Glad Healthful Movement
Thank you to Ms. Hagen and the students for their impressive Strings Performance on Monday morning. Keep your eye out for the link to the performance in case you missed it. (The link will be sent out next week).
Dear Members of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara,
This excerpt of a talk by Waldorf teacher Stephen Sagarin is an extraordinary, stirring portrait of the education you have chosen for your child. This is the educational outlook, we believe, that our time requires:
Senora Marcela’s class moving their bodies at the skating rink earlier today.
We all agree that children need protection, I believe. Protection from all kinds of harmful influences. Everyone agrees, even people whose children go to schools that aren’t Waldorf schools. In particular, the world we have created asks children to grow up too fast. To be sexy before they’re ready, to become consumers and bother their parents to buy all kinds of things for them, to desire brand-new products that won’t be healthful for them, to take an ironic or skeptical or cynical or critical stance before they can authentically do so. Rudolf Steiner also describes ‘protection’ for children as central to their education. Reverence or veneration particularly for the gifts of the past, and enthusiasm, especially for the possibilities of the future. A world that tears down reverence too early, or that portrays a dismal future, is not a world that will allow us to educate children healthfully.
Protecting our children doesn’t mean simply sheltering them (although “sheltering” children can indeed be important). Protecting our children often means engaging them more directly in challenging, wholesome activities. Pedagogical Chair Pat Caverly recently brought to our attention a worthwhile article—“Study Links Preteen Physical Activity with Better Mental Health Later”—confirming this.
According to this Washington Post article that limns new research from Sweden, sports/physical activity is linked to emotional health in children. “At age 11, daily physical activity was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of a psychiatric diagnosis at age 18 for every hour of activity recorded.” “Physical activity decreased the risk of anxiety by almost 40 percent for boys at both 5 and 11, the study found.”
At a time when children spend less time outdoors than inmates of American prisons and 58% of children ages 4 and under have their own tablet, we need to—as Ms. Caverly says—"get our children moving”!
Early Childhood children in motion.
The Spring Soiree was a joyous, beautiful success.
Not only did parents and friends-of-WSSB have a fun night out, the event raised $43,002.17! This was more than double the anticipated goal. This is an inspired accomplishment.
As you may know, proceeds from this event will support our Great Room and Woodwork Program, in service of the children and WSSB’s mission.
We are grateful to FEC (Fundraising Events Committee) chairs, Lindsay Batsford and Sara Ojjeh. We also thank Kate Juliano, Heather Lawrie, Juliet Simpson, Jamie Davin, Sarah Wallace, Brandon Boesch, Robby Herr, Rima Villareal, and Giuliana Mitchum for their valued contributions.
Further, we are grateful to the families who contributed items to create the beautiful baskets and to all the classes for their sundry offerings.
Finally, we wish to thank the families who pitched in for Angel Tickets so the teachers and staff could attend the event.
In the spirit of gratitude, we wish to thank the parents who made many lunches for the faculty/staff this year.
Please know that such generosity made faculty/staff feel seen and cherished.
We are humbly grateful.
Important Dates:
Friday, June 6th: End-of-Year Potluck
Wednesday, June 11th: 8th Grade Flower Ceremony and Graduation
Thursday, June 12th: Classes end; last day of school for students (no aftercare)
In gratitude,
The Waldorf Admin Team
PS The Thought of the Day is Stephen Sagarin on Rudolf Steiner:
“He wished to educate children and students in order to help the world become a more peaceful and just place.”
PPS The Second Thought of the Day is from Dag Hammarskjold:
“For all that lies behind, thank you. For all that is to come, yes.”