Well-known Waldorf educator, Kathleen Young, will discuss middle-school years at the next Parents Association Meeting on Monday, February 27th at 7.00 p.m.  in the Applied Arts Studio.

Many parents think that the Waldorf curriculum is wonderful for young children with its gentle, nurturing rhythm that supports the child’s continuing growth and development.  But questions often arise when the child is ready for grade school. Parents wonder whether a Waldorf school is still the right choice or whether their child can successfully make the transition into “the real world”  after graduation.  Ms. Young will tackle these questions and more during her talk.

A veteran Waldorf teacher, mentor, trainer, former administrator, and consultant, Kathleen Young has been active in the Waldorf movement since the mid-1970s.  Ms. Young worked as a class teacher at Hawthorne Valley School and the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, both in New York state, for over 11 years.  She also co-founded the high school at Saratoga Springs where she subsequently taught history and English.  Ms. Young’s extensive experience as a teacher and parent of five adult children make her uniquely qualified to speak to the topic of what Waldorf Education has to offer students after the early childhood years, and how it serves them throughout their lives.  The talk will present an opportunity for parents with questions or concerns about Waldorf Education over the long-term to talk with Ms. Young and other parents to garner support for their school choice.  Parents of young children, as well as those of middle schoolers are especially welcome to attend this meeting.

The Parents’ Association will meet on Monday, February 27th at 7 p.m. in the Applied Arts Studio.   Childcare will be available for those who need.  Arrangements for childcare can be made by contacting Ania Muñoz Mazurkiewicz or Jim Brannon, PA CoConveners.

3 sessions, March 16th, 23d and 30th from 8.30 a.m. until 10.30 a.m.

If you’ve always been curious about needle-felting and how to make those beautiful needle-felted creatures that our children enjoy in the kindergarten classrooms, now is your chance!  Gwyn Linsalata, Waldorf Parent-Toddler Teacher, and parent of two alumni, will be offering a needle-felting workshop at Parent Handwork.  This 3-session workshop will meet Friday mornings on March 16th, 23rd and 30th, from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. in the Applied Arts Studio.  All skill levels welcome.  The supply fee for this workshop will be around $25 (this includes everything you will need, including lovely plant-dyed wool fleece).  Since supply kits will need to be prepared in advance, please e-mail Gretchen Wright, Parent Handwork Coordinator at nategretch@gmail.com, to reserve a kit if you plan to attend.

Farewell to Winter Coffee House

Friday, March 2nd, 7 –9 p.m.

Mark your calendar for a coffee house the week we return from break!  Use your down time wisely: practice a poem to recite, jam with your band, or dust off your bagpipes!  (Yes, bagpipes!) On Friday, March 2 from 7—9 p.m. be thrilled, or at least tickled, amazed, or at least amused by our community’s offerings of talent and our 8th grade bakers’ offerings of sweet treats. You know the drill: contact Mrs. Shiffman at cbshiffman@gmail.com if you’re an adult or alum who would like to perform. Use the sign up sheets on the 8th grade bulletin board to sign up to perform if you’re in grades 4 and up.

Getting to the Art of the Matter

Understanding the evolution of art practices in the Waldorf curriculum.

Saturday, February 4th at 11 a.m. in the 8th Grade Classroom, 3rd Floor, Eagles II Building

Please join us as Susan Braccia gives a colorful presentation about art in Waldorf Education. We will explore and experience the very intentional weaving of visual art in the Waldorf curriculum through the grades as it relates to child development and the evolution of consciousness. We will look at the very particular selection of art materials, techniques, applications and activities, how they relate to the growing child and how they enrich the sequential curriculum.

The scaffolding of art-making skills lends continual support to hands-on learning while also building community, enriching understanding, acting therapeutically and aiding individual growth. Art is the bridge that can take us there, and the act of drawing upon our experiences as we cross is what allows us to be fully aware of our great journey. From pre-K to 12th grade, you will learn about the “what”, “how” and “why” of main lesson illustrations, block crayons, wet-on-wet watercolor, beeswax modeling and much more.

Susan Braccia was one of the co-founders of The Waldorf School of Philadelphia. She spent her early career working as an architectural designer in Philadelphia and New York and, with the births of her children, became deeply interested in education. She carries a Waldorf Teaching Certificate as well as a PA State Teaching Certificate, and earned a Masters degree in Education with the emphasis in art. Ms Braccia conducts classes, workshops and events related to Waldorf Education, special education, art and design for teachers, student teachers, parents and children. She is the parent of an 8th grade student at WSP, and a WSP graduate who now attends the University of Pennsylvania.

Join us on Tuesday, March 6th at 7.00 p.m. for our school’s third Alumni Panel.  Moderator, Cynthia Way, will facilitate discussion between the audience and panelists during what promises to be another lively Alumni Panel evening.  Discussion topics will include the relationship of media and technology in a Waldorf Elementary School, the transition from Waldorf to mainstream education, Waldorf academics, and to share stories about college and life beyond WSP. This year’s panelists  include former WSP students, Alumni parents, High School teachers and WSP teachers. Please register here for this event.

What makes a school healthy? “Many people experience organizations as inert, bureaucratic, inflexible obstacles to innovation and human initiative”, according to Dr Torin Finser, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Dr Finser makes the case that we need a new ecology of organizations, and that now is the time for a new revolution that creates dynamic, living organizations by the people for the people.

Dr Finser, a well known and regarded in Waldorf educator, trainer, and organizational consultant sees organizations as living systems that are supposed to serve, and their forms and structures should mirror the living systems “of those who have come together for a common purpose.”

Hear Dr Finser talk on this topic on Wednesday, 25th January at 7.30 p.m. in The Waldorf School of Philadelphia Auditorium.

Imagine a school environment where your joy in teaching can find expression.  Imagine a creative and experienced circle of colleagues waiting for you to join them.  Imagine yourself leading an eager group of first grade students along a journey of discovery that inspires them for a lifetime.  Imagine yourself at The Waldorf School of Philadelphia.

The Waldorf School of Philadelphia is a thriving urban school on a wooded campus near the center of a vibrant, culturally-rich city; we are young, diverse, and energetic; and we are committed to bringing Waldorf education to a new generation of children and families.  If you can imagine yourself here, we invite you to submit your application for First Grade Class Teacher for fall 2012.

We are seeking candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree with some K-8 teaching experience, preferably Waldorf-certified, and ready to meet a class of 18 young people.  We offer a competitive base salary with increments for teaching experience and training, and an attractive benefits package that includes tuition remission. For full consideration, please submit a letter of interest and resume to Brenda A. Ridley, Administrator, via e-mail to administrator@phillywaldorf.com, with “Teacher Search” on the subject line; via fax to (215) 248-6167; or via mail to 7500 Germantown Avenue, Eagles II Building, Philadelphia, PA 19119.

The Waldorf School of Philadelphia is committed to increasing and supporting diversity in all of its forms in employment and in its programs.  We encourage interest and applications from candidates currently underrepresented in Waldorf education.

Opening Friday, December 9th – Sunday, December 11th at 6819 Greene Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119 (opposite the Weavers Way Co-op on Carpenter & Greene). Opening hours are Friday 11 a.m. -8 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 9 a.m. -5 p.m.

More than a place to buy gifts. The Whispering Wood is a multi-sensory conceptual shopping environment that melds core aspects of Waldorf Education with the selection of beautiful hand-made toys and gifts for family and loved ones. You will be transported out of the ordinary with unique sound and music, the scent of essential oils, together with the sight and touch of natural elements and materials that have been transformed into children’s playthings and fine crafts.

Composer, digital artist, media theorist and WSP Parent, Peter Price, has created a unique collection of sounds from The Waldorf School of Philadelphia that will be blended with rhythm and instrumentation to replicate the Waldorf environment. Price creates sonic and visual environments for live performance, and is co- director of <fidget>, a platform for his collaborative work with choreographer Megan Bridge and thefidget space, a research laboratory for new forms of art, performance, and media. His music has been presented by Network for New Music, the Relache Ensemble, and performed at many Philadelphia venues including the Kimmel Center and the Painted Bride Art Center. Price has an extensive history of collaboration with Group Motion Multimedia Dance Theater and other dance companies and performing artists in Philadelphia. His work has toured to Tokyo, Poland, Lithuania, New York, Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, and South Africa. Price studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and received a degree in composition from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He holds a PhD from the European Graduate School in Saas Fee, Switzerland, and his new book, Resonance: Philosophy for Sonic Art was recently published by Atropos Press.

Price said, “When I was first looking for a school for my son Tristan and visited The Waldorf School of Philadelphia I was struck right away by the beauty of the total sensory environment. A visit to a Waldorf kindergarten class at snack time proves that spaces of focused serenity are still possible in today’s accelerated and hyper-mediated world. My sonic contribution to The Whispering Wood tries to capture that feeling among the many resonant environments of the Waldorf Education.” Price’s conceptual sound installation will be at The Whispering Wood during the weekend. For more information on Peter Price visit www.thefidget.org.

The Whispering Wood opens in its permanent location at The Waldorf School of Philadelphia on Wednesday, December 14^th 2011.

For the complete WSP calendar listing please click  here