Weekly Update from the MN Waldorf School

Your Weekly Update

News from the Minnesota Waldorf School

March 2, 2010

Reminder: Give to Our 2009-2010 Annual Fund

As of March 1st, we have raised $37,747.79 toward our campaign goal of $60,000.

Your contribution supports this wonderful education, helps keep tuition low, and allows the school to continue giving back roughly 13% of our income in tuition assistance to families in need.

Visit www.MNWaldorf.org to find links for giving online or to download a pledge card. If you have friends or relatives who may want to give a gift, please direct them to the site or have them call us to arrange a contribution.

We appreciate your contribution. As important as the money raised, participation rates are carefully considered by outside donors. Here is a picture of participation rates by class and group for this year's campaign so far:

K-BH: 71%-- Our Annual Campaign leaders as of 3/1/10!

K-EM: 28%

K-MLB: 50%

1st: 50%

2nd: 50%

3rd: 53%

4th: 50%

5th: 44%

6th: 53%

7th: 38%

8th: 44%

Board: 83%

Faculty: 75%

The arriving Spring has us feeling frisky!

Please drive slowly and carefully in our parking lots and circle drive. Remind older children to pay attention to traffic and younger tots to hold hands with a grown-up.

Re-Enrollment Intentions Are Due

2010-2011 re-enrollment letters were sent to all current families over break and were due back February 22nd. If you have not already done so, please return your Pre-K/Kindergarten or grades re-enrollment intention form asap to reserve your child's place.

We have begun accepting new students. If you would like to email your re-enrollment intentions, cut and paste the appropriate form, from the above links, and email the completed form to Beth Amos at bamos@mnwaldorf.org.

Also, if you are hoping to enroll a younger sibling into Pre-K or Kindergarten, please drop-off an application as soon as possible!

Tuition Assistance Information & Reminders

Tuition assistance applications are due Tuesday, March 9th. As supporting documentation for your application, you must provide Beth Amos with a copy of your 2009 Federal tax return by April 15th. Tuition assistance packets and information were mailed to those families who currently receive tuition assistance. If your financial situation has changed and you would like to apply for tuition assistance for the 2010-2011 school year, please see Beth Amos for a packet. We encourage all families who need assistance to apply.

Parent Council Meeting: March 11th, 7 pm

All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the Parent Council meeting Thursday, March 11th at 7 pm in Handwork room. Please join us for engaging discussions, hands-on education, important school news & refreshments!

Scoliosis Screening for Grades 5-7

In late March, we will conduct scoliosis screening for 5th grade girls, 6th grade boys and girls and 7th grade boys. The purpose of the screening program is to identify children with suspected curvature of the spine. Screening is done prior to or during a child's adolescent growth spurt. According to research, 7 to 10 children in 100 may develop scoliosis and 1 to 3 require treatment. If this condition is detected early and appropriately treated, progressive spine deformity can be prevented.

The procedure is a simple 30 second test in which our school nurse will look at each child's back in the standing and the forward bending positions. The children will remain clothed during the screening. If there is a need for follow up, you will be notified and advised to have further evaluation.

If you DO NOT want your child screened for scoliosis, please send a note to the attention of our school nurse, Ann DePaolis Jones.

Experience Waldorf: Saturday, March 20, 9:45 am - Noon

Participants in the March 20th program will attend one class and then meet in the Festival Hall for an extended question and answer session about. As of now, the schedule, classes and teachers are as follows:

9:45 - 10:00: Registration/Coffee

10:00 - 10:45: Take a class:

Ms. Johanna Garcia - Math
Mr. Gideon Weick - Movement as a Foundation for Learning
Mr. David Maier - History

10:45 - Noon: Plenum Discussion

Do you have a Waldorf or a specific school question that you would like answered? If so, we want to hear from you! Just click here to send a question or write your question on a slip of paper and put it in the box in the front lobby.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Claudia Fontana Returns to Teach Eurythmy in April

We are delighted to announce that Claudia Fontana will return to MWS to teach a 7-week Eurythmy block for Kindergarten through 8th grade students beginning April 12th.

We are looking for a family to host Ms. Fontana during her stay. Please call the office, or speak with Noreen Fisher or Mary Lou Bala, if you are able to offer housing.

Adult Eurythmy Class Begins in April

Eurythmist Claudia Fontana has offered to teach a six-week adult eurythmy class if there are enough interested adults. Last fall, she offered a class on Tuesday evenings and the cost was $90 for the 6-weeks. Dates and fees for the spring session are yet to be determined. However, if this interests you, please let us know as soon as possible. Sign up sheets are in Amy Stephens' office and in the Kindergarten Cottage near the water fountain or you may contact Ting Ting Cheng at 651-492-9107.

The 2009-10 School Yearbook is in Production

Send Us Your Photos

The 8th Grade is beginning to put together the 2009-10 yearbook and welcomes your photo contributions. If you have photos, especially photos from field trips, class plays, or school events, that you could share, please email them to Vicki Dunlop or use

info@mnwaldorf.org. If you prefer to copy your photos onto cd to share, you may drop them off with Amy Stephens.

Parent Handwork Group Returns to Kindergarten Cottage for March

The Parent Handwork Group will return to meeting in the Parent/Toddler classroom in the Kindergarten Building beginning Wednesday, March 3 (with the exception of March 24 when we will meet in the Library). The room will be open for use at 8:30 am. Parents attending the Wednesday Morning Circles will arrive at 9 am.

Bring your own handwork to do. We will offer wet-felting as a handwork option throughout the spring. This is a toddler-friendly activity for parents attending with their pre-schoolers. Bring your own wool or use what's on hand. If you'd like to create felted hollow eggs, bring an egg-shaped stone for shaping the felt.

Any questions? Contact Ting Ting Cheng at 651/492-9107 or tinglcheng@gmail.com.

Join Our Wednesday Morning Circle

Parents are invited to join in a communal Morning Circle EVERY Wednesday at 8:30 am in the Handwork Classroom (located by the Administrative Office). Kristi Fackel, our Handwork Teacher, will lead parents in morning verse, make announcements or answer questions, and end with a song.

School Store Chocolates A Hit

"Salty Dog" is clearly B.T. McElrath's most popular and sought after chocolate bar among MWS families. However, don't let this keep you from trying the other tempting bars available, such as "Passion Fruit Tangerine," a creamy blend of white and dark chocolate infused with the flavors of passion fruit and tangerine. If you haven't tried these locally-produced artisan chocolates, pop into the school store and see what you've been missing. As a bonus, BT McElrath's boxes of Valentine's chocolate (dark or passion fruit) are discounted to $5.95 each.

New Hours Added: The School Store will now be open every Wednesday from 12:00 to 12:45.

Calling All Travelers

Each summer, our faculty attend Teacher Training at various colleges and institutes around the country. This training helps them plan their blocks for the next school year, deepen their education in Waldorf methods and philosophy and connect with colleagues from other schools for sharing, mentoring and building relationships. It is a significant part of a Waldorf teacher's preparation and the Teacher Development Committee strives to support these endeavors however possible.

To this end, we request that any parents who have frequent flier miles or points they are able to donate, contact either their class teacher directly or the school. These points/miles help offset teacher travel costs.

Frolic News: Auction Items Needed

Several wonderful items have already come in for the on-line and silent
auctions but there is still a need for more handmade crafts, themed baskets, art, photography, and services. A few ideas:

~Knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, or mittens ( do you have an avid sock
knitter in the 5th grade?)
~Quilts, blankets, shawls or sweaters
~Themed baskets (pets, toys, books, cooking, put one together with
friends!)
~Professional services (chiropractor, massage, music lessons, sports
lessons, ask your salon or spa)

Many fun Great Gatherings have already been offered by our very resourceful and creative community members! Wine Tasting, Skating
Party, Berry Picking at Afton, French Dinner, and a Kayak/Picnic Outing to
name just a few! Which ones do you want to sign up for?

Remember that another way to donate to the Frolic is to offer a Great
Gathering! Want a few more ideas? Here are a few:

~Sponsor a Boundary Waters trip
~Organize and fund a dinner at a fine restaurant
~Host a party (Fondue, backyard BBQ, gourmet, beer sampling, 1970's party)
~Share any talent/interest with others (Swimming lessons, geo-caching, rock climbing, bird watching)
~Lead a downhill or cross country skiing trip
~Organize and fund a golf outing or a Twins game outing

Be sure to fill out a donation form before March 17th so it can be included
in our preview auction catalog.

There is still time to have advertising for your business in the color Live
and Silent Auction Catalog!! Fill out and turn in your form by the April
1st deadline to get it in. Contact Liz at llaceygotz@mnwaldorf.org for
more info.

Check out the front lobby for forms, information, and more details about
offerings! Have you registered yet? Visit www.TheFrolic.org to reserve your seat. Register by March 26th and pay last year's price!

Thoughts on Nature and Science

by Deborah Dornemann, Education and Garden Coordinator for

Philadelphia Community Farm

The Waldorf Schools might well have been the first schools in America to consciously practice being "green." The children are given natural materials to use. The teachers strive to create a classroom that matches the beauty of the world. A reverence for the earth and all her creatures is fostered through singing, art, and the sciences. Since its inception the Waldorf curriculum has had a strong emphasis on experiencing science.

Experiments are conducted to engage the students' observation skills and imagination. Being in nature and working with the earth provides children with an "out of door" science experience. Over the years I have enjoyed seeing hundreds of children visit Philadelphia Community Farm. It is usually the same story: they come and are full of energy; they run around and want to see and touch everything. At the farm we try to create an experience of reverence and awe so that when the students see and touch everything, they know that they are a part of the cycle of life. They experience a meaningful relationship with their environment. Nature is not seen as a separate entity but as a part of their self. Students gain a heart-felt understanding of life without too much theory. Getting to know the rhythms of nature through continued exposure creates self reliance and sound judgment. If a farmer is outside everyday watching the clouds, he or she will not need to look at the computer to know if it is likely to rain. Without ever having to be told, children know how healthy it is to be in nature. They are born "green." It is our job as parents and teachers to allow them to do what comes naturally! That is how we can promote spirit infused scientific thinking in children. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wisely states, "If we want to attain a living understanding of nature, we must become as flexible and mobile as nature herself."

Philadelphia Community Farm is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm near Osceola, WI. Through the growing season, they offer weekly seasonal shares of vegetables and fruits, grown with organic and biodynamic methods, to 100 area families, two food shelves, and an inner city youth program.Their "life-sharing," residential community welcomes adults and children with varying abilities for healthy foster care and respite and meaningful education and work. At Philadelphia Farm, all can enjoy an active community life, inspired by the international Camphill Communities and others working with people in need of special care.

If you'd like to hear more from Philadelphia Community Farm, visit their blog: http://philadelphiacommunityfarmcsa.blogspot.com

Alumni News

Bye Bye Birdie

Luisa Riehle (MWS Class of 2007) will play the lead role of Kim MacKaffey in St. Bernard High School's spring musical, Bye Bye Birdie. Performances will be the weekend of May 14th-16th.

Honors in Osceola

Alumni Arianna Elmquist (MWS Class of '06), Asher Elmquist (MWS Class of '08), Jasmine Jamila-Wuerth and Christopher Eastman (MWS Class of '09) all made the A honor roll at Osceola High School for the first semester of this school year.

Do you have news to share about a Minnesota Waldorf School alum? We always love to hear about our graduates.

Contact: Liz Lacey-Gotz