Drawing with the Gospel of John -- A workshop with Laura Summer at The Christian Community, 10030 Fair Oaks Blvd. Fair Oaks, California (Saturday, March 21, 10am-5pm, Sunday, March 22, 12noon – 4pm)

Learn to know something through working artistically. “Saint John relates what he experiences as an initiated seer, who could look into the Spiritual worlds…. Whoever looks upon it as a book that one should read and understand in the same way as one reads and understands any other book knows nothing of the Saint John Gospel. He alone has knowledge of it who can experience it.” -Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Christianity. How can we experience this sacred text? There are many ways - but in this workshop we will experience through the creative process of contemplation and drawing. No experience is necessary, the exercises are simple and process oriented.
 
Register with Laura Summer laurasummer@taconic.net or 518-672-7302. Contact Rita Roxas for questions, 916-806-4244 ritaroxas@hotmail.com. Suggested donation $70. Free Columbia is based on an understanding of the importance of creating independent and accessible educational and artistic opportunities. There are no set tuitions. Suggested donation amounts based on what it costs to run courses are provided. It is possible to make a monthly pledge instead of a one time donation.

As we all know, the evolving COVID-19 situation is presenting schools and early childhood programs around the world with challenges. We hope that your community has not yet been and will not be directly affected. However, it is important to plan and prepare. We would like to share some resources with you that might be helpful. We also suggest you contact your local health department and get on their mailing list for up to date advice.
 
Here is a link to the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control for schools and early childhood programs – both those that do not have any identified cases in their communities, as well as those that do:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/guidance-for-schools

Here are some resources that Beverly Amico at AWSNA has shared with us that she has sent to AWSNA Member Schools:

Resources from the recent National Association of Independent Schools conference:

https://www.nais.org/articles/pages/video-coronavirus-covid-19-session-at-nais-annual- conference/?utm_source=hps&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=mc&utm_content=mc
 
https://www.nais.org/articles/pages/understanding-coronavirus-what-schools-need-to-know/?utm_source=hps&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=mc&utm_content=mc
 
Helpful information and links to further resources from the Washington State Department of Health:

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus/Schools
 
And the following, shared from Tricia Drake, Head of School, at Linden Waldorf School:

How to talk to children about difficult news
Explaining the News to Our Kids
How to Talk to Kids About the Coronavirus Outbreak
How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus

And finally, a link to the Seattle Waldorf School public web page:
http://www.seattlewaldorf.org/covid-19-information/. This is an excellent example of a proactive school approach.

Sending warm wishes in challenging times,

Susan Howard
WECAN Coordinator

By ​Li Zhang 

​The Spring Festival is the greatest traditional festival of the Chinese nation. It is a time for family reunion and happiness, and also the happiest day for children. The Spring Festival is also known as "Meeting Nian". There was a legend saying that during the coldest and darkest nights of winter a monster named "Nian" would come to the village to eat people and animals. Later, inspired by a wise old man, people used firecrackers, gongs and drums, red color and fire flame to conquer "Nian", driving it to the mountains. The people were safe again! Since then, to celebrate this victory, "Meeting Nian" symbolizes a new beginning. Gongs and drums, red color, firecrackers, fireworks, feasts, red envelopes, laughter and songs gradually became symbols of the Spring Festival. 

However, this winter, we have no idea how the monster Nian came back! Maybe it came from bats, maybe it came from somewhere, a very vicious and cunning virus sneaking into the human world in the coldest and darkest time. When people fell asleep, the virus was spreading like ink on rice paper in Wuhan. When the people woke up, the virus had uncontrollably spread across the country and around the world. This huge pandemic and disaster pushed the pause button on China. 

You can imagine how severe and devastating this pandemic has been. The virus strikes directly at the respiratory system, disrupting the immune system, hardening the lungs and trachea. In some sense, this picture is also a reflection of the gradual hardening of the human being, their separating from the outer world, and their inability to breathe healthily. What does it seem to indicate? 

In the face of this pandemic and disaster, no matter governments, scientists, doctors or civilians need to rethink and reflect: what caused today's disaster? What is each person's responsibility for this? What can we do in the future to keep the monster “Nian” (this odd virus) to where it belongs? How can human live in peace with nature and animals? How can the health care system be improved? How can we face such a critical crisis? 
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In this disaster, we also see a lot of light. The bravery, greatness and dedication of the medical staff moved us to tears, people's sincere help makes kindness and courage be seen everywhere. Traditional Chinese medicine has played a great role in the treatment and it is amazing. This has given many people, especially young people, a new understanding of Chinese medicine. 

The Biodynamic Association (BDA) awakens and enlivens co-creative relationships between humans and the earth, transforming the practice and culture of agriculture to renew the vitality of the earth, the integrity of our food, and the health and wholeness of our communities. 

The BDA is a participatory, membership-based nonprofit organization that works to nurture the North American biodynamic movement as a diverse, collaborative, and thriving ecosystem.  We aim to incubate strong leadership in the biodynamic community; grow the community of biodynamic farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and land stewards; communicate the powerful vision of biodynamics and the potential it holds for the Earth; and nurture the deep spiritual roots and insights of biodynamics.

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Biodynamic methods originate from Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher and prolific writer on many subjects (including farming). In 1924, Steiner delivered a series of Agriculture lectures that ultimately inspired the biodynamic principles used today. While we may have seen biodynamics most often with wine, the ideas can be applied in any form of agriculture - and farms across the country are catching on. Take the runaway popularity of the documentary The Biggest Little Farm - a documentary about a couple who leave the city to pursue sustainable farming. 25 years ago, who could have predicted that a film about farming would be a blockbuster success? More ...

This transdisciplinary program is a great opportunity for experienced practitioners to deepen and transform their own practice through an action research process that includes artistic and contemplative forms of inquiry. If you feel like it’s time to take what you’re doing and re-shape it in a creative process, with the support of a diverse and engaged peer group, then this is the place for you to be!  -Jan Göschel, Ph.D., President, Camphill Academy

Launched in 2014, this program collaborates with Camphill Academy. Camphill workers who have completed Level 2 of the Academy Studies may qualify for Advanced Standing, or 7 or 8 credits. Other applicants need to have at least five years of working with an anthroposophical practice, at the discretion of the Concentration Director. In the past we have welcomed school leaders, teachers, therapists, artists, administrators, and Camphill workers. Our classes have included people from many countries and several continents. We are proud of our diverse learning community.

This transformative Advanced Track program is for all those who wish an academic degree that, while not a teaching degree, offers a path of self-transformation and community enrichment through contemplative inquiry and action research. Many practical tools of observation will be taught, as well as courses on trauma and grief to support empathetic practices. Hands-on artistic exercises will help bridge the medical courses taught by doctors and the pedagogical insights which illumine the destiny path of the whole human being.

This two-summer program, with practicum/ internship and online action research in between summers, is tailored to your needs so that you can earn an academic degree from an accredited university, while fulfilling your practicum doing what you do: being a school leader, teaching your early childhood, grades, or high school class, or working in your healing or other practice. We can also help you begin to fulfill a new community leadership task, supported by a strong network and a dedicated faculty.

This advanced track master’s program is designed for people with at least five to seven years of professional experience in a relevant field and a practice based on anthroposophical foundations. Students who have completed Stage 2 of a program at Camphill Academy and are concurrently enrolled in the advanced level of that program are welcome to apply.
• Administrators • Experienced Waldorf teachers
• Adult educators • Therapists
• Artists • Waldorf practitioners
• Camphill Co-workers
• Therapeutic community builders

New addition for 2021: "The Kairos School in Artistic Therapies." This new course is for individuals wishing to add a Diploma internationally approved by the Medical Section of the Goetheanum. The number residencies/year(s) are still being worked out to conform to international standards. These residencies will be carried by the CfA in collaboration with AUNE's Healing Education Program.

Michaela Gloeckler, M.D., will be teaching the first week of courses in summer 2020 and Bernd Ruf will teach two modules on Emergency Pedagogy: Trauma, in July 2021. Graduates of the Healing Education Program are eligible to attend these residencies. We will be able to offer a Goetheanum-accredited Art Therapy Program in the US, attracting a stellar faculty for the artistic therapies. Specializations will be accommodated within the given sections, according to the needs of the applicants.

Learn more at antioch.edu

In the 100th year of Steiner Waldorf education globally, London’s V&A Museum of Childhood  (the largest institution of its kind in the world) has acquired two new acquisitions for its major redevelopment: a girl and a boy Waldorf doll from Edinburgh Steiner School Trust. They will join an internationally significant collection of dolls.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the museum’s historic building in 2022, V&A has embarked on a flagship project to reinvent the much-loved Museum of Childhood. As the most ambitious project in its history, this years-long curation will establish it as a world-leading museum of design and creativity, showcasing nationally significant anthologies of childhood for generations to come.

The two V&A Museum acquisitions were made by a Steiner handwork teacher for a wee red-headed, blue-eyed lassie in the playgroup. The auburn hair is a characteristic less than 2% of the world’s population have (13% in Scotland, theorized by scientist as having something to do with the dreich Scottish weather). Natural ‘gingers’ with blue eyes form the rarest combination on earth.

Edinburgh Steiner School

Annual Kolisko Institute Workshop

October 15-18, 2020

Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA

The Initiation Path of the Kings and the Shepherds

We will see how the Impulses flowing out of these two Esoteric Streams will prove helpful in understanding the Principle of Polarities in the world of Substances, of the Soul, and of the Spirit. As in the past few years we will continue our work on the unique importance of the Foundation Stone but connect it centrally with the 100 year anniversary of the beginning of the Anthroposophical Medicine! These principles will be richly demonstrated also in Eurythmy. Emphasis on workshops in applying the material to practical use in daily activities.

For the Kolisko Institute Team, Dr. Ross Rentea

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The Living Farms research project documents the work being done on biodynamic farms around the world. The project team recently visited Kenya.

As part of the Living Farms project, the team from the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum in Switzerland will, by February 2022, evaluate the impressions gained on up to twenty biodynamic farms. The results will mostly be presented in short videos. Two pilot films have been completed, which document the work carried out by the Goetheanum Garden team (CH) and at the Heggelbach farm community in Germany. Project leader Lin Bautze recently went to visit Kenya together with Benno Otter from the Goetheanum Garden Park.

In Limbua, five thousand small organic farmers have joined forces and supply Germany with high quality macadamia nuts, whilst also producing food for their own needs on less than one hectare of land. Some of the small farmers have started using biodynamic preparations. They are experimenting with adapting them to local conditions because there are, for instance, no oak trees in Kenya.

The Mbaghati Waldorf School has around 350 students from classes 1 to 9. It uses the school garden and agricultural land for teaching and for growing produce for the school canteen. It also keeps cows, which means that the school has its own milk supplies. Regular biodynamic training sessions take place at the school and are attended by people from all over Africa.

Both initiatives are applying agroforestry, a system that combines trees such as macadamia, avocado, papaya with crops of vegetables and sweetcorn. This system leads to greater biodiversity and to carbon dioxide being absorbed by the trees. In addition, the soil does not dry out so fast thanks to the shade provided by the trees.

The project team will next visit Australia and New Zealand and then continue on to Europe. Experiences were also recorded at the recent Agriculture Conference. More ...