiting from the Waldorf School in Vancouver, B.C. and a reception following the Eurythmy performance on May 12 at the High School. Plans for a post graduation reception at the high school on June 6 are also under way. The association decided to have a parent-only Back-to-School social on the evening of September 9. The next meeting will be in early August at the home of Scott and Teresa Graham. Stay tuned!
You can find the meeting minutes in the Parent Association section of our website.Next Meeting At Grade School: Tuesday, May 10 - All Are Invited!
7 pm, grade school campus, music room Would You Come To A Parent Association Meeting During The School Day?
We welcome your feedback! The Parent Association would love to offer a few meetings at the grade school during the next school year that are not in the evening. In order to find out some possible times that parents could attend, please complete the quick Doodle Calendar poll here.
Please reply by May 25. Thank you! Cindy Scheyer, Parent Association, cscheyer@comcast.net
Look for the minutes from past meetings in the Parent Association section of our website. |
High School Eurythmy Showcase - Thursday, May 12, 7 pm
All high school families and friends are invited to this performance at the high school, and all students in Grades 9 and 10, and all members of the Eurythmy Troupe who are in grade 11 and 12, will perform that night. Members of the Vancouver, B.C. Waldorf High School's Eurythmy Troupe will also be part of the performance.
High School Choir At EMP - Monday, May 16, Noon
All are invited to join us for this free 30 minute concert at the Sky Church at the Experience Music Project, Seattle Center. (Enter through the main entrance, then go up the stairs.)
Trip To Glenora Farm - A Camphill Community
During the second week of spring break, seven other sophomores and juniors and I were able to volunteer at Glenora Farm for five days. The Glenora Farm website states, "Glenora Farm is a place where care givers and people with developmental disabilities live, learn and work together, sharing in a culturally rich and productive environment." We spent our time at the community mostly working on the farm, and also interacted with the community members in our and their free time. We herded cows, picked pounds of dandelions for biodynamic preparations, took out an old fence, and cut up hundreds of seed potatoes. And that's just a slice of what we did. We joined the community members in the bell choir and for a dance; we also tried the looms at the weavery, and toured all the workshops. The community members run a store where they sell all the beautiful products they make in their workshops: beeswax candles, wooden baskets, and the beautiful woven products they create in the weavery. We all had a wonderful time getting to know the people who live at this amazing community and helping them in any way we could, even if it meant mucking out cow stalls. (We didn't smell so great afterwards...) We look forward to possibly going back to help once again in the fall. SaraMae, grade 11   SWHS Panthers At Spring Reign    |
Back By Popular Demand - Kaffee Klatsch, Friday Mornings
All parents are welcome to join us in the grade school lobby after 8:15 to talk with old and new friends.
If you are able to come, please take a few extra minutes to park at the church to keep the the morning drop off traffic flowing easily.
Many Thanks To Our Grandparents Day Volunteers Our visitors on April 15 had a delightful time, in large part due to the generous and gracious efforts of our many volunteers who provided delicious treats, guided our guests through the day, helped serve up elevenses, and made the clean-up a snap.
Parking At The Grade School - Victims Of Our Success?
Parking at the grade school continues to be a problem, and we continue to try to find better solutions.....
With so many students now attending at the grade school campus, drop-off and pick-up times find our parking lot very congested. To alleviate the situation, we opted to open the playground for additional parking when the flow of traffic is not smooth enough. This greatly helps our morning traffic flow, but obviously interferes with the children's morning activities, and more importantly, poses a safety concern.
We do have an arrangement with the Maple Leaf Lutheran Church for parking, and we observe that many families choose to park in the church lot and walk down 100th Street and through the woods to reach our campus. We have also observed - and been told - that walking on 100th is NOT safe enough for comfort with younger students, and that is why several families would rather brave our traffic-congested parking lot - and why we have on occasions opened the playground for the overflow of cars.
Now onward for yet another solution. We will need the help of a few dedicated volunteers: Perhaps having traffic controllers on 100th between the church south parking lot and the entrance to our woods will increase safety for our students and confidence for our parents. To do so, given our limited staffing capabilities, we will need two parents from 7:50 to 8:10 who are willing to act as traffic controllers - with yellow jackets and lollipop signs - for the remainder of the school year. Trying this for the next few weeks will give us an opportunity to assess whether the safety of walking on 100th Street is indeed a issue, and whether the additional supervision thus provided is sufficient in bringing our parking back to an acceptable situation.
If you are concerned about traffic, students' safety in our lot or on their playground/parking lot and would like to support this effort, please contact Shelly or Haley at our front desk. (206-524-5320, ext. 0)
In addition, we are in the process of creating an addition for your directory that lists families by zip code. We will be distributing this list to all families shortly and hope that it will help you in arranging carpools as we go forward.
With much gratitude for your understanding and your continued support,
Geraldine Kline, Head of Administration 
PLAYGROUND - IN USE AT DROP-OFF TIME AS INTENDED, RATHER THAN FOR PARKING
Science Curriculum Highlight - Grade 7 Astronomy
An Interview With Mark Perry, Grade 7 Class Teacher
Q: Mark, what is the purpose of the grade seven astronomy morning lesson?A: As with all material brought to Waldorf students, the main purpose is to awaken and develop the students' capacities, in a way that corresponds to the phase of development they find themselves in. What we strive for in this block is to further awaken the students' senses to the world around them, to nurture their curiosity for the world.
Q: In what way does this contribute to the students' development?
A: At this age the students are able to expand their view of and relationship with the world considerably. Through this block they can strengthen their spatial awareness and body orientation, begin to be more objective in their relation to their surroundings. They become aware of the multiplicity of viewpoints, and of the uniqueness of their own. | |
WORKBOOK ILLUSTRATION, MUIRENN
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Q: How do you go about providing the students with these experiences?A: Well, in grade five we were immersed for a while in theGreek myths (Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus - constellations of the northern sky), and in grade six, building on the freehand geometry of grade five, we worked quite a bit on constructive geometry - the number of degrees in a circle, dividing the circle in six equal parts - and we saw the importance of the number 360 which can be divided by a lot of numbers. Such a useful number, 360! At that time we also looked into the cultural changes of the middle ages, as well as lifestyles and worldviews. This material gave us the basis for considering the world view of that time, predominant in Asia and Europe and shared by Jews, Christian, and Muslims, that of the earth as the center of the universe. We still can see how the world view of the classical age influences us today. The language of astronomy refers to the convention of that time, although now known to be untrue - for example the way we refer to the apparent positions and times of the sun, moon, or a star "rising and setting."
Q: This astronomy block is quite integrated with other lessons, then?
To continue reading this article, click here or simply scroll down to the end of the newsletter.
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When I Say 'Waldorf,' You Say 'United' It seems only a short time ago when we first wrote about the enthusiastic turn-out for Ultimate Frisbee this spring, leading to the formation of four Seattle Waldorf School/Bright Water combined teams for grades 5 through 8. This last weekend was a big one for our ultimate fans - the famed Spring Reign tournament in Burlington. To the great excitement of all, the Waldorf United A team won first place in their division, Middle School A. Read on.
It Was An Early Wake-up Call...  ...and a beautiful drive up to Burlington. Then we see dozens of frisbee fields marked off in the grass. Players warm up, red "war paint" on their faces and red dye sprayed on their hair, to match their jerseys.
When the game starts, they assess their opponents, trying to find their weaknesses and strengths. "They just huck it out" or "their passing isn't so clean" can be heard among the Waldorf United players. They rotate in, calls come to "find your person" to guard, and they run fast, spin, jump, catch the disc. Then they pivot, looking for the open teammate.
"Take your time!" voices holler from the sidelines. The throw, too long. Setting up the next play, quickly. Awesome catches, Lydia and Una hustling. Julian and Jacob catching high up, or Xander making an impossible throw, low to the ground. A missed pass, "Awww!" from the sides, the player smoothly switches to defense. And all day, shouts of "When I say 'Waldorf,' you say 'United'!" echo from the teammates and parents on the sidelines.
At the end, on Sunday afternoon in the glorious sunshine, the winning point. Within seconds, all the other Waldorf players run onto the field, a swarm of pumped up red, jumping to greet the victors - 1st place after a long, fast, close game. Ingrid Orlow, grade 6 & 1 parent
Spring Reign
To me, the outcome of 2011's Spring Reign was satisfying beyond belief. Our B team was 9th out of
16, and the A team was champion of the whole tournament! The season's playoffs are still to come, but many have complete confidence that the A team will, if not win the season, make our school proud. Katja, grade 6 student
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 Sandbox Remodel Over the break quite a few parents helped their fearless leader Tim Love, our facilities manager, with work at both Kinderhaus and Briar Rose. Below are some pictures of the work on creating a new and improved sandbox at Briar Rose. Many thanks! Look for pictures of the new sandbox in action in future issues.    AS THE ADULTS WERE PULLING, PULLING, PULLING, SO WERE THE CHILDREN.
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This section provided as a free service to the SWS community.
What Are Our Community Members Up To?
Songs Of Hope Benefit - Thank you!
Fumi Tagata, Lavender parent, was one of the organizers of the May 1 concert to benefit Japan relief efforts. She is pleased to report that the event was a great success in many ways. The house manager counted about 720 people in the audience! At this point the effort has raised $20,000 and donations are still coming in. Most importantly, many people, including the performers and volunteers who gathered at the concert, felt like they were a part of the program and shared their feelings, creating the desired sense of connection and community.
"The day was a true blessing, from the weather to all the volunteers who dug in and helped, and to all the musicians whose performances made the concert exquisitely special. We are grateful and enjoying that renewed sense of interdependence, and feel refreshed and recharged after the concert. Since Japan will need continued worldwide community support for their restoration, we are ready for the next event.
Please keep tuning in to our blog for further events." Fumi
Circus Magic
Ezra Weill (grade 11) and Una Bennett (grade 8) will be performing a bit of circus magic before the premiere screening of Circus Dreams at the Seattle International Film Festival on Sunday, May 22, at 11 am. The tickets to the film are only $6 and can be purchased at the SIFF website. The film is about Circus Smirkus: a traveling youth circus in New England (which Ezra and Una will be performing with this summer for ten weeks). After the film, children who have attended the movie are invited to Teatro ZinZanni - just across the street - to learn a few circus tricks for themselves. Ezra and Una, along with ZinZanni instructors, will be teaching the circus skills workshop at Zinzanni.
Stone Sculptures
Seth Friedman (father of Levi, grade 2, and Milo, Briar Rose) has been carving stone as part of a collaborate effort to support the James Washington Foundation. You can see 30 of Seth's sculptures honoring James Washington, a Pacific Northwest sculptor from May 4 to May 26 in Pioneer Square. The sculptures will be available for purchase and all money goes to the Foundation. There will also be articles from the James Washington collection for viewing. This family-friendly exhibit will be open Monday through Saturday 11 am - 4 pm (Thursday until 7 pm). The address is 301 Occidental Avenue South in Seattle. For more information, click here. Shorecrest High School production of Les Miserables
Three SWS alumni - Samantha Kaser, Bethany Houston and Shalee Murphy - are performing in Shorecrest High School's production of Les Miserables in the first two weeks of May: Thursday-Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees, May 5 - 15. Their productions are always superb and this one promises to be superlative. Also, astounding costumes! Tickets are only $10-12 for a near-professional level performance. Alas, not child-friendly due to heart-wrenching death scenes and a chorus of harlots! Tickets available at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park and Shorecrest High School. Nathan Hale High School production of High School Musical 2
Three SWS alumni - Nick Durand and Rafael & Rohan Ladmer Price are performing in this production of the Disney Channel musical. Show dates are May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 @ 7:30 & May 14 @ 2:00 & 7:30. Tickets: Adults $12.00 · Seniors & Students: $6.00. Click here to purchase tickets online or buy them at the door - cash or check ONLY. Song Bridge Of Peace To The Middle East Nora Lih, alumni parent and sometime-substitute teacher at SWS is a member of the Seattle Peace Chorus. Their concert on Sunday, May 15 at 3 pm at the Daniels Recital Hall will feature Beethoven's Ode to Joy and more. Click here for more information and to order tickets. |
Lectures, Workshops, Concerts, Summer Camps Etc.
Spacial Dynamics and Healthy Movement Workshop with Jaimen McMillan
Thursday May 12, 6:45 to 8:45 pm, Ravenna Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave NE
Come join us to explore Spacial Dynamics and healthy movement with Spacial Dynamics founder, Jaimen McMillan. Jaimen will lead activities that demonstrate principles of Spacial Dynamics and healthy movement and help participants sense the living nature of space and gain a deeper understanding of their own movement capacities. Spacial Dynamics, inspired by Rudolf Steiner, is used in Waldorf Schools worldwide. A new Spacial Dynamics training begins in Vancouver fall 2011. Info: 206-245-0100. By donation.
An Evening with Richard Louv
Thursday, May 12, 7 pm, Great Hall at Town Hall
Richard Louv is a journalist and author of seven books about the connections between family, nature and community. His 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, translated into nine languages and published in 13 countries, has stimulated an international conversation about the relationship between children and nature. Hailed as "an absolute must-read" by the Boston Globe and "too tantalizing to ignore" by Audubon magazine, Last Child in the Woods is the inspiring work that proves children need nature as much as nature needs children. Richard Louv makes a convincing case that through a nature-balanced existence driven by sound economic, social, and environmental solutions the human race can and will thrive. This timely, inspiring, and important work will give readers renewed hope while challenging them to rethink the way we live. Following Louv's presentation, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and environmental writer William Dietrich will interview Louv about the important issues his new book raises. Book sales and signing will follow. $10
Click here to purchase tickets.
Parenting Infusion
May 14, North-East Seattle
Portland Waldorf teacher Janet Allison will be coming to Seattle on May 14 as part of a day-long
workshop for parents. This will be a dynamic day of learning, discussion, and connection with like-minded parents, and a unique opportunity to enhance your parenting, your communication and your family life! Please click here for a flyer or click here to visit Janet's website for more information.
Seattle Family Dance - Last Dance For This School Year
Sunday, May 22, 3-5 pm, Phinney Neighborhood Center-Community Hall
Continuing 20 years of folk dancing for children and families - all music is live, all dances are taught, no experience necessary! More young musicians take the stage - Stuart Williams and his students provide the music to dances called by Amy Carroll, Family Dance co-organizer.
SFS/PNA Members: $5 per person, $15 per family; all others $6 per person, $18 per family.
Find the Community Hall at 6532 Phinney Ave N., Seattle and go into the brick building using the the lower parking lot entry.
More info: Rosemary parent Clare Woolgrove clare@seattlerolfer.com or seattledance.org/family
Seattle Green Festival
May 21 & 22, Qwest Event Center
Listen to inspiring speakers, learn about many green products, and visit the Kids Zone.
As last year, Waldorf Schools in this area are coordinating the Kids Zone at the Green Festival. Volunteers gain FREE access to the Green Festival by volunteering for a 2 hour shift at the Waldorf Education outreach booth, craft table, or games area. Many Waldorf students accompanied their families to share in the fun and games in the Kids Zone, and to attend the festival.
If you are interested in volunteering, send an email to Cindy Scheyer and she will let you know about upcoming planning for this event and how and when you can volunteer.
Click here to check out photos of the 2010 event.
Looking for Summer Camps?
Grade School parents can find flyers for various offerings in a binder atop the Parent Resource Library.
For drama offerings, check stonesouptheatre.org or seattlepublictheater.org.
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Summer Nanny in Alaska
We seek a nanny to accompany us and our wonderful 7-yr-old daughter (first-grader at SWS) to wilderness Alaska this summer. We seek a loving nanny who is interested in and skilled with children, and who is mature and highly responsible (due to the isolated setting). We will be living on a beautiful lake in a remote field station (cabins) where we have been researching salmon, lakes and birds (with UW) for the past 15 years. The nanny position is for approximately two months (early June until end of July). We would
especially like to have a Waldorf-trained nanny, but will appreciate any other suggestions though our wonderful community -- Thanks! Please contact Laura for further information: lxpayne@gmail.com
Seattle Home for Rent
A 3 bedroom, 1.75 Bath home on 3015 East Alder Street, Seattle WA 98122 will be for rent starting August 1, 2011. The rent is $1,600, plus utilities. If you know of anyone looking for a sweet home, ask them to contact me via email: heidi-j@earthlink.net and mention in the subject line "housing," so my spamfilter recognizes you.
Housing Wanted
Waldorf family of 2 (one adult, one K child) seeks long-term rental in June: 2 bdrm cottage, mother-in-law or semi-shared housing in North Seattle. We have excellent references and no pets. Please call Lara at 425-444-4676.
Kinderhaus Apartment For Rent
Located at N 50th & Woodlawn Ave--upper level spacious 1 bedroom + loft/office, with plenty of storage, washer/dryer, and gas heat. Convenient to school, parks, Greenlake, zoo, and shopping. No pets. $1,100 (includes water/garbage), based on 2 or fewer occupants. Gas and electric are separate utilities. Available June 1. Email officemanager@seattlewaldorf.org or call 206-524-5320, ext. 2.
Childcare Offered
I am a stay-at-home Waldorf mother available to care for one child starting in June. I have an active and extremely friendly three-year-old son, extensive nanny experience, and fellow Waldorf parent and teacher references. Care would be based in my Wedgwood home with daily outdoor adventures/activities/excursions. Please call Piper Hackett at 206.225.8697 or feel free to email me at piperhackett@gmail.com. Thank you!
Buy Certified Organic Raw Cow's Milk From Washington State
Join our buying group and have this delicious, nutritious, creamy raw milk delivered every other week right next door to the grade school, ready for you to pick up. Visit the Pride and Joy website for product and ordering information. Our location is titled "U District/Lake City" on the schedule. Order by 12:00 pm (noon) Saturday for Wednesday pick up!
We are hosting this delivery site for Pride and Joy Dairy. Feel free to call us with questions: 206-729-2534. The dairy is working to provide butter, cream, and cheese in the future. Tim Love and Lisa Wolfe
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Open House: Foundation Year Visiting Day
Saturday May 21, 9 am, Seattle Waldorf Grade School, Huckleberry Hall
Join us for a lecture by Johanna Steegmans on The Practical Life of Anthroposophy, a snack, and an overview of the Foundation Year program.
Please note that, due to insufficient enrollment, Foundation Year 2011-2012 has been canceled. We will be offering the course beginning in September, 2012.
Please visit our website soundcircle.org for more information about our lectures and our Waldorf Teacher Training program. There, you can also find a link to Ripples, our quarterly newsletter.Sound Circle will begin its eighth Foundation Year in September, 2011.
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Science Curriculum Highlight - Grade Seven Astronomy, Continued
Q: This astronomy block is quite integrated with other lessons, then?
A: Yes, as is the case in all lessons in all grades, and from year to year. As another example of how we build the curriculum, we also harkened back to our grade six geography block, when we worked with the poles, equator, longitiude, latitude, seasons, and so on. At that time we worked quite a bit on following the path of the sun, for example. We do this with the use of visual aids - a basketball with a beeswax person as a prop. This year we expanded those demonstrations and tried to come up with the Ptolemaic and then the Copernican view movement, moving the rotation of the planets around the sun, all of us rotating around the classroom, so that the students are given an experience rather than facts. So this year the students were familiar with the concept of a globe, and we could tackle working with a celestial globe and really work imaginatively.
Q: What do you mean by imaginatively?
A: Well, we really do all we can for the students to use their imagination in understanding the concepts we present to them. We walk them through experiences so that they understand from inside what the different world views were at different times in history and how these views shaped the experience of human beings, and then generated advances in science and the arts. By doing so, we of course are in touch with our own contemporary life. For example I read them a little scene from Macbeth where Banquo is nervous about the night and asks his servant where the moon is. At that time of course everyone knew whether the night was dark or light - and therefore safe or dangerous, depending on whether you wanted to walk safely or be hidden from view. In our time, it is very rare for any of us to live in places where one can still have that experience of the phases of the moon and what time the moon rises in our daily lives. In Shakespeare's time, everyone just knew about these things.
Q: So you try to tie all these elements together?
A: To some extent, yes. We try to guide our students in a way that makes sense, to give them knowledge and experiences that are integrated. But more importantly, we want to nurture and develop the students' capacities. So for this age, we work on expanding our view of the world a little further beyond ourselves, and soon we will look into the radical shifts in worldview that came at the time of the Renaissance. In the astronomy block, we talk about Kepler and Copernicus, and how they noticed how the old world view was not quite accurate, and how with the use of mathematics they were able to demonstrate that the sun - not the earth - is at the center of our universe.
Q: How do you bring this to life, for example in the morning lesson books?
A: For this block we drew the constellations before the trip (we took a three day/two night trip to Eastern Washington to observe the stars). First the students copied the drawings, and then they drew again, this time from memory, or they would go to the playground and compose the constellations with students 'being' stars, while the rest of the group was guiding the shape to accuracy for those of us viewing from the upstairs window. With this kind of practice, the students were able to identify a good number of constellations on the trip.
Q: Is there a special reason why the grade seven astronomy block takes place so early in the school year?
A: This block jumps us very quickly from the middle ages several centuries ahead to the late Renaissance, as far as the scientific world view goes. This transition in consciousness forms the basis for most of our block in seventh grade. We also have to consider the weather of course, which tends to be warm, dry, and clear east of the mountains in September as we go camping, and make sure there are enough visible constellations. This time the moon was full, so the sky was very light and only the brighter stars could be observed.
The winter sky with Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Leo - all visible in late winter - possibly could be more exciting, with larger constellations visible at that time. Maybe we can gather somewhere in the city then and take a look.
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Grade 8
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Connection is published bi-weekly when school is in session.
Please email all submissions directly to: newsletter@seattlewaldorf.org.
All articles or ads for the next issue are due by noon on Tuesday, May 17.
Submissions Guidelines © 2010 Seattle Waldorf School.
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