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Dear Friends,
This may be one of our shortest newsletters. It is probably just the amount of reading you have time for during this time of year! The five stories are inspiring and, it seems to me, worthy of sharing with family and friends during holiday gatherings. With the theme of Inner Transformation, what better season to spend time exploring the interior of our hearts and minds. In our LifeWays trainings we explore the nature of the four seasons when we study festivals of the year. The season of winter is considered a time for study, for introspection. Think of the seeds, seemingly lying dormant beneath the earth’s surface, although they are actually gathering the forces that will be necessary to push through the soil in the spring....
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Welcome to the Winter edition of our Newsletter!
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Our theme this month focuses on the inner transformation we've experienced in working with and parenting young children. We asked our former students to share how this work has changed their lives.
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Angels, Earthworms and Everything In Between
By: Katie Roberts
In reflecting on my LifeWays experience, I came across one of my journal entries from the summer of 2012 and realized just how far I had come: “Today was the first day of my LifeWays training. I arrived at the Ashwood Waldorf School early this morning, planning on taking a walk to prepare my head, heart, and hands for the full day of training ahead, when I noticed one of my classmates in the distance. I watched in silence as she crossed the campus through the dewy grass...
READ MORE
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Cheaper than Therapy
By: Frances Whalen
It's a running joke between myself and my friends and family that I do childcare because it's "cheaper than therapy." For those who do not enjoy children (or therapy), this may not make a lot of sense...
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They Will Know us by our Fruits
By: Mary O'Connell
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Matthew 7:16 My dear husband is a Craigslist expert. He can find anything on Craigslist. I swear if anything happens to me he’ll find a suitable like-new replacement on Craigslist before the week is out. I jest, but it’s one of the things I really love about him. Before I knew Jim, if my dryer went on the fritz, I probably would have headed to the nearest appliance store and bought whatever was on sale. Not only is this expensive, but think of all the old dryers clogging up the landfills as people buy a new crummy replacement every couple of years...
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How LifeWays Transformed my In-Home Program
By: Rahima Baldwin Dancy
In 1984 another Waldorf teacher and I dropped out of the school to be home more and opened one of the early home-based Waldorf programs in the country. As lead teacher, I essentially re-created a Waldorf kindergarten for three- and four-year-olds in a dedicated room in her home that opened out into the yard. Since working with 12 children instead of 19 was easy for me, she was free to tend to her new baby and put him down for a morning nap before joining us...
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Raking Leaves
By: Michaeleen Hinca
As I was raking leaves the other day - one of my most favorite autumn activities - I was thinking back to the first day of my LifeWays training back in August of 1999 and remembering how we planted tulip bulbs in the front yard area of that original LifeWays childcare in East Troy, WI.
That simple activity was such a profound experience for me for several reasons...
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Upcoming Programs & Courses
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NEW! ONLINE COURSE:
The Living Arts - Cornerstones of Care for the Young Child and Yourself
With Cynthia Aldinger and Mary O'Connell
Dates: January 11- February 11, 2017
Four videos of Cynthia and Mary, entirely new curriculum, plus your own Living Arts Journal:
Experience the community and inspiration built into LifeWays' online courses as you explore one of the basic principles of LifeWays care. It will further transform your life with young children, whether at home or in childcare/preschool settings (supplies 15 contact hours for those needing professional development hours).
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NEW! CONTINUATION PROGRAM
for LifeWays Graduates
Dates: June 2018 - July 2019
Location: Kimberton, Pennsylvania
Co-Directors: Cynthia Aldinger and Rena Osmer
Student Services Director: Chinyelu Kunz
L
ifeWays Continuation Program
for Early Childhood Teachers and Professionals
The quality of the LifeWays Early Childhood Certificate Training stands on its own. Now we have added a Continuation Program for early childhood professionals and teachers in private and charter schools. The two LifeWays programs together provide close to 450 in-class hours, plus guided study and mentored teaching. They are unique in using birth-to-seven as the matrix throughout both programs, providing a wealth of practical work in early childhood from the beginning.
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LIFEWAYS TRAINING
For Early Childhood Certification
Completing the LifeWays® Early Childhood Certification Program can open new opportunities for you—both professionally and personally—in the fields of early childhood, parent education and after-school care. Our one-year, part-time curriculum includes over 200 onsite hours, with independent study and personal mentoring between sessions. It can prepare you to open or transform your own in-home program, classroom or early childhood center. Many parents also enroll for inspiration in the Living Arts. Certification programs are currently available at locations throughout the United States, with workshops also in Toronto. Learn more about what is covered.
Click on each location for more information:
It is still possible to enroll in the second session, in February!
Newtown, Connecticut
Accepting applications for June 2018
Kimberton, Pennsylvania
Chinyelu Kunz, Student Services Director
610-343-0123
Wisconsin (dates to be announced)
Mary O'Connell
414-218-8558
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KinderHeart in North Boulder is seeking a Part-Time Lead Kindergarten Teacher
KinderHeart, a Waldorf Inspired enrichment program for Homeschool families in Boulder CO is seeking a Waldorf trained lead teacher for our Program Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-3pm.
*POSITION*
We would like to find the perfect fit for our program immediately and are flexible with different options depending on skill and/or interest because of our current staffing. This position would include one-on-one mentorship with Sage Hamilton - Waldorf teacher and community leader for 25+ years.
3 days/week - Tuesday-Thursday
Ideal: Be Lead Teacher 9 - 12:30 and Assistant 12:30-3
or
Lead Teacher part/time 9-12:30
Our setting is one acre in North Boulder filled with magical gardens, ponds, chickens, climbing trees, and our friendly dog, Jack.
KinderHeart integrates the expressive and practical arts, celebrates seasonal festivals and performances, and honors spiritual diversity. For more info please visit our website.
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Would you like to contribute to our next newsletter?
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Have an idea for a newsletter theme you'd like to see us explore? Are you working on a LifeWays related project you want to share with like-minded individuals? Have an article you wrote you'd like to have considered? New recipe, project or puppet play? Reach out to our Editor, Amy Gerassimoff!
Email Us!
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Make a Donation for the Scholarship Appeal
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Thank you for the love and warmth that emanates from your heart out into the world. Thank you, also, for the support you offer to LifeWays that enables us to open our organization’s heart to those in need. Our scholarship fund has been able to serve students whose life circumstances have suddenly changed. It provides just the cushion we need to soften the edges of fear and worry and to hold them close in the hearth of their beloved LifeWays groups.
Individuals around the world are finding solace and inspiration through the guidance of our new online courses. Those in professional childcare are able to receive the continuing education units they need for the year, and others are simply relieved to find support, humor and delight in sharing with other course participants. We are also expanding our on-site professional development to include courses for individuals teaching in charter and private schools.
You can find out about all of our offerings, as well as our publications, videos and audio downloads on our website lifewaysnorthamerica.org. Perhaps there is something there that you want to offer as a gift to a loved one. You can also offer your donation online or send a check to our new address at:
LifeWays North America
1515 West Main St
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We hope you enjoyed this Newsletter!
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Warmly,
Amy Gerassimoff
Newsletter Editor
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