Celebrating 100 years of Waldorf education

Waldorf Education News December 2020

The official eNews of AWSNA

Dear Waldorf Community,

It’s difficult to encapsulate in a single page the countless activities, changes, and initiatives that have been taken up over the past nine months in response to COVID-19, racial injustice, fires, and political discourse. It seems a great place to begin is with gratitude.

Gratitude that despite the enormous challenges of our time, wonderful things are happening. Waldorf schools are providing leadership, vision, and inspiration – no matter the distance. It is heartening to witness schools responding with resiliency, creativity, grace, and goodwill.

Gratitude for the contributions made last spring in support of our COVID-19 Community Relief Fund, aimed at reducing dues for schools and institutes that expressed financial hardship. With this letter we are pleased to inform you that we met most of the needs expressed.

Gratitude to the dozens who registered as individual members of AWSNA with the expressed intent of supporting initiatives related to equity, racial justice, and inclusion. The $4,500 we received makes a difference in transforming our work. If you would like more information, please visit the Individual Membership page on www.waldorfeducation.org, or email me at bamico@awsna.org.

Gratitude for the capacity, competence, agility, and tirelessness of the AWSNA leadership council and support staff. The strengthening of our association and the relationships built over the past several years prepared us for this moment. We have been able to flex, reflex, go inward, reach outward, and find tremendous strength through collaboration.

Gratitude to Ronald Koetzsch and Anne Riegel-Koetzsch for a combined 54 years of service as Editor in Chief and Artistic Director of Renewal: A Journal for Waldorf Education! Look forward to our new journal in Spring 2021.

Gratitude for the foundational principles of Waldorf education that have guided our work and provided us with clarity, inner strength, and direction as we’ve forged forward in uncertain times. In the words of Rudolf Steiner, “We will not find the inner strength to evolve to a higher level if we do not inwardly develop this profound feeling that there is something higher than ourselves.”

And finally, heart-felt gratitude for AWSNA donors. You have made such a difference, and we can’t thank you enough!

Please consider supporting AWSNA again this year. Your contributions will be designated specifically to our strategic priorities (more details at www.waldorfeducation.org/awsna):

Inviting the Future: Leadership and Organizational Regeneration
Social Renewal: Advancing Equity and Inclusion
Excellence in Teaching: Innovative Solutions to Quality Teacher Training

We also consider restricted contributions to support specific projects or longstanding programs, such as our Teacher Education Loans and Grants fund. If you are interested in supporting a restricted gift program, gifting appreciated securities, or joining our Legacy Society by including AWSNA in your estate, please contact me directly.

Online donations will be gratefully accepted at https://www.waldorfeducation.org/donate.

With GRATITUDE,

Beverly Amico, Executive Director, Advancement
for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

A Verse for the Season: Give Thanks

For The Seeds Of Love Within Us

For The Beauty All Around Us

For The Strength Of Truth Before Us

Let Us Give Thanks!

Photo: Urban Prairie Waldorf School

News of Note

Autumnal Scenes from AWSNA Member Schools

Our AWNSA member schools have been innovating and inspiring as they educate our students this autumn season. Click to watch a pictorial slideshow of scenes from our schools -- from Lantern and Diwali festivals to chalkboard art and outdoor learning.

Watch the Video

Outdoor Learning in Blustery Weather

Waldorf education is in The New York Times for a second time this November. In this story, writers feature Monandock Waldorf School and Berkshire Waldorf School to share their strategies for keeping their students warm during outdoor learning this winter.

Read the Article

Essentials in Education - AWSNA's Blog

The Educator as Artist

Artistic teaching demonstrates bringing together internal intention with external influence, engaging deeply in process, and producing a worthwhile result.

Waldorf Education recognizes that artistic value is best shown through daily artistic work. Instead of teaching art in art class, artistic methods are embedded into core academic subjects.

Education News

For these and other news and articles, see www.WaldorfEducation.org

Encouraging Children to make Human Connections

City TV's Breakfast Club broadcast in Toronto, Canada, has interviewed Jennifer Deathe, Admissions Manager at Waldorf Academy -- a Pre-k through Grade 8 Waldorf school in Toronto.

Media Taking Notice of Waldorf Education

While there is much news coverage of our Waldorf schools using outdoor classrooms, media outlets are also taking note of Waldorf education’s focus on multidisciplinary coursework, wellness, and nature.