heartbeatDECEMBER 2015

Winter Assembly Approaches

IN THIS ISSUE...

Winter AssemblyPAGE 1

Renewal Magazine Excerpt: Is Waldorf Education Christian?

PAGE 2

Spreading the WordPAGE 3

Alumni CornerPAGE 4

Native Plant Memorial Garden

PAGE 5

Community ConnectionPAGE 6

BY KELLY O’HALOGAN, FACULTY CHAIR

Please join us on Friday, December 18 at 11am for our Winter Assembly. Each year, the faculty and staff of our school offer a gift to the students through a performance. So often, we ask our students to present a sample of their work at assemblies. This time each year, the teachers brush up on their songs and stories to give back to the students. It is great fun for all!

After performing the Shepherds’ Play at the Winter Assembly for many consecutive years, the faculty and staff took a much needed break from it to explore other possibilities and reflect upon our work. During these years, we explored questions around this winter offering regarding its purpose and meaning, as well as our intentions in bringing it to the community.

At Portland Waldorf School, we celebrate the history and traditions of Waldorf schools. And, as a school, we are also committed to renewal, imagination and inspiration. We are blessed with faculty, staff and families who hold a variety of beliefs. We entered into this deep study and contemplation of the meaning

of our winter festival in order to best serve and honor our community here at PWS. We have included an excerpt from a relevant article on the next page that we hope you will take time to read.

After study, we feel most inspired by offering, through the years, a set of rotating plays that touch on various perspectives of the theme of tending to the inner light we must hold as the season brings greater darkness.

This year we offer a Medley of Light — a compilation of poems, songs and a Native American tale of Coyote. Next year, we will revive the Shepherds’ Play. We will add a few more plays to the rotation and have established a research committee to explore options. Of course, we welcome your suggestions. Please feel free to email me your ideas. And, please join me in thanking all teachers and staff who diligently work on behalf of the students for this special offering.

hear tbeat | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL

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DECEMBER 2015

Is Waldorf Education Christian?

Waldorf schools seek to cultivate positive human values of compassion, reverence for life, respect, cooperation, love of nature, interest in the world, and social conscience, as well as to develop cognitive, artistic and practical skills. The soul life of the child is affirmed and nourished as the ground for healthy, active thinking. Because of this, Waldorf schools sometimes are mistakenly perceived as religious, or, in particular, as Christian schools. Nevertheless, parents of various religious views and ethical philosophies - Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Protestants, Sufis, Muslims, eclectic seekers and agnostics - choose Waldorf Education for their children. They do so knowing that Waldorf schools are based on a spiritual view of the human being and of the world. However, no religion, including Christianity, is promulgated in a Waldorf school.

The inspiration for Waldorf Education arises from a worldview or philosophy called Anthroposophy. This broad body of research, knowledge and experience holds a spiritual view of human nature and development. It sees the human being as more than a culturally conditioned, genetically determined, biological organism. Instead, Anthroposophy maintains that each individual human being has a spiritual core, or “I,” and that this I is in a continuous process of becoming, of evolving in freedom through spiritual activity toward ever greater self-knowledge... The anthroposophical worldview understands the historical evolution of consciousness in many cultures as the background for each individual’s path of self-discovery.

The fundamental tone of this worldview - which is not a religion - is in harmony with many world religions and philosophies. It stands in opposition, however, to the powerful, contemporary cultural currents based on materialism. In our culture a form of psychological conditioning occurs on an unprecedented scale through the cumulative impact of the 20,000 commercials that the average American child sees each year. Unchallenged assumptions about human nature convey reductionist views of the human being. These strongly influence how children form their fundamental “image of Self,” their view of the essential nature of the human being. This is distinct from the individualized self-image each child also forms.

Various one-sided theories of human development are projected through the popular media - the idea, for example, that the human being is merely an advanced ape or a biological organism that has arisen accidentally from the primordial ooze and whose ideals are epiphenomena of secretions of the brain. Other common images are of the human being as historically/culturally conditioned and behaviorally programmed; fundamentally egoistic and controlled by unconscious drives; genetically determined; a consumer to be manipulated; a unit of economic production in global competition; and a mechanism whose heart is merely a pump, whose brain is a computer. The human being is a couch potato, an action hero, a Barbie doll.

Faced with this persistent tide of subconscious indoctrination, concerned parents look for an education that offers a more uplifting view of human potential. And in the curriculum, methods, and festivals of the Waldorf schools such an alternative image of the human being is offered.

Many parents are content to see their children thrive in a Waldorf school, sensing that dedicated teachers deeply care about their children and work with effective educational insights and methods. A few parents wonder further about Anthroposophy, the philosophy that inspires the education. Some inquire out of genuine interest, others to make sure that their children are not exposed to something sectarian, parochial, or dogmatic. Parents can rest assured that Anthroposophy is not taught, inculcated, or subliminally communicated in the school. That would be counter to the purpose of Waldorf Education as “education toward freedom.” The Waldorf method is so successful in helping young people think for themselves that they develop strong independent judgment that is a defense against hidden agendas of all kinds.

The respect for individual freedom, fundamental to the anthroposophical roots of Waldorf Education, affirms that the search for wisdom, spirit, and religious connection with the divine, however variously these may be named, is a matter of individual conscience and effort. The cultivation of religious values is a choice that belongs to the family. We parents and educators may well ponder together how to fulfill our responsibility to cultivate values that open the possibility in our children to freely seek their own spiritual path when they become self-directed adults. But it is not the role of the school or its teachers to proffer a religion to the children and their parents. (Excerpted from an article originally published in Renewal, Vol. 10, No. 1, Spring-Summer 2001. The full article is available online: link at www.portlandwaldorf.org/videos-resources.

BY WILLIAM WARD, AUTHOR & FORMER CLASS TEACHER, HAWTHORNE VALLEY SCHOOL

curriculum

hear tbeat | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL

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DECEMBER 2015

administration

A wonderful group of volunteers has come together to help Portland Waldorf School further develop an engaging marketing plan for the upcoming school year. These volunteers are all currently working in the marketing field and are sharing their wide variety of skills and experience with our school. This expertise is so valuable (and appreciated!) as the administrative staff works to bring more awareness of PWS into the greater Portland area, and throughout the country.

Here is the current framework of PWS marketing:

Word of Mouth: Parent-to-parent sharing is the most effective form of marketing and advertising! While our parents do an amazing job in spreading the good word about our school, the Annual Survey reflected that parents wanted more tools for effective sharing. In response, the marketing group will begin developing “elevator speeches” in early 2016, to help parents distill and communicate the amazing curriculum, teaching and learning happening at PWS.

Event-based Marketing: Hosting events brings awareness of PWS to the metropolitan area via speakers, workshops, symposiums and fairs. Examples of such include our recent Winter Market, Play Symposium, “Healthy Boundaries” talk, May Faire and the Simplicity Parenting lecture and workshops last spring. Future topics will be informed by the wonderful work emerging from our new Living Lab program.

Relationship-based Marketing: Throughout the school year, PWS invites our neighboring Waldorf schools and programs to participate in our community events. There are over thirty Waldorf-inspired preschools in the area

BY MARY BEATON, DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

Spreading the Word and five lower schools, all of whom are invited to attend lectures, festivals and workshops that we host. Sharing celebrations and resources with our Waldorf friends helps bring us closer together as a regional community.

Materials: How do brochures, flyers and signage reflect an organization? At PWS we hope to convey the depth of our education, beauty and order (form & function) along with timely information in a simple yet effective manner. Two of our volunteers are currently working with Shanti to develop outreach materials for the next high school enrollment season. Another project, a very basic element of marketing is signage. Two more of our volunteers have been working with the City of Milwaukie for approval to hang more visible signs on our school buildings.

Advertising: While advertising has less impact than any of the above forms of marketing, it is still a necessary component of a comprehensive plan. An analysis of our current advertising sources (web/magazine/radio) and their effectiveness is a great part of this work, especially as it relates to trends in enrollment. Did you know that last year, over 40% of applicants arriving at our doors came from out of state?!

Many thanks to the current group of volunteers for this wonderful, ongoing work!

December Carson (Alumni Parent) Alexa Johnson (Kindergarten Parent) Raina Drew Jung (Alumna)Maya Muir (Alumni Parent)Cami Waner (High School Parent)

If this work is of interest to you, we’d love to have you join us! You are warmly invited to sit in on one of our monthly meetings or have a conversation with Mary Beaton, Director of Admissions.

Contact mary.beaton@portlandwaldorf.org or just swing by Mary’s office (next to the gym).

hear tbeat | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL

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DECEMBER 2015

upcoming eventsWinter festivals are coming soon! We’d love to see you at:

Winter Assembly & Solstice FeastDEC 18 | 11AM

Alumni are always invited to the Winter Assembly on the last day of school before

Winter Break. Come enjoy the assembly, and then stick around for the

traditional Solstice Feast in the High School: a chance to connect with old friends and meet

some of the current High School students.

Alumni Basketball Game & SocialDEC 20 | 2PM

Once again this year the annual Alumni Basketball Game will be

followed by a social time with food and conversation. Akari, our alumni basketball captain extraordinnaire, would love to

get a head count ahead of time! If you’re planning to come and play,

please let us know (alumni@portlandwaldorf.org) --

otherwise, alumni, families, friends and faculty past and present are all encouraged to come chat and

cheer in the stands!

alumni

Alumni Corner

Join the Alumni CommitteeHave ideas to help the school better serve its students or alumni? Have special skills or interests to offer? Share your thoughts, ideas or questions with us! Consider joining the Alumni Committee... We meet once a month to plan fun activities, parties and service opportunities where alumni can connect with old friends and teachers. Ask us some questions and share your interest at alumni@portlandwaldorf.org.

Join us at Alumni EurythmyDuring the month of December, our alumni eurythmy group is actively looking for friends who are interested in joining us for study and movement!

We meet at 6:30pm on Wednesdays in the eurythmy room, and as we are not currently working on any long-term pieces, we would love to have you drop by any time this month to see if you might like to come regularly. We read and talk together for about an hour (we are currently reading How to Know Higher Worlds) and then move for the following hour.

All Waldorf alumni are warmly welcome to come for any or all of our meetings! Do let us know you are coming, just in case schedules dictate a last minute change -- email carrie.mass@portlandwaldorf.org

Keep in Touch Send us stories, poems, photos or watercolor renderings of what you’ve been up to:

email:alumni@portlandwaldorf.org

snail mail:Portland Waldorf School Attn: Alumni 2300 SE Harrison Street Milwaukie, OR 97222-5727

social media:www.facebook.com/portlandwaldorfschool Instagram @portlandwaldorfschool

Players & fans connected at the social after last year’s Alumni Basketball Game. Photo|Sara Case

hear tbeat | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL

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DECEMBER 2015

curriculum

Native Plant Memorial Garden BY KELLY HOGAN, LIVING LAB DIRECTOR

By now, many of you may have noticed that the Living Lab projects are beginning to transform our campus into a place that welcomes interaction and connection - both personally and academically. The Native Plant Memorial Garden is one such space.

I would like to extend the invitation to not only visit this lovely garden along the northwest side of the grade school building, but also to contact me if you would like to purchase a plant for the garden in honor of a family member or someone in our extended community that has passed away. Please consider the garden a place to go in reflection of life: past, present and future.

The following words were written about the new garden by Jessica Bradley, one of our 11th grade students, during High School Project Week:

The Memorial Garden has been created with the intention that it is a place where anyone can come to remember. During Project Week, we looked at various patterns in nature that reflect what we were trying to create. For example, when we were thinking about a design for the path, we used a river as our model. When a river is perfectly straight, it usually has been altered by people who have a direct purpose in mind. The water in a straight river flows quickly from point A to point B. However, when we look at a river

that is flowing naturally, we see that the river takes a slower, meandering course. The curving of the path reflects the natural curve of a river. It invites us to slow down and reflect.

At the end of our path, we created a circle. Some say that the circle, or sphere, is the perfect shape, as it is all-encompassing and there is no specific end or beginning. A circle can also represent the cycles of life.

As many may have noticed, there were some large trees that were taken down to enable this garden to come to life. This also could be a representation of the circle of life. Something that was not serving the space as well as it could made way for something new that will create a more welcoming and peaceful space at the front of our school.

As this garden holds a specific place in the community as a memorial garden, we based our design around what we thought people would like to experience when visiting the garden. This included our plant selection. We chose certain colors and considered how the plants would smell, how tall the plants would grow, when they would be in bloom, if they were evergreen, how they would fit in our space, whether they would survive in the clay soil & direct sunlight, and what is native to this area. We chose a very subtle color scheme, and plants that will give the space a relaxed and reflective energy, so that when one comes to the garden, they are not experiencing a busy, or very bright garden.

Each of our choices in making this garden was based on what would be best for creating a calm, quiet, and safe place for us, and also the logistical aspects of developing a garden that will survive on its own without much extra care in our micro climate.

Photo|Dionne Kane

Kelly Hogan, our Living Lab Director, can be reached at Kelly.Hogan@portlandwaldorf.org. Please contact her if you would like to become involved with the Memorial Garden

or if you have questions, ideas or other feedback.

Photo|Dionne Kane

hear tbeat | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL

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DECEMBER 2015

community connection

upcoming events|DECEMBER

HS Basketball Season OpenersDEC 5 | 3PM & 4:30PM

Walk Through the GradesDEC 9 | 9-10:30AM

Winter AssemblyDEC 18 | 11AM

Alumni Basketball Game & SocialDEC 20 | 2PM

Winter BreakDEC 21 - JAN 1

Music Concert (Grades 4-6)JAN 8 | 7PM

For more information about these or other school events, please visit www.portlandwaldorf.org or contact our office.

Many talented hands graced our Fourth Annual Winter Market with festivities and beauty. Endless thanks to: KEA CHARMAK and GWEN HOLLE

for their vision and design in transforming the gym into a woodland wonderland; ROBERT CSEKO and VESA HOLLE for heading to the mountains for greenery and hanging the lights; JULIANNE RENZEMA for laying out the floor; SONJA GEISLER for communications and care with all our vendors; and CHRISI EILE, SILVIA SETTLE and JILLIAN NELSON for assisting in breakdown.

Know someone else who has gone above and beyond?Send suggestions for our Gratitude Corner to Grace at grace.evans@portlandwaldorf.org.

Gratitude Corner

PWS Parent at The Art Hall

New Night of Blacksmithing