​The Friends of Waldorf Education invite you to travel around the world with twelve stories, taking readers on a colorful journey of stories, fables, and legends from all over the globe.

From Jana-Nita Raker

Following our WOW-Day cookbook, the Friends of Waldorf Education will this year publish a fairy tale from a Waldorf institution worldwide every month on their website and in their newsletter. The journey begins in Brazil and leads via Colombia, Argentina, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa to Georgia, Russia, Moldova and ends in Ukraine. The stories tell,among other things, of a toad that is determined to join the birds in attending a party in the skies. But without wings this isn't easy! Will the toad succeed? A South African fairy tale tells of the day when starlight, moonlight, and sunlight were brought back to the sky to save the earth. The story "Martishor" from Moldova recounts the origin of the spring festival and the custom of knitting red and white tassels.

The fairy tales are illustrated with drawings, blackboard drawings or photographs and are accompanied by a brief description of the institution from which they come. They all need continuous support to allow children from poorer backgrounds an upbringing based on Waldorf education.

Whether you want to read the fairy tales directly on our website or download them as a handy PDF, they are available online at www.freunde-waldorf.de/en/wow-day/fairy-tales/ The Friends' campaign runs from January to December 2020 and is aimed primarily at teachers with the warm invitation to use it for classes in grade school or kindergarten. But also parents and friends can easily print it out at home and thus build a bridge to the world.

The idea of a fairy tale collection was born during the Waldorf-One-World-Day, WOW-Day for short. The worldwide student campaign takes place annually and is coordinated by the Friends of Waldorf Education. On this day, children and young people directly and actively work towards making the world a better place. For this purpose, they organize a large number of extraordinary fundraising events that connect people on all continents. All Waldorf Schools, curative education and social therapy institutions and Waldorf Kindergartens worldwide are invited to take part in this campaign. The proceeds of the campaigns provide children with school time, a sheltering community or a warm meal.

To find the fairy tale collection please go to www.freunde-waldorf.de/en/wow-day/fairy-tales/

Contact:
Jana-Nita Raker, WOW-Day coordinator, wow-day@freunde-waldorf.de
Christina Reinthal, press and public relations, c.reinthal@freunde-waldorf.de
www.freunde-waldorf.de

By Jamie York. In this world we now find ourselves, how can we make lemonade from lemons? I believe that it starts with letting go of old preconceptions and being open to new possibilities.

When I first started Jamie York Math Academy and teaching online math classes for homeschoolers half a year before the onset of the Corona virus, I was skeptical about how effective it would be. Certainly, as a Waldorf educator, I was well aware of the detrimental effects that screens and technology can have on children’s development. So how is it even possible for me now to say that this year has been perhaps the best teaching I have ever done? 

One thing was clear to me: it would be awful if the children only experienced a talking head on the computer screen. I needed to find a way for my students to experience a human element in my online courses. After all, isn’t human connection central to any meaningful education?

Although I do give lectures in my Math Academy classes, the real heart-and-soul of the Academy experience is the group work. Twice per week, our students connect fact-to-face with peers from different places in the world and engage in real mathematics – puzzles, problem-solving, and making mathematical discoveries. This is the human element. Before this year, I had never been able to have students learn from one another so successfully. Ironically, it was through online teaching that I was able to finally talk less and have my students do more on their own.

Now I can honestly say that a problem-solving and discovery-based approach to math is the best way to capture the students’ interest and motivate them to learn. If we can effectively engage students in learning in this way, the skills will naturally follow.

Even though our Math Academy was designed for homeschool families, as soon as the Covid-19 hit, schools around the world were forced to do online learning. I wanted to find a way to support these teachers and schools. So we made it possible for schools to join our Math Academy for a much-discounted rate. More than anything perhaps, joining the Math Academy relieved class teachers of part of their large burden, and allowed them to focus on other aspects of the curriculum, yet they still remained connected to their students’ math learning by serving as the Math Academy tutor for their class.

There is no doubt that good Waldorf math taught live by an inspiring human being is the best possible scenario. But as Waldorf schools face another year of uncertainty, whether they find themselves in physical buildings or in virtual classrooms, we are here to support Waldorf educators tasked with online teaching and families who believe homeschooling is their best option.  Our Academy will continue to offer high quality math education that engenders enthusiasm for learning and develops mathematical thinking, making the best of our changing world.

Click here to learn more about the Jamie York Math Academy, online workshops, and many math resources.

Kusi Kawsay School has release a unique and beautiful album Pukllay with our student's songs honoring our traditional Andean Calendar. Participate in the Band Camp fundraiser today, July 3rd and receive these beautiful songs with lyrics!

These times call for resilience and solidarity. Music is medicine and accompanies us during difficult times in soothing ways.  Purchasing this album today, is is a great way to support the continuation of our work that contributes to the formation of a global conscience that respects cultural and ecological diversity, that honors the wisdom and dignity of indigenous traditions, and that searches for the unity of human beings within a framework of reciprocity, respect and social justice. This benefit album Pukllay was created to support Kusi Kawsay School, all proceeds go to Kusi Kawsay. Today Band Camp does not take a cut. We hope you support Kusi Kawsay, enjoy the music, and feel uplifted! Spread the news and share the love of music. On social media make sure to hashtag #bandcampday #bandcamp and #covid19 and #kusikawsay. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT!  STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY! Buy Now

A lecture given by Rudolf Steiner on St. John's Day 1909 in Kassel, Germany

The celebration of a particular festival on the present day of the year was a custom to which a large portion of aspiring humanity adhered, and it is a matter of importance for the friends of the anthroposophical movement assembled with us in this city that the present series of lectures should begin precisely on midsummer or St. John's Day. As long ago as in ancient Persia a festival known as the ‘Baptism of Fire and Water’ was associated with a day which would roughly correspond to a day in June at the present time. In ancient Rome the festival of Vesta fell on a similar day in June, and that again was a festival of ‘Baptism by Fire’. And if we look back upon European civilization before the spread of Christianity, we again find a June festival which coincided with the time of the year when the days begin to shorten and the nights to lengthen — when the sun begins to lose a part of the strength he lavishes upon all growth and increase on earth. To our European ancestors this June festival appeared as a gradual withdrawal and disappearing of the God Baldur — Baldur who, in their minds, was associated with the Sun. In Christian times this same festival gradually became that of St. John, the forerunner of Christ Jesus. Thus it can also be our starting-point for the considerations to which we will devote ourselves during the next few days, bearing upon this most important event in the evolution of humanity — upon the Deed of Christ Jesus. Indeed, the subject of the present course of lectures will be founded upon the whole import of this Deed for the evolution of humanity, and upon its manner of presentation, firstly in the most significant of human documents, in the Gospel according to St. John, then, by comparison, in the other Gospels.

The festival of St. John reminds us that the greatest Individuality who participated in the evolution of humanity was preceded by a ‘Forerunner’, and we here touch upon an important point which must precede our further considerations, also as a kind of ‘forerunner’. In the course of the development of humanity there occur, ever and again, events of surpassing importance shedding a stronger light than others. We can observe these essential occurrences in epoch after epoch of history, and ever and again we are told of men who, in a measure, know of them in advance and can foretell their coming. These are no arbitrary events; indeed, whoever has insight into the whole meaning and spirit of human history is aware that such events must come, and knows how he himself must work in preparation for them to take place.

In early 1920, political, economic, social, and spiritual chaos was everywhere. The old world had fallen apart and would need to be rebuilt. Anthroposophy, too, had to be remade. Recognizing this, Rudolf Steiner tirelessly working for the “threefold social order,” establishing the first Waldorf school, helping to create businesses, and addressing the talented, educated, and idealistic young people who were beginning to turn toward Anthroposophy for answers.

In these lectures, Steiner speaks in the new, direct “Michaelic” way, seeking the path to a new way of doing Anthroposophy. Throughout the critical situation of the time, he never lost his sense of humor or his compassion and equilibrium. His tone is warm, relaxed, and intimate. Rather than following a strictly predetermined path, he speaks directly from the heart about what concerned him. Learn more ...

By The Waldorf School of Lexington

Our first and second graders have been working on knit cats in their recent distance learning Handwork lesson. View the tutorial that some of our youngest knitters are using to create their handmade cat. https://bit.ly/36MWRf2

The Guest House 
This being human is a guest house.
​Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent, as a guide from beyond. 
— Jellaludin Rumi, --- (translated by Coleman Barks) 

Who would have imagined an unexpected visitor, in the form of a virus, could sweep through our lives so swift and radically impact us physically, socially, emotionally, financially and spiritually, creating a global crisis. There were talks that it could happen and it has happened in the past. However, we were not prepared for such a visitor on our doorstep, nor could we think about meeting this one at the door, laughing. While we distanced so the uninvited guest would not violently sweep through our homes, it turned out there is still upheaval and many of the vulnerable are still experiencing great loss and sorrow. 

Emerging from this crisis requires personal and collective transformation physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, in order to prepare us to create order out of the chaos created by the effects of a global pandemic. The consolation of a new normal may not apply, since crossing the barriers of distancing to meet face to face again; we will encounter new awareness to our responses of socially connecting and engaging since pre-corona times. And one of the dark thoughts we may encounter when we open the door to meet the world again, is Fear. 

Now as we begin to navigate our way across the bridge to meet one another in our school environments, working with the Twelve Senses can help prepare ourselves and support the children’s need for healing.. 

Waldorf Early Childhood Education emphasizes working with young children on the four foundational senses, touch, life or well-being, movement and balance. In preparation to engage with the children, we may want to re-evaluate our responses, for instance, regarding the sense of touch. It is important when we encounter the children in our environments we cultivate gestures of love and warmth as opposed ‘to fear of contracting a virus.’ Developing the sense of touch, the children, as sense organ beings, will touch everything, taste, smell, and even put things in their mouths. Therefore interacting with inner calmness, we reinforce their sense of trust that the world is good. As for their sense of life or well being, daily checks of temperatures, hand washing and sanitizing, may become part of our meaningful work to ensure the safety and well being of everyone. Their sense of movement may be rigorous to compensate for disruption to the children’s daily routines and rhythms of indoor/ outdoor play and being in Nature, essential to regenerate their life forces. Our sensitive observation could be a key practice for daily visual checks supporting the children’s inner and outer sense of balance to reorient them in the world as a safe and healthy place. 

As teachers, in preparation to return to school, we could make daily personal assessment of body, mind and spirit, journal, continue our meditation practices to deepen our inner work and remember to seek help as needed. With regard to our own foundational sense, our sense of movement and gestures could be slower and conscious to meet the needs of children who could be over or under stimulated. It may be necessary to strengthen our life forces with nourishment, remedies and self care. Our sense of well being will demand our strong ego presence and for the sense of touch, as in the approach used by Mother Teresa, we practice the use of loving care over fear. It is essential we involve parents and draw parameters where collaboration on the health and well being of the children, parents and teachers are high priority to ensure everyone’s sense of balance is re-enforced once more. 

In these times of disruption, we have engaged with deep vulnerability to connect and communicate, employing the use of media to cross thresholds of distancing into the lives and homes of our parents, children and colleagues. We are a testimony to the creative abilities we share as a Waldorf community using social art and media to consciously stay connected. As we emerge from our homes and step into the world again, may we be grateful and befriend fear at the door instead of making it an unexpected guest in our house. Using new eyes to envision a hopeful future, new ears to listen to the stories of the other and new minds to conceive a sustainable earth, may we help to restore the world as good, beautiful and truthful for our children and community. 

By Rihana Mustapha-Rutledge 

Announcing a Midsummer Festival of Puppetry Arts -- A Collaborative Showcase -- Saturday July 25th 2020

We welcome you to join us, from the comfort of your own location, for a virtual celebration of the gifts of storytelling and puppetry arts. In lieu of our East Coast conference because of pandemic restrictions, this year we invite artists, educators, and therapists who are working out of Waldorf inspiration to share their essential work with others!  Our event will open at 1pm (EST) on July 25th with an exploration of the theme, “Imaginal Forces and the Power of Healing”, to be followed by short video clips of puppet story presentations and a reflection from their creators.

Donations to this event will support the formation of an association for threefold storytelling and puppetry arts. More ...

Every May, the Waldorf school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, brings their eighth grade students on a class trip—a trip that the kids have all worked toward, by raising the money selling burritos and pizzas.

But when they were denied their reward this spring because of the pandemic, students decided to show compassion to those in need by donating $2,800 worth of supplies to the Navajo Nation, which is suffering from one of the highest per-capita COVID-19 infection and death rates in the US. On Tuesday, May 26, Jessica Falkenhagen rented a van so she could drive with her older daughter, 11th grader Indie Russell, to Window Rock, Arizona. The van was stuffed with food, toiletries, paper products, school and cleaning supplies, pet food, thermometers, handmade masks and 60 gallons of drinking water—all purchased with the class trip money. Also included was a large bag of face masks homemade by Indie.

Students helped with pre-trip shopping and loading the van. “They were great helpers trying to fit everything in as efficiently as possible,” says Falkenhagen. A cultural anthropologist with a background in indigenous rights, Falkenhagen suggested the idea to the school after tracking the growing crisis in the Navajo Nation. “I could see how lit up the kids were about that idea,” teacher Daisy Barnard said, after she put the idea to the class. “None of them complained about using the money for something other than a trip.”

“We’ve been anxiously following developments on the Navajo Nation over the past couple months and this money ended up being a real windfall at just the right time,” said Barnard. The class trip that had been planned would have been a real adventure, too—a multi-day rafting voyage on the San Juan River in Utah. Eighth grader Daisy Blue Russell is glad things worked out the way they did. “It felt good to use our trip money to help others who needed it.” - from goodnewsnetwork

Educating through "Head, Heart and Hands" has been a hallmark of Waldorf educators for decades. The idea behind the phrase is that learning should involve the whole human being and be based on relevant and multi-sensory experiences that engage and inspire each student.

With classrooms shuttered worldwide and most students now learning at home, how are Waldorf schools continuing to engage the whole child? What does experiential learning look like outside of the classroom? 

Waldorf teachers are rising to the challenging task before them, adapting and working creatively to not just deliver curriculum but to make sure students continue to feel safe, welcome, supported, and a part of a greater learning community. While distance learning may be more suited towards delivering short-term memory learning such as facts, vocabulary lists, or math worksheets, Waldorf educators continue to focus on applying and linking learning concepts to wider experiences. Maintaining this hallmark of Waldorf curriculum is where creativity with distance learning really comes into play. 

Take for example how seventh-grade history students at several Waldorf schools are learning about the Age of Exploration and are receiving assignments to choose and research an explorer online. The remainder of the lesson is an experiential offline assignment, including a written and illustrated biography to be placed in main lesson books, and at the Portland Waldorf School, students are involved in the creation of a board game both outlining and gamifying the journeys made by their explorer of choice.

Language arts lessons at the Aurora Waldorf School include pandemic journals for class 7 and 8 students, to be designed with the understanding of what such a journal would require to be one day used as historical primary source material. Math times tables can still be tied to jumping rope; fractions and units of measure to cooking; geometry to hand-drawn geometric forms; and platonic solids to 3D modeling all with simple materials sent to or found in students' homes. While care in curriculum addresses the head and hands, the heart is still an equal priority and Waldorf schools and teachers have found new ways to focus on community and connection. Resources for parents are an integral part of the community support offered by schools and often include supportive instructions, songs, crafts, and other online resources parents may need to enhance both learning time and unstructured playtime at home. Experiential education is, at its heart, about adaptation and innovation around students' unique learning strengths and needs. As such, it is no surprise that Waldorf educators have taken distance learning in stride and that examples of innovative curriculum delivery and community building carry on and expand in our communities as school closures continue.  More ...