Inspire, Experience, Grow, Create

December 2010

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Winter Fair 2

Advent 3

Sports 4

Cakes for Winter Fair 4

Library News 4

Holiday Open House Invitation

4

AWSNA December News

5

Why Waldorf Works 5

Juniper Tree House 6

Sweatshirt Fundraiser 7

Afternoon Traffic 7

THE MESSENGER

A work of stained glass is

a perfect example of how

separate pieces, when

joined together, create

something beautiful. While

the individual pieces alone

are lovely, together they

render something extraordi-

nary. Imagine this glass

circle without a few of the

pieces...you would notice

the holes and the presenta-

tion would be quite differ-

ent. We would be left won-

dering what it would look

like if it had been complet-

ed.

It is the different sizes,

shapes, and colors that give

life to this work of art. It is

in its completeness that we

enjoy its full beauty. It does

matter that ALL of the piec-

es are there. Think of your

gift to the Annual Fund Giv-

ing Campaign as a piece of

the glass. It is your dona-

tion, combined with others,

that transforms individual

pieces into an extraordinary

gift.

ANNUAL GIVING Submitted by Kim Frankel- Director of Enrollment and Development, ext. 103

hearty oatmeal, and pastries will

be available as well.

When you join us for breakfast

every Friday you support our

school and take advantage of a

wonderful opportunity for con-

necting with other families.

Come relax in the beautifully

landscaped courtyard between

the PAC and Gym before we all

begin to set up for Winter Fair.

Its a big job, maybe you should

order an extra taco...

Submitted by Alex Abbott—Auxiliary Revenues Coordinator, ext. 252

TEA GARDEN IS MOVING!

Tea Garden is changing to

meet the needs of our grow-

ing community. Many par-

ents have expressed the

need for a more convenient

location.

In response to this feed-

back, rather than meeting

at the Juniper Tree Porch,

we will be set up outside the

corridor entrance to the

PAC. Grab a hot and ready

taco as you drop off your

instruments for the day.

Your pre-orders will be waiting

for you and we will offer potato-

egg-cheese, bacon-egg-

cheese, and bean & cheese

tacos for walk up customers.

We will no longer be offering

custom tacos on Friday morn-

ing. If you would like veggies,

chorizo, or any other special

combination, email

your order to awsteagar-

den@gmail.com before noon on

Thursday.

Hot coffee, creamy cocoa,

Every gift, in any amount,

is important! We ask only

that you give. Your gift

demonstrates your commit-

ment to our school and

helps to complete the circle.

Please remember that our

combined gifts help to fund

tuition assistance, attract

and retain quality faculty

and staff, maintain our cam-

pus, and sustain a full Wal-

dorf program for all of our

children.

Make your gift, share your

piece of glass, and let’s

reach our goal of 100% com-

munity participation.

Celebrate and Appreciate!

There are three easy ways to

participate:

1. You may make your gift,

or pledge, online by clicking

here.

2. Complete and submit the

remittance envelope located

in your Annual Report.

3. Stop in at the Main Office

and we’ll help you.

F I N A N C I A L A I D R E M I N D E R

Submitted by Lee Uerkwitz—

Finance Director—ext. 102

The application deadline to

receive financial aid for the 2011

-2012 school year is January

15th. Applications are currently

being processed by SSS (School

and Student Service for Financial

Aid) online. All of the forms and

information necessary to apply

are available on the school’s

website in the Admissions sec-

tion under Tuition Assistance or

you may pick up a copy in the

business office.

Page 2 December 2010 Back to Table of Contents

Submitted by Jessie Morin—Winter Fair Coordinator

WINTER FAIR IS THIS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4!

The seasonal change is in the

air. Winter Fair is upon us within

days. Each class is anticipating their

hard work becoming a reality. Some

are ready to transform their class-

rooms into craft havens, some are

finalizing the details on how to feed

and water everyone, and some are

trying new ways to bring service to

the community. Vendors are working

hard to make those last-minute

goods to sell. Entertainers are prac-

ticing one more time before they per-

form for us, and volunteers are sign-

ing up to be a part of it all.

Oh yes, Winter Fair.

I have had the pleasure of working

on our Winter Fair celebration for two

years now. Each year I have learned

more and more about the work need-

ed to run such an event. Without the

collaboration of the community, it

would be nothing anyone would mark

on their calendars. Instead, the

strength of our school is so grand that

there is a magic that dances around the

campus during this time. A spark of joy,

a thread of seasonal change, a breath

of tradition. No single person can bring

that to Winter Fair. It takes this family,

this tribe, this community we have cre-

ated to invoke such magic.

This year enjoy the 1st grade pine-

cone gnomes, 2nd grade pom-poms,

3rd grade candle decorating, 4th grade

felt ornaments, and 5th grade candle-

dipping crafts. The 6th-8th grade will al-

low you to eat as much popcorn, desserts,

food, and drink as you see fit. Raffle Bas-

kets, Flying Fox, Dragon's Back, Yule Fire,

Box Maze, Pocket Lady, Live Entertain-

ment, and the Open Market-Vendors will

be ready and waiting for you. Let me

know how you like our new events/

changes including, A Wishing Tree, Fresh

Cut Holiday Trees, the new no waiting in

line system at the Flying Fox, and easy

close parking on campus!

I can't wait to see you Saturday, to see

your children creating memories, and to

see us working together and all feeling

the magic.

This is what it is all about.

Warm Wishes to you and yours,

Jessie Morin

Winter Fair Coordinator 2010

The Messenger Page 3

This Month’s Events:

• December 3 at 12:00 p.m.—

Noon Dismissal for Grades K-12

• December 3 at 8:45 p.m.—

Kindergarten Advent Spirals

• December 4 at 10:00 a.m.—

Winter Fair

• December 7 at 7:00 p.m.—

Grades Instrumental Concert

• December 9 at 7:00 p.m.—

Grade 12 Eurythmy Performance

• December 15 at 7:00 p.m.—

Grades 4-8 Eurythmy Perfor-mance

• December 17 at 12:00 p.m.—

Last day of the semester, half day for grades K-12

Back to Table of Contents

For Board

Minutes,

please click

here.

Advent time in a Waldorf

Classroom is always a joyous

time of anticipation and excite-

ment. Yet within all the activity

there is always a quiet moment

each day when wonder and

reverence can blossom. The

rituals and activities that are

woven into regular classroom

work at this time are chosen by

the teacher;

each class may

celebrate in a

different way,

yet only if one

really pene-

trates to the

heart of the

festival with

one’s own

understanding,

one then finds

that any little

ritual or image

one creates

will reveal

some aspect of the truth.

At least two traditions are

kept by all the classes at my

school: the Advent Wreath and

Advent Calendar. In my class-

room each year I decorate with

green boughs twisted round

with red streamers. I drape red

streamers around windows and

tie them in bows. Among the

green boughs I place red tissue

paper roses easily made by

twisting circles of tissue paper

and tying the twisted ends. As I

make my Advent Wreath I add

blossoming sprigs of Rosemary

and tie a red tissue paper rose

to the base of each red candle.

Suspended from the top of the

four red ribbons I hang a gold

star. I spray all the greens

every morning with water to

keep them from drying up and

becoming too flammable.

Each morning in Advent, after

the morning verse, the children

stand in a circle around the

room. We darken the room and

when all are quiet, I light a spe-

cial candle-perhaps a rainbow

one-which the children pass

carefully from hand to hand as

we say this verse:

The gift of the light we shall

thankfully take

But it shall not be alone for our

sake,

The more we give light, the one

to the other

It grows and gives light, and

shines even farther

Until every heart, by love set

aflame

In every place great joy shall

proclaim:

Not long shall continue the

darkness of year

The light draws near.

The last child lights the Ad-

vent wreath candle with it.

Then we break into song: Rise

Up O Flame, followed by People

Look East while we walk around

the classroom to the Advent

Calendar.

The Advent Calendar has

been placed on the window sill

so that light will shine through

the pictures behind the win-

dows. Pine boughs have been

arranged around it. People

Look East mentions all four

kingdoms of earth – the rose

(plant), the star

(mineral), the bird

(animal), and

Mankind. Each

week one of the-

se appears in our

nature table by

the Calendar: first

crystals, then a

fresh rose, then a

bird’s nest, and

finally the chil-

dren’s handmade

gifts to one anoth-

er.

After the Calen-

dar window has been opened,

we sing our way back to the

Advent wreath where we ―take

the light into ourselves‖ before

putting out the candle (s).

Ritual and ceremony help to

find one’s way to the meaning

that is hidden in the most com-

mon everyday occurrences. I do

not explain any of it to the chil-

dren, but allow them to take

these things quietly into their

hearts. It matters not which

songs, poems, and rituals the

teachers choose – what is be-

hind them all is the same feel-

ing of wonder and reverence for

a great mystery.

-Found in Waldorf Education—A

Family Guide, Pamela Johnson

Fenner, Karen L. Rivers, Editors,

Michaelmas Press, 1995

“ C E L E B R A T I N G A D V E N T I N O N E W A L D O R F C L A S S R O O M ” - S E L E C T I O N S B Y A N N E J U R I K A , F R O M T H E

M A R I N W A L D O R F S C H O O L P A R E N T H A N D B O O K

HOLIDAY EVENTS AT SCHOOL THIS SEASON

An Advent Spiral in the Kindergarten

There are many holiday

events celebrated at the Aus-

tin Waldorf School that are

smaller, more contemplative

events-oftentimes only a sin-

gle class celebrates them

privately or as an offering to

the rest of the school.

Here is a list of a few of these

events occurring this month:

Kindergarten Advent Spi-

ral— Friday, December 3rd

Santa Lucia– Grade 2—

Tuesday, December 14th

High School Holiday

Luncheon—Wednesday,

December 15th

Las Posadas—Grade 6—

Thursday, December

16th

30th Anniversary Celebration

Exciting news to be announced soon!

Page 4

T H I S M O N T H I N A T H L E T I C S

All of our basketball

teams are now up and run-

ning. Our Middle School

teams play their first

games this week. We have

two boys’ teams and one

girls’ team. There are 27

students playing in the 7th

and 8th grades.

Our high school basket-

ball teams have been play-

ing games for a month.

The varsity boys are 8-1

and the varsity girls have

Please come cheer on our Roadrunner teams as they do their best to represent us on the field and court. Thanks for your support!

See our complete

ATHLETIC EVENTS CALENDAR

(Event time and locations are subject to change. Please check calendar frequently).

Coming soon on the Library page

of the school website:

In addition to the current read-

ing lists, I will upload an expand-

ed list of books by grade level. It

will include out of print books as

well as new books that have

been added to the library. And

for those of you who have asked

for a library wish list, this will

include that information as well.

Also, in early December, I will

upload a list of new books as

possible gifts for your children.

These will include, but not be

limited to, the titles of books we

are considering for the book

awards for next year. So, if you

come across one you particularly

love, we would love to hear

from you.

As the year progresses, I will

incorporate the new books into

the expanded list and start a

new ―new books’ list. Please let

me know what you think!

December 2010 Back to Table of Contents

Submitted by Erik Olson— Athletics Director—ext. 119

an 8-2 record. Between the

JV and varsity teams, we have

40 high school students play-

ing basketball.

On December 10 and 11,

we will be hosting the Austin

Basketball Classic for varsity

boys and girls teams. We will

send out the schedule when

our teams are playing next

week.

Thanks for your loud, enthu-

siastic support. Wear your

purple proudly!

O P E N H E A R T , O P E N H O U S E !

You are cordially invited to the Holiday Open

House

Where: Main Office

When: Monday, December 13th, 8am-4pm

As a thank you to this wonderful community, we

are holding our annual Holiday Open House.

Come by and visit, eat, drink, and be merry with

us, anytime, all day long! You can even contribute

a plate of goodies if you like.

We look forward to seeing you, even briefly, and

celebrating the blessings of this community.

Come one, come all.

Everybody loves the Dessert

Cafe, and this year's 7th

grade is planning a lovely

one. Typically every family in

the school brings one tray,

pan, or plate of baked goods

on the Friday before the Fair

to donate to the 7th grade to

sell at the Winter Fair. There

will be representatives at both

before school drop-off and

Tea Garden this Friday and at

the pick-up lines at noon. You

can also bring your items on

the day of the Fair directly to

the Dessert Cafe, which will

be located between the 7th

and 8th grades as usual.

Please, please, please be

sure and label your dishes so

that the 7th grade can be

sure they are returned to the

correct family.

C A K E S N E E D E D F O R W I N T E R F A I R !

N E W S F R O M T H E L I B R A R Y Submitted by Linda Burke—Librarian—ext. 210

“If you come across [a book] you particularly love, we would love to hear from you.”

Page 5

W H Y W A L D O R F W O R K S :

F R O M A N E U R O S C I E N T I F I C P E R S P E C T I V E

By Dr. Regalena “Reggie” Melrose , taken from The Magic Onions

The Messenger

“An overwhelming body of evidence from the last 20 years of

neuroscientific inquiry supports Steiner’s theories, including some of the most

fundamental foci of Waldorf Education.”

Back to Table of Contents

emphasis on all three is

consistent with how the

brain learns best: when

the whole brain is engaged

at any given moment,

when its foundational neu-

ral connections have been

given ample time to devel-

op, and when it is in an

optimally aroused state.

Knowing how the brain

develops is essential to

understanding why these

three foci are so important

to the success of any edu-

cational program. Let us

first learn some basic fun-

damentals of the brain.

First of all, it is ―triune,‖

that is, it has three parts.

More importantly, not all

three parts are fully deve-

loped at birth as we once

believed. In fact, very little

of a newborn’s brain is

―online‖ and ―ready to go.‖

When the brains of new-

born babies are observed

with an MRI, the only part

of the brain that is lit up or

active is the most primal

part - the brain stem, sens-

ing brain, or ―animal

brain,‖ as it is also called.

(Small underdeveloped

parts of the auditory and

visual cortices are the only

exceptions.) This primal

part of the brain is respon-

sible for our experience of

arousal and stress. It kicks

into high gear and medi-

ates our fight or flight re-

sponse when needed. I

like to call it the ―sensory

brain‖ because it only

speaks the language of

sensations, the only lan-

guage that most consist-

ently enables our survival.

For full article, click here.

Why Waldorf works has

more to do with how the

brain develops and func-

tions optimally than Rudolf

Steiner ever could have

known. Sure the educator

and founder of Waldorf

Education theorized con-

vincingly about how chil-

dren learn best, but until

MRIs and other sophisti-

cated measures of the

brain were developed, we

had no way to prove or

disprove any of Steiner’s

theories, not with the kind

of precision and accuracy

we can now. An over-

whelming body of evidence

from the last 20 years of

neuroscientific inquiry sup-

ports Steiner’s theories,

including some of the most

fundamental foci of Wal-

dorf Education.

Three foci thrill me the

most, both as a parent of a

Waldorf student and as an

international speaker on

the topic of learning, be-

havior, and the brain: ho-

lism, play, and nature. An

ence will delve into Ru-

dolf Steiner’s insights

into children and into the

whole pedagogical chal-

lenge which childhood

presents, creating a

basic reflection about

the spiritual core of Wal-

dorf Education. It is of

value for middle and

high school teachers,

and will speak to educa-

tors of all levels who

are lucky enough to par-

ticipate.

From AWSNA’s Inform.

To read more, click here.

TEENAGERS and WAL-

DORF EDUCATION - Save

the dates for the AWSNA

Summer Conference: June

24-27, 2011, hosted by

Waldorf School of Garden

City, NY. This year’s theme

is Rudolf Steiner’s Unique

Understanding of Adoles-

cence Child Development

and the Spiritual Intentions

of Waldorf Education and

the keynote speaker is Dr.

Peter Selg, M.D., a youth

psychiatrist working out of

anthroposophy as director

of the Ita Wegman Institute

in Switzerland. This confer-

AWS NA D E C E M B E R N E W S

“This conference will delve into Rudolf Stei-ner’s insights into chil-dren and into the whole pedagogical challenge which childhood pre-sents, creating a basic reflection about the si

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

Juniper Tree is an open,

warm, and inviting place

to shop, linger, and relax.

Right now you can find

treasures from the perfect

toy for a nephew to a book

that helps you better un-

derstand anthroposophy.

There are plenty of holiday

gifts, but there are also

lots of core Waldorf tools

and items:

Fairies galore – dolls,

stories, figures, furni-

ture

Art Supplies – colored

pencils, block and

stick beeswax cray-

ons, molding beeswax

in tons of colors,

paints, fountain pens,

artstix

Books! – Children’s

read-aloud and pic-

ture books, stories for

all grades, middle

school and high

school fiction, adult

education

Yarn – Malabrigo in

heaps of colors, the

beautiful colorways of

Noro, Brown Sheep in

many varieties, and

Bitty Balls for smaller

projects

Candles – tapers,

decorative, votives,

birthday

Homeopathic Reme-

dies – Boiron, Dr.

Hauschka

Wooden Toys – fig-

ures of all kinds, trac-

tors, helicopters,

cars, busses, trees,

animals, castles,

ponds, puzzles, Os-

theimer

Jewelry – selected

necklaces and ear-

rings

JUNIPER TREE STORE—TAX FREE THIS WEEKEND!

Page 6 Back to Table of Contents

Submitted by Cinnamon Nemec and Terri Prakash— 288-5106

Dolls – All sizes of

Evi dolls from 2

inches to 19 inches

Holiday – advent

calendars, orna-

ments, nativity

Imaginary Play –

silks, cheese cloths,

capes, crowns,

swords, wands

Waldorf Art Cards

and Postcards,

Games, Puzzles,

Crafts, Klutz Books

& Kits

Take a moment to stop

by the store this week.

What can we help you

find?

Thank you to Shelley

Caskey for the beautiful

photographs.

On Friday,

December 3rd, and Saturday, December 4th, Juniper Tree is pleased to announce that all sales will be tax-free!

December 2010

Austin Waldorf School 8700 South View Road

Austin, TX 78737

A F T E R N O O N T R A F F I C P I C K - U P F Y I

Main Office: 512-288-5942

Fax: 512-301-8997

High School: 512-301-9550

Kindergarten: 512-288-5120

Aftercare Emergency: 512-767-5707

Juniper Tree : 512-288-5106

Our Mission: “Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who, of themselves, are able to give purpose and direction to their lives.” ~Rudolf Steiner

By creating a school environment that balances academic, artistic and practical disciplines, the Austin Waldorf School cultivates a love of learning, creative thinking, a sympathetic interest in the world, self-confidence and an abiding moral purpose.

www.austinwaldorf.org

To remove your name from our e-mail list click here. Questions or comments? Click here.

Celebrating 30 years of educational excellence in Austin.

Page 7 The Messenger

E-mail:

awsmail@austinwaldorf.org

Back to Table of Contents

4th-8th grade area: We have

experienced some traffic

backing up on to South View

Road from the entrance to

the school. This is a safety

hazard that we must

avoid. Also, the Sherriff has

indicated that he will ticket

any cars stopped on South

View Road. To relieve any

backup the teachers direct-

ing traffic during dismissal

will be sending some cars

off to loop back around and

re-enter the campus. (Just

like at the airport) If a

teacher asks you to do this,

please abide and know it is

necessary.

BUY A SWEATSHIRT TO BENEFIT THE CLASS OF 2014

Is your Waldorf wear worn?

Your Tees Tired? Your sweats saggy?

The class of 2014 to the rescue!

—Youth sweatshirts-purple with white Austin Waldorf

School logo S M L XL $20

—Adult Long sleeve tees - white with purple Austin Wal-

dorf School logo $20

—Short sleeve tees- Purple with white Austin Waldorf

School logo in hand-dyed Organic cotton

Adult S, M, L $18.00 Youth S, M, L $15.00

(These are running small—we will take orders for larger

tees)

—Adult Hoodie-gray with purple Austin Waldorf School

logo

S, M, L $25

—Baseball Caps/purple with white logo $15.00