January 16th, 2009
ISSUE #6
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Weekly Reminders
2008 State Tax Credit Drive You can still send your tax credit donation checks NOW with a post date prior to Jan. 1, but hurry! Follow-up with friends and family. Ask your Arizona
friends to send a check with the form downloaded from our website. If one has to pay state income tax, it might as well benefit Desert Star kids!-------------------------------
Remember to fill out and return the one question survey about Desert Star from the Department of Education. It came home on a pink piece of paper in your child's backpack earlier this week.
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Monday, Jan. 19th -
No school, M.L.King Jr. Holiday
Thursday, Jan. 22nd, 3:00pm - Board Meeting. All are invited. 4th grade classroom.Wednesday, Jan. 28th,
1:00 - 3:00pm - Presentation by Joan Treadway, experienced Waldorf teacher. More info. in next weeks newsletter.
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Board News & Views
Rhonda Bierman, faculty representative on the Board, stepped down from her position in December after serving for a year and a half. Rhonda has carried the health and safety concerns of our students and has kept the Board informed as to these issues. She was instrumental in researching the appropriate covering under our play structures which resulted in the pea gravel we have now. The children and teachers are all delighted with it. We are very grateful for Rhonda's energy and enthusiasm she brought to the Board; the faculty were well represented by her. Thank you very much, Rhonda.
Marc Bruehl will be the new faculty representative on the Board and we all look forward to working with Marc who brings experience from private and charter Waldorf School Boards. Welcome, Marc.
Submitted By Catherine Weld, Board President
Parent Council News
Thanks to all those who attended the New Year's Mixer. By getting to know each other we create a stronger community. Please aim to attend as many DS events and meetings and volunteer your time as much as you can. Your presence matters in helping to grow and improve Desert Star.
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Fundraising -
5 Easy Ways to Support Our School
1. We get credit for every single search
and every time you purchase something online! It really works!
GoodSearch.com and GoodShop donate to the organization of your choice
(hopefully Desert Star!) when you perform a search and again when you
buy online through GoodShop.
2. Next you can REALLY help Desert Star by using GoodShop to make all your online purchases!
Here's how: Make Good Search.com your home page with Desert Star
Community School chosen as who you GoodSearch for, then every time you
need to shop hit the Shop Now link on the GoodSearch page, in GoodShop
search for the store of your choice - there are hundreds! When you
purchase this way, Desert Star can get up to 37% of your purchase
donated to the school! Remember this for any large purchases you need
to make, it can really add up for the school.
3. Be
sure to use Desert Star's Amazon Link, located in the right hand column
of our website on the home page. We get credit from Amazon only if your
purchase through Desert Star's Amazon links, yet not from Amazon
directly. Please do all your Amazon shopping through our link.
4. You
can also order from our Waldorf book list right from our site! Go to
our website under Parent Resources and then to Recommended Books.
5. And
be
sure you, and all your Arizona friends and relatives direct a portion
of your state income tax (up to $200 per individual/$400 per couple
filing jointly) to Desert
Star. It's easy - just pick up a form in the office or to the Support Us page on our website then go to the State Tax
Credit page.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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Greetings!
As a relatively new school, Desert Star is involved in creating rituals, traditions and ceremonies that help form the growing identity of the school. Waldorf education is steeped in rituals, traditions and ceremonies and many of these will be adopted by Desert Star. However, we are also in the process of creating our own. This will help contribute to our unique role as the only Waldorf-inspired school in the Verde Valley.
Read more about how rituals provide students with feelings of stability and security in their educational experience. Learn how ritual offers daily support for the educational process. The richness to be found in human interactions is highlighted in schools where ritual is alive and a well established part of the school environment.
Susan Simon
Administrator, Desert Star Community School
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Ritual, Tradition And Ceremony in a Waldforf School - Part 1
By Susan Simon, Principal
 Ritual,
tradition and ceremony together define the heart of a Waldorf school. They
highlight the human connections that create the daily rhythm and drive
the life force of a school community. Each of these areas creates a
rich backdrop for community building to occur throughout the school
year. The priorities of a Waldorf school are clearly defined in the focus of
the rituals, traditions and ceremonies created by students, teachers,
administrators and parents. These school-wide activities and events
help to form the school's identity, allowing it to expand and
flourish. Purposeful and meaningful relationships form in Waldorf schools that
have histories of ritual, tradition and ceremony.
Rituals are
actions or types of behavior that are regularly followed. They
typically become habitual parts of the student's school life. Some
examples of rituals in Waldorf schools are:
- the teacher shaking hands with students when they enter the class in the morning and leave at the end of the school day
- older students walking in groups rather than being required to walk in lines
- buddy programs where older students read to younger students
- singing the same song everyday before beginning to eat lunch
- aligning all painting materials in a certain way before beginning to paint
Rituals
help students feel secure because they establish predictability in the
classroom. Predictability helps students feel safer in their
learning. It balances the risk-taking that is essential for real
learning to occur. Predictability is also important for those students
who live in households that are less predictable. Schools with high
student and teacher turnover find it difficult to establish feelings of
stability for their students and staff. When each school day is
predictable and stable, students and teachers feel physically,
emotionally and mentally safer. Behavior problems are greatly reduced
in schools with a history of classroom and school rituals.
Ritual
gives students a home place from which to practice human relationship
building in a safe and predictable way. The richness to be found
through human interactions is highlighted in schools where ritual is
alive and a well established part of the school environment. What
rituals does your student/s engage in at Desert Star?
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Teacher & Community Corner
Announcements
Our 100th Day:
Our 100th day is coming up on January 22 ! This is our most important
enrollment marker for funding, so let's put the word out. If we get 10
more new students, we'll have 100 students.
House For Rent:
One-bedroom house adjacent to DS school. Freshly painted interior, unfurnished and available now. All utilities included. $800/month. For information call: Tomas Winn 301-3491
Mark Your Calendars:
Java Love Cafe in West Sedona (owned by Bridget and Gianni Cardinali, 2nd grade parents) is hosting a wonderful evening of local music, poetry and dance to benefit Desert Star. The event is called "Sedona Showcase" and will be held on Thursday, Jan.29th at 6:30 pm. Please come, bring your friends, support the school and enjoy some wonderful local talent! There is no admission charge, the benefit is by donation. If you would like to perform call Daniel at
(808) 250-1021 ASAP.
Desert Star Teacher Biographies:
Who are our teachers and what are their backgrounds? If you want to find out more visit our website: http://www.desertstarschool.org/teachers.html
Desert Star Newsletter Archive Link:
Did you miss any of our newsletters? View them by going here: http://www.desertstarschool.org/newsletters.html
Parent Testimonial Link - Please Add To Our Site:
We are encouraging all parents of Desert Star students to participate in adding to our parent testimonials page. Just click and fill out the form by going to:
http://www.desertstarschool.org/parent-testimonials.html. Thank you!
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Artist Spotlight - 1st Grade
By Zenna MacGregor, Art Teacher
This week's artist spotlight is on Grade 1. Students formed circles out of real clay then chose either a medicine bear, eagle, kokopelli or turtle design and stamped them into the clay. Clay was fired and in order to make the piece look antiquated we put a few coats of brown mason stain and rubbed it off - then we dipped them in clear glaze and fired them again to give them a nice finish. Mason enjoyed learning that a stain was named after him, then I pointed out that our painting jars are also Mason and he smiled proudly. First graders are always happy to see Mrs. MacGregor on Mondays and are consistently positive and creative with their projects. This class especially enjoys the Hawaiian color song and chants - as well as the Rainbow Child song that Mrs. MacGregor made up. Jobs well done First Grade!
Submitted by Zenna McGregor, Art Teacher
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Teacher Highlight - " THROUGH THE GATE" Nature Hikes With Ms. Rhonda
Written by Rhonda Bierman, Environmental Science and Games teacher
THROUGH THE GATE QUIETLY AND WITH RESPECT, "Good morning, Mother Nature!" We walk softly on the earth, leaving only footprints.
Will the Magical Land of the Wispy White Weed, still be "poofy" in her winter sleep? Is Daisy land quietly dropping her seeds on the earth, preparing to yield another beautiful, golden meadow in spring?
Did the recent rain leave magnificent patterns on the earth and deposit more rocks in the treasure pocket at Treasure Island? Are the birds back and bathing in the all-too-temporary waters of Mud Island? Did the torrential downpour make our world "Mudlucious" and our secret slide more screamingly "puddle-wonderful?"
Has the sun created new alligator dirt and a clear path to imprint fresh tracks - letting us discover with whom we share this earth?
If the wind blows, will the tall grasses bend to reveal the secrets hiding beneath?
Shall we gather at Lightning Rock and read the stories the ancient ones have passed on through the years? Or shall we run down then up the rollercoaster to sit atop Desert Star Ridge and sing songs?
Strap on your pack, take your water and a delicious snack - it's "Fanny Pack Friday" and the joys of being connected to Mother Earth await!
Submitted by Rhonda Bierman, Environmental Science and Games Teacher
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Thank you in advance for spreading the word about Desert Star Community School.You may forward this newsletter by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. For more information, please call or visit us on the web.
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