heartbeat
JU N E 2 01 6
IN THIS ISSUE...
The Magic of Honeybees
PAGE 1
High School Highlight
PAGE 2
Faculty/Staff Farewells
PAGE 3
Upcoming Events
Alumni Corner
Class of 2016
Students and bees get acquainted during hive move-in day.
PAGE 5
PAGE 6
Photo|Dionne Kane
The Magic of Honeybees: Observing Our Hive
The following article begins with the work of PWS parent
Lauren Johnson, using excerpts from her Waldorf teacher
training research paper. The second half of the article
is written by alumni parent Brian Lacy, PWS Beekeeper.
Edited by Kelly Hogan.
“Every human being should show the greatest
of interest in [honey bees], because much more
than you can imagine, our lives depend upon
beekeeping.” (Rudolf Steiner)
Steiner was clear about the importance
of living nature study in Waldorf schools
in his 191 lecture to teachers: “...without
being familiar... with nature and without a
relationship to spiritual life, people today
cannot become part of social life.” Honeybees
engender love, a sense of wholeness and a
connection to the healing forces in the world.
An initial appreciation of the honeybee may
begin with observing her in nature as she
forages among the flowers, or tasting the
fruits of her labor from a jar of honey. The
initial interest may endure through repeated
experiences of a fleeting nature, or that
interest can deepen through a study of the life
cycle of the bee and the hive. A still deeper
interest can form when a person sees the
honey bee as more than an organism living
in nature, but as a symbol of our deeper
humanity and a link to our spiritual origins.
Humanity’s relationship with bees is evident
in all the ancient cultures studied in the
Waldorf grade school pedagogical journey.
Opportunities to incorporate bees into
subjects for all ages abounds, from the
mathematical qualities of the six-sided cells
in the honeycomb, to the spiral formation
of a bee swarm; nutrition, nature studies,
Ancient India & Egypt and botany all have
an abundance of avenues to pursue through
the study of the bee and hive... not to mention
candle-making with the wax and honey for
bread day!
[continued on Page 2]
“If I can clearly see the world around me,
The creatures of the earth and of the sky,
Then I can see as well what other people need.
If I can hear the sounds and songs and voices,
In the world around me,
Then I can hear as well what all words mean.
For if I can know the outer world,
I can also know the world within.”
(Dorothy Harrer)
h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
Bees, continued
PWS is now home to several thousand bees!
It’s commonly known that bees are essential
to healthy plants and abundant food. What
is far less known is how bees really live. Now
at PWS, it’s as easy as
stopping by the Library
to watch in wonder.
Earlier this spring
Urban Bees and
Gardens’ bee educator
Brian Lacy moved
the bees from a small
cardboard box into our
observation hive and
then installed the hive
in the Library. Grades
3 and 4 (and a gathering Beekeeper Brian Lacy and
Grade 3 students assemble
of onlookers!) attended
the beehive.
the event.
After much appreciated work by Kelly Hogan,
Ms Nelson’s Grade 3 students, Ian Terrell,
Brendan Eiswerth and Brian Lacy (https://
UrbanBeesandGardens.org) the beauty and
magic of honeybees are now on full display
in our Library for all to enjoy during regular
Library hours (including summer hours
Wednesdays 1-5pm and Fridays 8am-noon).
Special thanks is also due to Arianna
Hartstrom, who chose our school to be the
recipient of the hive; The Bee Cause (http://
www.thebeecause.org), a national organization
that made and shipped the hive; and Whole
Foods Whole Kids grant, for funding the work
of bringing bees into schools.
A full copy of Lauren Johnson’s research paper
(which includes many resources, activities,
recipes and songs!), is available in the Library.
HIGH SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT
Olympic Style Saber Fencing
BY TONY RENZEMA, GRADE 11
During their “Parzival” main lesson block, the
11th Grade had the opportunity to translate their
literary study of medieval chivalry into concrete
activity. Movement teacher Valerie Pufahl brought
in a local expert with a strong connection within
this class to give them a lesson in the basics.
When we were asked if any of us had ever
fenced before, every helmet-clad head turned
to our sheepishly grinning, nationally ranked,
A-level fencer friend Eva Hinds. She stood
curriculum
J UNE 2016
Grade 11
gathers around
coach Charles
Randall,
learning
some basics of
saber fencing.
Photo|Grace
Evans
next to her coach, Charles Randall of PDX
Fencing, who proudly explained to the class
the level Eva had achieved over her middle/
high school career. This was followed by a
brief demonstration by the two of them, their
swords ringing out with a rapid-fire parry and
repost drill. This ended with a statement by
coach Charles: “We do this for 30 minutes a
day.”
This rather humbling introduction rapidly
segued into a footwork drill, and we slowly
built up our foundation, and soon we were
gliding across
the gym floor.
We lunged,
we parried,
and over the
course of two
Tuesdays, we
“Ready? Fence!” Photo|Grace Evans learned some
of the technicalities of saber fencing, all the
while with mounting respect for our elite
classmate.
On the third and final day under the
instruction of Charles and Eva, the class split
into two groups and donned our white jackets
for a tournament. Out of our tournament,
two semi-finalists emerged, one of whom
was quickly defeated by the champ. With
proper bragging rights bestowed, it was
time to reflect. Some said they liked the
new experience, while others enjoyed the
competition and getting to hit each other with
swords. But everyone learned something new,
coming to an understanding of fencing and the
finesse, focus, and accuracy it requires of the
fencer.
From four meters away, a fencer may not seem
so much like a medieval knight ready to joust,
but the moral values of chivalry and respect,
and all of the ancient rituals of the joust have
carried over into saber fencing.
Thank you on behalf of the 11th Grade to
Charles Randall for teaching us how to fence
and for letting us use all of the equipment
provided by PDX Fencing. Special thanks
to Eva for pursuing this opportunity and
for patiently helping us through this fun
experience.
PAG E 2
h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
J UNE 2016
Faculty/Staff Farewells, Appreciations & Updates
From Ms. Mass: KATHLEEN TAYLOR began
to assist in the grades at Portland Waldorf
School sixteen years ago. She then began
with her first class the year the school moved
into our current
building, getting
her introduction
to class teaching
by installing her
own classroom
floor. Since then,
Kathleen has
given so much
to the school:
Photo|Jesse Michener
shepherding her
students, serving on the College of Teachers
and the Board of Trustees, acting as the
school’s AWSNA representative, starting the
high school yearbook and stepping in whenever
and wherever needed in countless ways.
I met Kathleen when she was with her first
group of seventh graders and her uprightness,
strength and clarity were visible from our
very first meeting. The surly adolescents,
dressed in black, lightened and softened when
she entered the room and seemed to breathe
easier in her presence. The love, warmth and
trust that flowed from her flowed back from
her students and it was visible that they knew
that she saw the best in them.
I admired her greatly and was totally
intimidated by her. At that time, she was
Grades Chair, a member of the College
and served on (what seemed to me) every
committee at the school. She was so competent
and capable.
I was fortunate to be invited on the eighth
grade trip with that class, where all of my
thoughts were confirmed. Kathleen could do
anything. I watched her lead and inspire her
class through backpacking, kayaking and
white water rafting. On that trip, I also found
a great friend. I felt what her students felt:
her honesty, warmth and uprightness.
Many have felt what a great support Kathleen
is as a colleague and a friend. She has been
a valuable part of the school community and
she will be greatly missed. As I look to next
year and feel her absence, I enjoy imagining
her walking on the mesas of New Mexico and
exploring the terrain of her next adventure.
Let us send her off with our love and well
wishes on her journey.
From Ms. Jamie & Ms. Mariama: SADIE LIFTON
will be moving forward into a new position
next fall as the lead handwork teacher at
Swallowtail Waldorf School. Sadie started at
PWS as a Lily Kindergartener and graduated
from the High School in 2007.
As a friend and colleague, Sadie is sensitive,
thoughtful, creative, and always striving
toward self-improvement. She has a deep
and genuine love for the process of Waldorf
education and she has used her many
talents (organization, problem solving, and
an excellent sense for naturally soothing
aesthetics) to create a comforting and orderly
aftercare environment.
Thanks to her unquestionable enthusiasm
for handwork, Sadie always works on new
handwork skills of her own as well as
imagining new projects that can meet the
needs of the students. Most wonderfully,
because Sadie
is dedicated to
understanding child
development, she is
always seeks practical
ways to provide students
with any extra support
they may require.
Our many students
who have been taught
and cared for by Ms.
Sadie will continue to
Photo|Grace Evans
carry the skills, warmth
and caring she has given them into their
future. We wish her a joy-filled farewell as she
embarks in her next chapter of life a Waldorf
teacher.
From Ms. Cyndia: Our dear MS. LAURA joined
our school when her eldest daughter was in
the Lily Kindergarten, and
she has been a part of our
school for many years, for
which we are very grateful.
We are sad that she will
not be returning to the Lily
Kindergarten next year, and
will miss her warm, caring
nature and ready sense of
humor. We wish her and her
Photo|Dionne Kane
family all the best in their
new adventures!
[continued on Page 4]
administration
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h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
Faculty/Staff, continued
From Ms. Emily: JULIA
LEON, or Miss Julia, as
we know her in Rose
Kindergarten, is a
domestic goddess. Her
calm, collected efficiency
has kept classrooms
running smoothly
Photo|Meghan Hof
during the years she has
dedicated to early childhood at PWS. Julia is
a greatly loved presence. Her gentle sweetness
and nurturing demeanor have made her
an excellent caregiver and model for young
children, and more so, a complete delight to
work with. Her consistency and care have been
my greatest support as I stepped into not only
a new classroom, but a new community with
my family. I think of Julia as a jewel collector
- her jewels are the amazing and valuable
experiences that she has gathered. Now her
life calls her toward new adventures. Although
we are sad to see her go, I know that she will
bring her love and beauty to so many more
people. There are great things in store for this
amazing woman, and I wish her the very best
on her journey.
From Mr. John: JOHN “JUPE” SCHIAVO
joined PWS in August 2013 as the Finance
Assistant in the Business
Office. Initially hired
to assist with accounts
payable and provide
back-up to the Business
Manager, Jupe steadily
assumed other duties
and responsibilities,
eventually becoming
Bike Team with Capt. Jupe
the focal point for most
transactional accounting activity in the school.
Jupe is an avid soccer player and cyclist
and recently initiated PWS’s participation
in a local corporate challenge for bicycle
commuting mileage. Jupe is leaving PWS to
join his wife, Katie, in homeschooling their
two children, Dylan and Molly. Jupe’s quiet
consistency and reliable productivity will be
missed by all.
From Mrs. Pomeroy: This year, the community
of students and teachers in the High School
had the great good fortune to have a modern
day renaissance man in our midst. ISAAC
WEISS will be moving on to other endeavors,
but he has left an enduring aesthetic mark
on our High School. Having just earned an
MFA in drawing and painting, Isaac came
administration
J UNE 2016
with a wealth of teaching experience (all ages,
toddlers through adults) and enthusiasm for
teaching at PWHS. His own skill at rendering
and drawing from observation inspired our
students as he challenged them to push
forward in their own work. His unique work
with recyclable materials in his cardboard
and paper mache sculptures inspired all of us.
Every day he showed up with curiosity and
interest in the students and what he could
learn from Waldorf Education. We learned
a lot from him. All the best in your next
adventures, and we will miss you, Mr. Weiss!
From Mrs. McCarter: SILVIA SETTLE-SANTANA
generously took up the interim teaching of
high school Spanish in January when the
previous teacher departed unexpectedly. With
her warmth and background in social work,
she has helped the students feel comfortable
exploring a second language and she has
inspired their interest in modern issues facing
Latinos by bringing in Spanish speaking guests
from non-profit organizations that work
with immigrant families. We can’t thank her
enough for the great work she has done this
semester!
JAVIERA DIAZ has volunteered her time
as an assistant in the High School Spanish
classes this semester. She has brought a
strong understanding of Spanish grammar and
made it possible for students to receive more
individualized attention. We wish her well as
she continues her adventures!
From Ms. Wendy: Many of you have been
inquiring about MS. SONIA and whether she
will be returning to work at PWS next year.
She has agreed that we can share that we
are still in conversation about this possibility.
It’s difficult to speak in detail about all of the
factors that play into her return because some
of it is personal and some of it has to do with
the school’s employment needs. But we want
you to know that we are hoping, as much as
you are, that she will be able to return to PWS
in some capacity in the future. Please reach
out to Wendy Rea if you have more questions
about this. And, please send warm and loving
thoughts to Ms. Sonia!
Many thanks
to the Oregon Forest Research Institute for
$1400 of grant money! The money was used to
pay for buses for Grades 2, 5, and 6 to learn
Botany, Forest Ecology, and how to have fun at
Mt. Talbert Nature Preserve, Latourelle Falls,
and Oxbow Park.
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h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
J UNE 2016
upcoming events|JUNE
Farewell Assembly
JUNE 10 | 11AM
High School Graduation
JUNE 11 | 2PM
8th Grade Promotion
JUNE 12 | 1PM
Last Day of School:
Walk-a-thon | Early Dismissal (12pm) | Community Picnic
JUNE 17
For more information about these or other school events, please visit www.portlandwaldorf.org or contact our office.
Alumni Corner
Class of 2006, Families &
Teachers: save the date!
Congratulations, Graduates!
Please join us in offering congratulations to
those among our alumni who are graduating
from other institutions of learning this year!
Samantha Lloyd-Knauf ‘08, UC Berkeley
Italian, Art History
Patrick Romero ‘10, Portland State University
Mathematics, Computer Science
Whitman Craig ‘11, Evergreen State College
Liberal Arts
Katrina Dimick ‘11, Portland State University
Anthropology, Spanish, cum laude
Taylor Holland ‘11, Northeastern University
International Affairs, History, Economics,
Global Social Entrepreneurship
Lily Tsou ‘11, Portland State University
Psychology
Claire Johnson ‘12, Bryn Mawr College
Geology
Sarah Reams ‘12, University of Portland
Business Administration, Accounting,
Mathematics, maxima cum laude
Sophia Rice ‘12, Ursinus College
Peace & Social Justice, Politics, Spanish
Wolky Samboy-Hillyer ‘12, U. of Puget Sound
Science, Technology & Society; Environmental
Policy & Decision Making
Mayu Uchiyama ‘12, University of Redlands
Vocal Performance, Art
We don’t want to leave anyone out! If you know (or are) a
PWS grad doing wonderful things in the world, please get
in touch with us! We’d love to hear from you.
alumni
Keep in Touch
Send us stories, poems, photos or watercolor
renderings of what you’ve been up to:
email:
[email protected]
snail mail:
Portland Waldorf School
Attn: Alumni
2300 SE Harrison Street
Milwaukie, OR 97222-5727
social media:
www.facebook.com/portlandwaldorfschool
Instagram @portlandwaldorfschool
PAGE 5
h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
J UNE 2016
Congratulations, Class of 2016!
In a short time the students in the class
of 2016 will graduate from PWS into the
world of young adulthood. In an important
sense, they are not just finishing high school,
they are completing an education based on
what we might
call scientific
humanism—
an approach
to human
development and
purpose that is
meant to enhance
the young person’s
ability to find and
Photo|Cici Xiao
pursue a course of
freedom in their life.
The Class of 2016 is that marvelous thing—a
close-knit group of sixteen distinctive
individuals. Warm hearted but also good
humored, they recognize and honor each
other’s abilities and also acknowledge lovingly
their respective foibles. In planning for their
lives after high school, they have followed the
promptings of their own and their shared
uniqueness. Most of them intend to continue
their formal education after graduation, and
they have largely chosen pathways for doing
this that fit well with their abilities, their
aspirations, and their resources.
Of the seventeen members of the class
(including one student who left after Junior
year but has worked
with our college
counseling program),
sixteen applied to
college. Of those sixteen,
thirteen were accepted
to the school they
consider to be their first
choice (additionally,
one student is on the
waiting list at their
first choice). Those
Photo|Jesse Michener
first choices include
Willamette University, Clackamas Community
College, Oberlin College, Pacific University,
Haverford College, the University of Portland,
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,
DigiPen Institute of Technology, London
Metropolitan University, Portland Community
College, and Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo—a list
whose variety reflects the considered choices
these students made in the first place, as well
as their success in pursuing these goals.
seasonal
BY CHRISTOPHER ZINN, CLASS SPONSOR
At least one of our seniors has decided to
work for a year and perhaps take a couple
of classes in community college or begin an
apprenticeship, and another may decide to
follow a similar path. A couple of students
have decided not to attend their first
choice school, in one case out of financial
considerations, and in another, because he has
decided instead to enlist in the United States
Navy. Yet another student is still waiting to
make a final decision about where to attend
college next year.
The care with which our seniors have formed
their post graduation plans reflects well on
their maturity. Quite a few of them have
expressed a desire to remain relatively close to
home. All of them are understandably cautious
about taking on student debt, and thus have
generally sought out affordable choices that fit
well with their
means but also
their ultimate
objectives.
They have not
been swayed by
external accounts
of what are
supposed to be
the “best” schools
but instead
have identified
Photo|Grace Evans
and formed
relationships with schools and programs that
reflect their abiding interests and their sense
of community. In general, they have practiced
what the American philosopher Ralph Waldo
Emerson calls “self-trust.”
In supporting them as a school and a
community, too, we commit ourselves once
again to the goals and values of a Waldorf
education—to enable our students to love
learning and to learn for themselves. The
results of this education can’t simply be
measured by the number of our students who
are accepted to college or who gain entrance
to so-called top tier institutions which in turn
are supposed to offer the best chances for
“success” in our society. Instead, and rightly
so, we evaluate the outcome of a Waldorf
education by the way in which our students
define and achieve their plans for the next
steps in their lives, and find happiness and
fulfillment in the pursuit of their goals.
[continued on Page 7]
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h e a r t b e a t | PORTLAND WALDORF SCHOOL
Class of 2016, continued
Post-Graduation Plans
Linnea Ashkar will attend Birthingway College
this summer in
order to become
a certified labor
doula. In the
Fall, she will
begin study for a
nursing degree
at the University
of the University
of Portland as
the recipient of
Photo|Jesse Michener
the Scandinavian
Heritage scholarship and the Oregonian Credit
Union scholarship.
Carter Averill will attend Clackamas Community
College in the Fall where he will study Fitness
Technology as the recipient of an Oregon Promise
grant.
Stewart Baker will enlist in the United States
Navy where he hopes to serve for at least four
years before attending college.
Daniel Baugher plans to work for a year before
attending college or beginning an apprenticeship
to become an automotive technician.
Alex Braunstein will attend attend either
Pacific University, where he has been offered a
scholarship, or Portland Community College. He
plans to study filmmaking.
Eli Burch will attend Portland Community
College as the recipient of an Oregon Promise
grant. He plans to study computer programming,
math, and theoretical physics.
Tomasz Chaberski plans to attend Portland
State University for two years to study video
production and then transfer to another
university.
Sydney Churchill will attend Haverford College
with a full scholarship. She plans to study
neuroscience.
Lewis Johnson will attend the University of
Oregon.
Makena Ketchum plans to attend London South
Bank University where she has been offered a
scholarship to study international business.
Jonah Livermore will attend Portland
Community College as the recipient of an Oregon
Promise Grant.
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J UNE 2016
Emmett McCarthy has received a scholarship to
attend Willamette University where he plans to
major in archaeology.
Nichakorn “King” Prukpaiboon plans to attend
Concordia University, where she has been offered
a scholarship.
Julien Ramirez will attend Oberlin College on
a full scholarship.
He plans to study
computer science
and also to play
football.
John Paul Takacs
will attend Pacific
University where he
has been granted a
scholarship to study
music and education.
Photo|Zoe van Baren
Chenxi “Cici” Xiao will attend Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo where she plans to major in
Environmental Management and Protection.
Gratitude Corner
Our gratitude goes out this month to the
generous circle of sewing fairies, led by
kindergarten parent Wendy Morris, who
have been hard at work creating bright new
tableclothes for our graduation festivities!
Please join us in thanking Wendy, Manuela
Musolf, Chrisi Eile, Louise Barczak, Jillian
Nelson, Jenny Siegel, and Heidi PerryBringham.
Neither our 12th Grade Graduation nor
our 8th Grade Promotion ceremonies
would happen without the dedicated work
of faculty, staff and a veritable army of
volunteers. For these beautiful celebrations
and the creation of space in which to honor
our students as they continue their journeys,
we thank the Graduation Committee
(Michelle Averill, Mary Beaton, Sadie Lifton,
Kate McGill and Katherine Pomeroy) and
all the volunteers and faculty/staff who
create flower arrangements, bake and
decorate cakes, set up and clean up, provide
refreshments, make corsages, and all the
other bits and pieces that come together in
the form of our most special annual events.
Know someone else who has gone above and beyond?
Send suggestions for our Gratitude Corner to Grace at
[email protected].
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