WINGS - Marin Waldorf School

WINGS
BRINGING NEWS TO THE MARIN WALDORF SCHOOL COMMUNITY
November 7, 2012
Volume 9: 2012-2013
Seventh Grade writing block: Poetry and Prose: The Art of Writing Expressively
Written By: Amy Ruegg, MWS 7th Grade Teacher
As children approach the daunting yet thrilling transformation of adolescence, they undergo both an inner and an outer metamorphosis, rebuilding themselves anew. As their
arms and legs lengthen and the beautiful form of their unique face resolves, their emotional life awakens in a new, more conscious way. Their mind begins to blossom as abstract
thinking germinates along with a new capacity for reasoning. Now they can begin to see the world
not only from their own point of view but from the perspective of the other.
In answer to these all-encompassing changes, our Waldorf curriculum meets the students where they
are with a diversity of subjects and age-appropriate methods of presentation: Age of Exploration and
Renaissance History, Perspective Drawing, Algebra, Human Physiology, Physics with emphasis on simple Mechanics, Inorganic Chemistry including Combustion, and Creative Writing. This year our seventh graders are even more so recreating themselves according to the loss of their beloved and inspiring teacher, Miss deBorah Jones. It has come to me, their new teacher, that our theme this year for
our class is the Phoenix, a mythological bird with healing tears and magical plumes that spontaneously combusts only to spring forth anew from the ashes of its former self.
Our year together began with the creative writing block entitled Poetry and Prose: The Art of Writing
Expressively. In this block we have explored various forms of poetry, as well as paragraph and essay
writing. In response to the seventh graders awakened feeling life, we have actively explored our feelings of wonder, of surprise and our deepest, most heart-felt wishes. Throughout the block the students kept a writing journal in which they have written spontaneously, whatever came to them on
that day. We have tried out the "Quick Write" and "stream of consciousness" writing, and we have
read the poetry of many famous poets. Our emphasis has been on expressive writing (utilizing descriptive word lists), choosing, perhaps the word glum, rather than sad, or elation rather than happiness. At first we wrote poetry, struggling to fit our ideas into a firm, unbending form: Haiku, Limerick, Cinquain, Sonnet. Soon, however, we arrived at free-verse poetry and discovered how freeverse, with its indeterminate form still differs from prose writing and is clearly placed in the category
of poetry.
The poetry the students have written is creative, expressive, and inspirational. I hope you enjoy reading this sampling that follows as much as I
have. For a more complete presentation of the poetry written in this block,
we refer you to the Seventh Grade Poetry Book, which parents are compiling
and will be spiral bound soon.
Enjoy, and think about writing something yourself today!
Page 1
ON THE HORIZON
Thursday, November 8
 Tennis, 2—4 pm
 Speaker Event: Eugene Schwartz, 7—9 pm
Friday, November 9
 Children’s Faire Wrap Up Meeting, 8:30 am
 Fifth Grade Fieldtrip, all day
Monday, November 12—School Closed
Tuesday, November 13
 Giving Week begins
 8th Grade Parent Evening, 6:30 pm
Wednesday, November 14
 School Portraits for Grades Students
 Preschool Parent Evening, 7 pm
Thursday, November 15
 School Portraits for PreK & K Students
 2nd Grade Play
 Intro to Basketball Meeting, 2—3:30 pm
Friday, November 16
 Appreciation Coffee, 8 am
 2nd Grade Play
Reminders from the Front Office:

Please remember to call or email
the Front Office if your child is absent from school.

Also, if you bring your child to
school after 8:45 am, it is important to SIGN THEM IN at the
Front Office.

Students in grades 1—8 need to
come to the office to get a late slip
if they have arrived late.

Teacher Conferences November 19—21
 No classes
November 22 & 23—School Closed for Thanksgiving
If your grades child is going to
aftercare before a music lesson,
please call the front office to make
sure there is room for your child.
**You can access the MWS Calendar
anytime by going to our website:
http://www.marinwaldorf.org/calendar
Page 2
7th Grade Poems: Sonnets
The River
Wonder
I wonder about the river
And the starting point, the spring.
The bubbling water-giver,
Pulled toward the ocean like a string.
Flowing through the forest’s shades
Curving around the land
The river flows down a hill and fades,
Followed by the grounded sand.
The snake turns into a waterfall
Roaring down the rock,
So loud you cannot hear a bird’s call.
The river falls into a lake the color of muck.
On and on the river follows,
Then goes into a salty ocean where it slows.
What if there was no gravity,
What if the earth wasn’t round?
What if there was only land, no sea,
No waves on the shore would pound.
What if the earth was gone,
And we had nowhere to stay?
Which planet would we live on,
Or would we just float away?
What if there was no time,
What if nobody cut down trees
What if people commited no crimes,
Then the world would be ideal
So many what ifs, so many effects,
If some of them were real, the world would be perfect.
by Ayaka Terasawa
by Rita Tolkach
A Gift from Nature
Wonder
What is that on the forest floor?
A smudge of white illuminates against the black.
‘Tis a barn owl who is to fly no more,
With a river of carmel and pepper down its back.
A wing outstretched like a sail.
A breast of soft white snow.
What caused this bird’s life to fail?
I’m afraid I’ll never know.
Talons tucked in close to feet.
The moon reflected in its face.
While this owl lies asleep,
Another owl’s call fills the open space.
Although a sorry sight lies beneath the pines
A gift from nature now is mine.
I do wonder why the sun is yellow.
I wonder why stars circle about,
And why is the moon so gentle and mellow?
I think a lot about the small finned trout.
Fish swim and speed around the small river,
The bees buzz here and there from flower to hive,
The swans migrate, they have happiness to deliver,
Why do the plants grow green, some say they thrive
How do the salmon know where they’re born?
How does the eagle have such a great eye?
Why do rams have such great curly horns?
Why would somebody call a pig’s pen a sty?
All this is a source of wonder for me.
Of all these questions I can figure out but three.
by Sam Eberhard
by Mikaela Fouts
Page 3
7th Grade Poems: Sonnets
Sunsets
Pondering Nature
Sunsets are a mystery,
They are so vivid and bright.
I want to know their history,
Why they only come at night.
Red, orange, yellow, pink, and gold,
They shine across the sky.
Like a rainbow shining bold,
The clouds float gently by.
I wonder how sunsets fly,
Like the wings of a dove.
The faintest whisper and a sigh,
Spreading light, and warmth, and love.
The sunset will always be
A bright and colorful mystery.
Thou doth give love,
Even when thou doth not receive it
And receivest thou not love?
I wonder why thee receivest hardship,
While thou doest nothing but sit.
Art thou not more than thee appear?
I can not help but ask the same.
For, more than thee appear, I fear,
Is not the only question I must name.
Then once again I am filled with wonder,
I wonder why thou lovest not Nature.
Yet Nature’s great canopy, thou art under,
Is just life in disguise, and so, it seems, are these questions of
Nature’s living creatures.
Nature seems to reach out to infinity.
Doth life, then go for all eternity?
by Rachael Zucker
By Sebastian Zarrehparvar
The Universe
The Salmon’s Life Journey
I often wonder where the universe ends.
And past that, we get no help from their lens.
In seeing what is past the distant stars.
What is out there in the far world of space?
And the moon with its craters and white dust,
Could you drive a car to its craggy face?
And what is up there in space, learn we must.
What is beyond the planets, we already know;
But, alas, I may never know that knowledge.
When will the earth’s spinning start to slow?
When will Jupiter have a college?
Many of these questions I will never know;
But, soon some answers might start to show.
I wonder where the salmon’s life begins
Up and up near where the river flows from its spring?
I wonder where the river ends,
As water, to the river, the spring begins.
The Salmon make their way down stream.
The river is the giver of quivering life.
Farther down stream, I see Bream
And, a Salmon clasped in an osprey talon like a knife.
And I see Bream stealing bass eggs with greed,
While, flopping, frogs hop along the shallows,
As flowing down to the great bay, we will soon have need
To return to source, leaving shores lined with mallows
Must we be greedy about our food from river or sea?
A year passes and I stomp through the shallows;
New salmon fry flee.
by Nick Eberhard
The Sky
How I wonder from whence the sky come,
How I wonder why it spreads across the heavens.
How I wonder why the birds fly across it with merry hum.
How I wonder why it has end.
In the darkness of the year,
When the clouds have taken over,
For the thunder, no one can hear
Neither the frightened plovers.
With the sky and the sun above us,
If they always shine,
With the wonders of the world there’s no fuss,
As the heavens draw for us a great big line.
And, the Dawn of this awakening
Calls to us, reaching, beckoning.
by Dillon Bayless
Page 4
by Alex Eaton
1st Grade Fieldtrip Written by: Michelle Robbins, First Grade Parent
A Day at the Pumpkin Patch- The First Grade’s First Field Trip
It was a gorgeous day for a trip to the Pumpkin Patch as four cars headed out from Marin
Waldorf School to Spring Hill Pumpkin Patch in Petaluma last Friday. Lots of excited first
graders were singing in at least three languages (English, Spanish and Mandarin) as they
were caravanned to their destination.
We arrived in perfect time to have lunch on hay stacks and watch as several other schools
were also enjoying their field trip. After lunch we had one of the highlights of the tripPrincess the Cow was thoroughly enjoying munching on a smashed pumpkin while she
patiently received a pat on the side or a tentative milking from each one of the first graders. Princess deserves a crown! We were the last field trip of the day- I’m sure Princess
had served as a highlight of the day to at least 100 children that day!
After our time with Princess, we got to explore the other animals on the farm- a group of
pigs were playing and jumping in the mud, several miniature burros were happy to let us
pet them and we got to see and pet lots of baby calves!
Next it was time for our hay ride! We rode on a tractor that took us out to the fields.
There we got to dig up our own potatoes! Then off to the pumpkin fields where sixteen
first graders carried their own potatoes while looking for the “perfect” pumpkin! It was
so much fun to see how each of them selected their “perfect” pumpkin. Potatoes and
pumpkins in arms, the children got back on the tractor for the last part of the hay ride.
Finally, we got to end our day with vanilla ice cream from the farm!
We all had a wonderful time and it was so beautiful to see how the children and adults
play so well together! The children were so sweet in helping each other choose pumpkins
and making sure that they all had the right potatoes to take home. Ms. Weber was very
impressed with how cohesive they were as a group and how the children were able to
share their parents. Our first field trip was a huge success!
Page 5
1st Grade Fieldtrip Photos
Page 6
Announcement: Eugene Schwartz tomorrow night!
“He's by far the best speaker I've ever heard talk about
Waldorf education. I heard him several years ago, so
I'm excited to hear him again.” (MWS 1st Grade Parent)
We encourage you to attend tomorrow night’s speaker event!
Eugene Schwartz, the Woody Allen of Waldorf education, will be at MWS,
November 8, at 7:00 pm! Eugene Schwartz is a leading Waldorf educator
and we are so fortunate to have him presenting to our school tomorrow –
you don’t want to miss this!
Did you know…?!?!?!
• Eugene is an amazing playwright. Not only did he write last year’s 4th
grade play, but since 1982, when he wrote his first class play for his first
graders, through the present day, Eugene Schwartz's class plays are the most
widely-performed in the English-speaking world.
• He has been speaking to Waldorf teachers and communities about how
Waldorf education can adapt to technology changes for the last 10-15 years
and is also now a Certified Apple iOS Developer.
• He is committed to building Waldorf communities and travels the globe to
speak, consult, and advise teachers and parents.
• Senor Salusso has told us that he is, indeed, known as the Woody Allen of
the Waldorf world. Don’t miss this event!
**EVENT DETAILS:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 7:00-9:00 PM
MARIN WALDORF SCHOOL HALL
FREE TO ALL, SUGGESTED DONATION OF $10
RSVP WITH THE MWS FRONT OFFICE
Page 7
Important Announcements
Thanksgiving Food Drive
As the blessing says in
MWS Preschool, “We give
thanks, for this food, for
rest and home, and all
things good…”
Help give the gift of food
during this season of
Gratitude. Drop off
canned goods in the Marin Food Bank Bins in our
breezeway—now thru Nov. 16.
Foods that are most needed are:
Peanut butter, tuna, canned meat, cereal, soup, chili, baked
beans, granola bars.
**No glass jars, please!
Picture Days are Next Week!
Nov 14 for Grades students
Nov 15 for K & Pre K students
Thanksgiving Lunch for Grades, Faculty and Staff
Please get your order form from
your teacher!
On Friday, November 16th, the grades, faculty and
staff will prepare and eat soup together. Please
send a bowl and utensils (only for your child ) that
day. It would be great to thank Mother Earth for
her bounty without adding to the landfills! Classes
will be asked to bring soup ingredients and corn
breads to prepare and share.
Page 8
Announcements
It is IMPERATIVE that you call the front
office to make sure there is room for your
child if you would like them to go to
aftercare before a music lesson.
Aftercare is starting to fill up for the Grades
and we cannot guarantee their spot. We
have to ensure the safety of the children and
have adequate staffing.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Current
MWS Family
looking for rental
ASAP
2+ bedrooms
Please call or email
Christine Parini:
415-306-4796
christineparini@me.com
Basketball season is just around the corner!
We encourage all 6th/7th/8th graders to attend an "introduction to basketball" session
on our own blacktop with Coach White and
coach Kositzin on Thursday, Nov 15th, 2:003:30pm.
**More details on the program will follow
soon.
Page 9
Announcements
The 100% eScrip Challenge!
Imagine If all of our MWS families participated in eScrip, what we could
raise for the school?! Please take 10 minutes to register online, and help us
fundraise for the school while you shop.
For New Supporters:
It’s easy and automatic. Just register your credit card(s), debit card(s), and grocery club
card(s) at www.escrip.com, selecting Marin Waldorf School as the beneficiary (Group
ID# 118360578).
Every time your cards are swiped at a participating eScrip retailer / restaurant or when
you shop online through the eScrip online shopping mall, MWS receives a donation of
2% to 10%. You pay nothing extra.
Once you are enrolled, download the eScrip AutoEarn application by clicking “Online
Shopping Mall” to automatically use eScrip when you shop online.
Current Supporters:
Go to “my eScrip” page at
www.escrip.com. Make sure your email
address, credit / debt card(s), grocery
store club card(s) are current.
If you have Safeway club card, you have
to renew your club card every year. To
renew, just click “Renew Now” button on
the right side of your welcome page at
www.escrip.com.
Page 10
Join Us for
GIVING WEEK
November 13-16
th
Every Day
8:00-8:45 am in the Breezeway
Friday, enjoy coffee & treats hosted
by the Development Committee!
Bring in your donation or pledge for
the 2012-2013 Annual Fund and help
us reach 100% participation! Classes
that reach 100% by December 21,
2012 will receive a bonus holiday gift
for their teacher!
Thank you for your support!
Building the School Community
Thursday, November 8, 2012, 7:00-9:00 pm
Marin Waldorf School Hall
Suggested Donation, $10
RSVP to Marin Waldorf School
office@marinwaldorf.org or 415-479-8190
Among all educational methods, Waldorf stands alone in the great stress
that it places upon relationships as the foundation of effective
pedagogy. Not only do Waldorf schools work at forging the relationship
of the teacher to her students, but they expend considerable energy on
the relationships children form with one another. In addition, there is the
relationship of parents and teachers, of teachers to teachers, and of
parents to parents -- a great deal for one school to set out to accomplish!
However, it is the striving to weave this social web that creates the
"Waldorf community" that stands out so strongly in the often adversarial
world of modern education. Eugene Schwartz will explore the way in
which this web is woven and sometimes stretched thin. He will offer
advice to parents of children of all ages -- in fact, he will provide some
especially effective community-building tools to middle-school parents.
Eugene Schwartz has been a Waldorf educator and
consultant for almost 40 years. He taught as a class teacher
and high school teacher at Green Meadow Waldorf School
(New York) and Shining Mountain Waldorf School (Colorado)
and has been a visiting faculty member at several other
schools in the US. He is the author of ten books and over 100
of his lectures are available on CDs. He has pioneered online
international teacher conferences and works with public
school teachers in Ecuador and Waldorf educators in China.
He has recently become a Certified Apple iOS Developer.
More information on his work may be found
at www.millennialchild.com.