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WSOC February 2018 Newsletter
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WSOC high school students visited Casa Hogar Sion orphanage in Tijuana on Saturday, January 27th. Scroll down for details! |
Hello families!
We have so much to share!
Our latest parent Education series had 60+ RSVPs for the first lecture! Thank you to our guest speaker Ruth Ker, and we are looking forward to our next event with Patrica Rubano. RSVP to
Alyssa Hamilton to attend the series.
Also on the Parent Education front: We are excited to welcome master Waldorf Teacher Michael D'Aleo, who will be sharing information on wireless technology and its potential effects on our health. Also coming in March is Laurie Clark, who will give a lecture on exploring your child's drawings and how they provide a window into their development. More information will be coming soon; see dates in our calendar below.
Annual Giving: Everyone, you knocked it out of the park! The campaign was a huge success. Scroll down for details. And thank you to everyone for your contributions to this vital campaign.
We have a Town Hall budget meeting coming up next week, as well as a Morning Gathering with WSOC College, Board and Administration members. See below for details.
Scroll down for information on WSOC's recent accreditation process, cool high school field trips and much more. Aftercare forms for February are available at the bottom of the newsletter; please email to the appropriate aftercare supervisor as soon as possible.
Happy upcoming Valentine's Day and don't forget- no school Feb. 19-23...it's Conference Week!
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Super blue blood moon eclipse, Jan. 31
Photo credit: Neight Elder
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Warmly,
Alyssa Hamilton
WSOC Communications Coordinator
"Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny."
--Mahatma Gandhi
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February 1 Grade 3 play
February 2 Grade 3 play
February 2 High school snow day
February 5 Grade 2 parent meeting
February 6 WSOC Town Hall budget meeting
February 6 Grade 8 parent meeting
February 7 Grade 12 parent meeting
February 7 Walk Through the Grades
February 7 Grade 6 Medieval Games at Journey School
February 7 Parent Education with Patricia Rubano, "The Basis of Waldorf Education"
February 7 Grade 4 parent evening
February 8 Morning Gathering with College, Admin and Board members
February 9 Adult Education
February 9 Grade 3 field trip Centennial Farms
February 10 Adult Education
February 12 Board of Trustees meeting
February 13 Adult Education
February 13 Parent Education lecture with master Waldorf Teacher Michael D'Aleo on EMFs and their unintended effects
February 14 Parent Education with Patrica Rubano, "Parenting as a Path"
February 15 Tuition Adjustment program deadline
February 15 Grade 5 play
February 16 Grade 5 play
February 19-23 CONFERENCE WEEK NO SCHOOL
February 27 Grade 3 field trip Riley's Farm
February 28 Parent Education with Patricia Rubano, "The Importance of Conflict"
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| Annual Giving: We Did It! |
ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
THAT'S A WRAP!
$113,059.50
RAISED
100 DAYS | 245 DONORS | 84% SCHOOL-WIDE PARTICIPATION
Thank you to each of our 2017-18 Annual Giving donors
who made WSOC's Campaign a success!
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| Important news from the Business Office |
Our annual Town Hall Meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, February 6th, at 7pm in Eurythmy Hall. The Town Hall is an opportunity for the College, Board, and Administration to have a dialogue with our community. Our business manager, Jeff Barth, will provide a financial and business update. Representatives from the College, Board, and Administration will be present to address your questions and solicit your feedback/input.
We will have a Morning Gathering on
Thursday, February 8th at 8:45am.
Morning Gatherings are an opportunity for any member of the community to meet with a representative from the College, Board and Administration to learn more about the school. This is your opportunity to bring forward questions and gain a further understanding about how our school operates.
The Tuition Adjustment Deadline is
February 15th, 2018. Current participants must submit their complete applications, including tax returns, no later than
February 15th. All applicants should review the program guide available online as well as the overview provided on our website.
QUICK LINKS:
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WASC/AWSNA ACCREDITATION PRIMER
PART 1 OF 3
Our school is dual accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and by AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America). We earned a 7-year WASC/AWSNA certification in 2011. This is our year to go through the accreditation process again.
In April 2018 we will be hosting a team of six WASC/AWSNA committee members for three full days. They will spend each day visiting classrooms and holding meetings with groups of stakeholders (faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, College of Teachers and parents).
In preparation for this visit, the faculty and staff have been working on a Self-Study Report. This extensive document is designed to be a self-reflective tool that looks at every part of school life from education to financial to community. The Self-Study Report is sent to the Visiting Committee prior to their visit so that they can have the time to read it and analyze it. The visit to the school is a way for the team to verify that what we have reported in our Self-Study is happening in the classrooms and in the school as a whole.
The result of our Self-Study Report -- combined with the Committee Visit -- will be an Action Plan. This Action Plan, derived from our own findings and by those of the committee, will serve as a path to ensure the continued healthy growth and academic improvement of our school.
In the summer of 2018 we will be notified by WASC/AWSNA of our new certification term.
Stay tuned for the next installment of the WASC/AWSNA ACCREDITATION PRIMER!
Thank you,
Gina Illes
WSOC School Administrator
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| Admissions: upcoming events |
Wednesday, February 7
9am
Meet in Company of Angels Garden
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Morning in the Kindergarten:
new date added
This event is perfect for any newcomers to Waldorf education!
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Faculty & Staff Spotlight:
Matan Tsufim
Matan Tsufim, "Mr. Matan," our practical arts teacher for grades 5-12, has a long and rich history with Waldorf education. Born in Jerusalem, his earliest school experience was at Michael Hall Steiner School in northern England, where his parents moved when he was five. Three years after that, he and his family joined Kibbutz Harduf, an anthroposophic community in Northern Israel and Matan began attending the Harduf Waldorf School, where he remained through Grade 12.
After completing a required three-year stint in the Israeli army, Matan headed to Pennine Camphill community in Wakefield, England. Camphill, inspired by the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and Karl K
รถnig, is an international movement of over 100 communities, designed to meet the needs of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities through a combination of community life, the arts and work on the land. During his time at Camphill, Matan was involved in various craft workshops (pottery, blacksmithing, and woodwork) and completed his foundation studies in anthroposophy with a special focus on healing education.
"Camphill communities are about bringing each person to their full potential independent of their abilities," says Matan, who later earned degrees in psychology and special education, and is currently working toward his M.ED. in Waldorf Education. "They're a great example of learning by doing."
Prior to becoming the woodwork instructor at WSOC last year, Matan worked as teacher for special education at Shaked Waldorf School in northern Israel.
In addition to his experience as teacher for special education, Matan is an experienced craftsman who has been honing his crafts, ever since he graduated from Waldorf High School in 2001.
What is his favorite part about his job at WSOC?
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Volunteer of the Month: Roxana Zirakzadeh
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WSOC first graders dyed eggs with Roxana last year in celebration of Persian New Year, which heralds the beginning of spring
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For Roxana Zirakzadeh, mom to Luke Curran in Grade 2 and Lila Curran in Grade 1, creating beauty through food is love made visible.
Her first volunteer experience at WSOC was baking for a parent evening in Ms. Barbara's class. "There were five Room Reps that year," she recalls with a laugh. "I took on the hospitality portion. It felt like the perfect job for me."
From there, she started baking cakes for the cake walk at May Faire, baking treats for Company of Angels, Teacher Appreciation day and Parent Education events. She also became a regular on class walks and working in the school garden.
"There are so many ways to get involved in the school. I wanted to choose something that came naturally to me -- and gave me joy -- and baking and hospitality is something I enjoy, so I offered to volunteer my time and effort in that way."
Her volunteering also ignited a deeper interest in the Waldorf philosophy, and she is now in her fourth year of Adult Education, with her graduation slated for June of this year.
Part of her requirements for her last year of study include a practicum, so she is working with high school humanities teacher Robin Theiss as Grade 11 dives into Parzival.
The book, which is fairly complex in language and content, follows Parzival from his boyhood and career as a knight in the court of King Arthur to his ultimate achievement as King of the Temple of the Grail. The theme involves an epic quest for spiritual education, as Parzival must conquer his ignorance and pride and learn humility before he can finally win the Holy Grail. This text is perfect for idealistic 11th graders as they explore
existential questions and begin the long path towards answers that may not be what they expect.
"I'm absolutely blown away by the students," she says. "We are all lucky to be engaging with a great text like Parzival, and it is amazing to see what the students bring to the table with their class work."
Click
here for more!
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Becoming Human: Waldorf 101 with Patricia Rubano
Please join us for our latest Parent Education series!
Wednesdays, 6pm-8:30pm
Feb. 7- March 7 (no class Feb. 21)
Meadows Hall
Click here for
flyer and details.
About this series
Becoming Human: Waldorf 101 has been carefully curated to assist parents with practical applications of popular topics such as conflict resolution, child development and how to support Waldorf education at home. Each class is dynamic with a strong Q&A component, and can be shaped to address the age group of the audience's children.
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Cellphones and Wireless Computing - The Unintended Effects of EMFs on Children and Ourselves
with Michael D'Aleo, master Waldorf teacher
Tuesday, February 13
7pm-8:30pm
Meadows Hall
About this lecture
In essentially every human-created environment, we have immediate access to wireless technologies and instant communication.
While we all appreciate its convenience, few people pay attention to the affects that ElectroMagnetic Fields (EMF's) actually have on our physical bodies --especially those of children.
The same basic technology that can create an MRI can have unintended consequences if our children are exposed to it for many hours or even continuously on a daily level. This is often the case with WiFi and wireless technologies.
In this lecture we will learn to understand how such technologies work, how they may be affecting our children and how to use each one responsibly.
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Exploring the World of Children's Drawings with Laurie Clark, author and Waldorf educator for four decades
Monday, March 12
6:30pm-8pm
Meadows Hall
About this lecture
Children's drawings are a map that help us understand their developmental stages, and the wonder of their unfolding individuality. Join Laurie Clark in exploring this phenomena and learn how to "read" what your child is trying to reveal through his or her drawings.
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AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools of North America)
Excerpt from the most recent issue:
Crucial Creativity: The Case for Cultivating Divergent Thinking in Classrooms:
"Divergent thinking" was a term coined by psychologist J.P. Guilford in 1967. Guilford was an early proponent of the idea that intelligence is not a unitary concept, as many after him, like Howard Gardner, would also propose.
Guilford was particularly interested in the fact that many creative people scored lower on standard IQ tests.
IQ tests, as Guilford discovered, were based in measuring convergent thinking-a person's ability to apply one set of rules to arrive at a single, correct solution. Divergent thinkers, on the other hand, can generate many varied solutions to one question.You can read the whole article on
Waldorf Education
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After the hustle and bustle of December...we regrouped for January with orders coming in now to replenish our shelves...YIPPEE...new products are being received daily!
Valentine's Day
Enjoy our array of gifts from sweet trinket dishes, Make your own Valentine Kit from Cavallini, nesting heart boxes to load with goodies...XOXO
Also in the store: Eye pillows, Lavender pillow spray, and sweet plush animals!
DoTerra event
Lotion making class and rollerball remedies
8:30am - 10:30am
Stop by and learn how to make your own all natural lotion, which you'll be able to customize the scent with essential oils. These make GREAT Valentine's Gifts
For loved ones (or treat yourself). We'll also have supplies to make rollerball natural remedies and essential oil perfumes.
Birthday Baskets
Remember this is a wonderful time to bring in your loved ones and choose the treasures they would enjoy on their special day. The birthday basket helps guests at your party
know what to
buy. It also helps grandparents, aunts and uncles and other family members!
Slice
Cafe
Our cold pressed juice by 'CLOVER' has been a wonderful addition to our cafรฉ...we have tried to keep in stock the cold pressed greens which at only $5.00 retail for 8 oz. is a steal.
Your body will thank you!
Thank you bakers for the delightful treats you have supplied us with these past couple months. If you would like to sign up to bake, visit Community News below for the link!
* Psssst! Back room sales continue with 50% off...TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISCOUNTS!
With love,
Nona and the Angels
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Surprise your sweethearts with Scrip
From the classic dinner and a movie date night, to a trip to the local spa or a shopping spree, celebrate your sweetheart this Valentine's Day with scrip!
Nordstrom
Macy's
Movie Tickets
Eat Chow
Facial by Zhanna
You Aesthetics
Are you staying warm this winter?
A chill is in the air and winter is here (random freak heat wave aside)! Keep up on cozy fashions this winter or bundle up and go on a hike in the cold or a visit to the snow. For all your winter wear needs, from layering essentials to boots and outerwear, you can shop for it all with Scrip! And, for every $100 of L.L. Bean you buy, you will receive a $25 gift card for free. Offer good while supplies last!
If you are new to scrip or just would like to get started please stop by the Company of Angels and we will be happy to get you going!
Thank you,
Pam Lusk
Scrip Coordinator
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Community Service Highlight: WSOC supports nonprofit Corazon de Vida
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WSOC high school visits Casa Hogar Sion orphanage in Mexico
On Saturday, January 27th, approximately 20 Waldorf high school students and three faculty attended Corazon de Vida's trip to visit Casa Hogar Sion. Casa Hogar Sion is a government-run orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. For 20 years, the Irvine-based non-pro๏ฌt, Corazon de Vida, has been supporting orphanages in Mexico and the abandoned children with funding for education, food, water, shelter, medical/dental health, and more. They offer their support through monthly public and privately run trips to visit the children.
For many months, the students have been promoting the trip, fundraising and making plans to create a memorable experience for the children at Casa Hogar Sion. The students brought games, puzzles, coloring books, make-up, badminton and soccer. They also helped prep lunch and clean up following a community feast.
Most importantly, however, they brought their wonder, love and desire to share and connect in a meaningful way with the children at Casa Hogar Sion.
--Caitlin Camastral, president of WSOC Student Council and trip organizer
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| WSOC high school field trips |
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Grade 12 visits Primal Pastures, a model of regenerative farming
On Wednesday, January, 24, Grade 12 along with WSOC science teacher Ms. Eijpen visited 40-acre animal farm Primal Pastures in Temecula.
"As a class we've been looking at environmental Sciences and ecology, discussing sustainability and in the latter part of the course we've been examining agriculture and food production - how it's changed over time from hunter gatherer to the sophisticated monoculture farms we have today. And of course the environmental problems that result from these large scale food productions facilities.
Primal Pastures goes beyond sustainable and is actually a regenerative farm raising chickens, sheep, cows and pigs. Read more
here!
Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy Tour
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On January 17th, WSOC Grade 12 environmental science and ecology students visited the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservatory. They toured restored marshland and the animal hospital and rehabilitation facility. They also examined the amount of trash collected in the marsh, which was "horrifying," said WSOC science teacher Ms. Eijpen. "It bolstered our resolve to be less wasteful in the high school, particularly in the realm of single-use plastics. Our students are passionate about making changes in this area."
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WSOC girls' team brings home the championship, boys finish strong in middle school basketball tournament
On Sunday, January 21, our middle school boys and girls basketball teams competed in the annual Waldorf School Basketball Tournament hosted at Highland Hall. Since our basketball program was considerably large this year, we
entered four teams
(two boys and two girls) into the tournament. All of the players had been working hard at practice since early November, and finally got to showcase their skills in the tourney. Thank
you to our coaches Hugh Brennan and Naqib Shifa! Read more
here.
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Photo credit: Seth Dardis
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Photo credit: Seth Dardis
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Eurythmy Slam
WSOC hosted the first annual Eurythmy Slam on January 25th. Three groups of Waldorf 12th graders came together to share their Eurythmy Fairytales with one another. Desert Marigold School made the drive from Phoenix, AZ to present
The Six Swans, Sand Diego Waldorf School performed
Snow White and Rose Red.
WSOC finished the day with
The Golden Goose
.
This was a wonderful opportunity for WSOC students and the wider community to see and enjoy eurythmy, as well as a chance for our twelfth graders to meet and socialize with their colleagues from other schools.
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Grade 8 Valentine's Day fundraiser
Let us help you spread the love on Valentine's Day! Featuring unique bouquets, from elaborate to simple elegance, for sale. Proceeds benefit Grade 8's field trip to the East coast.
All items available by pre-order by February 5th at the Company of Angels, or by emailing
Christie Hall.
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Renewal Courses offered through Center for Anthroposophy
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Renewal Courses are offered annually at the end of June and the beginning of July, at
High Mowing School
, 222 Isaac Frye Hwy in Wilton, NH.
These two weeks of five-day retreats are for Waldorf teachers and anyone seeking personal rejuvenation and social renewal through anthroposophical study, artistic immersion, good food, and fun.
More information: click
here.
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Waldorf School of Orange County now has a Tanaka Farms CSA (community supported agriculture) account! Once we have 20 subscribers, Tanaka Farms will start deliveries on Thursdays (every other week) with boxes being dropped off between 9-9:30am.
9:00 and 9
CSA boxes will be located by Eurythmy Hall.
Tanaka Farms will be donating 10% back to the school, which will go towards the 8th grade trip each year.
Please contact
Cat Bodga with any further questions about the WSOC CSA.
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Our high school girls need basketball uniforms!
We're in full form on the basketball court. Our high school girls team is going for it!
The thing is, we need some girls' uniforms. If you'd like to sponsor/donate some jerseys and shorts, we would greatly appreciate it!
Thank you!
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Whether baking is an occasional hobby or a calling, we can use your treats in the Company of Angels! Sign up once, or 10 times, whatever works for you. All proceeds benefit WSOC and make everyone happy in the process!
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Phasing out single-use plastics
The Company of Angels, after consultation with the WSOC 12th grade, will no longer be selling individual bottles of water.
In a bid to cut environmental waste and protect our oceans from the deluge of single use plastics, we are taking this small step. Children can refill their reusable bottles at our filtered drinking fountains on campus, and parents, please come prepared with your own water bottle!
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Steiner study group at Company of Angels
We are happy to announce that WSOC community member Rajee Rajamani is forming a Steiner study group.
The group will begin with an essay by Rudolf Steiner, "The Education of the Child in the Light of Anthroposophy." It is a relatively easy read and has a good introduction to the basic ideas of Anthroposophy and yet, like all of Steiner's writings, there is always more that one can glean even from a second or third reading.
As with all Anthroposophic study groups, there is no leader in the group, and it is built instead on the questions and contributions of everyone involved. Rajee will act as facilitator.
Whether you are a seasoned anthroposophist and longtime community member or a new parent, the study group would love to have you be a part of it!
Tuesdays
1pm - 2:50pm
Company of Angels garden
Free
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Help WSOC win up to $1,000 in the Costa Mesa Sanitary District's battery recycling contest
Battery collection bin is in the front office. Batteries accepted are:
Nine volt batteries must be taped on the ends for safety reasons.
For more information on the contest, click
here. For more on batteries accepted, click
here.
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Important Documents & Links
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#StartWithASmile
PrestoPay tutorial for Scrip here:
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Volunteer Driver Form (requirements are different for overnight field trips; ask your class teacher for details)
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College of Teachers
Catherine Averett
Christiane Bohr
Jenell Carlson
Francesco De Benedetto
Gina Garrison (Chair)
Andrea Hubert
Angie Meier
Brooke Natzke
Holly Peterson
Lorri Valenzuela-Mier (Chair)
Board of Trustees
Lisa Arnquist
Megan Brown
David Burnett
Francesco De Benedetto (College Rep)
Gina Garrison (College Rep)
Gabe Frisby (Chair)
David Kruse
Leslie Morrison
Margaret O'Brien
Colin Severn
Olivia Slutzky
Adminstrative Rotation:
Jeff Barth
Teresa Alarcon
Gina Illes
Linda Timmons
WSOC Ombudsmen
Russ Bermejo
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