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EUGENE WALDORF SCHOOL HANDBOOK 2.0 1

Welcome

Welcome to the Eugene Waldorf School’s handbook! This handbook iswritten to be both a useful, practical guide to school policies and structures,and also an invitation to each of us to become involved in the life of theschool. Our school depends mightily on volunteer participation. So hopefullyhaving this information at your fingertips will make it easier to understandhow things work in the school and will welcome each of us into a deeperconnection with our Eugene Waldorf School. Enjoy!

Erika Leaf1998-99 Handbook Editor

Mission Statement

The Eugene Waldorf School, founded in 1980, is one of over 700schools worldwide that embraces the educational insights of RudolfSteiner, the Austrian scientist, philosopher, artist, and educator wholived from 1861 to 1925. This pedagogy recognizes the stages ofphysical, emotional, and cognitive development in a child' s life.

Our mission is to educate the whole child by equally engagingthe mind, enlivening the imagination, and strengthening the will. Weteach in an environment that fosters a love of learning, a depth ofunderstanding, and a sense of community. Our academic programintegrates the arts, humanities, and sciences. We strive to developeach child' s physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities. Thisenables each unique individual to enter responsibly into an ever-changing local and global community.

The Eugene Waldorf School is a non-profit, non-denominationaltax-exempt organization incorporated in the State of Oregon. We donot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin,sex, income, marital status or sexual orientation in the administrationof our educational policies, admissions or Board membership policies,financial programs, or athletic and other school-administeredprograms.


Credits

This handbook was begun in the fallof 1995 by Molly Wilson as part of the ParentEducation Committee. She gathered thehandbooks of other Waldorf Schools andbegan collecting passages for our handbookfrom members of some of the organizationalbodies and Committees in our school.

In the spring of 1996, I took on theproject in the hopes that it would be apositive contribution to the evolution of ourschool. Now in its third edition, there aremany people whose writings, comments andsupport are incorporated herein. I wouldespecially like to thank Edith Koosnik of theSeattle Waldorf School for allowing us to usemany passages from their inspiringhandbook, Molly Wilson for shepherding thecollection of comments for the latest edition,Jelena Jaehnig for thoroughly reading eachedition over the years and spending manyhours correcting and commenting, and myhusband Chris Meeker for his support duringmy countless hours of work on initialhandbook, the update and this revisededition.

For me personally, it was exciting tohave an opportunity to discover the clarityand beauty that exists in many areas of ourschool. We are amazingly fortunate to be a

part of the coming together of so manydedicated, skilled adults who are committedto building ever stronger and more healthyfoundations in our school organization, whoare willing to put in the many volunteerhours and to dedicate the ongoing energy oftheir heads, their hearts and their handsthrough an unbelievable myriad of projectsfor the betterment of the whole.

Through the research and writing ofthis handbook, I was able to glimpse some ofthe richness and depth that exists in theWaldorf curriculum; I then took it uponmyself to coax more of these glimpses outinto the open so we could all have a greaterappreciation for some of what lies below thesurface in the classroom and even in theorganizational structures of the school. I seeour Eugene Waldorf School as a “work inprogress” and thus this handbook is also awork in progress. As the forms andstructures of the school evolve, so will thehandbook. I offer this handbook to each ofyou in our community in appreciation of allthat has come before, and with a vision of theEugene Waldorf School continuing to thriveand to meet the needs of many thousands ofchildren and families to come.

Warmly,Erika Leaf

Our highest endeavor must beto develop free human beings,

who are able of themselvesto impart purpose and meaning to their lives.

—Rudolf Steiner


Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to Waldorf Education ……………………………………………… 6History of Waldorf Education and the Eugene Waldorf School 6Our School Logo: The Language of Graphic Forms 6Basic Principles and Elements of Waldorf Education 7The Waldorf School Curriculum …………………………………………………….. 9

Preschool and Kindergarten 9Grade School 9High School 14

Arts and Special Subjects ……………………………………………………………… 15Handwork 15Movement Education and Games 16Foreign Languages 16Music Lessons and Orchestra 17Class Plays 17Eurythmy 17

Tracking and Supporting Students’ Progress ………………………………………. 18Evaluation 18Child Study 18Tutoring and Therapeutic Help 18Therapeutic or Special Eurythmy 19

Reverence, Ritual and Rhythm ……………………………………………………….. 19Festivals 20The Role of Religion in the Waldorf School 21

Supporting Students at Home ………………………………………………………… 23

Chapter 2: Organizational Structure ……………………………………………………………. 24The Foundations of School Organization 24Faculty …………………………………………………………………………………… 26

Class Teachers 26Office Staff 27Finance Manager 27

Board of Trustees ……………………………………………………………………… 28Parents …………………………………………………………………………………… 28

Parent Council 28Class Coordinator 29

Committees ……………………………………………………………………………… 30


Chapter 3: Communication ………………………………………………………………………. 34Messages to Students and Staff 34School Mail 34Newsletters 34Directory 35Telephone Tree 35Bulletin Boards 35Class Meetings 35Concerns 36

Chapter 4: Parent Resources ……………………………………………………………………… 37Community Room 37Community Phone 37Library 37The Golden Goose School Store 37Morning For Parents 38Eurythmy for Adults 38Anthroposophical Society 38Waldorf Resources on the Internet 39Recommended Readings 39

Chapter 5: Enrollment and Financial Policies …………………………………………………. 41Tuition Payment 41Tuition Deposits 41Financial Aid…………………………………………………………………………….. 42

Sibling Discount 42Tuition Assistance 42Tuition Reassessment 42

Provisional Period ……………………………………………………………………… 42Early Withdrawal 43Medical Withdrawal 43Re-enrollment 43

Chapter 6: Student Policies, Guidelines and Procedures …………………………………….. 44School Schedules ………………………………………………………………………. 44

School Calendar 44School Hours 44Absences 44Snow Days 44Class Schedules 44

Health and Safety ……………………………………………………………………… 44Illnesses 44Lice 45Accident Insurance 45Disaster Preparedness 45Field Trips 46Drop Off and Parking 46


Clothing Guidelines …………………………………………………………………… 46Assembly Dress 47

Lost and Found 47Lunch and Snacks 47

Chapter 7: Discipline Policies and Procedures ………………………………………………… 48General School Rules 48Guidelines for Classroom and Playground Behavior 49Middle School Discipline and Guidance 50Property Damage 51Guidelines for Field Trips 52Disciplinary Procedures 52Guidelines for Suspension and Expulsion 52Physical Discipline 53

Chapter 8: School-Related Programs ……………………………………………………………. 54After School Care 54Parent-Toddler Program 55Preschool 55Scrip 55School Photos 56Summer Arts Program 56Teacher Training Program 56Waldorf-Inspired Home Kindergartens and Day Care Homes 57Association of Waldorf Schools of North America 57Rudolf Steiner Foundation 57

Chapter 9: Biographies ……………………………………………………………………………. 58

School Songs ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 69

Quick Reference Page …………………………………………………………………………….. 70


C H A P T E R 1

Introduction toWaldorf Education

History of Waldorf Educationand the Eugene Waldorf School

The Eugene Waldorf School is one ofapproximately 650 Waldorf Schoolsthroughout the world from Japan to Braziland from Russia to New Zealand. Thecommunity of the Eugene Waldorf Schooljoins a global community of children,parents, teachers, and friends who havemade a commitment to work toward socialrenewal through Waldorf Education.

Waldorf schools grew out of thephilosophy of Anthroposophy (anthropos -human and sophia - wisdom) which wasdeveloped by Rudolf Steiner. Born in 1861 toAustrian parents, he was an internationalfigure in his day. Scientist, educator, andartist, Steiner’s interests spawned movementsof renewal in education, medicine, science,agriculture, religion, arts, and humanconsciousness. The first Waldorf school wasfounded by Steiner in 1919 in Stuttgart,Germany, when Emil Molt, a wealthyindustrialist and owner of the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory, asked him to helpcreate a school for the families of his workers.

Like most Waldorf Schools, theEugene Waldorf School began as a grassrootsinitiative. In 1976 several parents wantingWaldorf education for their growing childrenbegan organizing lectures and workshopsand eventually brought a trained teacher totown. This small school, then called theCascade Valley School, opened its doors in1980. As the school grew through the grades,a new building was found and the Dunn

School on Willamette Street in southeastEugene became our second home. In thesummer of 1988 we moved to our presentpermanent location, the Stella MagladrySchool on McLean Blvd. Soon after that, in1990, the teacher-training program wasstarted, initially at the request of parents andcommunity members. In the summer of 1993the high school building was built and thehigh school was in operation from September1993 until August 1996.

Our School Logo: The Languageof Graphic Forms

In its essence, our school logo is agraphic form, a meditative, meaningfulimage, formed to serve the school. In theearly years of our school, the artist MartinaMuller, took up the challenge to create a logothat spoke to the mission, the imaginationembodied in the Eugene Waldorf School.Working out of the artistic and graphicimpulses brought forward by Rudolf Steiner,Martina strove to find an image that did notappeal directly to the intellect, that was notnaturalistic, and whose action lies not in theform itself, but in the tensions, openings andholdings recognized within the logo. Thisgraphic ' recognition mark' is directed at theinner motions of one' s own gestureorganism. Steiner hoped that such graphicforms would have the power of speech, theability to speak to the viewer. The wordresounds from within, as response to what isbeing done. The shape itself is the magicalagent, the doer.


The lower-most line represents aclosed vessel, stable, upright, supporting andheld. The small middle line represents theparents or God-parents. The line stretchingout to the right is the child, the youngestform, most alive and moving toward thefuture. The upper-most line represents thepast and the teacher.

These are some of the ideas found inthe parts of the logo. But the real test isfound not in the symbolism, but in theimplicate wholeness of the form. We see ametamorphosis in the forms correspondingto the metamorphic mission of WaldorfEducation.

Basic Principles and Elements ofWaldorf Education

Through the curriculum andatmosphere at the Eugene Waldorf School,we strive to meet children at eachdevelopmental stage, helping them gain thestrength to flower into free individuals.Children are recognized as having physical,emotional, and spiritual needs and capacitiesas well as intellectual ones. Artistic,cognitive, and practical lessons are allcombined to nurture the strengths, potential,and uniqueness of each child.

At the heart of the Rudolf Steiner orWaldorf method is the conviction thateducation is an art. Whether the subject isarithmetic or history or physics, thepresentation must live - it must speak to thechild’s experience. To educate the wholechild, the heart and will must be reached aswell as the mind.

“The concept of education, which rightly means tobring forth, is rapidly being lost in all civilizedcountries and replaced by mere instruction. If weare convinced that each child brings somethingquite individual with him or her...then our effortsas teachers and parents will be directed so as tohelp to develop the child’s full capacities, and findher/his true destiny. A mere cramming with factsand knowledge has nothing to do with realeducation, (which endeavors) to develop faculties

within the child according to her/his individualcharacter.” - René Querido, Waldorf teacherand author

The foundation of Waldorf curriculum hasbeen brought to life by dedicated teachers forover 75 years, providing an experience in theclassroom that is unique in elementary andhigh school education. Several basicprinciples serve as the foundation forWaldorf education:

The human being is understood asspirit with both a social andphysical manifestation.

From birth, each of us works withchallenges that, if met, help usdevelop into free human beings.

The teacher strives, throughanthroposophical study,meditation, and observation ofeach child, to bring each childwhat he or she needs to growspiritually, socially, academically,and physically. We believe this isa balanced education.

The teacher' s role requires that heor she balance thinking and deedswith the warmth of the heart.This is not sentimental oremotional feeling, but rather trueunderstanding, brotherhood andlove. The teacher' s role extendsbeyond the classroom, beyondhelping to create positiverelationships with and among thechildren. Since the work ofWaldorf education includesnurturing the growth anddevelopment of all, teachers arealso responsible for healthyrelationships with colleagues andparents.


Class teacherAn important aspect of Waldorf

education is the emphasis on therelationships among teachers, children, andparents through the years. We believe thegrowth of trust and understanding isnurtured by the stability of staying with thesame teacher and classmates. For this reason,the kindergartens are composed of childrenfrom ages four to six and a child may be withthe same teacher and group of children fortwo or three years before moving on to firstgrade. In the grade school, the teacher, ifpossible, continues with the class for the fulleight years. A single year is just the time ittakes a teacher to really get to know a class,and for the children to come to know andtrust their teacher.

For children, the grade school yearsare an evolution of consciousness in muchthe same way that human consciousness hasunfolded throughout the ages. Thecurriculum is designed to support thisgrowth of consciousness. For teachers,moving through the eight years is a path ofinner development as they experience thechanging forces of the children; for thechildren are always calling the teacher toadjust inwardly to meet and understandthem.

At the advent of puberty, the egocomes to a new experience of personalfreedom - and education at this period mustopen and channel, not stop up, the newenergies. In high school the class teacher isreplaced by subject teachers who are able tomeet each student’s need for competence, forauthority vested in skill. High schoolteachers direct their teaching increasinglytoward reasoned insight, intellectualunderstanding, and a philosophic conceptionof the whole world. What was experiencedpictorially in the elementary years, in a moreartistic way, now has to be reviewed,analyzed, and tested in the light of the newlyemerging power of personal, logicalunderstanding.

Main Lesson & Daily RhythmWaldorf schools are organized to

make the relationship between student andteacher as fruitful as possible. In theelementary grades, this is accomplished bythe unique Class Teacher/ Main Lessonsystem. Each morning the children spendthe first period of the day - the two-hourMain Lesson - with their Class Teacher.Every morning for 3 - 4 weeks, during thetime when young minds are freshest, theywill intensively study a block from one of thecore subjects (english, math, history andscience). In this way the rhythm of the daybegins with the work which requires themost attention, and each academic subjectcan receive special focus during the course ofthe year. The teacher has time to enter eachsubject in depth and to approach it in avariety of ways, time to enliven each topicwith poetry, painting, modeling, movementand drama. Thus, intellectual learning isalways combined with artistic, rhythmicaland practical work. After three to fourweeks, when one topic has been fullyexplored, a new Main Lesson block isintroduced.

Subjects which require regularrepetition in shorter lessons (foreignlanguages, for example) occupy the later partof the morning. Afternoons are devoted toactivities that are more physically active andsocial in nature: games and sports, painting,handwork and gardening. Boys and girlslearn crocheting and knitting, simple sewing,woodwork and crafts. There is a wonderfulcoordination and harmony of subjectmaterial throughout the curriculum. What isbeing taken up in each Main Lesson blockappears in subtle ways in the activities of theafternoon. The challenges of handwork andthe fine arts are treated not as separate,unimportant “options” but as vital parts of acomplete education.


The Waldorf School Curriculum

The Waldorf curriculum is designedto work in rhythm with the natural stages ofchildren’s development. Since these stagesare reflective of the stages in thedevelopment of human civilization itself, thegreat stories of varied human cultures —fairytales, fables, ancient Indian and OldTestament stories, as well as Nordic, NativeAmerican, Greek and African myths— arethe cornerstone of the curriculum in thelower grades. During the middle school, thelessons cover the period from the MiddleAges to modern times. Not only the subjectmatter, but also the way it is approached andthe assignments and activities asked of thechildren are specifically suited to thedevelopment of certain faculties andcapacities at particular ages.

Preschool and Kindergarten

“If a child has been able in his play togive up his whole being to the worldaround him, he will be able in theserious tasks of later life to devotehimself with confidence and power tothe service of the world.”

-- Rudolf Steiner

In the Pre-School and Kindergartenyears great emphasis is placed on thedevelopment of a strong and deeply-rootedcreative capacity. The overall environment,the unique play materials, and the chosenactivities all contribute to fostering thechild' s natural powers of wonder andfantasy. For instance, the play materials arechosen so as to allow the greatest amount ofthe child' s own imagination to come intoplay. The more possible uses for a toy, thebetter. When the child is required to really"clothe" his play materials with his ownpowers of imagination, the truly living forceswithin him become activated.

Another important aspect in thedevelopment of a strong imaginative life isthe use of Fairy Tales. The art of storytellingis really alive in the Kindergarten as the FairyTales are told, rather than read, by the

teacher. The child' s imagination is activebecause the pictures need to be createdinwardly as the story unfolds. The youngchild experiences the world more pictoriallythan the logical mind of the adult, and FairyTales provide an inner nourishment becausethey contain archetypal truths about theworld in picture form.

Small children are beings of will andimitation, identifying themselves with eachgesture, intonation, mood, and thought intheir environment, and making these theirown in the free activity of creative,imaginative play. It is the kindergartenteachers’ task to create an environmentworthy of a small child’s unquestioningimitation and to educate the child’sunconscious through the warmth, clarity,rhythm, and harmony of the world s/hecreates and with which the child so activelyidentifies.

Given the right environment andencouragement, the young child exhibits afountain of creativity never again to beequaled in the course of his/her life.Deepening this capacity prepares the properground for a truly alive and mobile thinkingto emerge.

Grade School

“The true aim of education is toawaken real powers of perception andjudgment in relation to life and living.For only such awakening can lead totrue freedom.” --Rudolf Steiner

The grade school curriculum in theWaldorf schools is amazingly rich andintricately coordinated with a deepunderstanding of the developing child. Whatfollows is a look at some of the main topicsthat are covered in each year as well as somedetail about the insights underlying thecurriculum. There are, of course, many morephilosophical underpinnings of thecurriculum than can be set forth in thishandbook; this list is only meant as a taste ofwhat goes on in the curriculum, not as acomprehensive outline. Attending ParentEvenings with your child’s class teacher is a


wonderful opportunity to find out moreabout the specific curriculum that is beingpresented to your child. Also some of thebooks listed in the annotated bibliography inthis Handbook contain more in-depthcoverage of the curriculum.

THE FIRST GRADE year begins withthe discovery that behind all forms lie twobasic principles: the straight and curved line.The children find these shapes in their ownbodies, in the classroom and in the worldbeyond. The straight and curved line arethen practiced through walking, drawing inthe air and the sand, on the blackboard andfinally on paper. These form drawings trainmotor skills, awaken the children’s powers ofobservation and provide a foundation for theintroduction of the alphabet.

Through fairy tales and stories, thechildren are introduced to each letter of thealphabet. Instead of abstract symbols, theletters become actual characters with whomthe children have a real relationship. “S”may be a fairy tale snake sinuously slitheringthrough the grass on some secret errand; the“W” may be hiding in the blackboarddrawing of waves.

In a similar way, the children firstexperience the qualities of numbers beforelearning addition or subtraction. Countingis introduced through clapping, rhythmicmovement and the use of stones, acorns andother natural objects. Only after considerablepractical experience in adding, subtracting,multiplying and dividing are the writtensymbols for these operations introduced.

Foreign languages, knitting and theplaying of the recorder are also introduced infirst grade.

IN THE SECOND GRADE, children aretold many fables, as well as Native Americanand African stories of animals, and thestories of saints, heroes and heroinesincluding the story of the King of Ireland’sSon. They work on writing by copying thesestories in their main lesson books. There iscontinued work in arithmetic including thememorization of the times tables from 1 - 12and the lower case letters are introduced.Reading is taught through the process ofwriting. The children hear a story, copy it

into their main lesson books and thenpractice reading what they have written.Grammar is introduced by acting out storiesin which the children can experience thecontrast between ‘doing’ words, ‘naming’words, and ‘describing’ words. Towards theend of the second grade year, the children aregiven ‘easy reader’ books to read.

THE THIRD GRADE is often called aturning point of childhood. Nine-year-oldsfeel themselves growing apart from theworld, becoming separated and independentand beginning to question all that waspreviously taken for granted. Thisquestioning is accompanied by a seriousstream of interest in everything practicalsuch as ‘How is a house built?’ and ‘Wheredoes my food come from?’. In the thirdgrade, children study Old Testament storiesto learn about people’s first struggles to liveon the earth, to make shelters and to workthe land. They study house building,naturally learning weights and measures,and learn about gardening, farming andcooking. These acquired skills are translatedinto their handwork as they make a “housefor their heads” in creating knitted hats.There is much counting and measuring whenadding patterns to their handwork.

Continuing the developmentalchanges that begin in third grade, the fourthgrader may feel, in a basic way, at odds withthe world. IN THE FOURTH GRADE, thisinner experience is addressed through thehearing and reading of stories about heroesin mythology. The hero emerges as someoneto look up to, emulate, laugh at and respect.The human qualities, the emotions, thestruggles, and the confrontations areemphasized.

In handwork, cross-stitch isintroduced, allowing the child to experiencea beautiful wholeness that results from manylittle crossings. The theme of separateness isfurther reflected in the mathematicscurriculum with the study of fractions.Fourth graders also begin to look at our localgeography, studying our immediatesurroundings and natural resources, andmore broadly, Oregon State. Map making isintroduced. Through these activities children


experience the separation from nature thatmarks the developing intellect.

IN THE FIFTH GRADE, children areled into a wider world and encouraged todevelop a broader perspective. They studyboth American geography and botanyincluding a look at vegetation in other partsof the world, and in mathematics, continuewith fractions and decimals. History hasuntil now been only pictorial or personal innature, with no attempt made to introduceexact temporal concepts or to proceed instrict sequences. Now however, historybecomes a special main lesson subject, asdoes geography. Ancient history in the fifthgrade starts with the childhood of civilizedhumanity in ancient India, where humanbeings were dreamers. The ancient Persianculture that followed the Indian felt theimpulse to transform the earth, till the soil,domesticate animals while helping the sun-god conquer the spirit of darkness. The greatcultures of Mesopotamia (the Chaldeans, theHebrews, the Assyrians, and theBabylonians) reveal the origins of writtenlanguage on clay tablets. The Egyptiancivilization of pyramids and pharaohsprecedes the civilization of the Greeks. Everymeans is used to give the children a vividimpression of these five ancient cultures.They read translations of poetry, studyhieroglyphic symbols of the Egyptians, andtry their hands at the arts and crafts of thevarious ancient peoples. History is aneducation of the children’s feelings ratherthan of their memory for facts and figures.Through studies in art, science, government,and gymnastics, children have anopportunity to experience the balancedharmony and beauty of the Greeks. In thespring there is a Greek pentathlon where fifthgrade students from several Waldorf schoolsin the region come together. Grace, beauty,form and sportsmanship are lauded alongwith individual achievements of speed andaccuracy.

IN THE SIXTH GRADE, the study ofthe Roman Empire — its greatness, its vanityand its collapse — is a centerpoint of thecurriculum. Children of this age can begin toempathize with this time of struggle and

growth in human history and can begin toexperience a kinship with people from othertimes. Thus, they can begin to feel that theyare not alone in their inward struggles.Physics is introduced to study the naturalworld. As children approach 12, changesbegin in their physical bodies. One of themost subtle is the hardening of the bones.Boys and girls are more aware of gravity andweight. With the increasing awareness oftheir physical bodies, the time is right for thestudy of the physical body of the earth.Geology turns to the structure of the earth,and proceeds from the study of the flora andfauna of the geological ages to minerals,metals, and finally gems and crystals, leadingto the functions of the mineral and metallicsubstances in the human organism.

IN THE SEVENTH GRADE, childrenare entering puberty. To help them cross thisthreshold, the curriculum presents a richpanorama designed to take them out tocivilizations and people who share theirmood of soul, as well as lead them to a closerlook at each one’s own environment andinner being. Two subjects addressing theseareas are English and History. The historyblock of the Renaissance and Reformationreally begins modern times with a dauntlessquest into the unknown during the Age ofExploration that is also akin to the seventhgraders’ soul mood. Allegiance to traditionalauthority no longer holds sway.Individualism overcomes feudalism, aspersonified by Joan of Arc. Humancapacities are limitless as epitomized byLeonardo Da Vinci. The geography of Africaand Asia is studied.

Mathematics introduces algebra,including negative numbers, venturing intomathematical thinking that has no relation tophysical perceptions. This makes realdemands on the child’s imaginative powers.Square and cube root and ratio areintroduced. Geometry is also studied, aswell as inorganic chemistry.

BY EIGHTH GRADE, students areready to study modern history and have theability to see the wholeness of the globe.During eighth grade, history is an intensivestudy of the industrial revolution to the


modern day, focusing as well on outstandingindividuals such as Lincoln, Jefferson andEdison in American history and great figuressuch as Ghandi, Albert Schweitzer, MartinLuther King and others from the 20thcentury. Geography takes up the sametheme, showing the role played by every partof the earth in modern industrial civilization.Additional lessons are presented in physics

as well as acoustics, thermodynamics,mechanics, climate, electricity, andmagnetism, and the children are nowintroduced to hydraulics, aerodynamics,meteorology and ecology. Chemistry is alsoconsidered in relation to industry.

Mathematics emphasizes the practicalapplications of arithmetic, algebra andgeometry. Man is again the subject of naturestudy through physiology of the humanorganism. Literature focuses on the theme ofhuman freedom in the short story, letters andShakespearean drama. By the end of eighthgrade, the children should have a well-rounded general picture of human life andthe universe.


High School(Although the Eugene Waldorf School

does not currently have a High School, theWaldorf philosophy includes these years and thusthe following is offered for your information.)

Adolescence is the third period ofchildhood, the epoch of idealism andintellectual thought, an entry into a totallynew relationship with the world. In a realsense the adolescent begins to discoverhim/herself in the world of ideas. S/heenjoys ideas as the younger child enjoyspictures and the still younger child play. Tobegin with it is almost like a new game - thewill to argue, to assert or to contradictopinions - but it is far more than that; thisnew life in self-sustained ideas is likestepping into a realm of freedom where theinner life of man first begins to experience itsindependent nature. The adolescent beginsto question all things: him/herself, theworld, the authority of the parent, theteacher, the meaning of destiny, the values oflife or the value of life itself.

This awakening to the inner self firstexpresses itself as the beginnings of anindependent life of thought; it becomes asearch through the idea for the “ideal” - alonging to discover that the world is based

on truth. What thus awakens is, at its best,an inner dream of higher goals andpossibilities. In the new questioning aboutlife and in the personal search for truth,begins this third stage of child development.

The Waldorf high school curriculumintegrates a balance of the arts, the sciences,and the humanities; it engages young peoplewho yearn inwardly and outwardly for a realconnection to the world. Who am I? What isthe World? Using a broad, yet inclusivecurriculum, the high school teachers helpstudents address such questions.Adaptations are made to treat issues of localsignificance.

Throughout all four years thecurriculum includes algebra and math skills,English composition and grammar skills,Foreign languages and national cultures, finearts (drawing, painting, music and drama),Physical Education, and Applied Arts(weaving, sculpture, woodwork, typing,computers, technology, First Aid). There are21 Waldorf high schools in North America.Many accept boarding students who livewith local families while they complete theirWaldorf education. For more informationcontact AWSNA (see information in Chapter8).

A Typical Waldorf High School Curriculum

Ninth Grade Tenth Grade Eleventh Grade Twelfth GradePlant Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry of Elements BiochemistryPhysics of Power Physics of Motion Quantum Physics Optics and ColorsHuman Anatomy Human Physiology Cell Biology &

GeneticsZoology

Physical Geology Earth/PlanetaryScience

Modern Technology Cultural Geography

Euclidean Geometry Solid Geometry Non-EuclideanGeometry

Statistics

Algebra Logarithms Trigonometry Introductory CalculusThe Short Story The Novel Parsifal and The Grail Modern LiteratureHistory and Drama History through Poetry The Transcendentalists Commonwealth

LiteratureContemporaryHistory

Ancient History Medieval History World Governments

History of Art Modern Painters History of Music History of Architecture


Art and Special Subjects inWaldorf Schools

The arts are integrated into the entireacademic curriculum, including mathematicsand the sciences. Through the arts,imagination and creative powers awaken,bringing vitality and wholeness to learning.

Precisely because the arts are presentthroughout Waldorf education, they are notlisted as separate subjects in the curriculumsummary. However, music, speech, drama,eurythmy, painting, form drawing,modeling, crafts and games are all includedin the subjects taught at the Eugene WaldorfSchool.

HandworkKnitting and other handwork projects

play an important role in the development offine motor skills, inner calm, and intellectualclarity. Author and handwork teacher RachelMagrisso from the Green Mountain WaldorfSchool in Vermont explains it this way:

"Handwork is the time for thechildren to be still within themselves.Suggested for parents, too. It helpsthe children in their thinking, in theability to make judgments—is everystitch even, clear, consistent, and ofthe right tension? They work atfinding an evenness and clarity ofstitches, and getting the feel of it.When they are doing handwork thereis harmony—the room settles downto a hum..."The specific handwork taught in Waldorf

schools also “grows with the growing child.”In the first grade, the curriculum calls forlearning the basic knit stitch and creating apractical and useful project in a warm textilesuch as wool. In second and third grades, thisis continued with purling and crochet, whichadd new movements and require more focuson each row and stitch. Around age nine orten the children undergo a change ofconsciousness: they are individuals withinthemselves, no longer as open. The hats thatthe third graders knit to cover their headsrepresent this developmental milestone.

Also the third grader is experiencing thebeginning of critical thinking, and in theknitting of the hats, they are introduced tosmall patterns, thus engaging their newthinking skills. The cross-stitch taught infourth grade reflects this more elaboratestage in their development.

The fifth grade begins woodworking andmore complicated knitting such as a sock.This is the age when they turn a corner indevelopment on the road to themselves. Theyare perhaps less insecure than in fourthgrade and are ready to start carving out andexploring this new individuality. Knitting asock requires using four needles instead ofjust two, and it is a task that requires muchperseverance. The child toils and works onthe first sock and when they complete thatone, they have to persevere and begin thesecond sock. This can be a challenging butvery valuable lesson for a child.

Developmentally the sixth graders arecoming into form. This is reflected in theacademic curriculum in the precise toolsused in the geometrical drawing block, andalso in the block on ancient Rome, a societywhere humans began to make their own lawsinstead of living by the laws handed downby God. In the handwork curriculum,sewing is started in sixth grade. The childrensew animals. This requires planning,patterns, cutting, basting, and other skills fora child who is now more intellectual inhis/her planning and thinking. The sewingthe children undertake in seventh and eighthgrade requires extensive forethought andmathematical skills. In seventh grade, theysew sweatshirts by hand and in the eighthgrade, sewing machines are used for variousprojects like patchwork quilts, wall hangings,and simple items of clothing.

Handwork offers many opportunities forreinforcing math skills in practical,challenging, and enjoyable ways. But authorand Waldorf teacher Eugene Schwartz pointsout an even more valuable result:

"We cannot underestimate the self-esteem and joy that arises in the childas the result of having madesomething practical and beautiful--something which has arisen as the


result of a skill that has been learned.In an age when children are oftenpassive consumers, who, as OscarWilde once said ‘know the price ofeverything and the value of nothing,’learning to knit can be a powerfulway of bringing meaning into achild' s life."

- Adapted from a conversation with TriciaO’Neill, the lead handwork teacher at our schooland an article by Rosemary Croizet who teacheshandwork and French at the Green MountainWaldorf School in Vermont, originally printed inHead, Heart, Hands: A Waldorf FamilyNewsletter published by the Green MountainWaldorf School.

Movement Education and GamesMovement Education and Games in

the Waldorf curriculum springs from thesame understanding of a child’sdevelopment that underlies the academiccurriculum in a Waldorf school. This deeperunderstanding of a child’s development istaken into account in a Movement Educationand Games class in the activities that arechosen, the shapes that are used in the groupgames, and the emphasis of the class (forinstance whether games are played with anemphasis on fun or with an emphasis onplaying by the rules). Each class contains arhythm of joining together and moving apart,highly active games balanced with quietergames, working together as a group andtaking a few moments to reflect on one’s ownbody and movement.

Games in first grade are relativelyunstructured and have the gesture of thecircle, keeping the children protected and aspart of the whole. As we move up thegrades, the children are slowly coming intotheir individuality and the games curriculumreflects this by, for instance, adding linegames in the second grade to the nowfamiliar circle games. In fifth grade there is afocus on beauty and form and in the spring,the fifth graders participate in the GreekGames, a gathering of fifth grade classesfrom several regional Waldorf schools. Ingrades 6, 7 and 8 the more conventionalsports are brought into the curriculum

because only now can the children have areal respect for the law of rules andunderstand how a team works together whileat the same time developing their own self-discipline and competitive nature. They areaspiring upwards in terms of exactness,technique, timing and the spirit of the law,while also becoming more aware of theworld around them.

In a culture where organized teamsports hold such high status, children cansometimes think of movement only in theseterms. The Movement Education curriculumtries to give the children basic coordinationand movement skills that will help themwhen they decide to play organized sports.Depending on the grade, the children willplay games or do relay races that serve todevelop a skill that is also required for aconventional sport such as basketball. Stringgames, jump rope and a balloon relay are allactivities that develop skills that can be usedin many different sports.

Not only does a movement classprovide the opportunity for the children toplay games and have fun, it also works withtheir social interaction by teaching them toplay with each other before they play againsteach other, to acknowledge each other, toplay safely, and to gain an appreciation forall kinds of movement.

Foreign LanguagesThe spoken word is the key to

learning languages in the early grades.Songs, poems, rhymes, tongue twisters,counting and group games - all these fostergroup knowledge of the language andappreciation of the folk soul of the peopleswho speak that language. In the later grades,keeping a written record of all the oral workbrings awareness of spelling and basicgrammar in the language. Reading in theforeign language begins in grade four. At theEugene Waldorf School, Spanish andGerman are taught in grades 1 - 8.

Music Lessons and OrchestraThere are many important inner skills

to be learned in the study of music. Thediscipline of practicing with an instrument


helps a child find the inner discipline to faceother challenges in life. Group music lessonsoffer a wonderful opportunity for a child topractice the ability to listen to others and towork cooperatively. It is quite a challengefor a group of children to work completely inunison in any realm, be it social, academic orphysical. In trying to play their instrumentsas a group, with the same timing and pitch,the result of a harmonious sound allowsthem to directly experience the value ofworking well together. Playing aninstrument is a wonderful means of self-exploration, self-expression and creativitythat allows the student to grow into a morewell rounded human being.

Beginning in the first grade, thechildren at the Eugene Waldorf School aretaught to play the recorder and singing is aregular part of the school week in manyclasses. First grade children will be provideda pentatonic flute and third grade children adiatonic flute for which parents will bebilled. These instruments typically cost $20 -$60.

In the fourth grade, beginning levelviolin lessons are offered to the whole classon a fee basis. The lessons take place once ortwice a week for 45 minutes during theschool day. The cost is $20 per month for thelessons plus an additional fee for violinrental. In the fourth grade, violin rentals areorganized by the violin teacher. Ideally allthe fourth graders participate, but if there areany who choose not to, the class teacher willgive them an alternate activity for that timeperiod. The children are taught the basics ofhow to hold the instrument properly, how toplay by ear and how to read music.

Intermediate level instruction instringed instruments is offered twice a weekduring the school day in fifth grade. Thosechildren who want to continue can choose toswitch to viola or cello if they want. Fees arearranged directly with the teacher, and it isthe responsibility of the parents to obtaintheir child’s instrument.

The school orchestra is open to fourththrough eighth graders. The orchestraprovides an opportunity for students whoare taking private lessons outside of the

school to learn to play in an ensemble. Allstring instruments are welcome in theorchestra. Rehearsal is scheduled twice aweek during the school day on a fee basis.

Why then has the artistic element such aspecial effect on the development of thewill?Because, in the first place, practicedepends on repetition; but secondlybecause what a child acquiresartistically gives him fresh joy each time.The artistic is enjoyed every time, notonly on the first occasion. Art hassomething in its nature which does notstir a person once but gives fresh joyrepeatedly. Hence it is that what wehave to do in education is intimatelybound up with the artistic element. —Rudolf Steiner

Class PlaysClass plays which begin with the

wonderful Fairy Tale Puppet Plays in thekindergarten, are a very integral part of theWaldorf curriculum. The plays are uniquefor each class yet share distinct and commonthreads of pedagogy (educationalphilosophy), self-development, communitybuilding, curriculum enhancement andenlivenment.

EurythmyEurythmy ("beautiful or harmonious

movement") is a unique experience as part ofthe Waldorf curriculum. Eurythmy was bornearlier this century, growing out of the workof Rudolf Steiner. Neither dance nor mime,eurythmy uses the body as an instrument inspace. The air is the medium in whicheurythmists make forms and gestures muchas a sculptor uses wood or stone. Attemptingto sing and speak through movement,eurythmists "sound" in space, bringing all thelife and color of music and poetry to vividexpression. They strive to make the invisibledance of creative sound a visual experience.

Preschool, Kindergarten and FirstGrade have Eurythmy once a week. Grades 2through 8 have eurythmy twice a week.


Tracking and SupportingStudents’ Progress

EvaluationTraditional letter grades are not a part

of the regular evaluation of the grade schoolstudents in a Waldorf school. Numericalscores on tests may be used in the middleschool. Candid conversations at least once aterm between the teacher and parent areused to bring to light the development andgrowth of the student. Formal parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice ayear. Year-end reports are prepared by theclass teacher and each specialty teacher foreach grade school child. In addition tosharing what the child has experiencedthrough the course of the year, the End ofYear Reports include a holistic picture of thechild written by the Class Teacher. Theteacher brings a loving and appreciative, yethonest and direct picture of the child’scharacter, abilities, accomplishments andweaknesses. An assessment of the child’swork is made as well as suggestions forimprovement. Also included in the reportare assessments of the child from thespecialty teachers.

The End of Year Reports are given tothe students on the last day of the schoolyear. The parents should create a reverentmood and a special time to read the reportsto their child. Main Lesson books andartwork can also be shared at this time.

Child StudyA half-hour of each weekly faculty

meeting is used for child study. The facultychooses one child to concentrate on for aperiod of two weeks. Each teacher preparesfor this event by observing the child for aweek beforehand and meditating upon thechild. The first week, the child’s class teacherintroduces the child. During the secondweek, the class teacher shares biography,class work and personal impressions of thischild. All the other teachers join in with theirobservations and together the whole faculty

forms an image of the child, including anexact physical description. The third week isused for collaborative suggestions for how towork with the child.

Through this work, the faculty tries tocome to a deeper understanding of thequestions each child presents in his or herindividual way. Also, by experiencing thechild study process together, each teacherbecomes better able to learn what is neededfrom each of his or her students. Sometimesa child study is used for a child who ishaving difficulties in some way, but it is alsoa way for the faculty to get to know manychildren. The results of such a study arequite often profound, and the collective“holding” of the child by the faculty providesa unique and powerful means of nurturingthe child.

From out ofthe Spiritual WorldThis child has come to usWe are to solvehis or her riddleDay by day, hour by hour

Tutoring and Therapeutic HelpTeachers at the Eugene Waldorf

School make every effort to meet the needs ofthe children within the classroom. Classteachers will discuss children' s particularneeds with their parents and, in someinstances, may refer parents to IlseKolbuszowski for Therapeutic Eurythmy.(See below) Some children still have needsthat an individual teacher or this type ofcurative work cannot meet. Then theteachers, along with the parents, worktogether to find appropriate help outside theschool.

While more and more children in ourtime need some special consideration, theEugene Waldorf School has limitedresources. The burden will fall primarily onthe parent to pay for curative or tutorialwork. Some of these activities may bearranged to take place during the school day.If outside resources are solicited and used by


parents, it is important that the class teacherstay informed and participate as appropriate.

Children who join the school after thethird grade may need additional tutoring insuch subjects as foreign language, music, orhandwork. Sometimes children also willneed extra help with academic work. Theclass teacher will assist parents in designing aspecial program. Whenever possible theselessons will take place at school, but theremay be an additional charge for tutorialservices.

Therapeutic or Special EurythmyCurative or Special Eurythmy is

offered to children who are in need ofsupport for their learning abilities or forphysical reasons such as allergies,bedwetting, nightmares, eating disorders,postural difficulties, vision balance orcoordination difficulties. The “attentiondeficit” child or the child lacking selfconfidence, dyslexia, and social or focusingdifficulties can be addressed by these shortsessions of special eurythmy exercises giventwice a week, during school hours, for oneterm or longer. By the repetitive use ofexercises specifically directed at the need ofthe child (or sometimes a group of childrenwith similar needs) gradual improvement isachieved. In the younger grades theseexercises are given in story form. In this waythe child remembers the sequence, and caneventually do them on his/her own. Foradults or older children the exercises aregiven as they are. At present this service isnot offered by the school but can becontracted by the parent with the therapeuticeurythmist, Ilse Kolbuszowski. Two sessionsper week are $5. Ilse is available mostmornings or can be called at 345-3477 formore information.

Reverence, Ritual and Rhythm

Reverence, ritual, and rhythm are the3 R' s of Waldorf Education. Anthroposophyteaches us that when experienced inchildhood they create the potential forresponsible freedom in adulthood.

Our present culture, however, doesnot seem to place much value on thesequalities. Sensationalism, sensorystimulation, advertising, and competitivenessare but a few contemporary trends thatundermine our capacity for reverence.Furthermore, rather than valuing ritual andrhythm, our culture seems often to associatethem with deadening "routine," and avoids"falling into a rut" by cultivatingunstructured, spontaneous living. The harmto children, who need the security of limitsand orderly rhythms, can be great.

Your child' s teacher goes to greatlengths to create lessons and festivals thatpurposefully nurture feelings of reverence.Reducing distractions for your children givesthem the space to experience reverence andwill support the work of your child’s teacher.We believe that reverent, wonder-filledoccasions help children grow into adults whofind meaning in their lives, who love andrespect other people, the earth, andthemselves.

Many Waldorf parents find that theemphasis on reverence, ritual and rhythm isone of the ways Waldorf education for theirchildren directly impacts the quality of theirown lives. In the speed and “busy-ness” ofour contemporary world, it often helps to bereminded of more enduring values.Establishing an environment in which eachday is rhythmically ordered and the year ismarked at special moments with rituals andcelebrations, helps create, for our children, asecure foundation from which to grow.


FestivalsThroughout the world, in all

civilizations, there are celebrations reflectingnature' s rhythms, important transitions, andsignificant moments in the life of the culture.We celebrate these to sustain and renewourselves. For people today, who can soinsulate their lives as to be unaware of theseasons, of reaping and sowing, of dark andlight, of birth and death, festivals can helpprovide a real touchstone with the cycles ofthe earth and the soul nurturing theyprovide.

In Waldorf schools, the elements offestival —light, food, song and story—permeate the weekly school rhythm; but thecadence of the year receives its form throughfestivals. Annual festivals of nature andhumanity are celebrated in ways that fosterwonder, reverence and gratitude and whichnourish the future capacity to respond—to beresponsible for and among the humancommunity. Teachers, parents and childrenwork together in anticipation and celebrationto express the unique character and variety ofmajor and minor festivals appropriate to thechild' s age.

Some of the festivals observed by theschool are celebrated as family events withthe whole school community and we heartilyurge your participation. The schoolcalendars in the weekly Bulletin and the bi-monthly New Tidings, the school' s regularnewsletters, announce the dates and times ofcelebrations. Other festivals are observedwith events and/or assemblies during schoolhours.

At festival assemblies classes oftenmake presentations. Parents are encouragedto attend these assemblies for convivialityand to gain perspective about the children' sgrowth through the curriculum. Youngerchildren are welcome to attend if they areable to do so without disturbing the mood ofthe assembly. Please refrain from takingflash photos during these occasions, as it isdistracting to the participants and to theaudience.

MichaelmasIn the autumn, at harvest season, we

celebrate Michaelmas (pronounced Mik’-el-mas). Michaelmas is September 29th andcelebrates the forces of the ArchangelMichael (pronounced Myk-i-el), the time-spirit of this epoch. As the seasons transitionfrom the outer warmth of summer to thecoolness of fall, we turn inwards, towardsourselves and towards our community forinner warmth. The Michaelic forces imbueus with the confidence and courage to look tothe spiritual world for strength, and renewthe impulse to live our lives on the earth tothe best of our abilities and become a truecommunity of human beings. In the Celtictradition, Michael represents theunconquered hero, fighting against evil andthe powers of darkness. He is a model forvalor and courage. We celebrate with a playabout St. George taming the dragon.

HalloweenHalloween has its origin in the Celtic

festival of Samhain, which celebrated the firstday of winter on November 1. It wasbelieved that the spirits of the dead and othersupernatural creatures - fairies, witches andgoblins - spirited about on that night.

At the Eugene Waldorf Schoolchildren are asked not to wear costumes toschool. There is a Halloween celebration atthe school on the evening of Halloween forgrades Preschool - 3 that includes storytelling, traditional jack-o-lantern decorationsand modified trick-or-treating. At thiscelebration, homemade non-commercialcostumes are preferred. Adults and childrenare asked not to wear masks that cover theface because this can be very frightening tothe younger children.

St. Martin's DayIn early November, a Lantern Walk,

commemorating St. Martin' s Day (orMartinmas) is held for the younger children.The children make their own lanterns andgather with parents and teachers, then walkthrough the woods, singing with glimmeringlanterns held high, to carry light into theapproaching darkness of winter. The


lanterns, often decorated with stars, suns,and moons, are symbols for the children oftheir own individual light; and the walk intothe cold, dark evening, following a storyrecognizing “the light” of another, gives thechildren an experience of caring and sharingwhen the darkness of winter approaches.

AdventAdvent, from the Latin “to come” is

the period including the four Sundayspreceding Christmas. With quietanticipation we enter into the advent seasonwith a candlelit journey inward at theAdvent Garden. One at a time, each youngchild walks through the spiral of evergreensto the center of the Garden, lights his or hercandle, then places it on the returning pathand picks up a gold star—a reminder of thedark journey through winter ahead. Weeklyassemblies and daily classroom experiencesthrough the Advent season prepare thechildren for the winter holy nights.

Christmas FaireThe annual Christmas Faire, in early

December, is one of the highlights of the yearfor the school community. The array ofmusic, crafts, and magical scenes makes thisan extraordinary event for children andparents alike. During the late fall,workshops, which are open to all, are held toprepare the special crafts inspired by theWaldorf pedagogy. Friendships are made,new skills are discovered and the social lifeof the school community is fostered. Talentsare shared and there are opportunities tolearn stitchery, doll making, candle dipping,etc.

Responsibility for this major event iscarried by the parent body. There is alwaysplenty of work and much need for anyoneinterested in becoming a part of thiswonderful preparation. It has become atradition that with the large numbers ofhelpers needed on the day of the Faire,almost every family offers the services of oneof its members, if only for a few hours.

In addition to its valuable financialcontribution to the school, the ChristmasFaire is of equal value in its contributions to astrengthening of the social fabric of theschool community. For all those visitors whomake the Faire a regular occasion, it seems tobe a way of experiencing a little of thathuman warmth and artistic quality thatmakes the winter holidays such a specialtime at our school.

CandlemasFebruary second is Candlemas,

marking the time of the year when the seasonchanges from darkness to light. This is acelebration of candles; traditionally theywere made on the Winter Solstice. In theyounger grades, we celebrate Candlemasduring the school day through, for instance,the telling of a story or the making of a papercandle.

MayFaireThe MayFaire is a celebration of May Day, anancient festival welcoming spring. It is one ofour biggest community events of the yearand takes place on the first Sunday in May inthe play field at the school. The school isdecorated with bountiful fresh flowers andmusic, food, may pole dancing, games andcrafts create a fun and festive environmentfor families from the whole Eugenecommunity.

The Role of Religion in the WaldorfSchool

Because Waldorf education nurturesthe whole child, including her or his spiritualnature, people often wonder about theexpression of religion in the classroom. Atthe Eugene Waldorf School, we seek toembrace the universal nature of our existenceas human beings.

In an effort to answer some of thequestions about the issue of religion in WaldorfSchools we have included the following article. Itwas first published in Main lesson: Journal ofthe Marin Waldorf School.

The Role of Religion in the Waldorf School by Karen Rivers


The word "religion" is derived from theLatin word "re-lig-io" which means to reunite.It is an expression of the universal humanquest for meaning, for our source and ourdestiny. Throughout human history, peoplefrom all cultures have asked, "Who am I?""What am I doing here? "What does it meanto be human?"

Throughout the world we share questionsabout creation, good and evil, and what existsbeyond the starry cosmos and unknown darkmatter. These soul questions live deeplywithin all humanity. Through differentperiods of history, great men and women haveshed light on these universal questions. Theyhave offered their wisdom to help eachindividual answer them, to re-unite with thecosmic origin and the oneness of all existence.

In our school, we seek to imbue all ourlessons with questions of universalimplication. We seek to explore mythology,literature, history, science and art in a way thatevokes discussions or pondering about theseuniversal questions. We wish our students tolive in an atmosphere that is permeated with(not devoid of) the quest for self-knowledgefor the exploration of life's deepest mysteries.

Do we teach religion?The Waldorf curriculum is designed to

create the appropriate relationship between achild and these immense questions. Throughart, a child builds a relationship with beauty,and in studying science, one seeks anunderstanding of truth. Out of beauty andtruth, one develops a sense of morality andreverence for life which leads to profoundquestions of existence.

Through the study of history our studentsjourney through ancient civilizations, studyingthe Old Testament, Norse Mythology, AncientIndia, Persia, Sumeria, Egypt, Greece, andRome. They enter the Middle Ages and theRenaissance with burning questions ofmorality which grow out of their earlierexploration. By the time students reach eighthgrade, they have lived

with many noble images, many fallen heroesand many searching questions about the natureof humankind and our universe. Thesequestions of great magnitude fill a child withthe desire to explore the outer and innerrealms of his/her life.

In Waldorf schools throughout the world,we aim to celebrate the cycles of life, toaddress the essence of these soul questions asthey speak to us through nature in the rhythmof the year and the festivals that have evolvedthrough time. We all long to feel the joy andmeaning of life through the recognition andcelebration of cornerstone events. Theseasons mark the turning points of the yearand each season has festivals celebrateddifferently around the world which express theinner wisdom of its nature. Because we live ina primarily Judeo-Christian culture, weemphasize those festivals at our school.Waldorf schools in Israel feature Jewishfestivals; Waldorf schools in Japan featureBuddhist festivals; in India, Hindu festivals.

We receive many questions as to whetherwe are a Christian school. We are a schoolseeking to re-unite children with the universalknowledge of self through the study of art andscience. We celebrate Christian festivals aswell as others. Underlying all of this, Waldorfschools are founded on the philosophy ofanthroposophy, the wisdom of humanity.Anthroposophy, offered to us by RudolfSteiner, explores the evolution of humanconsciousness. Each historic epoch offers asignificant contribution to the journey ofhumanity from ancient times to the unknownfuture. Each prophet carried a message for histime and we seek to understand our agethrough the looking glass of the past. NeitherAnthroposophy nor religion are taught in ourschool. They are the foundation under thebuilding which supports and defines thestructure.

We seek to educate our students in loveand immerse them in the world of greatliterature, art and science. We strive toawaken within them the longing to "KnowThyself." We wish to send them forth into theworld in freedom to explore and discover theirown beliefs and destinies in the service ofhumankind. On this journey, each one findsmeaning, joy and reverence for life, creating anew union with his or her spiritual essence.


Supporting Students at Home

Waldorf education needs the supportof a strong social environment provided byparents and teachers working together. Thefollowing expectations and suggestions areintended to help create the needed support.

Television and Video GamesThe passivity inherent in watching

television or playing video games isincreasingly recognized by educators andparents as counterproductive to the processof learning and growth in the young child.Waldorf education has long been in theforefront of the movement against excessivetelevision viewing; we are pleased that otherprofessionals now voice the same opinion.

The fast pace and fragmentation oftelevision (particularly visible in seeminglylaudable efforts such as “Sesame Street”)work against the cultivation of concentrationand imagination. Imaginative play, such aslistening to stories, watching and creatingpuppet shows, dress up, baking, etc., fosterin the young child an active participation inthe world about him. The Waldorf Schoolaims to develop creative, fully engagedindividuals. We urge you as parents ofyoung children, to resist the convenience oftelevision and video games and involve yourchildren in meaningful play as much aspossible. If you could use some helpful hintsin weaning your child from the televisionand video games, see your class teacher.

Seasonal Table In order to support our children’s

(and our own) connection with the cycle ofthe year, many Waldorf families create asmall space in their home for a seasonal table.The first blossoms of spring, a fat pumpkin inautumn, a blue cloth backdrop with goldstars in winter, little gnomes and

flower fairies, special crystals and stones, aphoto or an art postcard, are all things thatcan be found on a seasonal table, dependingon the time of year. Children can participatein the adorning of the table by placingtreasures they have collected from outdoorsthere and helping arrange items that arecollected. Visit the table in the kindergartensand in some of the classrooms for more ideason how to create a seasonal table in yourhome.

Parent and Teacher InteractionThe primary way most parents are

connected to the school is through theirchild' s teacher. Teachers try to visit thehomes of their pupils during the course oftheir time at EWS. Class meetings are alsoscheduled throughout the year and provide asignificant way to understand your child' seducation and a chance to connect with theparents of other children in the class.Through these meetings, you will beinformed of the progress of the class and thecurriculum and have an opportunity to shareconcerns and ideas vital to the healthy sociallife of the class. In addition, the socialnetwork of class parents creates an informednetwork that supports the class teacher' swork.

Another important reason fordeveloping a strong parent and parent-teacher "community" for each class is to help"hold" the inevitable disputes, conflicts,disagreements and changing alliances thattake place in children’s lives. It is alsoimportant to build a common ground forpositive conversation among parents whilethe children are young. As children grow up,they begin to manifest more strongly boththeir own and their families' differing beliefsand values. Parents model the ability to livein a diverse society by finding commonground together, the foundation forappreciating and respecting diversity.


C H A P T E R 2

Organizational StructureThe healing social life is found when, in the mirror of each human soul,

the whole community finds its reflection—and when in the community the virtue of each one is living.

—Rudolf Steiner

The Foundations of SchoolOrganization

The successful functioning of the schooldepends upon the cooperative efforts of theadults who work together to create andsustain the school: the faculty and staff whowork here and the parents who entrust theirchildren to the school. To implement theschool' s mission, we have organizedourselves into individual roles withresponsibilities for certain tasks andfunctions, governance groups empowered tomake particular decisions, and committeeswho bring light, attention, and energy tocertain aspects of the school' s work. TheBoard of Trustees, (the legally accountablegoverning body), and most committeesinclude faculty, staff, and parents. Withinthis larger system of participation however,faculty are entrusted with making decisionsthat directly affect the quality of education—hiring teachers and determining curriculum,for example— and faculty and staff togethermake many of the day-to-day operatingdecisions. The first several pages of thissection describe some of the roles andresponsibilities at EWS and provide anoutline of how we are organized.

Parent ParticipationIn addition to how we organize

ourselves, the successful operation of theschool relies largely on the time and energygiven by parent volunteers. There is need for

parent volunteers on both an individual classlevel and a school-wide level.

For instance, in supporting your classteacher, both in-school and out-of-schooltime is needed. Assisting in specialty classes,special classroom cleaning, doing laundry,sewing and making costumes, andorganizing camping and field trips are someof the kinds of help that are needed.Playground, garden and site beautificationare also important parent supported tasksaffecting the quality of the classroom life.Announcement of classroom projectsneeding parent participation takes place atclass meetings and by class phone trees.Contact your class teacher or classcoordinator for more information. (Classcoordinators’ job duties are described later inthis chapter.)

Festivals and fundraising events aretwo other areas which need lots of parentinvolvement, not only for the success of theevent, but to strengthen the community ofthe school. These are wonderfulopportunities to get to know other Waldorffamilies and enjoy the camaraderie ofworking together for a common purpose.

The coordinator of each major eventorganizes the work into tasks which are thenassigned to each class. The class parents arethen responsible to carry out the class’ task.For instance at the Christmas Faire, one classwill be assigned to oversee and carry out thecandle dipping activity while another class’parents will be responsible for organizing theBake Sale at the Faire. Watch forannouncements in the Bulletin and notes


posted by the door to your child' s classroomfor more information about theseopportunities.

Parent participation is also needed onthe Board of Trustees and various schoolcommittees. These Committees (as describedbelow) carry out some of the day-to-dayoperations of the school outside theclassroom, as well as conduct much of thelong-range planning and development workthat secures the school’s future. Committeework involves diverse activities and requiresa variety of skills. Most meetings are open toall. Attending a meeting as an observer is agood way to familiarize yourself with whatthe Committee does and what is needed thatyou might be able to offer. Committeemeetings are scheduled by the individualcommittee members. If you would like tovisit or join a committee, contact the chair ofthe committee (listed in the school directoryor in the office) for more information.

Consider what your skills, interestsand level of availability are. Inform yourselfabout the many opportunities and needs inthe school community. And then volunteer!Participating in the workings of the school isa gratifying way to grow personally whilesupporting the richness that our childrenreceive from their school experiences.

CommunicationEffective communication among all of

us is another important element in thesuccessful functioning of the school.Described at the end of this section are theprimary means of community-wide writtenand in-person communication forms andforums we use. In addition to these, one-on-one communication is vital. We urge you tokeep in touch with your child' s teacher on aregular basis. If you have questions,concerns or issues about other things, weurge you to communicate as directly aspossible. (For more information, see thesection entitled "Concerns" at the end ofchapter 3.) The office staff is also available todirect you to the person or persons withwhom you should speak. How we work together to manageand run the school is another way we teach

our children values and ways of being webelieve are important in our modern world.We continually seek the organizational formsand processes that are effective and feel rightfor our school. This is not an easy task; infact, it is one requiring constant diligence andwakefulness, but one which providesopportunity for growth in all of us.

History of Our OrganizationalForms

1990 to 1993 was a time of rapidexpansion for the Eugene Waldorf School.Enrollment grew much faster than it had inthe past, and the High School was added,requiring a huge organizational effort and anincreased financial load for the school tocarry. As the school community grew therewas a need for the organizational structuresof the school to grow also. Moreparticipation was needed from parents,teachers and staff in many areas thatpreviously had required only minimalattention. This was a challenging time oftransition for many people in the schoolcommunity as forms evolved rapidly and notalways gracefully. The school as anorganism, born in 1980, was beginning theexciting and vital, but sometimes awkward,journey through puberty.

Many of the organizational forms thatnow exist in the school, (including the formalcommittee structure) date only to this recenttime period. Thanks to the diligent anddedicated work of many members of ourcommunity, these forms are activelyfunctioning and serving to keep our schooloperating well in many areas. They arehowever, still evolving. For instance some ofthe specific boundaries defining which groupis responsible for what are still beingclarified. This can be a frustrating experienceat times. Through our patience, good willand participation they will continue toimprove and to strengthen our school.

What follows is an overview of theway the school is organized to carry out itswork. Since details may change from year toyear, this handbook contains only the broadelements of our organizational structure. Theyearly school directory contains a list of


committees, their chairs and other key roles.If you have a question about where you canbe of use or to learn whom to talk to about aparticular issue, call the office, ask yourParent Council Representative, or consultyour child' s teacher.

Overview of OrganizationalStructure

The goals and objectives (the mission)of the Eugene Waldorf School areaccomplished through the coordinatedefforts of the Faculty, Board of Trustees, andParent Council. Each of these bodies meetsregularly to discuss issues and decide onpolicy within their given realm. Thesebodies are supported in their tasks by variouscommittees which work under the auspicesof each body.

Most committees include membersfrom the body that oversees it and membersfrom other related bodies. This ensures thatmembers of all appropriate groups andcommittees have input. Representatives ofeach body meet together weekly as theAdministrative Committee to further ensurethat information and tasks are disseminatedto the appropriate groups/people.

Waldorf Education Association ofthe Willamette Valley

The Waldorf Education Association ofWillamette Valley Inc. (WEAWV) is the non-profit corporation that provides the legalframework of the school and includes allparents, employees and friends of the school.The Annual General Meeting of the WEAWVis held in the spring. This is a very importantmeeting and ideally at least one parent ofeach child enrolled in the school wouldattend. The meeting provides an opportunityfor parents to hear from all responsibleschool bodies and committees as they reviewthe year’s activities, and preview the comingyear. (There will be some discussion timeallotted for questions on tuition, schoolfinances, and legal and economic policies ofthe school at this meeting.) This meeting isalso when Board member elections are held.

Faculty

The Faculty consists of Preschool andKindergarten teachers and Lower andMiddle School class teachers, Special Subjectteachers, After School Care teachers andadministrative and custodial staff. Thisgroup meets each Thursday afternoon forartistic work (including gardening,eurythmy, games, speech work, singing andform drawing) and study to deepen theirunderstanding of Waldorf pedagogy and todevelop their capacities for perceiving theindividual children. This meeting is also usedfor scheduling and organizational work, andto study pedagogical topics and do childstudies together, and to discuss and decideon festivals, special events, and pertinentbusiness matters. The Faculty Chairs convenethis weekly faculty meeting and act as thefaculty representatives to the widercommunity and other Waldorf schools.

Some of the work of the faculty iscarried out through committees, some ofwhich also have members from the Boardand the Parent Council. These committeesare: Teacher Search, Teacher Mentoring &Evaluation, Classroom Form, After SchoolCare, Summer Program, Supplies and ExitInterviews. Faculty members also participatein other committees that report either to theBoard or Parent Council. There are severalfaculty members who serve on the Board ofTrustees.

Class TeachersThere is an organizational subgroup

of the Faculty called the Class Teachers. TheClass Teachers are a body of individualswho, out of a sense of service to the students,the community and each other, arecommitted to deepening their spiritualconnection to Waldorf education throughstudying and working together. Aconsciousness is thus developed whichprovides a foundation and direction for thecontinued evolution of the Eugene WaldorfSchool. They are responsible foradministering the pedagogical affairs of theschool. Their responsibilities also includediscussing difficult family situations andpersonnel matters, supporting the


pedagogical growth and development of theteachers and the school and establishing aplan for when a teacher or staff member mustbe dismissed. The Class Teachers' Meetingsare on Thursdays, after the weekly meetingof the entire faculty.

Office StaffThe downstairs office, also known as

the School Office or the Reception Office, isthe domain of the Office Manager and othermembers of the office staff. Their function isto lend organizational support to allmembers of the school community andprovide a centralized point of contact for theschool. Through the School Office, parentsare provided with a communication channelto the faculty, Board of Trustees, andcommittees. The office staff is responsible forgenerating and distributing writtencommunications, managing enrollment andstudent records, disseminating informationon cultural events and parent educationprograms, coordinating facilities use, andsupporting volunteer efforts. The office staffis also responsible for first aid when needed.

Another responsibility of theadministrative staff is to develop andmaintain general site safety procedures, andcoordinate periodic evaluations andinspections. This includes ensuring parkinglot safety, planning and implementingregular fire drills and drill evacuation,developing earthquake readiness plans andprocedures, clarifying medical procedures,developing guidelines for lab and workshopsafety procedures and assuringimplementation, developing safetyguidelines for off campus events andactivities (including transportation) andassuring implementation, conductingperiodic maintenance of fire alarms, smokedetectors, fire extinguishers and the furnaceroom and other related safety issues.

Finance ManagerThe Finance Manager is responsible

for managing and monitoring day-to-dayfinancial and legal affairs of the school. S/heworks upstairs in the Business Office andprovides the school community with the

information needed to make sound economicdecisions and to plan for the school' s futurein an orderly fashion. S/he also carries outthe tasks and responsibilities necessary forsound financial management: budgeting,assessment and collection of tuition, supportfor fund-raising, managing assets andliabilities, and tracking and reporting allfinancial matters.

Specifically the Finance Manager’sresponsibility is to:

1. Coordinate enrollment contracts withfamilies2. Provide budget and financial reportpreparation3. Monitor school finances4. Organize and implement payroll,accounts payable, and accountsreceivable5. Develop financial control procedures6. Interface with Tuition AssistanceCommittee7. Coordinate insurance, tax, and legalissues, forms, and reports8. Maintain financial institutionrelationships9. Assist Board in coordinating annualgiving, grants, and other fundingresources10. Attend financial meetings as required11. Develop and provide administrativeand financial procedures for: scripprogram, school store, computer protocol,donations, rental of property andequipment, enrollment, special events,After School Care, hiring, general schoolcommunication12. Collect back tuition


Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees consists of 7 -12 members. Of those members, 3 - 5 areFaculty members selected by the Faculty.The rest of the seats are held by communitymembers elected for 2-year terms at theAnnual General Meeting in the spring orappointed by sitting Board members. Boardmembers serve in this capacity on a non-salaried basis. The operations of the Boardare governed by the school’s official by-laws,a copy of which is available in the BusinessOffice (upstairs).

The Board is responsible for the legaland financial aspects of the school. TheBoard also oversees and is responsible for thefollowing committees: AdministrativeEvaluation, Annual Giving Campaign,Budget, Funds Development, Golden Goose(school store), Public Relations andEnrollment, Rental, Scrip Program, Site, andTuition Assistance. Board meetings arescheduled twice a month on the first Tuesdayand the third Monday of each month, andnotice of the meeting dates and times areposted on the Board’s bulletin board locatednear the School Office. Board meetings aregenerally open to the school community andinterested parents are most welcome toattend. Usually Board meetings includeclosed sessions during which personnel andother confidential matters are discussed.

Parents should feel free to contact anyBoard member to make suggestions, reportproblems or seek clarification on Boardbusiness. Minutes of recent Board meetingsare posted on the bulletin board between theSchool Office and the CommunityRoom/Library.

Administrative CommitteeThe Administrative Committee' s

function is: to assist the administrative staffin the day-to-day workings of the school, tobring issues to the attention of theappropriate groups in the school, and toassist in the coordination of issues that fall inthe domain of two or more groups in theschool. The Administrative Committeeconsists of one to two representatives from

each of the three bodies (the Faculty, theBoard and the Parent Council), the FinanceManager and the Office Manager. They meetweekly.

Parents

Parent CouncilThe Parent Council serves as a

springboard for parents' ideas, initiatives,and concerns and as a forum where currentissues within the school community can bediscussed. The Parent Council strives tofacilitate and encourage parents' active andpositive communication with the Faculty andthe Board, strengthen social bonds within theEugene Waldorf School community andinspire volunteerism of parents in service ofthe school. The Parent Council shall alsoestablish and oversee committees that rununder its auspices.

Parent Council is a way for parents toactively participate in, serve, and contributeto the functioning and organization of theschool.

The Parent Council is the thirdorganizational body of the school (the othertwo being the Faculty and the Board ofTrustees). The Parent Council’s main sphereof influence is in the social realm, while theFaculty’s main sphere is the pedagogicalrealm and the Board is mainly responsible forfinancial and legal matters. In its efforts tostrengthen the social structure of the school,Parent Council organizes a reception for newparents in the fall, an adult arts evening andvarious other events that are social in nature.

All school parents are members ofParent Council and are encouraged toparticipate. Most decisions are made by aconsensus process. Some decisions, such asselecting the PC Chair, PC Rep to the Boardand PC Rep to a committee, are conductedthrough anonymous voting. Votingmembers of Parent Council consist of: 1 - 2parent representatives from each class, aChairperson and a Secretary from the parentbody, a parent who is the Parent CouncilRepresentative to the Board, an Office Repand a Representative from the Faculty. See


the Parent Council Handbook for a detaileddescription of Parent Council procedures.

Class reps from the Preschool areselected at the first class meeting in the falland serve through August. Class reps for thefollowing year from grades K - 8 will bechosen on a class by class basis in a classmeeting or parent evening in the spring.Kindergarten and first grade reps selected inthe spring serve from April through October.Because there is such a high percentage ofnew families in kindergarten and first grade,and the intent is for reps to be trulyrepresentational of every class parent, the repselection process for the second half of theyear will occur again in kindergarten andfirst grade in the first class meeting afterOctober 1. The reps whose term just endedcan run again as well as any other parentsfrom the class. The term of this appointmentis from October until April. Reps fromgrades 2 - 8 grades are selected at the firstParent Evening of their class April 1 to servea 12 month term. This helps createcontinuity in the form, function and directionof Parent Council by assuring that most ofreps have some experience as a parent in theschool. It also allows for the work of ParentCouncil to continue during the summermonths.

The Parent Council has regularmeetings once a month (usually on the firstMonday of the month) and occasional,additional special meetings. Monthlymeetings are open to all parents of childrenenrolled in the school and Parent Councilstrives to maintain an open atmosphere thattruly welcomes each parent to attend andparticipate. Meeting times and dates arelisted in the newsletter and posted at theschool.

The job of being a class rep to the ParentCouncil involves the followingresponsibilities:1. Attending all Parent Council meetings

(approximately 3 hours per month).Continuity of attendance is important fordecision-making.

2. Attending all class meetings of the classfor which you are the rep (varies from

one meeting per term to one meeting permonth, depending on the class)

3. Transferring information back and forthbetween the class and the Parent Council

4. Starting the phone tree for your class asnecessary (approx. one hour a month)

5. Conveying information about schoolevents to parents in the class anddelegating the responsibility fororganizing your class’ portion of thefundraiser to one of the parents in theclass

6. Educating oneself as to the organizationalforms that exist within the school, thefunctioning of the three bodies ofgovernance, and the procedures andpolicies of the school

7. Attending occasional meetings of otherbodies or groups when invited (such asjoint Board/faculty meetings or meetingswith outside consultants), as arepresentative of Parent Council

8. Supporting parents in the class who havequestions or concerns about the school bydirecting them to the proper channels bywhich to get these matters resolved

9. Maintaining an awareness about what itmeans to represent - to proactively solicitand convey the issues and concerns ofyour class to the Parent Council or theappropriate individual or body, evenwhen those issues and concerns aredifferent than your personal viewpoint

10. Striving to be a role model within theparent body, to consciously try to holdmatters that concern the school in thehighest way within yourself and tocommunicate clearly and appropriatelywith others in the school communityabout school matters

Class CoordinatorEach class has a parent who

volunteers at the beginning of the school yearto be a class coordinator. This person isresponsible for writing the class phone treeand helping the class teacher organize parentvolunteers for driving on field trips, helpingwith class plays, coordinating lice checks andhelping with various other class events andneeds. The class coordinator is also in charge


of coordinating gifts given to the teacherfrom the entire class coordinating small scalefundraising efforts to fund class-specificevents as needed (like a bake sale to help payfor a field trip) and works with the class'Parent Council Reps on school-wide eventsand fundraisers.

Committees

When the committee structure wasconceived, care was taken to incorporate asmany as possible of the vital realms of theschool’s current and future life into thecommittee design. The following is thecomplete list of currently functioningcommittees as it has evolved since its formalinception in the summer of 1995. The currentfunctioning of the committees listed belowvaries widely. Some groups meet weeklyand are involved in many projects. Somemeet once every few months and are onlyengaged in monitoring several relativelyinactive projects.

Administrative EvaluationCommittee

The Administrative EvaluationCommittee works under the guidance of theboard and faculty to support and evaluatethe administrative staff which consists of theOffice Manager, Finance Manager,Maintenance Manager, and Custodian. Thiscommittee makes hiring and salaryrecommendations to both board and faculty,and it facilitates periodic evaluations of thesestaff members, including the review andupdating of job descriptions.

After School Care CommitteeThe After School Care Committee

supports the After Care program. It is incharge of hiring After Care providers andworking with them to develop and maintaina program that is in keeping with thephilosophy of Waldorf education. Thecommittee also ensures that the program iscertified every year by the state and that it isrun in accordance with state guidelines

regarding staffing, teacher/child ratios,appropriateness of the physical space, andmany other important considerations. Thisgroup also makes recommendations to theBoard and Faculty regarding after care feesand scheduling.

Annual Giving CommitteeThis committee works under the

auspices of the Board. It also works closelywith the Funds Development Committee.The Annual Giving Committee’s role is toorganize and implement the Annual GivingCampaign which takes place every fall. TheCommittee solicits information for theAnnual Report from many groups in theschool. The committee is then in charge ofediting the Report and publishing it in timefor the opening of the annual campaign. It isthe committee’s job to publicize thecampaign and to work to raise the funds thathave been budgeted for this event.

Budget CommitteeThis Board committee is responsible

for gathering information crucial tobudgeting from the appropriate bodies in theschool, for creating budgets based on thisinformation, and then for presenting budgetsto the faculty and board. The BudgetCommittee’s job also entails setting budgetsfor more than one fiscal year so that theboard and faculty can plan well into thefuture.

Classroom Form CommitteeIt is the responsibility of the

Classroom Form Committee to define, clarifyand standardize school policies concerningdress code, behavior, discipline and relatedareas of concern so the expectations from oneclass to the next are consistent and clear foreveryone. This committee exists under theauspices of the Faculty.

Exit CommitteeThe Exit Committee operates under

the auspices of the Faculty and is designed toallow families that withdraw their childrenfrom the school an opportunity to share their


reasons for leaving in a formal andsupported manner. When parents decide towithdraw a child from the school, thecommittee sends a questionnaire, as well as acover letter inviting the family to have an“exit interview”. The information gatheredfrom the questionnaire, and the interview, ifit takes place, is communicated to the facultychair and the class teacher in a confidentialmanner. The Exit Committee’s role is toprovide an avenue for parents to expressconcerns and observations they may have ina way that benefits both the family and theschool.

Funds Development CommitteeThe Funds Development Committee

works under the auspices of the Board and isresponsible for overseeing all types offundraising including grant writing, theschool store and fundraising events andcampaigns such as the Auction/Raffle, theChristmas Faire, the MayFaire, and theAnnual Giving Campaign.

Currently about 7% of our incomecomes from donations and the AnnualGiving Campaign, and 9% comes from otherfundraising. The continuing challenge is tofind activities that are the least laborintensive for the amount of incomegenerated, and yet are consistent with ourimage and philosophy. Fundraising eventsare often as important for their publicrelations value as they are for the dollars theyraise.

Funds Development Committeemembers do not themselves do the tasks ofan event. Each individual event has acoordinator who checks in with the groupperiodically during the planning of theirevent in order to strive towards consistencyand maximum effectiveness of allfundraising events.

Golden Goose CommitteeOur school store, The Golden Goose,

is operated by a committee of volunteers.Some of these committee members are incharge of ordering, pricing, and budgeting.Others staff the store and help with specialstore events. The committee is responsible

for all facets of running the store and itreports to the board on a regular basis.

Public Relations and EnrollmentCommittee

The PR & Enrollment Committeeworks under the auspices of the Board and isresponsible for planning and implementingoutreach to the larger community which isdesigned to familiarize the community withWaldorf Education as well as to maintainand increase enrollment in the school. This isaccomplished through such activities asholding open houses, school tours andorganizing teacher lectures geared towardsparents. This group also sets up andcoordinates the staffing of information tablesat school events such as the Christmas Faireand the MayFaire. This group is alsoresponsible for publicizing school sponsoredevents and programs. This includesdesigning and producing flyers, posters,announcements, press releases and print ads,working with the Faculty and the Board inthe updating of school brochures and printedmaterial as needed, organizing andmaintaining the poster brigade and any othertasks related to public relations andmarketing.

Another function of the EnrollmentCommittee is to serve, in conjunction withthe office staff, as the liaison for familiesinquiring about enrolling in the school byanswering their questions, putting them intouch with families of other children in theclass they are inquiring about, and helpingthem arrange a visit to the school if they arefrom out of town.


Rental CommitteeThe Rental Committee’s job is to

facilitate the rental of our available space in amanner which is efficient and cost-effective.The committee meets with prospectiverenters and is responsible for scheduling useof the facility so that school functions are notaffected. The committee also works with thefaculty and board to ensure that thebuildings are being used in a way that iscompatible with our educational philosophyand goals. The group oversees leases andmakes recommendations to the boardregarding rents and fees.

Site CommitteeThe Site Committee works under the

auspices of the Board and includes theCustodian and Maintenance Manager as wellas members of the Parent Council and theFaculty. This committee is responsible foroverseeing the ongoing maintenance of thebuildings and grounds of the school. Theyalso carry the responsibility for creating andimplementing a long term plan for how theschool’s facilities and grounds canincreasingly be made to reflect the beautythat is emphasized in the curriculum.

Summer Program CommitteeThis faculty committee’s role is to

design and organize our summer artsprograms. The committee creates thecurriculum, hires summers arts teachers, setsthe recommended fees, and evaluates theprogram after it is completed.

Supply CommitteeThe Supply Committee is under the

direction of the faculty and is responsible forordering classroom supplies such as paper,paint, pens, etc. The committee works to keepthe total cost of these supplies withinbudgeted amounts and to ensure that everyclass has enough supplies for their students’needs.

Teacher Mentoring and EvaluationCommittee

It is the responsibility of the TeacherMentoring and Evaluation Committee tocreate and administer the teacher mentoringprogram, taking care to ensure that eachteacher specifically receives education andsupport in the areas in which the reviewsindicate there is a particular need.

The Teacher Mentoring andEvaluation Committee is also responsible fordetailing the criteria on which Facultymembers should be evaluated, anddeveloping procedures for implementingreviews. These procedures may includeclassroom observations, conversations withthe teacher being reviewed and evaluationsby mentors or other outside observers. It isalso the responsibility of this committee to setup a timeline for regular reviews of eachteacher, including class teachers and specialsubject teachers, and ensure that theevaluation and review plan is carried out onan ongoing basis. The review plan will beupdated as needed and the Committee willreport regularly to the faculty as a whole.Review results will be documented in writtenform and kept in the teacher’s confidentialemployment file in the office.

This committee is composed ofFaculty members only.

Teacher Search CommitteeWhen teaching positions need to be

filled, it is the responsibility of the TeacherSearch Committee, under the auspices of theFaculty, to seek individuals who embody theideals of Waldorf education and are able tobring that education to the children withlove, enthusiasm, skill, and inner resources.The Committee consists of two facultymembers, a non-faculty representative fromthe Board, and a representative from theParent Council.

Through an active search process theCommittee receives resumes, contactsreferences, and selects individuals to beinterviewed. The group will then scheduleand facilitate the interview process for eachcandidate. This may include at least onepractice teaching lesson, to be observed by at


least one Faculty member, as well as aninterview with the Teacher Search andHiring Committee and the Class Teachers.For interviews of special subject teachers thegroup may request the help of a teacher ofthe same subject who may or may not be aTeacher Search and Hiring Committeemember.

The non-faculty members of theCommittee will forward to the ClassTeachers their recommendation aboutwhether or not to hire a candidate. Once theFaculty meets the applicant and decides theysupport the hiring of this person, they conferwith the Board regarding primarily thefinancial considerations of hiring, andtogether a final decision is reached.

Whenever a teacher search is inprogress the Work Group will communicateabout the process with the Faculty, Board,and Parent Council through each body' srepresentatives to the Committee.Communication with the community will be

in the form of letters to the class parents orBulletin or New Tidings articles.

The Committee will also assurefaculty attendance at the February teachers'conferences in Sacramento in order tonetwork with potential applicants.

Tuition Assistance CommitteeThe Tuition Assistance Committee is

responsible for 1) clarifying andcommunicating tuition assistance policiesformed in conjunction with the Board, 2)administering the tuition assistance programby coordinating the distribution andprocessing of tuition assistance forms and 3)using uniform information gathering andestablished procedures to determine theamount of assistance that is made availableto each family. The Tuition AssistanceCommittee exists under the auspices of theBoard.


C H A P T E R 3

Communication

Messages to students and staff

The office staff will make every effortto deliver messages to students and facultymembers. Non-emergency messages will bedelivered at the times when the children arelet out of class (at their morning break, atlunch and at the end of school). Thus,messages are best left with the office duringthe following hours which are just beforetheir release times, between 10 and 10:30, 12and 12:30 and between 2:30 and 3 PM. Theschool has voice mail for those times whenboth our phone lines are busy or when theoffice staff is away from the phone. Voicemail messages are reviewed frequently andbefore school release times.

After School Care care-providers havea separate phone number that enablesparents to reach them after 3:00 when theoffice is closed. The number is 345-8774.During office hours this number is used forthe school' s fax and modem line, but whenthe office closes, the After School Careprovider can receive calls on this number viaa portable phone.

School Mail

School mail is a very important meansof communication within the school. Itincludes newsletters, letters from teachers,notices of upcoming events, monthlystatements and other important documents.Parents who live in the Eugene/Springfieldarea have mailboxes in the CommunityRoom or upstairs near the Business Office,which they are asked to check regularly.Parents who live outside theEugene/Springfield area may have theirthings mailed through the postal service.

There is a $50 annual fee, to cover the cost ofpostage, for this service.

School mail can contain writings onsensitive topics so it is important that parentsbe the ones to pick up their family' s mail.

Newsletters

The Bulletin is our weekly newslettercontaining information about the day to dayplans and needs of specific classes and schoolwide events. It is distributed on Wednesdaysof each week (copier willing) to parents,faculty and staff of the school.

The New Tidings is our bi-monthlynewsletter containing educational andinspirational articles and columns,Committee reports, information about eventsin the Anthroposophical movement, letters tothe editor and classified and displayadvertisements. It is distributed six times ayear, roughly every seven weeks, to parents,faculty and staff of the school and also toprospective school families and people fromoutside the school community who haverequested it. The Tidings is a volunteerpublication, so help is always needed in dataentry, copying, collating, and distributing itduring the last week of each month.

The Bulletin and the Tidings are alsoavailable by subscription to those outside theschool community. A Tidings subscription (6per year) costs $12 annually. Subscribing tothe Bulletins (29 per year) costs $30 annually.A subscription to both publications isavailable for $40 per year.

DeadlinesThe deadline for the Bulletin is the

Friday before publication at 3 PM.Electronic submissions (on computer disk)are welcome. If you are planning to submit


something electronically, please speak withthe office.

AdvertisementsClassified ads appear in the back of

each of the newsletters and in some Bulletinsand cost $1 for the first 20 words and $1 foreach additional 10 words of copy. Businesscard size display ads (submitted in camera-ready form) are available for publication inthe Tidings and in certain Bulletins for $15.Full and half page inserts are also available inthe Tidings and the Bulletin. See the office forcosts and requirements.

Letter policiesThe Tidings is intended to be an open

forum and an avenue of expression foreveryone in this community. Therefore it isschool policy to print any letters to thecommunity that are not slanderous,malicious, or clearly aimed at an individual.The editor reserves the right to append adisclaimer to letters.

Directory

The school phone directory listing thenames, addresses and phone numbers of allfamilies, faculty, staff and Teacher Trainingstudents comes out in the beginning of theschool year. Update inserts will be publishedonce or twice during the school year.

Telephone Tree

Each class has a phone tree which ismade at the beginning of the year by theClass Coordinator. It is used to disseminateclass information and schoolwideinformation. A phone tree message isusually started by the class teacher, theParent Council or the Board.

Bulletin Boards

There are several bulletin boards nearthe School Office. In the entryway to theCommunity Room there is a general boardwhere information can be posted aboutupcoming events, businesses and services,housing and items for sale, not necessarilyitems pertaining to our school. These noticesare not to be posted on the doors of theschool.

On the other side of this hallway isthe communications bulletin board whereinformation about the meetings and the workof various committees is posted. Minutesfrom recent Board meetings and ParentCouncil meetings are posted here as well asagendas for upcoming meetings.

Next to the mailboxes is a largebulletin board, half of which is for newsabout anthroposophical endeavors aroundthe world and half of which is for news aboutEugene Waldorf School programs, policiesand events. On the north wall of thecommunity room is a board for committeenews and needs, volunteer postings, andwishes and dreams from the site committeeand other committees.

In the parking lot area there is a kioskat the bottom of the stairs for publicizingschool events. Also there are often signsposted on the fence as you exit the parkinglot. These two areas are only for signspertaining to school events.

Class Meetings

Once a term and sometimes morefrequently, class meetings (also known asparent evenings) are called by the classteacher to discuss issues of importance toparents of that class. Topics often include:the curriculum that is being presented to theclass, developmental issues that come intoplay for children of that age, the socialdynamics of the class, plans for day trips orfield trips, and other class or school relatedissues. Parent evenings are also a time forparents to discuss general areas of concernand get support from other parents for the


challenges of parenting a child of that age.Attending class meetings regularly is awonderful way to deepen your connectionwith your child’s school life. It alsostrengthens your connectedness with yourchild’s teacher and with other parents in theschool community.

Concerns

In the past there has been significantconfusion within the community about theappropriate way to address a concern. TheBoard, the Faculty and the Parent Councilhave worked together and separately toclarify the appropriate channels for resolvingconcerns. This work is on-going.

If you have a concern, please utilizethe following constructive avenues towardsresolution:1) First work on the question within

yourself if possible, to see if you can cometo terms with it without carrying it anyfurther.

2) For questions that need furtherresolution, the next step is to speakdirectly to the person involved. To speakdirectly in this way can be difficult, but itis absolutely necessary if we are to be ahealthy community. It is not appropriateto discuss your concerns with others inthe community before you speak directlywith that person.

For instance, if you have a concernabout your child or a situation in theclassroom, it is very important that youdiscuss your concerns directly with thechild’s teacher. Our teachers arededicated to working in partnership withparents to do what is best for each child;they appreciate your involvement.

Communication challenges are thenorm in human relations, but if we bringour concerns and questions directly to theperson involved before the issue has achance to grow unwieldy it will make

resolution easier and will promotegrowth for everyone involved.

3) If, after direct communication, you feelthe issue has not been satisfactorilyresolved you are welcome to approachsomeone who is in a position ofresponsibility in that sphere of the schoolfor assistance in resolving the matter.

For instance in the case of difficultyresolving an issue with a teacher, itwould be appropriate to speak next to theFaculty Chair. In the case of a financialmatter that wasn’t being adequatelyresolved with the Finance Manager, itwould be appropriate to next speak to thetreasurer of the Board. If you are not surewho to approach next, look at the lastpage of this handbook, ask at the Officeor ask any Board, Faculty or ParentCouncil member and they will direct youto the right person or group.

At times it may be appropriate toreach out to someone who seems to have aconcern and help him or her in determiningthe appropriate channels through which toseek resolution. The responsibility rests withall of us to support the healthy functioning ofthis vital part of community life and toensure that differences between people areaddressed face to face between those people.If someone begins discussing a concern withyou, ask him or her if they have approachedthe person directly and if they are familiarwith the three steps for resolving conflicts inour school community. It will benefit all of usto follow the steps in this process.

If you have a long-held concern abouta certain aspect of the school, considerjoining the group or committee that guidesthat aspect of the school. Plugging yourexperiences, perspectives and interest intothe structures that exist in the schoolorganization is an excellent way to help usevolve towards an ever more healthy andstrong school.

C H A P T E R 4


Parent Resources

Community Room

The Community Room is locatedbetween the School Office and the back of thekindergarten rooms. It is a nice place forparents to visit, socialize, have meetings,bring younger siblings to play or drop in fora few minutes of respite before picking upchildren. It is also the home of the parentmail slots, bulletin boards, Dick Bruden' soffice and the lost and found. Donations offurnishings in nice condition are alwayswelcomed.

Community Phone

There is a phone located in thecommunity room that has been designatedfor outgoing use by students and parents inthe community. This is intended to be onlyfor brief, local calls of an immediate nature.This line is also used as the school’s fax andmodem number, so it is sometimes notavailable for outgoing calls. Ask at the officeif you need assistance with this phone.

Library

The library is located upstairs in theAssembly and Orchestra Room. It containsboth fiction and non-fiction children’s booksfor all ages, and books for parents on topicsof Waldorf education, parenting andanthroposophy. There is also a smallreference library for the faculty located in thefaculty room.

Materials for elementary age childrenare separated into fiction and non-fictionsections. Within each section, books arearranged alphabetically by title.Additionally, there is a section of picturebooks for young children and a referencebook section. The adult books are alsoarranged alphabetically by title.

Books can be checked out by anychild or adult in the school community. Onebook per person can be checked out at a timeand the checkout time is one month. Thelibrary is staffed by volunteers with hoursposted by the door.

The library collection exists whollythrough donations so please considerbringing in books that your children haveoutgrown or don’t need. Donations shouldbe left with a library assistant or in the Officewith a note indicating whom it is from. Inorder to strengthen the collection in ourschool’s library over time, we have created abirthday program. Parents are encouraged todonate one book each year on their child’sbirthday, either a favorite one that theyalready own or one that they have boughtspecifically for the library. If you have anyquestions or suggestions about the library,ask at the office.

The Golden Goose School Store

The Golden Goose exists as a serviceto the community and a resource for schoolfamilies. A portion of its monthly sales isdonated to the school' s operating budget.

The store is located in the lower floorof the high school. In the past, the store hasoperated on a self-serve basis and was“open” any time the office was open. Withthe new, expanded location and a widerselection of inventory, the store is now beingstaffed by volunteers at set hours and openonly during those times. The store hours arecentered around the high traffic drop off andpick up times, mornings, at noon and afterschool. The store is open all morningThursday and during open houses andspecial events. See posted hours or ask atthe office for exact times. Volunteers to helpstaff the store are always appreciated.

The store carries a wide variety ofbooks, craft items and gifts that spring from


the Waldorf philosophy and supportwholesome family life. Topics to be found onthe store’s bookshelf include: parenting andchild development, ideas for activities andcrafts to do with children, Waldorfeducation, basic anthroposophy and bookswritten by Rudolf Steiner. The Golden Gooseoffers a wide selection of toys from aroundthe world, including one of a kind dolls,jumpropes, games, dollhouse items andmany toys for creative play. Gift items,candles, cards, jewelry, craft and art supplies,musical instruments and treasure boxes alsofill the shelves. Consignment items made byparents or students that are in keeping withthe flavor of the store are warmlyencouraged. Our newly energized schoolstore committee plans to have new itemscoming in continually and many seasonallyrelated gifts. Special orders are welcomedwith prepayment.

The new vision for the store alsoincludes sponsoring workshops throughoutthe year where community members canlearn a craft, support the school and helpexpand the store’s inventory. The workshopfee covers the costs of materials and theteacher’s fee, and the rest is a donation to theschool. Items made are available forpurchase through the store with first choicegoing to the workshop participants.

Leave a note in the school storesuggestion box near the office or contact theschool store coordinator with workshopideas, special orders, suggestions for thingsyou’d like to see the store carry, offers to helpstaff the store, or any ideas related to theschool store.

Morning For Parents

Morning for Parents is a support andstudy group open to both mothers andfathers that focuses on supporting Waldorfeducation in the home. The group meetsevery other Friday morning at the school orin a home near the school. Preschoolchildren are welcome. A book is chosen thatis used as a springboard for discussion.Conversation often centers around areas ofimmediate concern for participants. Forinstance, if one parent is having troublegetting his/her children to sleep at night,that can become the topic for part of thatmorning’s meeting, with other parentsoffering ideas and support. For dates andtimes of meetings, call Phyllis Helland at 343-9271.

Eurythmy for Adults

Both beginning and advanced adulteurythmy classes are offered periodically onweekday evenings. Taught by IlseKolbuszowski, these classes offer anopportunity for adults to expand their socialmovement skills and to explore the enjoyableworld of eurythmy which their children haveexperienced over the years. There is a fee forthese classes which varies depending on thelength of the session.

Anthroposophical Society

Anthroposophy is the study of howthe spiritual and earthly worlds areconnected, and what the human being’s roleis in that connection. This is the philosophyout of which the Waldorf Educationmovement sprang.

There is a local branch of theAnthroposophical Society of America whosemembers meet monthly to study


anthroposophy together. Membership isopen to anyone. There is a membership feewhich is used to support both the nationalsociety and the activities of the local chapter.

The local branch of theAnthroposophical Society hosts a weeklystudy group on Wednesday nights to studythe books and lectures of Rudolf Steiner. Thegroup is open to all who have an interest.Regular attendance is encouraged. At times,an additional study group is formed to studya specific subject such as the curative aspectof Waldorf education, biodynamicagriculture or a particular book. The localbranch also hosts an annual Introduction toAnthroposophy study group for 6 - 8 weeks.Call Andrea Eichinger-Wiese at 683-7872 formore information on any of the studygroups.

The Anthroposophical Society alsosponsors adult-only celebrations of the fourmajor holidays: Christmas, Easter, St. John’sDay and Michaelmas. Information aboutthese celebrations is announced in the schoolnewsletter and usually a sign is posted at theschool. All are welcome.

Waldorf Resources on theInternet

There are a growing number ofWaldorf resources on the Internet, includingsites on the World Wide Web and Waldorfdiscussion groups via e-mail. To access theWaldorf Resources Home Page point yourweb browser tohttp://www2.psyber.com/~bobnancy/waldorf/welcome.html This page contains linksto translations of lectures by Rudolf Steiner,articles on the developing child, articles onWaldorf Education, articles on theorganizational structures of Waldorf schools,and links to home pages of specific Waldorfschools around the world, including ourown. The Association of Waldorf Schools ofNorth America (AWSNA) has a web page atwww.awsna.org.

The URL address of the home page ofour school ishttp://www.efn.org/~ewaldorf This site

was developed by John Schaad and containsthe school calendar, copies of the NewTidings newsletter, and announcements ofcommunity events. Experienced assistancein keeping the site updated would bewelcomed. If you are interested in helpingwith this endeavor, contact the school office.

There is a very active listserve (adiscussion group held via an e-mail mailinglist) on topics of Waldorf education with over600 participants from around the world, mostof whom are Waldorf parents. It is aninteresting way to get perspective on thecommon questions and challenges inWaldorf education today. If you subscribe,be prepared to receive 10 - 30 e-mailmessages per day. To subscribe, send an e-mail to [email protected] andin the body of the message say SUBSCRIBEWALDORF firstname lastname (using yourfirst name and last name).

You can also access the archives of thelistserve to search for information on a topicof particular interest to you. To do this, go tohttp://www.netspace.org/cgi-bin/lwgate/Waldorf/database.html

Recommended Readings

Many of the following books areavailable in the Parent Library or are stockedin the School Store. They can also be special-ordered from the school store or ordereddirectly from The Anthroposophic Press,RR4, Box 91 A1, Hudson, NY 12534, 1-518-851-2054.

You Are Your Child’s First Teacher by RahimaBaldwin, 1989.A great beginning book that helps parents in theirtask of enhancing their child’s development frombirth to school age.

Waldorf Education - A Family Guide edited byPamela Johnson Fenner and Karen Rivers, 1995.A wonderfully comprehensive and readableanthology covering the history, philosophy,curriculum and traditions of Waldorf education.Includes writings by many of the more wellknown Waldorf authors.


The Way of a Child by A.C. Harwood, 1940.An excellent introduction. Particularly valuablefor its clear explanation of how Waldorf educationis integrated with the fundamental stages of childdevelopment.

Waldorf Parenting Handbook by Lois Cusick,1984.Examines key points of child development whilealso giving focus to practical examples within theWaldorf curriculum.

Lifeways: Working With Family QuestionsEdited by Gudrun Davy and Bons Voors, 1983.Articles by Waldorf parents on themes relating tomany aspects of parenting and relationships in themodern world.

Between Form and Freedom: A Practical Guideto the Teenage Years by Betty Staley, 1988.Offering a wealth of insight on teenagers and thenature of adolescence, this book covers suchtopics as the search for the self, the birth of theintellect, teenagers’ needs in relation to family,friends, schools, the arts, and love, and also issuessuch as stress, depression, drugs, alcohol, andeating disorders.

Festivals, Families, and Food by Diana Carey andJudy Large, 1982.Explains the festivals celebrated in Waldorfschools and offers suggestions for activities,games, crafts, and recipes that can be used toenrich the family’s celebrations.

Education Towards Freedom by Frans Carlgren,1972.Large format, full color survey of the work ofWaldorf schools worldwide. Lavishly illustratedwith examples of children’s class work.

Rudolf Steiner Education: The Waldorf Schoolsby L. Francis Edmunds.An up-to-date survey of the Waldorf movement,emphasizing how Waldorf education differs fromother educational practices, particularly inmodern trends.

The Recovery of Man in Childhood by A.C.Harwood, 1958.A lucid presentation of the Waldorf approachfrom pre-school through 12th grade and beyond.Recommended as a more detailed description ofWaldorf education.

Childhood: The Study of the Growing Soul byCaroline Von Hydebrand, 1942.An in-depth look at the four temperaments ofchildren and how to best meet their specific needsas parents or educators. Ms. Von Hydebrand wasa student of Dr. Steiner during his lifetime andhelped establish Waldorf education in England.

Creativity in Education: The Waldorf Approachby René Querido.A concise and thorough look at Waldorf educationby the founder of The Rudolf Steiner College.

Teaching as a Lively Art by Marjorie Spock,1985.Examines the child from birth through thethirteenth year, with emphasis on the grade-school years and education.

Towards Wholeness: Rudolf Steiner Educationin America by M. C. Richards, 1980.A very readable examination of how Waldorfeducation meets today’s specific needs.

Study of Man Fourteen Lectures by RudolfSteiner, 1919.The introductory training lecture course given toteachers in the original Waldorf Schools.

Education as a Social Problem by Rudolf Steiner.Focuses on the problems of training teachers anddescribes the threefold concept of socialorganization.

The Kingdom of Childhood Seven Lectures byRudolf Steiner.Among Dr. Steiner’s last lectures, presented to agroup of teachers preparing to establish the firstWaldorf school in the English-speaking world,draws on the experience of the original Stuttgartschool’s first five years.


C H A P T E R 4

Enrollment &Financial Policies

Our school is a non-profit, tax-exemptindependent school. The school' s assets areowned by the Waldorf Education Associationof Willamette Valley, the corporate entitywhich operates the school. Parents ofchildren enrolled in the school areautomatically members of the associationand thus are directly involved in theeconomic life of the school. Formally, policyand financial decisions affecting theeconomic health and viability of the schoolare determined by the Board of Trustees.However, the Board actively seeks andconsults with faculty, staff, and parents inmaking its decisions.

While the individual financial recordsof our parents are confidential, the generalfinancial records of the school are available toall parents. If you have questions regardingfinancial matters, contact the FinanceManager.

Tuition Payment

Upon enrolling your child in theschool, you are asked to sign a tuitioncontract that commits you to tuition for theentire year. Early full payment may be madeby July 31 to receive a 5% discount. Mosttuition contracts for this year reflect an 11-month payment schedule with paymentsstarting July 1 and ending May 1. There is nodiscount on the tuition because of a child’sabsence from school.

Tuition payments made on monthlyinstallments are due on the 1st of the month.

Tuition can be paid by check or cash.(Please request a receipt when paying bycash.) A $20.00 fee applies if your check isreturned by your bank. Parents areresponsible for documenting tuition and feepayments (i.e. obtaining receipts for cashpayments).

If the tuition payment has not beenreceived in the office by the 10th of themonth, a $10 late fee will be assessed for thatmonth. Any money collected for tuition andfees will be applied first to the oldestoutstanding balance, if any. If payment isnot made by the last day of a given month,the School reserves the right to refuse thechild’s entry into class on the first day of thenext month. An additional $50 per childenrollment fee will be charged if thechild(ren) are re-enrolled.

If difficulties arise in your ability tomeet your tuition contract as scheduled,please contact the Finance Manager or amember of the Tuition Assistance Committeeimmediately to discuss your situation.

Tuition Deposits

Prior to re-enrolling, families mustpay a non-refundable $100 per family tuitiondeposit. Tuition deposits will be appliedtowards the first month’s tuition payment.(Tuition deposits are refundable only if, aftertuition assistance and scholarship awardshave been announced, a student is stillunable to meet tuition obligations.Application for refund must be made within30 days of award announcement.)


Financial Aid

Sibling DiscountAn optional sibling discount is

available to full paying families who requestthis discount. Supply fees and otherancillary costs outside of basic tuition willstill be charged. Following are the siblingdiscount levels for the 1998-99 school year:

1998-99Oldest Child 0%1st Sibling 23%2nd Sibling 73%Each additional sibling 100%

Tuition AssistanceIf a family believes the full tuition

amount is beyond their ability to pay, theymay request a reduced tuition by completinga Tuition Assistance form, available at theoffice. Applications are due in the earlyspring, during the re-enrollment period, forthe following fall. Families applying forassistance must go through the normalenrollment or re-enrollment processsimultaneously.

The Tuition Assistance (TA)Committee sends the applications to anational organization called SSS, School andScholastic Services. SSS uses objectivefinancial criteria such as income, debt, assets,etc. to analyze each applicant’s ability to pay.The TA Committee looks at the total amountof assistance available that year and the sumof the assistance recommended by SSS for allthose who have applied, and calculates whatpercentage of SSS’ recommended levels ofassistance to offer to the applying families.Tuition Assistance will be awarded on afamily basis. The entire process usually takesabout 2 to 3 weeks. A limited portion of thebudget is reserved for later in the school yearfor newly enrolling families.

The tuition assistance awards aredesigned to ensure that each family iscontributing the maximum amount they canafford. The question of whether parentsreceiving tuition assistance should beexpected to contribute more volunteer timethan parents who pay full tuition has been

discussed for many years at the school. TheTuition Assistance Committee has recentlyclarified that since parents requestingassistance are asked to work as much aspossible outside the school, the amount oftheir tuition payments is considered to be afull contribution. All parents, regardless ofhow much tuition they pay, are asked toparticipate in volunteer work as they areable.

The Board will continue to administerTuition Assistance through the TuitionAssistance Committee. If you have anyquestions about these policies, ask someoneon the Committee.

Tuition ReassessmentThe purpose of this policy is to provide

for the needs of families who haveexperienced a significant change in theirpersonal finances beyond their control (lossof employment, divorce, illness, etc.) whichimpacts their ability to meet the terms oftheir tuition contracts. The followingprocedure provides an opportunity toreassess tuition during the year:

1. Parents write a letter to the FinanceManager, stating their monetaryrequest and the conditions causingthis need.

2. TA forms will be sent (blank if newlyapplying or a photocopy ofpreviously completed forms forediting).

3. The letter and TA forms areforwarded to the TA Committee todetermine comparable assessedtuition under the new conditions.

Provisional Period

New and returning students areinitially admitted with a six-week period oftrial within which both the parent and theschool may review the student’s progressand compatibility with the class. If thestudent withdraws or is asked to leaveduring this period of trial for any reason,tuition is due and payable up to andincluding the date of withdrawal. A


schedule of pro-rated costs for tuition isavailable at the Business Office (upstairs).

Early withdrawal

If you intend to withdraw your childbefore the end of the year, you must informthe office in writing, at least 30 days prior towithdrawal, of your intention to withdraw.Withdrawal is not official until and unlessthis written notification is received by theschool. The period of enrollment will end 30days after notification of withdrawal isreceived or on the child’s last day ofattendance, whichever is later. Parents areresponsible for tuition incurred for an entiremonth even if enrollment does not end onthe last day of the month.

The principal expenses of the schooldo not diminish with the withdrawal ofstudents during the year. However, we alsorealize that life’s circumstances can changewithout our control. Consequently, in theevent of early withdrawal, parents areeligible for a partial tuition refund based on90% of the difference between the portion of

the school year they have paid for and theportion of the school year that the child hasattended.

Medical Withdrawal

In the event that a child is withdrawnfrom school for medical reasons that areprofessionally certified, tuition is pro-ratedfor the period the child attended school and,if school has not yet begun, the deposit isrefunded.

Re-enrollment

For currently enrolled students in thekindergarten or grade school, parents receivere-enrollment forms in late February or earlyMarch each year. To guarantee a space inyour child' s class, you must return the formby the due date, usually mid-March. Afterthat date, applications for new students areprocessed and new children enrolled if spacepermits.


C H A P T E R 6

Student Policies, Guidelines& Procedures

School Schedules

School CalendarSchool calendars for the year are

available in the Office.

School HoursThe school doors will open at 8:10 in

the morning. Please have your childrenarrive by 8:20 am so they are relaxed andready to begin each new day. Children inKindergarten through grade three must bedelivered to their class in the morning andmet at their classroom door at closing time bytheir parents or a designated person. Thosenot met will be taken to After School Careand parents will be charged for After SchoolCare services at the drop-in rate.

Preschool 8:45 - 12:15 M-WKindergarten & First Grade

8:30 - 12:30 M-FSecond Grade

8:30 - 12:30 M, Th., F8:30 - 3:00 T, W

Third Grade8:30 - 12:30 M, Th.,8:30 - 3:00 T, W, F

Grades 4 - 88:30 - 3:00 M, T, W, F8:30 - 12:30 Th.

On Thursday, the teachers meet in theafternoon. All classes are dismissed at 12:30.

AbsencesIf your child will be absent, please call

the office by 8:00 am so the class teacher canbe informed. A message can be left on theanswering machine.

Parents should inform the classteacher of any circumstances in the homethat might affect a child' s attendance. Ifspecific circumstances make a long absencenecessary, it is essential to consult with theclass teacher as early as possible.

Snow DaysOur school follows the lead of the 4J

schools in weather related closures. Thisinformation is broadcast on local radio andTV stations as soon as it is available. Whenpossible, the phone tree will be activated toinform parents of a closure.

Class SchedulesSee your class teacher for a current

class schedule for your child’s class.

Health and Safety

IllnessesWhen your child needs medicine,

please administer it at home wheneverpossible. If a child must take medication atschool, it must come in its original containerand a parent must provide the school with awritten note, signed and dated, giving fullinstructions. Prescription medications mustcome labeled with the physician' sinstructions. Children are not to havemedicine in their lunch baskets. Medicineshould only be handled by adults. Vitamin


pills and any natural remedy should betreated as medicine.

If a child becomes seriously ill orinjured at school, parents will be contactedimmediately and asked to pick up the child.A child who is ill will be allowed to rest untila parent can pick up the child. First aid willbe given for minor injuries that occur atschool. A release form that allows schoolpersonnel to administer homeopathic firstaid to your child is available at the office.

In the event of an outbreak of acontagious disease, you will be notified inthe Bulletin. All children who are notinoculated will be required to stay homeuntil the incubation period is over. If yourchild contracts a contagious disease, pleasenotify the office as soon as possible so otherfamilies can be informed.

In the event of an emergency, we willcontact the parent(s) or guardian listed on theEmergency and Consent Form. If immediatemedical attention is necessary, the child willbe taken to the doctor or hospital indicatedon the form, or if necessary, 911 will becalled.

The following is advice from the HealthDepartment. If your child has any of thefollowing symptoms, please keep them out ofschool:

Diarrhea — three or more waterystools in a twenty-four hour period,especially if child looks or acts ill;

Vomiting — two or more timeswithin the past 24 hours;

Rash — body rash especially withfever or itching. Heat rashes andallergic reactions are notcontagious;

Eyes — thick mucus or pusdraining from eye, or pink eye;

Fever — temperature 101 F orhigher and sore throat, rash,vomiting, diarrhea, ear ache,irritability or confusion;

Appearance — unusually tired,pale, lack of appetite, irritable;

Sore throat — especially with feveror swollen glands;

Lice, scabies — children must notreturn to school until they are free

of lice and nits (eggs). Childrenwith scabies may return aftertreatment.

Children with mild cold symptoms whodo not have any of the above symptoms mayattend school. If your child needs to remaininside during breaks (for the purposes ofillness recovery only), please send a note tothe class teacher.

LiceLice infestations are increasingly

common in schools, affecting people of allage groups, education levels and economicsituations. We have been successful incurtailing major outbreaks by having licechecks at the beginning of each school termand about every five weeks during the terms.Parents should make sure their children havetheir hair washed and unbraided on checkday. In the event that lice are found, familieswill be given written informationrecommending special shampoos andcleaning methods for the home to helperadicate the lice. Children who have hadlice must be checked by the office staff andfound to be lice-free before returning to theirclass.

Accident InsuranceThe school offers a voluntary student

accident insurance policy which coversinjuries caused by accidents that occurbetween the time the child leaves for schooluntil he or she returns. For more informationor to purchase such a policy, contact theoffice.

Disaster PreparednessTeachers are instructed in drill and

emergency procedures and the childrenpractice fire drills regularly during the schoolyear. In the case of an earthquake, childrenwill be released only to their parents orguardians.


Field TripsPermission slips distributed to all

parents at the beginning of the year will beused for all daytime field trips. Teachers willnotify the parents of a trip being planned andparents will be asked to help drive children.(Parents under the age of 26 may not driveother children on field trips.) The drivingparents will need to fill out a Field TripDriver Form, provide safety belts for eachchild, and assume the care of the children inhis or her car. The teacher will carry a copy ofeach child' s emergency information on allfield trips. Drivers may not stop forunscheduled side trips at the request of thestudents. For field trips that take placeoutside of the school’s normal office hours,the teacher will designate a parent who is notgoing on the trip to be a phone contact forrelaying messages such as updatedinformation on the group’s return time.

Drop off and ParkingOlder children who don’t need to be

escorted into their class can be dropped off inthe drop-off lane (the one closest to the lowerschool building in the lower parking lot) orbehind the gym at the Durbin St. gate. Pleasedo not park in the drop off lane. The largelower parking lot accessible from McLean St.is available for parent parking. The upperparking lot is for faculty and staff use only.Our neighbors on Neslo Street (above theschool) have requested that we not park onthat street. Please drive slowly and withextra care in the parking lot.

Clothing Guidelines

Part of what makes a Waldorf schoolspecial is the attention accorded to creatingan environment that is visually pleasing.When a child is surrounded by beauty,beauty is reflected within him or her andallowed to grow and flourish. For thisreason, some of the clothing guidelinesrequested of parents who send their childrento a Waldorf school are different than thoseof many other schools.

Outside play is a regular part of theschool day. Children should be provided

with gloves, hats, warm waterproof outdoorclothes, and footwear appropriate to theseason so that they can play comfortablyoutdoors, and come into the school warmand dry. Bare feet are not allowed.Kindergarten through third grade childrenshould leave a change of clothing at school.

Parents are asked to send theirchildren to school bathed and combed anddressed in clothing that is clean and well-cared for, without holes. This helps instill achild' s respect for self and others. Fabrics ofsolid colors, prints inspired by the naturalworld, stripes and plaids in many colors areall wonderful. It is asked that children besent to school in clothes that are free ofcommercial logos and characters so that thechild' s own being can shine. It is alsorecommended that younger children not bedressed in black.

Hair should be clean and in a styleappropriate for school that is not distractingto the child nor to others. Middle Schoolstudents (grades 6-8) may use hair tints ofnatural colors, clear or skin colored nailpolish and cosmetics with moderation.

The wearing of watches isdiscouraged among the younger grades sothe child can flow through the day withoutbeing time conscious. For those in thirdgrade and above who want to wear watches,those with analog faces are preferred.Watches that beep are disruptive andtherefore are prohibited in school.

Because our wet climate makes itimpractical for younger children to weartheir outdoor shoes inside, and emergencydrills make it necessary for children to havesomething on their feet when they exitduring the drill, all children in grades K-3must bring indoor shoes and wear theminside the classrooms. Hard-soled indoorshoes are best as opposed to cloth-bottomedslippers. Students must be able to jump, skipand run in these shoes.


Assembly DressOn assembly days, children are asked

to dress with special attention to honor theevent. Extra finery adds to the celebration.Holiday dress, suited to the season, isenthusiastically requested. No jeans orsweats for assemblies please.

Lost and Found

The Lost and Found shelf is located inthe Community Room. Please check the boxoften. Items not claimed at the end of everyterm are given away.

Lunch and Snacks

Children have a mid-morning snacktime in their classrooms. In the

Kindergarten, snacks are preparedcommunally and ingredients are provided bythe teacher, except on Fridays when eachchild brings food to contribute. In the falland the spring, the kindergartners are askedto bring a fruit for fruit salad; betweenHalloween and Easter, they bring a vegetablefor vegetable soup. In the grades, childrenhave individual snacks (not communal).Parents are encouraged to send their childrenwith an ample and wholesome snack eachday. It is recommended that first, second andthird graders bring their snack in a basket.Backpacks are permitted for third througheighth graders. Ask your child' s teacher ifyou have questions about this. Childrenwhose school day goes until 3:00 need tobring both a lunch and a snack. It is askedthat children not bring canned soda, chewinggum or candy of any kind. Trading of snackor lunch items is discouraged.


C H A P T E R 7

Discipline Policiesand Procedures

The primary expectation of children' sbehavior at EWS is that it show respect forthe classroom, learning environment,property, teachers, classmates and all fellowhuman beings.

The following pages outlinebehavioral guidelines, school rules andconsequences for disrespectful behavior aswell as disciplinary procedures should theybecome necessary. This policy is subject tochange at the discretion of the faculty.Revisions will be published and distributedto parents as soon as possible after adoption.

School rules are derived from thefollowing three principles:

Respect for all human beings whichincludes oneself and others;

Respect for all school and personalproperty;

Respect for the guidance provided bythe teachers and staff.

General School Rules

The following general rules apply at alltimes:

1. Children may not leave the schoolgrounds during school hours withoutpermission.

2. Bicycles, skateboards or roller skatesmay not be ridden on the grounds ofthe school at any time. Bicycles mustbe parked in the rack provided.

3. Items which preoccupy children' sattention are disruptive at school.Radios, tape players, Walkmans, and

computer games are prohibited onschool grounds. Toys (includingstuffed animals and dolls) and games,unless specifically OK’d by a child' steacher, are also not allowed atschool.

4. Eating is to take place in the classroomonly; this includes before and afterschool hours. Gum is not allowed atschool. Candy and carbonated sodapop are discouraged.

5. No media character type lunch boxesor backpacks, please.

6. Children in the first through thirdgrades should not bring money toschool unless the need is specific.

7. Dress is to be in accordance with theschool' s clothing guidelines.

8. Indoor shoes must be worn inside theschool for grades K - 3, except whenotherwise requested by the teacher.

9. All children in grades K - 3 must bepicked up by 15 minutes after theirclass gets out or signed into AfterSchool Care.

10. If your child uses After School Careyou or someone you authorize arerequired to sign your child out whenyou pick him/her up.

11. Any dogs brought on school groundsmust be leashed and attended to byan adult at all times. Dogs are notallowed inside the school buildingexcept on special occasions. If youcannot attend to your dog, please tiehim/her outside the school grounds.The school reserves the right toprohibit dogs from the grounds ifthey behave in a threatening manneror if they are soiling school property.


Guidelines for Classroom andPlayground Behavior

In the classroom as well as outside, wewish to foster respect for the school and forother human beings in an atmosphere ofpeaceful cooperation where learning can takeplace. The following kinds of behavior donot contribute to such an atmosphere and aretherefore not permitted:

1. Hitting, rough play and physicalabuse.

2. Throwing objects (except balls andFrisbees).

3. Defiance of rightful authority.4. Disrespectful behavior such as

abusive language and gestures.5. Detrimental teasing.6. Continuous disruptive behavior in the

classroom including late orincomplete assignments.

7. Damaging or stealing property.8. Possession of a dangerous weapon or

device.9. The use or possession of substances

deemed illegal for minors.10. Running in the building.11. Frequent unexcused absences ortardiness.

Recess Rules:1. Recess bells ring at 10:45 and 12:45.

Classes begin five minutes after the 11:00and 1:20 end-of-recess bells. All thechildren must stop playing when the bellrings and head in. First graders, andother classes as needed, will beaccompanied by their teacher.

2. The children must have appropriateclothing: coats or raincoats, hats, bootsand gloves as needed. In the lowerschool (Preschool through Grade Five),the teachers will ensure that the childrenare sent outside dressed in appropriateclothing as provided by the parents.

3. No food may be taken on the schoolgrounds unless otherwise indicated bythe teacher for special events.

4. If children are too sick to go outside theyshould bring a signed note from theirparents that they should stay inside.They will be expected to sit quietly on thesick bed next to the downstairs office.

5. If the bell ringer (along with the otherteachers) decides it is too rainy to be out,the bell will not be rung. This letseveryone know that they must stay intheir own classrooms with their own classteacher. If it suddenly clears, theindividual teacher may decide to let theclass out. The teacher then goes outsidewith the class.

6. The children are not allowed in thebuilding during recess except to go to thebathroom in the main building, or in thecase of injury or sickness, when theyshould be taken to the lower office.

7. The children must stay within theboundaries of the play areas. Thefollowing are considered out of bounds:off the school campus, the south and westsides of the main building including theupper main entrance, both parking lots,outside the kindergartens, behind thegym and the eurythmy hall, inside orunder the high school, the high schooldecks, all roofs including the playhouses,climbing on or over any fences, climbingin or on the flow form, the bicycle rackareas and inside the gym building (unlesssupervised by a teacher).

8. All toys and sports equipment must beleft at home unless authorized by theclass teacher.

9. No water games or ice sliding unlesssupervised by the teacher.

10. Absolutely no tampering with bicyclesbefore, during or after school. Bikes areto be locked up, left alone and left outsideduring school hours.


11. Ball games: Baseball must be authorized by the class

teacher and must be umpired by an adult. Football: Grades 3 through 5 may only

play touch football with a nerf ball.Tackle football is allowed only uponpermission of the teacher with teachersupervision for grades 7 and 8.

Soccer may only be played by Grade 6and above.

Ball games should be played on the twofields, except for basketball which may beplayed on the blacktop. There will be arenewed schedule for the basketballhoops.

The fields may not be used for any ballgame when they are too wet, as thisdestroys the playing surface and thechildren get too wet and dirty.

12. Only ball and sports equipmentauthorized by a teacher may be thrown.This means no throwing of rocks, sticks,pine cones, apples, sand or mud. If a ballmust be retrieved (especially from theblackberries) the child must get thesupervision of a duty person.

13. No tree climbing.14. No tools of any kind may be taken

outside at recess unless they areauthorized and closely supervised by ateacher. This includes scissors, shears,cutters, knives, shovels, trowels, etc.

15. Safety and respect make for more fun.No kicking, hitting, pushing, too-roughplay, swearing, or interfering with games.We encourage inclusivity in all games.

Middle School (grades 6,7 & 8)Discipline & Guidance

In the course of a student' s life it ispossible for her/him to be swayed fromappropriate behavior. It can happen thatsome students pass through a challengingphase in their development. Repeatedincidents can indicate a need for strongerboundaries and greater care in guidance.The hope of our teachers is to work in such away as to promote and foster healthy

development to those passing throughunique challenges. As may be necessary,support in fostering appropriate behavior isoutlined below in the following policy.

Appropriate behavior Honors a respectful attitude and behavior

toward others. Appreciates the surrounding properties

that have been provided for theacademic, social and physical wellbeingfor all present at the Eugene WaldorfSchool.

Considers the safety of the environmentand behavior towards others in aconstructive manner.

Inappropriate behavior Demonstrates lack of respect for others -

verbal or physical Demonstrates lack of respect for property Demonstrates lack of respect for safety

Examples of incidents or infraction of theabove can include some of the following: Unacceptable language in the presence or

to another including swearing andtalking back to a teacher or other adult

Harming another - hitting Refusing to respond to the adult or

teacher in charge

Guidance for studentsWe will work together to foster

accountability and enable communitysupport to assist students in their own self-discipline to change and transform theirbehavior and attitude. Response to thesituation at hand and to the needs of thestudents involved will includecommunication to the parents. Our goal is tohelp every student to fell safe and able togrow in an environment supported by thecommunity.


School Response to Incidents or Infractions:Steps for Further Guidance

Incidents or infractions of school ruleswill be followed through respectfully. Eachchild and each situation will be responded toas an opportunity to restore balance andsafety for all involved. Each incident will beaddressed as soon as possible by theteacher/adult involved or notified first. TheClass Teacher will be notified to help arrangea meeting with the student(s) involved, thefirst teacher, the Class Teacher, and apossible third teacher. The meeting is to takeplace at the soonest possible time after theincident occurs.

The meeting includes: Helping the student to evaluate the

incident Helping the student to reflect and find

ways to change her/his inappropriatebehavior.

Helping the student to repair thesituation (with persons or property)

Consequences will be determined by theteachers involved, case by case.

A Parent-Teacher Communication Slipwill be sent to the parents.

Teachers will strive to allow a "listeningspace" for the student to feel heard andunderstood.

Parent Teacher Communication SlipsThese slips assist teachers and parents

in confirming communication in a timelymanner and the arranging of phone calls andmeetings. They are to be signed andreturned on the next day the child attendsschool. Our aim is that the student feels heldby both parents and teachers. In the eventthat parents have been contacted three timesand continued infractions occur, a letter willbe sent from the Guidance Committee toarrange a meeting with parents and thestudent.

Guidance CommitteeThe Guidance Committee is

comprised of teachers and parents who areavailable to respond to situations in theabove-mentioned outline with a minimum of

two teachers present at a meeting. Theirresponsibility is to offer objective and clearlistening with follow-through guidance. TheCommittee may recommend additionalexpertise be brought in such as counselors,doctors, etc. The Committee mayrecommend consequences which mayinclude a six-week probation and weeklymeetings to assess progress.

Study HallsIn addition to the above guidance

measures, a Wednesday and Friday studyhall from 3 to 4 p.m. will be in place forstudents who do not get their workcompleted as required by their teachers.These are staffed by teachers who will helpmaintain silent study. Attendance to studyhalls requires (parental) rearrangement ofrides, lessons, etc. that conflict. Students willbe informed of study hall assignment at leastone day before the required study hall takesplace. It is the student' s responsibility toinform parents of the need to fulfill thisrequirement.

Property Damage

Families are responsible for repair orreplacement costs for any destruction ofschool or personal property caused by astudent, accidental or otherwise. Althoughchildren are encouraged to take care of theirmusical instruments, occasionally accidentshappen and instruments are damaged. Youare strongly encouraged to be certain you cancover the cost of a damaged instrument. Ifowned, it can be insured through ahomeowner’s or renter’s policy (sometimesthis requires that it be “listed” property) or, ifrenting, by purchasing insurance as part ofthe rental agreement. The school is notresponsible for damaged instruments.

Damage or Vandalism to School Property bymiddle school students1. Parents are held accountable to make

repairs with student. Parent(s) will bepresent when student is righting thewrong.


2. Parents are responsible to makearrangements to pay for repairs.

3. Parent meets with student and teacherprior to returning to school after repairsare completed.

Guidelines for Field Trips

All school rules apply to students whileon field trips. In addition, students areexpected to act as representatives of theschool and meet the following expectations:

1. Students must treat chaperones withrespect and obey them as they woulda class teacher.

2. Students must be polite, considerateof others, and use good manners at alltimes.

3. The food policies of the school are tobe followed at all times unless aspecific exception is made by theteacher.

4. Students must wear seat belts whiletraveling in vehicles.

Disciplinary Procedures

The faculty use several differentdisciplinary measures depending on thechild' s age, his or her specific infraction, andgeneral pattern of behavior. The aim ofdisciplinary measures is to create a safe andharmonious environment for all children.We believe children feel more secure and actmore responsibly when consequences areclear and understood. We also believe gooddiscipline requires the concerted effort ofstudents, parents and teachers.

The following steps will be taken as aresult of unacceptable behavior:

1. For minor rule infractions, the teacherwill decide what consequences shallbe instituted. Time -outs willsometimes be used in this case.Parents will be notified at the earlystages of an unacceptable pattern ofbehavior. If a child intentionallycauses harm to another, the child maybe suspended.

2. For serious infractions or repeatedminor infractions, a conference will beheld between the parents, the teacherinvolved and one other appropriateperson in order to facilitate anobjective dialogue.

3. In extreme cases of repeatedinfractions and conferences, theschool may deem it necessary to expela student.

Definitions:Time out is the removal of a child or childrenfrom a potentially dangerous or harmfulsituation. Its purpose is for the child' srecovery, to regain his or her grounding.Suspension is the same thing but longer. Thestudent is removed from school as soon as aparent or one of the parents' emergencybackups can arrive, and the student willremain out of school for the following day aswell, in order to have time to reflect on thesituation. Work redemption may be anoption for some situations.Expulsion takes place when a child has beensuspended repeatedly, indicating that thechild has not found his or her place withinthis school.

Guidelines for Suspension andExpulsion

Parents will be called to remove theirchild from school immediately in response toextreme violations of conduct or safety. Thefollowing misconduct may result in a child' sbeing sent home the day of occurrenceand/or for a predetermined number ofsubsequent days:

1. Violent acts which physicallyhurt another person ordeliberately destroy property.

2. Bringing illegal substances orweapons to school.

3. Any action which endangersthe safety of another person.

4. Blatant defiance.5. Theft or accessory to theft.


6. Leaving school groundsduring school hours withoutpermission.

7. An accumulated record ofmisconduct.

Physical Discipline

Physical restraint may be used whena child' s safety is at risk or if he or she isendangering another child or attempting toleave school property without permission.Occasionally, physical guidance is providedto assure compliance (i.e., holding a child' shand or shoulders to walk him where heneeds to be).


C H A P T E R 8

School-Related ProgramsAfter School Care

Our state-certified After School CareProgram (ASC) is available to students ingrades P - 4 between the hours of 12:30 and5:15. This program is overseen by the AfterSchool Care Committee and is staffed by paidcaregivers. Kindergarten ASC is held in thekindergartens until 3:00 at which time anyremaining kindergartners in ASC join theolder students in the After School Care roomupstairs. Parents are requested to toll outpaperwork detailing who may pick up theirchildren from ASC.

Children getting out of school at 12:30and then going to ASC will need to bring alunch and an afternoon snack according tothe school guidelines detailed in Chapter Six(i.e. wholesome food, no commercial lunchboxes). Kindergartners who use After SchoolCare are asked to bring a cloth bagcontaining a pillow, a light blanket and acloth mattress cover for them to use duringthe rest time. These bags can be left at theschool and taken home at the end of eachterm for laundering.

ChargesThe ASC rate is $2.50 per hour if it is

pre-paid and pre-scheduled. Siblings are anadditional $.75 per hour per sibling whenpre-paid and pre-scheduled. The drop-in rateis $3.25 per hour for the first child and $1.50per hour for each sibling. Charges accrue tothe nearest quarter hour. Charges areconsidered pre-paid and pre-scheduled whenyour child is signed up by the deadline datefor that month. Monthly deadlines will fallon or near the 24th of each month, exceptwhen holidays may make the date earlierthan usual. Pre-scheduling is always donethrough the reception office. Drop-in ratesare applied to any use which is not pre-paidand pre-scheduled by the monthly deadline.

If your child will be dropping in, pleasecontact the office as soon as possible to letthem know.

PaymentAll payments should be made in the

reception office. Payment can be made bycheck or cash. Please let the Office Managerknow that you are paying for ASC. Whenyou pay cash, be sure to get a receipt. Allcharges are due and payable at the end ofeach month. A 10-day grace period is givenbefore a $10.00 monthly late fee is assessedon any unpaid balance over $1.00. You mayrequest that ASC statements be given withyour tuition statements. These statementswill be distributed a few days before the endof every month.

CreditsAftercare credit will be given only if a

child is sick. Parents are required to call theoffice by 9:00am on the day of every absencein order to be issued a credit. If a studentwill not be using scheduled aftercare time forany reason (for example going home with aclassmate, to a birthday party, or if a parenthas a change in schedule) the office wouldappreciate being notified so that anotherstudent may use that space and so theteachers are aware of who to expect.

HoursParents are expected to pick up their

children by 5:15. A 15-minute grace period isallowed before a $5.00 late fee is charged.

ASC PhoneThe after care providers can be

reached directly after 3:30 p.m. on Monday,Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and after1:00 p.m. on Thursdays at 345-8774. To get amessage to them at other times, please callthe school office.


VolunteersParents doing volunteer work at the

school may be eligible to use ASC for nocharge depending on the nature of the workand the availability of space in ASC for thatparticular day. You must check with theoffice ahead of time if you believe you maywant to use ASC when you are volunteering.We will let you know if there is availabilityand how to avoid being billed for thosehours.

After School Care is designed to be ahome-like atmosphere offering the comfort ofrhythm in the afternoon’s schedule, withoutthe demands of structured activities. Thisallows for the children to have the kind of“outbreathing” that they need after a day ofmore focused activities at school. Space isprovided for creative play both indoors andout, and craft materials are available foractivities such as finger knitting or coloring.Occasionally the ASC teacher will lead a craftactivity or a game. Donations of yarn andother material for the ASC program arealways welcomed.

Parent Toddler Program

The Parent Toddler Program is aparent education and support program thatmeets once a week (Thursdays from 10:30 -12:15 am) for 8-week sessions. The facilitatorleads the group through a morning filledwith creative activities, songs and verses,stories and puppet shows. Thus it providesthe parent and child an enriching timetogether. While the children are at play, theparents are offered simple handworkactivities. It is also a place where parentsmeet one another to share and learn fromeach other’s experiences as well as to becomeacquainted with the Waldorf approach.Parent education evenings are also offered.For more information contact MarionAragon-Herbert at 686-4876 or ask at theschool office.

Preschool

The Preschool Program follows thehealth-building rhythms of the Kindergarten.Children of ages 3 and 4 spend two or threedays together each week working andplaying out of their growing imaginations.Activities such as painting, baking, circletime and free play foster their learning skillsat fundamental levels. Stories are repeated toinspire memory development, play acting,and inner picturing that later become anavailable reservoir for reading skills. It is ajoy to behold the evolving sense of brother-sisterhood that even at this young ageemerges in the atmosphere of a naturalsetting.

Scrip

Scrip is one of the easiest fundraisersour school participates in and is ongoingthroughout the year. Several stores havedecided to support local schools by offering a5% discount on scrip certificates whenpurchased in bulk by the school. The schoolpays $950 for $1000 worth of scrip. Thesescrip certificates are then offered for sale atface value (in denominations of $10 - $25) tosupporters of the school. All you have to dois organize yourself to funnel the money youalready spend at these stores through theschool. The way it works is this: You knowyou are going to go to Safeway and spendabout $100 for groceries for the coming week.So that morning when you drop your childoff at school (or as far in advance as isconvenient for you), you go to the SchoolOffice and purchase $100 worth of Safewayscrip. Then you go to Safeway and do yourusual grocery shopping but instead ofwriting them a check for $100 or paying $100in cash, you pay with scrip, and the schoolfundraising coffers are $5 richer! It’s thatsimple!

Five dollars for every hundred spentmay not sound like a lot, but our collectivespending power is enormous. And scripisn’t just for grocery stores. Our school sellsscrip from the following area stores: FriendlyFoods, Fred Meyer, Jerry’s, Oasis, PriceChopper, Safeway, and Sundance. All comein $20 denominations except Oasis ($25).


Scrip can be purchased duringregular school office hours and occasionallyfrom sign toting scrip enthusiasts in theparking lot. For our recordkeeping purposes,please note on the check what store’s scripyou are purchasing and in what quantity. Ifwe all make scrip part of our weekly groceryroutine, the money earned by the school willsignificantly enhance the educationopportunities offered to our children. Formore information, or to volunteer to help sellscrip, contact the school office.

School Photos

Each fall, a professional schoolphotographer comes to our school and makesportraits of each individual child and groupphotos of each class with their teacher and awhole-school photo. Advance notice will begiven in the newsletter. These photos areavailable for purchase directly from thephotography company. Orderinginformation and payment envelopes arepassed out a week or so prior to photo day.Grade 7 and 8 will be producing a schoolyearbook this year for the first time.

Summer Arts Program

Every summer, usually in July, theschool offers a Summer Arts Program, onefor children between the ages of 3 and 7 andone for children 7 to 11. It is a wonderfultime for the children to renew theirfriendships in the summer and its also a greatopportunity for non-Waldorf families to beintroduced to the school and for newlyenrolled kindergartners to get used to someof the kindergarten routines before the hustleand bustle of the school year begins. Detailsare made available through flyers andnewsletter announcements in the spring.

Teacher Training Program

The Waldorf Teacher TrainingProgram, established in Eugene in 1990, is atwo-year program run by former EugeneWaldorf School teacher Willi Muller. The

Teacher Training Program is organizationallyand legally a separate entity from the school,but the school and the Teacher TrainingProgram have a close and mutually beneficialrelationship. Teacher training takes place inthe teacher training room in our mainbuilding.

The first year is called “TheFoundation Year” and includes anintroduction to the basic works of RudolfSteiner and the fields that have resulted fromhis spiritual research. The Foundation Yearincludes extensive artistic activities such asmusic, singing, painting, modeling, drawing,speech formation and Eurythmy. Althoughthe Foundation Year is part of the full two-year teacher training program, students mayenroll for the Foundation Year only forpersonal enrichment or other reasons. Theschedule is designed for working people,requiring 12 class hours per week includingone weekday morning, Saturday morningsand two evening sessions each week.

The second year, also called “TheEducation Year”, offers guidance in acomprehensive study of Waldorf Education,based on Rudolf Steiner’s insights intohuman nature and the educational needs ofthe growing child. Teaching methodologyand curriculum studies, in relationship tochild development, form the core of thecourse work, alongside the arts of Eurythmy,music, singing, painting, drawing and claymodeling. The curriculum includes theteaching of language arts, literature,mathematics, history, geography, and thesciences. A portion of the year is devoted toobservations in the classrooms and practiceteaching both at the Eugene Waldorf Schooland other Waldorf Schools.

For more information about theTeacher Training Program and applicationforms, inquire at the office or call WilliMuller at 485-6348.

Waldorf-inspired HomeKindergartens & Day Care

Homes


There are several Waldorf preschoolsaffiliated with, but not officially a part of theEugene Waldorf School.

Morning Rose Kindergarten andPreschool is a Waldorf inspired kindergartenin a home and garden setting for familieswith children 3 - 6 years old. The MorningRose is open Monday through Thursdayfrom 8:45 - 12:15 and generally follows theEugene Waldorf School vacation calendar.Andrea Eichinger-Wiese and Lourdes Smyth,both long time Eugene Waldorf Schoolkindergarten teachers, are the Morning Roseteachers. Morning Rose Kindergarten islocated downtown at 1628 Lawrence St. CallAndrea at 683-7872 for more information orto arrange a visiting time.

There are also several play groupsand day care homes run by school parents orTeacher Training students. Ask at the officeor look on the bulletin board and in thenewsletter for more information.

Association of Waldorf Schoolsof North America (AWSNA)

The Eugene Waldorf School is amember of the Association of WaldorfSchools of North America (AWSNA). Theprimary purpose of AWSNA is to aid eachaffiliated school in improving the quality ofthe education which it offers. This isaccomplished through a number of

programs, including: conferences andworkshops for teachers, parents, andtrustees, consultation services by experiencedteachers on a wide range of issues, standingcommittees working with such issues asteacher preparation and ongoing deepening,school review and evaluation, schooleconomics and finances, as well as thepublication of a broad spectrum of materialaddressing curriculum and schoolorganization, and a bi-annual newsletterInform which addresses pedagogical issues aswell as updates from schools around NorthAmerica.

For more information about AWSNA,look at their Web page at www.awsna.org orcontact David Alsop, AWSNA Chairman,3911 Bannister RD., Fair Oaks, CA 95628.Phone (916) 961-0927. Fax (916) 961-0715.

The Rudolf Steiner Foundation

The Rudolf Steiner Foundation is afinancial services organization offering arange of financial and advisory services toindividuals and organizations active withinthe anthroposophical movement. Severalyears ago, the Eugene Waldorf School Boardof Trustees worked with some advisors fromthe Rudolf Steiner Foundation to strengthenthe realms of financial structure, income andexpense management, new projectdevelopment and gift support at our school.

The Foundation also works withindividuals to: assist them in putting theirmoney to work in socially constructiveprojects (loans) and assist them in directingtheir philanthropic support to organizationshaving development projects (gifts). If youwould like to find out more about how theRudolf Steiner Foundation can serve yourgiving and socially responsible lendinginterests, you can contact them by phone at(415) 561-3900, by fax at (415) 561-3919, by e-mail at [email protected] or by postalmail at PO Box 29915, San Francisco CA94129-0915.

C H A P T E R 9

http://www.awsna.org/


BiographiesJona Alexandria, 8th Grade, Boardof Trustees

Jona was brought up in the spirit ofworld citizenship on three continents withina European-American family of greatpioneering character. Instilled in her was thequest to explore all corners of this earth, andto seek its truth. Her first diploma, theInternational Baccalaureate (IBG), from theinternational school in Sophia Antipolis,France, led her to studies in anthropologyand linguistics at Reed College in Portland,Oregon. Jona graduated with a BA andstrong interests in alternative education as ameans of social change. A series of smallsteps led her back to France to anotherinternational school in Nice where sheworked for two years as a high schoolteacher of the IBG in English and Art History.In 1993 she attended the Waldorf TeacherTraining Program in Eugene and completedpracticums at the Vancouver Waldorf HighSchool in British Columbia--bringing her toher first experience as a Waldorf teacher.

Marion Aragon-Herbert, MorningGlory Parent-Toddler Program,Handwork

Marion grew up in SouthwestGermany, not far from Stuttgart, where thefirst Waldorf School was founded and is stillflourishing. Surrounded by a large andclose-knit family, Marion was the oldest offive siblings, as well as numerous cousins,and enjoyed taking care of little ones, longbefore she was half grown herself. Artisticand craft activities, along with music makingwere valued and nourishing pastimes in herfamily' s home, particularly since there wasno TV.

In her early twenties, Marion went tolive in France, mainly in Paris, to connectwith the French side of her ancestry and tostudy the language. Carried by the samequest for adventure, she moved to Americain the late 1970' s, and after a brief stopover

in California, happily settled in Ashland,Oregon. There she earned a BachelorsDegree in Fine Art with a minor in French.She loves the beautiful outdoors as well asthe diverse cultural offerings of her adoptedhome state. In Ashland, Marion met herhusband, Tim. When their oldest child wasborn, Marion remembered WaldorfEducation, made a connection with theWaldorf School of the Rogue Valley andbegan to study Anthroposophy.

In 1993 her whole family moved toEugene where Marion completed the EugeneWaldorf Teacher Training Program (with anemphasis on early childhood education) andtaught German at EWS. Presently Marion isteaching the Parent Toddler program andhelping with Handwork teaching while herthree children, Nikos, Kaya and Anyasha areenrolled at EWS.

Tim Aragon-Herbert, Board ChairTim grew up in St. Clair Shores,

Michigan, the third of five children. Withgrandparents from Ireland, Sweden andNorway, Tim thought all older people spokewith funny accents. A working classneighborhood with millions of kids meantlots of time playing baseball, riding bikes andswimming in backyard pools. This wasrounded out by devout church visits onSundays and a classic Catholic schooleducation where stern nuns with names likeSr. Bernice George held sway. With theteenage years came the usual angst anduncertainty (that lasted well beyond theteenage years). At the University of Denverand University of Colorado, Tim majored inEconomics, then Philosophy and lastlyEnglish, all the while searching for relevanceand meaning somewhere.

The searching led Tim down a varietyof spiritual and holistic paths, includingliving in a “Fourth Way” community,intensive study in Hakomi psychotherapyand completion of massage therapy training.


This interest in the healing arts led to Tim’sposition as National Sales Manager forCustom Craftworks, a massage tablemanufacturer which sells massage tablesnationally and internationally.

Meeting his wife Marion proved to bea turning point for Tim. Marion introducedhim to new worlds, opening the doors first tothe world of art, then committed relationshipand parenthood, and later to the immenseworld of Anthroposophy. Anthroposophyprovides a depth to their relationship thatcarries them through the challenges (anddelights) of raising their three children,Nikos, age 13 and Kaya, age 9 and Anyasha,age 3.

Waldorf education is a central focusin their family life and they are fullycommitted to supporting a healthy Waldorfcommunity now and (at least) until Anyashagraduates from 8th grade (or High School)sometime in the next century.

Carla Beebe, EurythmyCarla spent her childhood years in

Southern California. She passed as muchtime as possible in the water and decided shewould become a water ballerina - being aeurythmist is perhaps somewhat similar! Atage eleven, she decided the world neededhelp and that the best way to change thingswould be to help children grow up in a freeand healthy way. She began by tutoringyounger students while in elementary schooland leading counseling sessions while inHigh School. She went on to major ineducation and psychology in college, butbecame frustrated with the lack of trueinsight in the education program and leftcollege after two years. During and after hercollege years, she worked in a children’sward in a hospital, a residence forhandicapped adolescent boys, a sciencemuseum, a public school, and a privateschool, but still could not find the insight intothe growing child she was looking for.

At twenty-three Carla decided to goback to school to major in the “History ofHuman Consciousness through the Arts” asa preparation for further teaching. At thismoment in time she met a Waldorf teacher

and immediately began working in theLexington, MA Waldorf school. Afterteaching dancing and singing for a year, shewent on to complete her BA in WaldorfEducation, receive a diploma in Eurythmyand a certificate in Pedagogical Eurythmy.

For six and a half years Carla was aclass teacher and eurythmy teacher (yes, atthe same time!) at the Cape Ann WaldorfSchool in Beverly, MA. This is her secondyear as eurythmy teacher at the EugeneWaldorf School. She also enjoys folk musicand dancing, the outdoors and is a buddingpotter.

Heidi Boucher, Board of TrusteesHeidi was born in Santa Cruz,

California, the first of five children. Whenshe was 8 years old her family moved toEngland where she attended Michael Hall.After her parents' training at EmersonCollege, they moved to New Hampshirewhere she attended Pine Hill Waldorf School.A move to Washington DC and finally backto Sacramento California gave her two moreopportunities to attend Waldorf schools.

She graduated from the SacramentoWaldorf School in 1982 (where she met herhusband in 8th grade). Heidi has been anactive community member since 1991. Herfirst volunteer experience was co-coordinating the Christmas faire 3 weeksafter her third child was born! She hasserved as a Board member for over twoterms, been a Parent Council Rep and co-manager of the School Store, to name a few.She was the kindergarten assistant at theCamellia Waldorf School and has assistedwith drama and painting here at the EugeneWaldorf School. Heidi' s professionalexperience as an Art Director and ProductionCoordinator help her maintain a livelyhousehold of three children where real lifedrama unfolds daily! Her interest and goalin life is to provide her children with acomplete Waldorf education.

Lin Carpenter, Handwork AssistantLin was born 41 years ago in the cold,

snowy north of Superior, Wisconsin. Hermother is Norwegian, and her father Native


American. She entered the family six yearsafter her brother, and she also has a sisterand another brother. Her fondest childhoodmemories took place on the dairy farm whereher mother was raised, and Lake Minnesuingwhere her father built a cabin. At the age offive, she began drawing earnestly and alsoexplored clay through the years of anotherwise rather disastrous public educationexperience. She completed one year at the U.of Iowa as an art major. During Lin' s highschool years she taught herself to sew andhas enjoyed making clothing and homefurnishings--even a sprang hammock! 1995-96 was her first experience teachinghandwork, making sweatshirts with the 7thgrade. The following year she led the 5th

grade handwork class, helping each studentknit a pair of socks. Lin completed the firstyear of the Teacher Training program inspring of 1998. Presently she is assisting the5th grade class in Handwork, and is a studentat LCC; singing in the EWS CommunityChoir is a special interest! Her daughterLivia graduated from the 8th grade at EWSand is now at South Eugene High School.Her son Leif is in the 3rd grade at EWS.

Timothy Forrest Edgar, WoodworkTimothy was the youngest of three

born in a small northern town in NewHampshire called Littleton. After highschool Timothy moved out west to attend theUniversity of California at Santa Cruz wherehe studied Biology with an emphasis inMarine Biology. After college he worked as afisheries biologist off the Oregon, Californiaand Alaskan coasts. During this time hebegan homesteading in the coastal mountainrange of southwest Oregon and beganpracticing and studying biodynamicgardening and anthroposophy. The trainingcontinues for Timothy at the Eugene WaldorfSchool where he is in his second year ofteacher training.

Hanya Etter, String InstructorHanya was born in Eugene, the third

of four children. Her early years includedschool in Berkeley, Calif., where she gotstarted on violin at age nine. In junior high

school she was asked to switch to viola,which from then on has been her primaryinstrument. The family returned to Eugenewhere she attended South Eugene HighSchool. She spent her senior year atInterlochen Arts Academy in Millugan, thenstudied music education at the U. of Oregon.

During her junior year at theUniversity, the Eugene Symphony wasfounded, and she became the symphony' svery first principal violist. The following yearshe went to Germany as a participant of theMusic Education program with Dr. EdmundCykler, learning about music education inEuropean schools. She met her first husband,a German, during that year, dropped out ofschool, got married, and lived in Germanyfor the next 15 years, raising two childrenand giving violin and viola lessons as well asplaying in various amateur ensembles.

Hanya returned to Eugene in 1983,joined the Eugene Symphony again, as wellas the Eugene Opera Orchestra. Eventuallyshe became, and remains, violist with theBlue Heron String Quartet, fiddler withLovin' Friends, and violinist with theMariachi Nuestro group. She enjoysperforming in larger and smaller ensembles,and especially teaching children and adultsto play violin and viola.

Since 1993 Hanya has beendeveloping a beginning string program in theEugene Waldorf School, working with the4th graders as beginners, and the 5th gradersas continuing students.

Erika Finstad, Third GradeErika was raised in Gettysburg, PA

and is the youngest of two daughters. Shemoved to Minnesota to attend college, whereshe completed an undergraduate degree inthe arts, with a concentration in music, and agraduate degree in elementary education.Erika' s first full-time teaching job was inSouth India, where she taught middle schoollanguage arts and music and traveled tomany diverse corners of the country. Erikadiscovered Waldorf Education when shereturned to the States. She began her teachertraining in Eugene a year later andcompleted the training in June 1996. Besides


teaching, Erika loves to travel, to exploreother cultures, and hike in the mountains.

Tiger Grinnell, Office ManagerTiger was raised in Moab, Utah, the

fourth of eleven children in an Irish Catholicfamily. She studied nursing for three years atthe University of Utah, then went on to studyeducation for a year at the University ofAlaska and now plans to finish a degree inFine Arts (fibers) in the coming years at theUniversity of Oregon. Tiger lived in Alaskafor nine years before moving to Eugene in1987. She worked as an architecturaldraftsperson for many years and also ownedand managed a bookstore. While living inEugene, she has been a real estate agent. Herthree children, Molly, 18, Caitlin Jil, 16, andQuinn, 14 (8th grade) were all born inAlaska, and have attended our school sincemoving here.

Tiger has served on our Board ofTrustees, chaired several Faires, taughthandwork and completed the FoundationYear of the teacher-training program in 1985.She serves as a Parent Council representativeand served the Parent Council as Chair lastyear.

Christopher Guilfoil, Sixth/SeventhGrade

Chris was born in Munich, Germany,the oldest of nine children. He received hisBS in Fine Art; Painting, from the Universityof Wisconsin at Madison. Later, whilestudying and practicing art in the light ofanthroposophy and the indications of RudolfSteiner, he became interested in the art ofeducation. In addition to class teaching,Chris also is on the faculty of the WaldorfTeacher Training program, teaching drawing,painting and modeling.

Phyllis Helland, Board of TrusteesPhyllis and her two brothers were the

sixth generation to live and work on theirfamily farm in central Iowa. When shefinished college she moved to Eugene topursue her career in graphic design. Latershe and her husband Ray moved to northernNew Jersey, where she worked in the design

department for Sony America. She becamefriends with several people involved with theSteiner community in Spring Valley. Withinthe rampant commercialism of the New Yorkmetropolitan area, she was impressed to findthe biodynamic farm, including sheep theWaldorf children would see shorn. The woolwould be spun by people in the community,the children would make their own needlesand begin to knit while the sheep grew newfleeces. Since returning to Eugene, Phyllishas been involved in Waldorf education withher sons Andrew and Jeremy. She has beenactive as a representative on the ParentCouncil, as a participant and facilitator inMorning for Parents, as a singer in theCommunity Choir, and as a member of theBoard of Trustees. She and her family live ona farm outside Eugene where they raisesheep and cattle.

Kim Hyland, Board of TrusteesKim was born in Tacoma,

Washington, the youngest of three children.Her family moved often, taking them toIdaho, California and New Jersey. Aftergraduating from Ithaca College in upstateNew York with a degree in BusinessManagement, Kim settled in the Boston areawhere she met her husband, Kevin. Kimworked for nearly ten years in the hospitalityindustry with jobs ranging from Catering forthe Red Sox to corporate sales in anoceanfront resort to restaurant ownership.After their second child was born, Kim andKevin decided to expand westward and leftthe beaches of Cape Cod for the mountains ofOregon. After moving to Eugene in 1995,Kim has been at home with her two children,Brynnan (1st grade) and Nicola(Kindergarten). She became involved withthe Waldorf School in September of 1996.Before joining the Board in spring of 1998,Kim was a member of the Parent Council.She continues to be active on variouscommittees as well as the Anthrosox softballteam.

Jelena Jaehnig, Second GradeJelena was born in Stuttgart, Germany

and was later joined by two younger


brothers. When she was four, her familymoved to Denver, Colorado where her fatherworked as a Christian Community priest andher mother helped found and taught at theDenver Waldorf School. Jelena attendedWaldorf schools through the eighth grade,first back at the original Waldorf School inStuttgart and later at the Denver WaldorfSchool. After high school she attendedcolleges in Denver and Bochum, Germany,receiving a bachelors and masters degree inhistory from the University of Colorado atDenver. It has been Jelena' s intention tobecome a Waldorf teacher since she was infirst grade, and in 1992 she began to teach atthe Denver Waldorf School, workingintensively with several experienced teachersthere. In 1993 Jelena moved to Eugene toteach history at the newly founded Waldorfhigh school, as well as German in the lowergrades. In her first year here she attendedmuch of the Education Year of the TeacherTraining. Jelena is now enjoying thechallenge and richness of taking a classthrough the grades.

Ilse Kolbuszowski, TherapeuticEurythmy

Ilse was born in the Black Forest,Germany, where she stayed until high schoolwhen she moved to Stuttgart to attend theoriginal Waldorf School. Some of the firstWaldorf teachers still taught at that time,which offered her the opportunity toexperience quality teaching. Her nurse' s andmidwife' s training in England opened thedoor to travel to other countries, whereBritish-trained nurses were in great demand.In New York City she reconnected withAnthroposophy and the Waldorf Movementand began her Eurythmy training while stillworking as a nurse. After the regulartraining, curative training followed inDornach, Switzerland; then work in theRudolf Steiner School in NYC as thetherapeutic eurythmist and the school nurse.Twelve years of that ended with the cross-country move to Eugene and her work withthe new little school forming here in 1981.German and handwork besides classEurythmy were needed there. Now, 15 years

later, she offers therapeutic Eurythmy to thechildren and the community, and teaches theadults in the Teacher Training Program.

Judi Lamb, Rosebud PreschoolAssistant

Judi was born in Denver, Colorado in1956 and has one older sister and oneyounger brother. She moved to Oregon in1975, bouncing back and forth betweenPortland and Eugene, and graduated with aBA in Graphic Design from U. of O. Judifreelanced graphic design work for about ayear. She met her husband in 1980. Judithen got a "regular" design job. She quit thatjob to welcome her oldest daughter, Shalea(7th grade), and then continued being a fulltime mother as Kalaena (5th grade), Skylan(3rd grade), and Danica (Kindergarten)entered her life.

Judi has served on the Board as theParent Council Representative to the Board,on the Parent Council as a classrepresentative and on the Teacher SearchCommittee. She also taught handwork to thethird grade and was the Lower Schoollibrarian; currently Judi is very active on theGolden Goose committee, and various otherschool fundraisers. Judi cared for youngchildren in the Ring O' Roses Playgroup inher home for 2 years before becoming theAssistant in the Rosebud Preschool.


Marie Christine Lhomond,Preschool Teacher, Faculty Co-Chair, Kindergarten Assistant

Marie Christine was born in France,the oldest in a family of four children. Shespent a happy childhood in different parts ofFrance and also in North Africa, mostly insemi-rural areas. After graduating from theInstitute of Social Work in Paris, MarieChristine worked as a Social Worker with anMSW in Chateauroux (France) where she metwith people of all walks of life, and created aschool for illiterate women from Maghreband Turkey. She also studied and is stillpracticing natural healing and macrobiotic.Now a 16-year resident of Oregon, she israising four healthy children who all went toWaldorf School; Saul and Arianne are stillmembers of the EWS. Prior to moving toEugene, Marie Christine had opened herhome to young children in her "Waldorf-inspired" play group, and then became theassistant to one of the kindergarten teachersin the Ashland Waldorf School. During hertwo years in the Teacher Training in Eugene,Marie Christine has worked as the After-School Care Provider for the kindergartenchildren, then assisted Ingeborg Schipull forthree years in the Kindergarten. This yearMarie Christine is teaching the RosebudPreschool three days a week and assistingLinda Marooney in the Kindergarten, as wellas serving as Faculty Co-Chair. She lovessharing with parents and young children thejoy-filled life of the kindergarten.

Linda Marooney, KindergartenLinda spent her childhood growing

up in a small town in Wisconsin. She is theyoungest of three children and especiallyenjoyed the times they shared together eachsummer with their grandparents on an islandin Lake Michigan. Music lessons werealways a part of her life and led her to majorin music and elementary education at SanJose State University.

Later, when her children began toattend school, Linda followed two inspiredfriends into the Teacher Training Program atRudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks,California. She then joined the Santa Cruz

Waldorf School and took a class from Firstthrough Eighth Grade. She also taughtKindergarten and Music classes there.Currently Linda is teaching in the TeacherTraining Program and the Kindergarten atthe Eugene Waldorf School. She has taughtfirst and second grade here and has givensupport to the Eugene and Corvallis WaldorfSchools through mentoring.

Tim Marsden, First GradeTim was born and grew up in

Blackburn, England, the youngest of threebrothers. He received an MA in EngineeringScience from Oxford University and went onto work in the electronics and computerfields. He has lived in the USA since 1985,managing his own computer consultingbusiness in New York, Los Angeles, andPortland. He met his wife Alice in LosAngeles, and their first child Samantha wasborn in Portland. Tim graduated from theEugene Waldorf Teacher Training programin the summer of 1996, and taught for half ayear in the third grade until his second child,Rebecca, was born.

Ross Mickey, Board of TrusteesRoss Mickey is the second of three

children. He was born on the Naval AirStation in Coronado, California where hisfather was stationed as a Marine aviator.Through high school, he moved every two tothree years mostly between Washington,D.C. and southern California with a three-year interlude in Hawaii. After spendingtwo years in college, he left school to delveinto his spiritual life. He spent the next tenyears practicing eastern spiritual tenetswithin monastic settings in Hardwar, India,Boulder, Colorado, Toronto, Canada and SanFrancisco, California.

The direction of his life then turned tothe practice of melding spiritual insights andways-of-being into "normal" day-to-day life.He purchased and ran an ice cream store inSan Francisco while getting his degree inforestry from the University of California atBerkeley. He then spent the next ten yearsworking for the U.S. Forest Service innorthern California. During this time, he


married, had one son and pursued hislifelong love of flying. Ross holds acommercial, instrument-rated pilot' s license.

He left the Forest Service and movedto Eugene in 1989 where he works in the fieldof forest policy in the private sector. Thistime period saw the birth of his daughter andthe beginning of another long-term project:the building of an airplane. Ross' childrenstarted attending the Eugene Waldorf Schoolin 1996. He has been a member of the Boardof Trustees since early 1997 in the capacity ofTreasurer.

Robin Morris, Fifth Grade, FacultyCo-Chair

Warmth and sunshine filled Robin’searly years in San Rafael, California. Alwaysone for contrasts and experience, five years ofCollege were spent in Fairbanks, Alaska. Shegraduated in 1973 with a BA in Music. Thefollowing year, she attended theConservatory of Music at the University ofPacific, receiving her Music Therapy degree.The following 7 years, she worked as a MusicTherapist, raising a family and helping herspouse through medical school. Robin cameto the Eugene Waldorf School 15 years ago,enrolling her son in 1st grade and herdaughter in kindergarten. Five years later,Robin’s family adopted a child fromTrinidad. Robin was the school’s eurythmypianist for 6 years. She finished the TeacherTraining Program here in Eugene, in 1993,hoping to do support work for those studentsthat need extra help. However, destiny wovea different pattern and she finds herself beinga class teacher to a delightful 5th grade!

Tricia O' Neill, Handwork ProgramLeader, Handwork Teacher

Tricia was raised in the Bay Area ofCalifornia, the third of three girls. She haslived in Eugene since just after her marriagein 1972. Tricia first heard of WaldorfEducation in 1976, when her first child was 1-1/2. Tricia was one of a small group ofparents who founded the Eugene WaldorfSchool. Tricia started teaching handwork in1983 and has taught handwork to grades 1-7.She was a Board member for 10 years, Board

president for three years, and has served onthe Tuition Assistance Committee sinceabout 1989. She has four children who will allhave attended the Eugene Waldorf Schoolfrom kindergarten through 8th grade.

Theresa Orange, Parent CouncilChairperson

Theresa was born in Mt. Angel,Oregon and lived in Portland until 1996. Shewas the ninth of ten children, raised in aCatholic family, and attended Catholicschools. She holds a BA in DiagnosticUltrasound from Seattle University and hasbeen practicing general and cardiacultrasound since 1984. After moving toIndiana for one year in 1996, Theresa and herfamily returned to Oregon but settled inEugene in order to live in a smallercommunity yet be close to a Waldorf School.

Since moving to Eugene, Theresa hasworked at Sacred Heart Hospital, continuedthe family' s ten year association with theReligious Society of Friends, and becomeactive with the Eugene Waldorf Schoolcommunity - first as a Parent CouncilRepresentative, now as Parent CouncilChairperson. Theresa' s husband PeterSchnabel is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitionerwith Lane County and South Eugene HighSchool. They have three children - Kieran, a16-year-old at South Eugene H.S., Emily, asecond grader at EWS and Liesl, akindergartener at EWS.

Theresa hopes to continue toencourage the openness and cooperativespirit among the parents, Faculty, and Boardwhich contributes to the strength of ourschool and our community.

Darby Partner, After School Careand Rose Kindergarten Assistant

Darby was born in Boston, MA andlived in towns near Boston and in ruralMassachusetts for the first 12 years of her life.Blessed to be born into a home without a TV,she spent her time drawing, reading,dancing, singing and playing with her sisters,brothers and friends. She is the oldest of fourchildren.


The summer before she began 8th

grade, Darby moved with her family to OldSaybrook, CT, a small town on the LongIsland Sound. There she spent her highschool years. She enjoyed the summers onthe beach, learning about Marine Biology,studying and experimenting with art andbeing with her friends… still dancing!

The summer of ' 92 Darby graduatedfrom high school and moved to Olympia,WA where she attended the Evergreen StateCollege. There she made her home, amongthe tall trees, ferns and rainclouds for thenext 5 years. On June 19, 1995 Darby becamea mother. Her son Uriah was born at home.Two years later Darby graduated fromEvergreen with a Bachelor' s of Arts. Herstudies at college included Printmaking,ceramics, costuming, Native AmericanBasketry, Herbalism, Botany, CreativeWriting and Early Childhood Education. Itwas at a class in college where Darby beganto learn of Steiner' s method of education.She was able to observe and volunteer at theOlympia Waldorf School.

Darby moved to Eugene in the fall of1997 to attend the Teacher Training. Sheplans to graduate in the Spring of 1999.Uriah attends the Rosebud Preschool.

Darby is happy to be part of theEugene Waldorf School, and to be caring forthe children in the after care program andhelping in the Rose Kindergarten….singingagain!!

Nancy Pattison, HandworkNancy was born in Colorado and

moved to Oregon at the age of 16. She is themiddle of four children, with older twinbrothers and a younger sister. Her interest inhandwork began with her grandmother whoraised a family of 12 and was an avidseamstress and made quilts and braided rugsfrom scraps. She made dolls and animals forNancy and her sister from old socks andtowels, which were some of Nancy’s mosttreasured possessions. Nancy’s interest andknowledge in handwork has grown over theyears to include a wide range ofhandworking abilities, the most recent beingdoll making through workshops with the

master dollmaker, Ingeborg Schipull.Teaching handwork is a new experience forNancy, one which she finds challenging andenjoyable. Nancy is a professionalphotographer and the mother of Hannah andSophie.

Robin Emily Retherford, ArtRobin Emily Retherford grew up in a

little California town near the sea calledCarmel Valley. She spent her time there withone younger brother wading in riversexploring the mountains and making plentyof art. In high school Robin formed a closebond with tow of her art teachers whohelped her discover that textiles is herspecialty.

In 1994 she arrived in Eugene toattend college at the University of Oregon.After two years she decided it was time fornew ways of learning. Since then she hasbeen exploring a variety of activities in thecommunity - most of which allow her innerartist to thrive.

She volunteered as an educator inschools through BRING Recycling for oneyear, teaching waste reduction and makingart out of trash. In 1997 and ' 98 sheinstructed art at a drama camp in Eugenewhere she helped to design and constructsets and costumes for plays. In 1998 shewent on a travelling road show tour of thePacific Northwest to sing for the CohoSalmon. She is now a volunteer in the FamilyCommunity Leadership Program through theOSU Extension Service.

Robin was magnetically drawn to theartistic and homey environment of theWaldorf School. She enjoys teaching art andsharing the company of others with openminds for alternative education.


Shelly Porter Richardson, SpanishShelly has her BA in Philosophy from

the University of Oregon. After spendingtwo years working and studying in Spain,she attended Lewis and Clark College to earnher teaching certificate. She worked in thepublic schools for 5 years.

Peggy G. Rubinstein, OrchestraConductor

Peggy was born in Ponca City,Oklahoma, and has one older brother. Shereceived her BME from Indiana University,MM and also BA in German from Universityof Oregon. She played violin in the HoustonSymphony for four years, and has been amember of the Eugene Symphony for 25years. She also performs with the EugeneOpera Orchestra, and has played in theEugene Bach Festival and the OregonFestival of American Music conducted byMarin Alsop. This past summer, sheperformed for the third year in the BlochFestival at Newport, OR.

Peggy taught strings in EugeneSchool District 4-J for four years. Then shedecided to devote her teaching time toprivate violin students, which she has donefor the past 23 years (and continues to do) sothat she could be at home to raise her threechildren. Josh, Seth and Shanna.

Peggy joined the Waldorf faculty in1995. This year she is very much lookingforward to teaching the orchestra and havingfun making beautiful music with the verytalented and wonderful students at Waldorf.

Ingeborg Schipull, RoseKindergarten

Ingeborg Schipull was born andeducated in Germany where Waldorfeducation is a household word. The middlechild in a family of three, she helped hermother take care of young foster children tonurture and cherish. At age 25 she came tothe U.S. in the spirit of adventure, marriedand raised a son. In her search for "meaningof life," she came across Rudolf Steiner' swork of Anthroposophy. Looking for asecond career, she met with the founders ofthe Seattle Waldorf School. After a visit to the

kindergarten, she began to do volunteerwork and to assist in the kindergarten. It wasduring that time that she decided to becomea kindergarten teacher and take the training.She sent her son, then 16, to a Waldorf highschool in Germany, packed a bundle ofbelongings (no more than would fit into asmall car), and drove off to Sacramento, CAto attend Rudolf Steiner College for twoconsecutive years. She received hercredentials in the spring of 1988 and came toteach at the Eugene Waldorf School in the fallof that year. She has been working as akindergarten teacher for the past eight years.Her special interests have been dollmakingand puppetry work.

Susi Sessions, Language ProgramLeader, 5th Grade Assistant andGerman

Susi was born and raised in Solingen,a small town in Germany, as the seconddaughter of a teacher and an architect. Shegrew up in an extended family with hergrandparents and several relatives livingadjacent to their house. Her childhood wasmostly spent outdoors playing around themeadows, the forests, and the creek behindher house with her friends and cousins.

During middle school and highschool Susi became very interested in music,art and literature. Throughout these yearsand into her college years she traveledextensively through Europe. Aftercompleting high school she went to study ArtHistory, French and Archeology in thesouthern German town of Tubingen and laterin the northern town of Kiel. During theseyears she spent one summer studying art atthe anthroposophical college in Vienna,which was founded by her brother-in-law.Another summer was spent as a caregiver ina village for disabled people which wasguided by the principles of Rudolf Steiner.She completed her undergraduate work afterstudying for one year in France in the townof Poiters.

Susi came to the United States in 1987and continued her studies in the master' sprogram in French at the University ofOregon in Eugene. She received a secondary


teaching certificate in French and Germanand then moved to Portland where shetaught German and French at the PortlandWaldorf School for five years and theBeaverton Montessori School for two years.In 1995 Susi decided she wanted to deepenher understanding of Anthroposophy andbecome certified as a Waldorf teacher. Shegraduated from the Eugene Waldorf TeacherTraining in 1997. Susi started working as aGerman teacher at the Eugene WaldorfSchool in 1995. Her focuses in life are her twowonderful daughters, music, art, teachingand the outdoors.

Marcia Seymour, HandworkTeacher

Marcia was raised in Palos Verdes,California, the youngest of three children.She holds a BA in Ceramics from UC SantaBarbara, which included 1-1/2 years atInternational Art School, Institute Allende inMexico. She has two daughters who attendWaldorf, Ali and Laura.

Bonnie Stambaugh, After Care andSummer Arts Program

Bonnie Stambaugh was born inSeattle, Washington. Being the middle childwith two older sisters and two youngerbrothers, she learned early on the art oflistening and the challenges of teaching.

Her family moved to Chinook at themouth of the Columbia River when she was12 years old. Growing up at the beach, shecame to love her alone time with the big shy,bare feet and even a good strong storm oncein a while. She fished commercially for fiveyears and learned to respect tides, channelsand big ships!

As an exchange student in college,she went to Norway for a year where shediscovered her love for weaving. Shereturned and continued her studies, endingup in Eugene at the University of OregonFibers program.

For the next two years she spent hertime juggling the U of O studies with theWaldorf Teacher Training and with her smallson Ponce. Bonnie completed both programs

and went to Breitenbush Hot Springs tobegin a small school for the communitychildren. After a few years it was time forher son to have his own teacher, so theymoved to Eugene.

Andy Traisman, Journalism, HistoryTeacher

Andy is the second son of a secondson. He was raised in suburban Chicagowhere he and his three brothers were bathedin the optimism of post-1950’s America. As aJunior High student in 1968, Andy watchedthe democratic convention on television andwas deeply affected by the deaths of RobertKennedy and Martin Luther King in thespring of that year. Between 1970-1974 Andyattended a liberal, open-campus High School,which allowed him to pursue his truepassion; sitting in the bleachers at WrigleyField. In 1975 Andy took his first westernroad trip and in the summer of 1976 movedout west to stay. Andy graduated fromNorthern Arizona University in Flagstaff inMay of 1976—his third college in four years.After moving to Seattle in March of 1981, hereturned to school and earned his teachingcredentials from University of Washington.Between 1982-1993 Andy was a Junior HighSocial Studies/Language Arts teacher andcoach. In 1988 he took a semesters leave ofabsence to be a stay-at-home Dad with hisfirst born child (Nate). After moving toEugene in 1993, Andy worked for two yearsas the owner/operator of his own business—Second Base Espresso. Andy discoveredWaldorf Education in Seattle where Nateattended the Waldorf Kinderhaus. Andy is apart-time teacher, coach and writer. Andylives in the Mohawk Valley in a very largehouse with many four leggeds. The light ofhis life are his two, beautiful two leggedchildren; fifth grader Nate and first graderCalla Rose.


Molly Wilson, Finance ManagerMolly grew up in Eugene, the second

of two children and the daughter of twoteachers. After spending parts of Junior Highand High School in Turkey and Nigeria, shegraduated from South Eugene High School in1974. After a year abroad in Kyoto, Japan,Molly graduated from Williams College witha degree in Comparative Religion and settledin Seattle. After several years working in acollective restaurant, Molly returned toschool where she earned her masters anddoctorate degrees in computer science. Mollyhas two children who attend Waldorf, Nateand Calla. They first experienced Waldorfeducation in Seattle where Nate spent a yearat the Seattle Kinderhaus.


School Songs

In Gladness Let Us Sing

In gladness let us sing, our joy for all creation.The gifts from heaven on high, bestowed on every nation.To all mankind, God’s love, in glorious harmony,Beams forth with radiant light and may we thankful be.Then let our hearts each day, with warmth and joy be filled,That all the deeds we do, in truth, shall be God-willed.

Of All Created Things

Of all created things of earth and sky, of God and man, things lowly andthings high.

We sing this day, with thankful hearts and say, Alleluia, Alleluia.Of light and darkness and the colors seven, stretching their rainbowbridge from earth to heaven.

We sing this day, with thankful hearts and say, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Of sun and moon, the lamps of night and day, stars and the planets soundingon their way.


Of man with hands outstretched for service high, courage at heart and truth inhis steadfast I.



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