Reflections on the Community Meeting from Lisa Bono

Dear Community,

What a wonderful community meeting!  Thank you to the many parents who joined us, faculty, board members, administration and committee chairs.  Thank you for your stories, love, and commitment to growing ourselves and New Amsterdam.

I am continually amazed at what Waldorf Education can bring about in the world today and to imagine that the first school began 94 years ago is a testament to the truth and healing that is inherent in the impulse behind our work together.  Each year in some ways we bring the past with us, in some ways the future is built upon this.

It was almost eight years ago that New Amsterdam began and in reflecting on this I realize that we are continuing the work of building a strong foundation.  Each one of us is playing a significant role in the future of  our children, education, New York City and Waldorf Education.

I would like to share our announcement again, we will be beginning  our First Grade at the New Amsterdam School in the fall of 2014!

It is an auspicious time, an exciting time.  We are all apart of this, and waking up to each other and to the challenges and beauty of our time.

With gratitude,

Lisa Bono

Faculty Chair

Learn About the Waldorf Grades Curriculum

Our friends at The Rudolf Steiner School are happy to introduce our parents to the grade school Waldorf curriculum at their upcoming Open Houses.

These events are a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what your children will experience as they move into the Waldorf grades. 

Open House Dates and Location:
Wednesday, October 9th and Thursday, November 7th at 7 PM
Rudolf Steiner School
15 East 79th Street

To attend please contact Melissa Sussman at malter@steiner.edu or by phone at 212-327-1457.

We will also be scheduling a school tour when parents can observe children in their grades classes.  If you are interested in participating in a tour please contact me at Karen.Talluto@newamsterdamschool.org.

Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten Needs Our Help

The recent flooding in Colorado caused immense damage at the Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten (BWK) where the flood waters were four feet deep.

Although BWK has been able to salvage tables and chairs, everything else will need to be replaced. BWK has found a temporary home for its children nearby during the rebuilding phase, scheduled to last 4-5 months.

The structure of their permanent building seems to be integral, but the entire interior of the school has to be replaced and is being gutted for rebuilding.

They need "everything" to bring BWK back.

How to Help BWK:

Donate Waldorf/LifeWays Items: play cloths, silks, wool felt, dolls, crayons, paint brushes, puppets, wooden toys, play animals, gnomes, additional nature table supplies, candles, candlesticks, homemaking items needed for cooking, cleaning, nurturing care and all the necessary items for caring for toddlers, etc. may be donated through Suzanne Down, the school's mentor. Please email her for the address — suzanne@junipertreepuppets.com.  Send items you may already have and are willing to pass on.

Donate Cash: If you do not possess school items but wish to help, Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten (BWK) is also accepting cash donations via PayPal. Go to http://paypal.com, click Transfer then Send Someone Money. Use donate@boulderwaldorf.com for the TO email address.  If it is important to you that your cash donation be tax deductible, please email dave@boulderwaldorf.com for additional details.

Donate anonymously: If you wish to donate but remain anonymous, or if you have additional questions, please contact Suzanne Down at suzanne@junipertreepuppets.com.

Donate through Bella Luna Toys: Sarah Baldwin, owner of Bella Luna Toys, has offered that anyone wishing to donate to the Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten can purchase a gift certificate at Bella Luna at a 20% discount with the code BOULDER. Thus, someone purchases a $100 gift certificate for Boulder and pays $80.

http://www.gofundme.com/boulderwaldorf

“Boulder Waldorf is a beautiful, farm-type kindergarten with chickens, goats, bunnies, honey bees and big biodynamic garden plots. It is a real working farm / kindergarten. The goats get milked daily and they make goat cheese weekly, which the children have on their bread the following day. It has been and will be again a wonderful example of practical and artistic life in the Waldorf kindergarten. They are looking for space in a church or other location (they have a lead on a synagogue) where they can operate. It may take 4-5 months to get the building in shape. Seana Grady, the Boulder Waldorf Kindergarten Co-Director, is upbeat and optimistic that things will work out. We send our loving thoughts and prayers to this lovely program for children. ”

Seana’s family home adjacent to BWK was also flooded. They had to evacuate in the dark hours of the morning on Thursday. Thankfully all are safe. Seana wants everyone to know that BWK and her family are already receiving an outpouring of warmth and support. “We feel so grateful and held. It is truly amazing to experience how a community pulls together in times like these. We feel fortunate and blessed that we are safe and supported. Our hearts go out to all in Colorado that have experienced hardship and loss during this time.” —from Nancy Blanning

Holiday Auction

Holiday Auction 2013

We’re really excited about the auction items that have been coming in – from a beautiful vacation home-stay in Palm Springs, to a course of yoga classes, and some wonderful crafts – thank you all for your efforts so far! 

Solicitation letters and donation forms are available in reception (and we can send you email versions if you prefer), and there are still some packs for parents to pick up in the class sign-in area.   Do let us know if you’d like more ideas about who to ask and what to ask for.  And just keep on asking!!  Every little helps.   Think about where you spend your money and who therefore might be happy to support us?  And also about what you’d like on the auction to help you with your Holiday shopping?

The Craft Cooperative would really welcome any help with making craft items.  If you’re not able to attend on Friday mornings, then Claire would be happy to provide you with instructions or a kit to make things at home – ranging from simple knitted squares that anyone could do, or sewing bean bags, to knitted chickens or sewn felt animals etc for more experienced crafters.  Or how about outsourcing to Granny or anyone else in your family with some time/ability??

 Just a reminder that all donations due by November 8^th.

 Thanks so much again for all your help. 

 Questions?  Call or email Jennie on 917 331 9250 (jennie@soulsomefood.com), Claire on 917-498-4690 szeto@katonahsystems.com, or Lynne on 917-697-8830 or lynne.wu@newamsterdamchildhood.org.