WSOC Dec. 2018 Newsletter

Education for the 21st Century

“On New Year’s Eve, it is always fitting to remember how past and future are linked together in life and in the existence of the world, in the whole life of the Cosmos of which man is a part—and in every fraction of that life with which our own individual existence is connected. Interwoven through all this are those things we were able to do and think during the past year, and what we are able to plan for the coming year.”

~ Rudolf Steiner, Dec.31, 1919

What does the idea of the New Year mean to you? Is it a time for new beginnings, for resolutions about positive additions to your life—or about saying farewell to what no longer serves us?

Transformation is timeless. But in the New Year, as Steiner points out, we are invited to pause and reflect on who we are in the continuum of our individual lives, in our communities, and in the world at large (and beyond it!).

Welcome to the New Year, and thank you for being a part of the WSOC Waldorf community. We hope 2019 brings you peace, prosperity and love unbounded.

In this issue: please take a moment to review our new Parent Teacher conference schedule (later this month) in the calendar section- it's different than in years past. Scroll down to see annual Giving updates, basketball fun, our 2019 Grade 1 teacher announced, Parent Education opportunities and much more.

See you all on Monday, January 7th!

Warmly,

Alyssa Hamilton

WSOC Communications Coordinator

January 2019 Calendar

Please note schedule changes for Conference Week

Mon 1/7

SCHOOL RESUMES

Early Childhood application deadline

Playgroup Session 2 begins

6:30p - 8:00p • Grade 8 Parent Meeting

Mon 1/7 and Tue 1/8 through Tue 1/29

3:15p - 4:45p • 7th and 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Practice

3:00pm-4pm HS Boys' Basketball Practice

Wed 1/9

6:00p - 7:30p • Grade 5 Parent Meeting

Thu 1/10 & Fri 1/11 through Thu 1/31

3:15p - 4:45p • 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Girls' Basketball Practice

Thu 1/10- Thu 1/31 HS Boys Basketball Games: Times TBA

Mon 1/14

3:15p - 4:45p • 7th and 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Game

Tue 1/15 - Fri 1/18 • Grade 5 Sequoias Field Trip

Tue 1/15

3:15p - 4:45p • 7th and 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Game

6:00p - 7:30p • Grade 3 Parent Meeting

Wed 1/16

7:00p - 8:30p • Grade 11 Parent Meeting

Thu 1/17

Fri 1/18 • Pre-K, Kindergarten and High School: NO SCHOOL

GRADES 1-8: REGULAR SCHOOL DAY

Mon 1/21 • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day NO SCHOOL Playgroup through HS

Tue 1/22- Friday, 1/25 12:40p • Parent Teacher Conference Week early dismissal Grades 1-8. Early Childhood and High School: REGULAR SCHEDULES

Wed 1/23

7:00p - 8:30p • First Grade Readiness meeting (for families of children eligible for Grade 1 in Fall 2019)

7:00p - 10:00p • High School Burns Supper/Poetry Evening

Fri 1/25

6:00p - 8:00p • Foundation Studies

Sat 1/26

9:00a - 2:00p • Foundation Studies

Middle School Basketball Tournament (TBD)

Tue 1/29

6:00p - 8:00p • Foundation Studies

7:00p - 8:30p • Grade 12 Parent Meeting

Wed 1/30

5:30p - 8:00p • Curriculum Evening for Grades 4-5

Thu 1/31

3:15p - 4:45p • 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Girls' Basketball Practice

7:00p - 8:30p • Grade 8 Play

Important information about Grades 1-8 Conference Week:

Friday, January 18

Pre K and Kindergarten: NO SCHOOL

High School: NO SCHOOL

Grades 1-8: HAS SCHOOL (regular day)

Monday, January 21

MLK Day, NO SCHOOL Playgroup - Grade 12

Tuesday, January 22- Friday Jan. 25

Playgroup, Pre-K, Kindergarten and High School have regular hours.

Grades 1-8: Early Release at 12:40pm. Parent/Teacher conferences take place during this time. AFTERCARE IS COMPLIMENTARY until 2:50pm this week. After 2:50, regular rates apply. Please submit your aftercare forms to Ms. E as soon as possible (even if you only plan to utilize aftercare until 2:50pm) to allow for proper planning.

January Big Aftercare Forms here

January Little Aftercare Forms here

Annual Giving Update:

26 Days Left to Reach $100K!

Ms. Arieta's class achieves 100% participation

Dear Families,

The end of our Annual Giving Campaign is fast approaching. We have 26 days left to reach $100K! We've raised $84,527 so far with 61% participation.

THANK YOU and congratulations to Ms. Arieta's Kindergarten class for reaching 100% participation! We are deeply grateful for your gifts to the school and for leading the way in supporting the school's fundraising needs.

If you have already participated, thank you! If not, please join teachers, staff, board members, alumni and fellow parents in making a gift or pledge to Annual Giving so that we may achieve our goal of raising $100,000 in 100 days. Our collective participation is needed to make this goal and meet the school’s funding needs. It also sends a powerful message within our community that we are all in this together, and are committed to our school's success.

TOGETHER, EVERY GIFT MAKES A POSITIVE IMPACT.

To donate, please click here.

A heartfelt thank you for your gifts and generosity, and for supporting WSOC!

* 2017–18 Donor Roll Correction

WSOC parents and Annual Giving supporters, Rungting and Linghsiao Wang, were inadvertently omitted from WSOC’s 2017-18 Donor Roll. A heartfelt thank you to the Wangs for supporting our Annual Giving campaign last year!

Class of 2031 Teacher Announced

The choosing of a class teacher is a process held in deep consideration by the College of Teachers. All faculty members play a distinctive role in Waldorf Education, as they are entrusted to help our children develop a genuine love of learning, and the capacity and will to pursue their own directions in life. I t is with great pleasure that we announce Andrea Hubert will be the First Grade teacher for the Class of 2031.

"Ms. Andrea" is currently on her sabbatical year after having carried the WSOC Class of 2022 from Grades 1 - 8. Her students are now in Grade 9 and thriving in their high school experience. During her sabbatical, Andrea has continued to grow as a teacher: observing at other schools, teaching lesson blocks, taking education courses and more.

We are so happy to welcome back Ms. Andrea, and she looks forward to meeting the new families of the Class of 2031.

Parent Education

Grades Curriculum Night

Wednesday, Jan. 30

5:30 - 8pm

Eurythmy Hall

Come deepen your understanding of the Waldorf Curriculum in Grades 4-5 with hands-on activities, classroom visits, a Q and A with faculty and more. You do not need to have children in these grades to join us! Our initial Curriculum Night with Grades 1, 2 and 3 was a huge hit with our parent community and everyone -- particularly those in Playgroup through Grade 5 -- will benefit from seeing what we do and why in the Grades!

On-campus babysitting for Grades 1-up offered by Grade 8. Details available from your teacher.

Tis the Season...for WSOC Basketball!

Right, our High School Wildcats during practice; left, a Point Guard for The LA Lakers (pictured with our own Naqib Shifa) takes a shine to our WSOC PE shirt; below, members of our middle school basketball teams practice beneath the backdrop of a spectacular sunset.

Check our January calendar for WSOC games and come cheer on your teams! And, scroll down to Community News to learn more about a weekly WSOC parent & alum pickup game starting next week!

WSOC Good Reads

To Code or Not to Code?

"Every time you involve your kids when you work on something you value, you are teaching them how to do things well. You are preparing them to write code.

But you’re not only teaching them that. You’re teaching them the world is full of interesting things to discover. You’re showing them how to be passionate and look for that ephemeral sense of quality in everything they do. The best part is that even if they don’t become coders—most shouldn’t and won’t—the same skills can be used in nearly any career, in every hobby, in every life. When we force kids to learn syntax, we reinforce the idea that if something is not a blatantly employable skill, it’s not valuable. Adults can learn syntax. Only kids can learn to embrace curiosity."

How to Raise an Adult

In How to Raise an Adult , Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.

Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings--and of special value to parents of teens--this book is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.

Early Childhood Application Deadline is January 7

WSOC On and Off Campus

Grade 6 performs "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"

On December 19, Grade 6 performed their play, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!" before a rapt audience. It was a challenge to say who enjoyed it more, the actors or the adults in the audience (many of whom grew up with the Peanuts gang). We are so proud of Grade 6 for providing such a wonderful night of family entertainment!

WSOC High School Chamber Strings & Middle School Orchestra Holiday Outreach

WSOC's High School Chamber Strings performed at the MIX in downtown Santa Ana on December 13th. This performance was for 400 marginalized youth and families, and their Christmas party was an outreach opportunity with food, toys, and clothing given to the families.

On December 14th, their group performed at St. John the Divine Senior Center in Costa Mesa. The residents felt the love and joy of the holiday spirit through the gift of music our teens shared.

"I honestly was so proud of how gracious, and caring our High school students were with the seniors," said Debora Wondercheck, Director of Music at WSOC. "They truly made the residents feel special. Bravo, WSOC!"

Additionally, members of our Middle School Orchestra volunteered their time via a lovely serenade at the 10th Annual K&A Community Holiday Breakfast in Anaheim on December 24th.

‌

Grade 1 Takes a Hike

In Waldorf Education, active learning takes place in and outside of the classroom. Taking regular walks on our beautiful Fairview Park bluffs provides an array of delights for the senses, allows for natural problem solving and conflict resolution, supervised risk taking and the simple, yet profoundly therapeutic benefits of fresh air and sunshine. Right, Mr. Troedson's Grade 1 shares treasures complied along their journey,

Grade 2 Shares Magic of St. Lucia Across Campus

St. Lucia Day, a Scandinavian festival of lights, brightens the dark days of midwinter and celebrates the life of Saint Lucia, an Italian saint known for her kindness and love. Saint Lucy or Lucia, whose name comes from the Latin word “lux” meaning light, links this celebration with the days growing longer after the Winter solstice. On December 14, class teacher Ms. Beka and assistant Ms. Sara led Grade 2 in a campus wide celebration across Early Childhood, the Grades and High School. The children donned crowns -- trading off on who got to war the St. Lucia crown with candles -- and shared traditional cookies and songs with each class.

Community News & Announcements

News from AWSNA

Articles this month include the following:

Waldorf 100, Part 2: "Learn to Change the World: Encounter, Engagement, Inclusion"

Paul Zehrer produced and directed this new film and it's fantastic. You'll see and hear students and teachers from Waldorf schools around the world talking about today's children, the challenges and rewards of education, and how we encounter each other, engage, and include each other in relationships and in community.

Featuring students and teachers from:

The Community School for Creative Education, Oakland, CA and principal Monique Brinson and founder Dr. Ida Oberman
Bustan Yafa Kindergarten, The Orchard of Abraham's Children, in Jaffa, Israel, an Arab/Muslim/Israeli/Jewish kindergarten - Ora & Ihab Balha, co-founders
Parzival-Zentrum School in Karlsruhe, Germany and founding teacher Bernd Ruf. In 2016 the school enrolled 160 refugees that came to Germany as unaccompanied children from China, Iraq, Syria, North African countries and the Balkans.
Florian Osswald from Dornach
Tamrat El Zeitoun Kindergarten in Israel
Jon Mc Alice
Sue Simpson, New Zealand
Christof Wiechert, Pedagogical Section, Goetheanum and more!

Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Weekend includes WSOC Student Performances

Come celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and enjoy performances that include students in WSOC Grades 4-8 participating in the youth choir, as well as our High School orchestra. Click flyer for more information.

Sunday, January 20

5pm

Second Baptist Church

Santa Ana

Courage for the Truth

2019 Alliance National Conference will be held for a second year at George Washington Carver High School in Sacramento.

We will be addressing the theme of Widening the Circle for a third and final year and are excited to pick up crucial themes of diversity, inclusion, and access to our education.

It requires courage to develop an alternative path on behalf of our children. Join us to explore the importance of inclusive, accessible whole-child education for all children. Participants are invited to reflect and to engage around topics of equity, race, inclusion and the policies needed to support Waldorf education in the public sector.

Pick Up Basketball Starts This Month!

Looking for a fun way to stay in shape? Plus build some community spirit? Come join us for pick-up basketball Saturdays from 10 to noon. High school, alums and parents are invited. First run is tentatively set for January 12, 2019. More details to follow. For questions contact Joe DeMichele ( [email protected] or Hugh Brennan ( [email protected]