November 2015 - Sebastopol Charter

SEBASTOPOL
CHARTER NOTES
November 2015
Monthly Edition
Three Streams of Student Support:
A school-wide approach for students experiencing challenges
Monday, November 16 from 6:30-8p.m.
held at our Main Campus in the Assembly Room
Please join us to learn about our process for meeting student social,
behavioral, learning challenges. This work pilots an approach developed
by Kim John Payne, who is known nationwide for his work building
empathy and social intelligence in school communities across the
country.
You will hear from teachers, parents and students who have worked to
embed this process in our school culture. We will also present our new
Student Support Handbook complete with diagrams and explanations
of our process. We are excited about the changes we have made
and those yet to come! We hope you can join us for this community
meeting.
Harvest Hoedown Success!
by Anya Brink, 7th Gr. Student
On the 25th of October the seventh grade held its annual fundraiser. Unlike
most seventh grades we held a “Hoe-Down” instead of the Italian Feast. It
was a huge success. There were delicious foods, dance music, fun games,
a country market, a photo booth, and a cake walk. The cake walk was one
of my many highlights of the day. You stood on a number in the circle and
walked around the circle to music. When the music stopped you would
stand on a number. If they drew your number you won a cake or a plate of
cupcakes.
Even though we worked hard, our parents worked even harder. They started planning months before the event and never slackened their pace. We
would like to give a special thanks to Rebecca Porteous who organized the
whole thing, to Ariel and Rudy Pacheco, who were in charge of the kitchen,
to Bronwen Shears-MacNab, a real down-home MC, and of course all of you
who came and supported our event. We hope you all enjoyed yourselves.
There are many others who deserve a special thanks as well, but that would
take pages.
4th Gr. Yggdrasil Norse trees
November Issue Highlights
Three Streams
Harvest Hoedown
Pledge Update
8th Gr. Projects
Boys Basketball
Thanksgiving Recipes
Environmental Tips
Waldorf Toys
Notes from the Office
Support Column
Credo Winter Faire
eScrip Update
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Upcoming Events
Nov. 16: Three Streams Parent
Evening, 6:30-8p, Assembly Room
Nov. 18: Enrollment Tour, 9am
Nov. 20: 3rd Gr. Class Play, 5:30p
Nov. 25: Early Dismissal at 12:45p,
Grades 1-8
Nov. 26 & 27: School Closed,
Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 5: Winter Garden, Gr. K-2
Dec 7: Board Meeting, 6pm
Dec 10: 7th & 8th Gr. Winter
Ensemble Concert, 6:30-7:30p,
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
*more events listed on our Google
Calendar, sebastopolcharter.org
Notes from
the
Director
by Chris Topham, Executive Director
We had a packed room on Thursday, November 5 in the assembly room for the informational evening regarding vaccination. Perhaps
I shouldn’t be surprised by the large turnout,
considering the hot topic. I hope we have a
similar crowd for our Three Streams presentation by Laurie Tuchel on Monday, November 16, 6:30-8pm in
the assembly room.
On November 5, we hosted Karen Holbrook, MD, Deputy Director
of Sonoma County Health, as the speaker about vaccination. She
made a presentation about why the law was created to make certain vaccinations mandatory. She shared how the personal/religious
belief exemption has created a problem (in her opinion) in some
geographical areas and schools (such as us) in accomplishing a high
rate of vaccinated students. She showed a chart of how a measles
outbreak could spread in a population with a minority of vaccinated
people. She made her case for why it’s important to have a high
rate of vaccinated students in schools.
Dr. Holbrook acknowledged that a parent can still get a medical exemption for specific vaccinations based on a physician’s opinion. She
also acknowledged that some doctors may have a loose interpretation of why a child should be exempt from a vaccination. However,
she said that if there was an outbreak, her office would be involved
in investigating the situation and that there could be a consequence
for a doctor who didn’t follow one of the commonly accepted medical guidelines for making an exemption. Only an MD or DO doctor
can provide a medical exemption.
Dr. Holbrook was clear that a school should not be in the business of authenticating proof of vaccination records and/or medical
exemptions. We have to trust the information we receive. I pleaded
with the all the parents in the room to stay on top of the requirements, because the last thing any of us want to do as employees
of the school is to tell a child that he/she cannot come to school
anymore (because his/her parents have not provided the school
with the proper information to satisfy the new vaccination law). I
encouraged the parents in the room to remind other parents about
staying on top of the situation of getting the proper documentation
to the school within the deadlines. In the current situation, Eric
Brosio’s 6th grade class is effected the most by the new law, because
his students will be entering the “vaccination gateway” of 7th-12th
grade in the fall. He mentioned that he has overheard students
talking about shots they have been receiving lately. I hope that the
kindergarten applicants for the fall will have met the requirements,
because Kindergarten is the other “vaccination gateway.”
It seems that Sebastopol Charter families with children who are
not currently fully vaccinated in grades K-5 have bought themselves
some time by having their personal belief waivers filled out. These
waivers stay valid until those children reach 7th grade. Barbara
Philipp (office manager) will do her best to keep in touch with
parents to remind them about requirements as timely as possible,
but the responsibility of making sure that students are up-to-date on
vaccine requirements is on the parents. I made clear at the parent
presentation that the school cannot make any exceptions regarding
the deadlines for vaccinations and/or proof of medical exemptions,
because the state has made it clear that any charter school doing
that will have its charter revoked. One parent commented that it
would really hurt our school if many families leave for homeschooling. I agree. We will need to work together to proactively help and
encourage parents during this transition and beyond.
2 CharterNotes November 2015
November Pledge Update
Thank you for your returned pledge forms. Already 70% of you have
made a gift of pledge. If you have not yet returned yours, please do
so as soon as possible. If you are still in need of one, please email
Anna (anna@thecharterfoundation.org) to let her know or click here
for one to print. Our goal this year is to reach 100% participation by
December 31st.
I know we can do it. This will be our 5th year in a row to do so!
With Gratitude,
Anna O. and the Charter Foundation
Class Pledge Forms Rcv’d
RK SK
1st 2nd
3rd
4th 5th 6th
7th
8th School
Notes from
the Editor
by Carrie Heim,
Administrative Asst.
When I moved to San Francisco,
I tried my first sushi, first burrito, first sriracha--I never knew
flavors like this existed. Then
the holidays hit, and my Filipino
friend invited me to their Thanksgiving. Not the typical turkey
and stuffing, but trays of lumpia,
fried meats, heaps of sticky rice
and exotic fruits. Not a bowl of
mashed potatoes in sight. I loved
it. It was an “aha” moment where
your eyes open to see the truth
of what has always been in front
of you. Tradition and holidays
are what you make of them. This
was so different from what I’ve
known, but captured the same
spirit, the same warmth, and also
proved that “American” did not
77%
73%
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72%
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56%
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70%
mean leaving your culture behind.
In this issue, I’ve asked parents
of different nationalities to
share with us their recipes from
home. Some recipes are fused,
but mostly represent comfort, a
common thread in the Thanksgiving holiday. Here is a wish for
your Thanksgiving to be filled
with family, friendship, and honor
for the heritage you come from.
November is another thick issue,
filled with thanks for the 7th Gr.
Fundraiser, the Harvest Hoedown, tips for how to make our
home, Mother Earth, cleaner,
brighter and more sustainable,
and the definition of a Waldorf
toy from someone who knows
best, Circle of Hands owner,
Leslie Young. Have a bossy child?
Laurie Tuchel gives us advice on
how to handle, and more importantly, how to prevent, bossy
behavior. Happy November!
8th Gr. Project Presentations
by Merry McIlroy, 8th Gr. Teacher
This experience was challenging, and
also rewarding, as each student stood
before the community presenting
their work. Work that sprung out of
their own interest within the guidelines of school. They were proud of
themselves, and so are we.
Photos courtesy of Kelly Gast, 8th Gr. Parent
Top Row: Nathan Simmons, blacksmithing, Shayla Rose-Brown, digital photography. Second Row: Caroline Langley, Ceres Community Project, Isabelle Tickle, composotion for viola,
Sage Boland-Morse, building a longboard, Ulysses Fessenden-McMechen, making a bass guitar. Third Row: Kent Gamble, rugby. Fourth Row: Stella Kampmann, jewelry making,
Violet Duval-Johnson, Argentinian tango, Bodhi Klein, making a ukulele, Fiona Jacobsen-Sarter, American sign language.
Boys Basketball Season
by Raven Hale and Atticus Nicholas, 7th Gr. Students
“We are grateful for that we will soon
be moving into a new campus -- only
one drop off and pick up for both of
our children! And a nice space for
farming and gardening!”
~ A Grateful Parent
7th Gr: What an exciting Basketball season we’re having! After
losing every game last year we won our first game 30-15 and
lost our second with two overtimes. We were so close! The ending score was 36-34. We’ve been playing the best we ever have.
We look forward to the rest of our season and hope to win more
games.
8th Gr: A win for 8th Grade Boys Basketball
team! Scoring 38-22 against Rincon Valley
Christian, the boys stayed strong throughout the game. Particularly notable was
Kent Gamble scoring 14 points! Way to go
Sebastopol Charter!
November 2015 CharterNotes 3
The Thanksgiving Day holiday celebrates much more than food. It is a celebration of home, family, and tradition. The following recipes are not typical “American” dishes, but they carry the flavors of “home” and are lovingly prepared for family in this yearly tradition.
Red-Miso-Glazed Carrots
A Japanese inspired Thanksgiving side dish.
¿Accion de qué? ¡Accion de Gracias!
Ingredients:
3 pounds carrots, sliced on the bias 1/3 inch thick
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup red miso paste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 6)
Twenty-three years ago, I moved to Chicago from Colombia, South
America. I knew very little about the North American culture, and,
much less about the Thanksgiving tradition. I knew a little bit
about the Pilgrims, the Native Americans generosity, and the 1621
Plymouth feast. I had even made a couple of crafts related with this
celebration in the British-Colombian school where I used to work,
but that was it. Now, I know I really did not know anything about it!
Growing up in Colombia, there was always a time during Christmas
and Easter when my grandparents or my parents acknowledged
all the gifts and blessings our family had received. The Puritans
reforms from 1536 that eliminated so many religious celebrations
and turned them into days of fasting, or days of Thanksgiving, did
not reach the South. Basically, we were raised to follow the Catholic
church celebrations left as our cultural inheritance from the Spaniards during the colonization. During the years that my husband, a
native from Chicago, lived and taught in Colombia, he was always
shocked with the enormous amount of religious Holidays. I am pretty sure our students did not mind them at all! After moving to the
USA, I started to experience Thanksgiving as something more than
the joys and pains of stuffing myself like a turkey, or the excitement of making my famous “Colombo-American Pie,” a 3-times pie
contest winner. Yes, that was a great source of pride for an isolated,
Colombian homemaker many years ago in Chicago. I won the pie
contest three times in a row, despite the fact that I was not raised
making pies and that Colombians have to import apples from Chile,
and consequently, apples are not commonly used. Ah, did I also
mention that I am the most anarchic cook, and almost never follow
a recipe? Indeed, winning the pie contests was a big deal for me.
Then came the real gift! I started to experience my soul yearning for
the quiet time, for the autumn light, the wind, the crunchy sound of
the dry leaves while I walked the dog in the park, the shooting stars!
I found myself sweeping my home, slowly, carefully, and contented. On the Wednesdays before Thanksgiving, I could feel myself
so light and filled with love, inspired by all the grandparents that I
met. The joy in their faces while visiting my dear students left me
more satisfied than Grandma’s German green beans (which have
also become a must on our table!). The fact that there were no gifts
involved during the Thanksgiving celebration gave me a wonderful
sense of freedom, of being able to be fully in communion with others, with the season, and with the earth. There are so many reasons
for me to say GRACIAS! Being able to go camping, good health,
wonderful daughters, a small strip of land to place a box and grow
kale and spearmint. AMAZING, DEVOTED, CREATIVE teachers,
Waldorf schools every where in California, music opportunities to
grow and learn at many levels. I pray for a blessed rainy season, for
the earth to heal after the terrible fires, and hope that all of you will
have a lovely Dia de Accion de Gracias!
by Marcela Ronan, 7th Gr. Parent (& former Sebastopol Charter Spanish teacher)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch
the carrots until barely crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
In a medium roasting pan set over a burner, heat the oil. Add the
carrots and cook over high heat, stirring once, until lightly browned in
spots, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the miso with
the butter, brown sugar and half of the scallions to form a paste. Add the
miso butter to the carrots and toss until coated.
Roast the carrots for about 20 minutes, stirring once, until tender and
glazed. Stir in the remaining scallions. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and
serve.
Colombo-American Pie by Marcela Ronan
It is a great twist for apple pie. I do not have the original recipe and now, I do not even follow a recipe. I just “eye it,” but it is
extremely easy.
For the dough, I substitute water with cold, freshly squeezed, orange
juice, and use unbleached organic flour from Andy’s Market. I usually
make at least three different kinds of pies, so I make a big batch of
dough, divide it in three portions, wrap each in a moist kitchen towel
and keep them in the fridge while I work with one of them at a time.
For the filling, use any recipe that you like but make sure you use Fuji
apples, reduce the amount of sugar, and substitute half of the apples
with dry pineapple slices from Andy’s Market. They have two kinds,
one kind is pretty pale, no sugar added, the other one is more bright,
yellow, and has sugar added. I use the later (hence reducing the sugar
amount), and I cut it in small pieces before I start to work on the pie. I
also add the fresh juice of two or three limes depending of the size. The
lime juice gives a nice extra tartness, and the dry pineapple creates
little chunks of caramel, taffy like pieces. Make sure to brush the top
dough with whole milk after making the traditional cuts, and generously
sprinkle sugar over the top. Cover with aluminum foil the first 25 to 30
minutes and then uncover it to make it gold and crispy. The original recipe called for lard, but when I moved to California, I started to use butter
and vegetable shortening instead, and it is still delicious. I understand
that the lard makes the dough more flaky, but you can achieve that with
fresh flour and good butter anyway.
Rosemary-Asiago Dinner Rolls
by Marcela Ronan
These delicious rolls do not take much time or
effort. When our oldest daughter Lucia was at
Summerfield, she used to make dinner rolls with
just rosemary as she learned from her gardening
teacher, Ronny Sands. Ronny is such a cool, nice
teacher Lucia still talks about! A couple of years
later after Lucia started to make them, Miranda
was able to help also with the festivities preparations and she added the Asiago cheese. Now they
are truly a must of our Thanksgiving table.
4 CharterNotes November 2015
1 package quick-acting active dry yeast (2
1/4 teaspoons) ( 7 grams)
1 1/3 cup milk (105º to 115ºF degrees)
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour or whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
coarse salt
1 cup of grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped rosemary.
Dissolve yeast in warm milk in electric mixer
bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Stir
in remaining flour, oil, sugar and salt. Mix on low
speed until soft dough forms. Add the grated
Asiago and the rosemary. Let rise in warm
place until double, about 45 minutes. Preheat
oven 400ºF degrees, and grease a muffin pan
with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Punch
down dough in center and fold over a few
times. Pinch off 1 inch balls of dough and
quickly roll in palm of hands. Put 3 balls to one
muffin cup; brush with melted butter; sprinkle
with coarse salt. Bake 12-15 minutes, until crust
is light golden brown. Immediately remove
from pan. Store loosely covered.
Kookoo Sabzi: Persian Herb Frittata
by Yasi Ayat
Ingredients:
7 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking
soda
1 tsp. flour
2 Tbsp. dried barberries
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped dill
1 cup finely chopped spinach
Directions:
1. Beat together eggs, baking soda, flour,
barberries, salt & pepper, turmeric, and 2
Tbsp. oil/butter.
2. Add the chopped greens and mix thoroughly. Adjust the salt & pepper to taste.
Steamed Mushroom Pudding
by Cristina Gosling
We are vegetarian, so ours is not a traditional thanksgiving. This
is based on a traditional English recipe.
For filling:
2 lb mixed mushrooms, any type work sliced thinky
1 onion, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
For pastry:
5 oz grated cheese, strong cheddar is best
4 oz grated butter, cold
1 1/2 cups flour
Water as needed
Sholeh Zard: Persian Saffron Rice Pudding by Yasi Ayat
Sholeh Zard is an ancient recipe that goes back several thousand years
ago, to the time of the Persian Empire. It is a rice pudding that contains
saffron, the most expensive spice in the world. To this day, Sholeh Zard
is prepared for special events and is a tradition for all Persian families to
share with others when there is a celebration.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
6 cups water
3 cups sugar
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. ground saffron,
dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water
1/4 cup rosewater
pinch of salt
Optional Garnish:
Ground cinnamon
Slivered almonds
Slivered pistachios
Dried edible rose petals
1. Rinse the rice several times with fresh water.
2. Bring the rice and water to boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer for
35 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface.
3. Add sugar and cook for 15 minutes, constantly stirring. Add the rest
of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and simmer over low for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
4. Spoon into individual serving bowls or one large serving bowl. Decorate with the garnish as desired and refrigerate. Serve cold. Makes
approx. 10-15 servings.
3. Pour remaining oil in ovenproof dish and
place in preheated 350 degree oven.
4. When the oil is hot, pour in the egg
mixture and bake uncovered for approx. 45
minutes.
5. Cut into small pieces and serve hot or
cold with yogurt and/or chutney.
* Dried barberries can be found in Middle
Eastern and other specialty food stores.
Soak for 10 minutes in cold water and rinse
before using. You can also substitute finely
chopped unsweetened dried cranberries.
You will also need:
2 pint glass bowl.
Large pot water with lid. Towel on bottom.
First make the filling. Fry onion until soft, add mushrooms. Cook
till soft, season to taste, stir in cornstarch and add water or stock.
Cook till thickened and cool slightly.
Make pastry. Combine butter, cheese and flour. Slowly add water a
tablespoon at a time to make a firm pastry. Roll out 2/3 of pastry
to a 10 inch circle. Line pudding basin. Put in filling and roll out
rest pastry and place on top, pressing down at the edges- as is
done with a pie crust.
Tie double layer parchment paper on top. Place in pot on top of
towel. Water should be half way up side of basin. Bring to boil then
reduce heat and simmer for two and a half hours.
When done remove carefully and turn out on plate. Serve right
away.
Chai Spiced Eggnog (vegan, GF)
Submitted by Carrie Heim
My good friend, Kajal Dhabalia, is an amazing cook (and artist,
and wife, and...well, the list could go on). She has shared with us
this delicious and healthy recipe fusing together two of her favorite
drinks that jumpstarts us into the holiday spirit! See her other recipes and artwork at www.wholesomesoul.com.
Ingredients:
3 cups almond milk
unsweetened
4 oz. vanilla pudding (vegan)
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cardamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Place all ingredients in blender
2) Blend for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Serve
chilled.
ENJOY!
November 2015 CharterNotes 5
Earth Citizens Unite! Environmental tips from
Theresa for a Sustainable Future
by Theresa Melia, recently retired Sebastopol Charter Kindergarten teacher
The truth is that we all share in one
life here on Earth. We share one
water, one air, one light, one soil. We
are responsible for maintaining the
health and viability of our planet,
for ourselves, our children and all
plants and animals. We are responsible. So let us act responsibly every
single day. Let us be responsible Earth Citizens. Here
are some of my suggestions for regular acts of earthly
responsibility:
• Do not leave your car idling. Park and walk instead.
• Avoid using a clothes dryer, instead use a clothesline. In rainy weather, use an indoor drying rack.
• Always turn off lights before leaving a room.
• During times of drought, flush your toilet only
when necessary.
• During times of drought, plug your bathtub and
bail out the tub with buckets after a shower or
bath. Pour the grey water on your thirsty yard.
• Recycle everything possible.
• If you have the means, plant trees, buy an electric
or hybrid car, and install solar panels.
• Wash dishes by hand, in basins in the sink. Take
the water and water your garden with it.
• Make walking or bicycling a daily habit instead of
using a car.
• Never litter. Remove litter wherever you see it.
• Avoid buying unnecessary plastic. For instance,
use bar soap instead of liquid hand soap in plastic
bottles.
• Buy in bulk. For shampoo, conditioners, dish soap,
use the same refillable bottles for many years.
• Never use plastic bag liners in trash cans. Simply
wash the trash can now and then.
• Buy meat at the butcher counter, wrapped in paper rather than buying pre-packaged in plastic and
styrofoam.
• Cook as often as possible, from “scratch.”
• In cold weather, keep the thermostat set low and
wear a sweater.
• Turn the heater off at night. Pile on the wool blankets and down comforters.
• Always buy organically (or bio-dynamically) grown
produce. This supports healthy agriculture. The
price may be higher for organic foods, but the
unseen “costs” of chemical agri-business are far
more damaging.
• Go into nature regularly for walks, exploration, and
contemplation. Let the earth, trees, plants, clouds,
creeks, ocean, rivers, animals, air, stars, sun all feel
our gratitude, our admiration, our love.
With all of us helping, we can reverse global warming
and climate change. Let’s do it!
What is a “Waldorf” Toy?
The play of a child is not just an
insignificant activity to be “grown out
of” as soon as possible, nor is fantasy
silly and impractical, something to
be supplanted early on by textbooks,
instructional videos and the sophistication of the “real” world. The
delight and absorption with which
some children enter into the simplest
of games is critical in their development,
and modern society, with its multitude
of mechanized diversions, is in danger of
suppressing the ability for spontaneous,
creative play. The child’s evolving ability
to act out adult occupations or life situations in play means that they are learning
to find their own way into life. It is not
mere childish play but, at one and the
same time, real life and imagery, fantasy
and reality. The inner forces during play
transform themselves into faculties of the
highest importance for later learning in
school and career.
6 CharterNotes November 2015
Children are naturally equipped with
fantasy and creativity, but very early in
life these qualities can be cultivated – or
squashed. One of the most important
considerations of a parent or an educator
concerns toys and the commonly-followed practice of giving youngsters elaborately “finished” objects. It is the nature
of the industrial age to turn out many
quickly-produced items to be used once
and then disposed of, and it is in the nature of a child to quickly tire of these specialized toys that are so narrowly suited to
one purpose. Actually, the simpler the toy,
the more stimulated is the child’s gift for
invention. For example, a group of five-
and six-year-olds can use small
logs, bark, pine cones, pebbles,
roughly carved wooden figures of
people and animals to build a farm
complete with houses, stables, a
well, pastures and fields. For days,
this can be expanded and changed
according to the constantly shifting
pictures that arise in their imaginations. The fewer perfected things
children are given, the more they
must achieve out of themselves. The best
toys are those which allow the fantasy as
much freedom as possible.
Think of the detail in the modern doll,
complex in its anatomy, technically so perfect that it opens and closes its eyes, talks
with a tinned voice, wets its diapers and
so on. But this is never-ending, because
the more detail there is in a toy, the more
demanding a child will become. And,
correspondingly, the more atrophied the
powers of fantasy will become. Fantasy
needs, like muscles, regular use to be
Continued onto page 8
Student Support Corner
by Laurie Tuchel, Three Streams Coordinator
Q: “My child has always been a bit bossy, but as she grows
older (she’s 7 now) it’s becoming very apparent that she
wants control over every single thing while she plays with
her friends. What can I do to help steer her away from this
behavior?”
A: Usually “bossy” children are children who have more
anxiety than is healthy for them. What they are doing is
trying to control their environment so that it is not so unsettling. It is a perfectly legitimate response to anxiety, and
most of us exhibit it at times.
What causes this anxiety? It can be caused by an environment that is too chaotic and unpredictable. Where there is
form and predictability children relax. More often, however,
children are bombarded with so much information and so
many choices by the adults in their world that their anxiety
increases and they feel they have to exert their influence
over areas that are more properly someone else’s. They act
it out with their friends.
Firstborns tend to be more aware of the adult world
and they tend to be more “bossy” (carry more anxiety).
Correspondingly, they are more likely to engage in adult
conversations, to be questioned about their feelings, and to
be given a lot of choices.
What can alleviate childhood anxiety? Regular bedtime,
regular mealtime, more times that are unscheduled, no
questions, less adult talk. And of course (darn it all), we
have to look at ourselves. How present are we? Are our
minds zooming forward to all our own anxieties while we
are with our children? Are we receiving fifteen text messages while we push them on the swing? Are we dragging
them into the grocery store while we talk on the phone?
We are our children’s lifelines. They look to us to know the
state of their world. They know when we are calm and
centered. Or not.
These “behind the scenes” approaches will go the furthest
toward helping your child be socially healthy in the long
run. However, there are some things you can do to help
in the short term. You might try previewing the play: what
are we going to play today, and who will do what? This
must be done with a light touch so it doesn’t become a
major negotiation process. You can also try re-direction.
When the play is becoming strained, serve a snack or take
them out on a walk. You might ask yourself if your child
is rested enough for a play date. Perhaps he or she needs
some down time. How many play dates are necessary after
full days of school? Most young children have had enough
socializing after their school day.
Have a question for the Student Support Column? All questions are
welcomed!
Email: charternotes@sebastopolcharter.org to submit your questions.
Notes From
the
Office
by Barbara Philipp,
Office Manager
The cold is upon us; frost is covering the lawns in the morning. Find
your child’s layers in our lost &
found--already heavy with a new
batch of clothes!
We had a full house for our parent
evening regarding vaccinations and
SB277 on Nov 5. Dr. Karen Holbrook from Sonoma County Public
Health Department explained
the needed vaccinations covered
under SB277 and answered many
questions from the public. Current
personal belief exemptions was a
big concern, and be rest assured,
every student who has entered
our school either was fully vaccinated or obtained a personal belief
exemption, which is in your childs
file. If your child has had any vaccinations since then, please bring
in your most recent vaccination
records so we can update your
current health card.
The advanced Youth Orchestra
and YPCO ensemble will perform
onstage at Weill Hall on Saturday,
November 21 at 3pm. Sebastopol
Charter students, including Miranda Ronan, Daisy Abbot, Kelsey
Perlman, Antonio Heath, will
perform. Use your Youth Discovery
Card for 2 free tickets or advanced
ticket sales are $10 before Nov
12; and $17 for adults and $12 for
students at the door. There is no
assigned seating.
As the weather turns colder, more
illness is on the brink. Please call
your class teacher if your child will
be out for the day. If your child
has something communicable, like
lice or chicken pox, please call the
office so we can make the proper
notifications. Otherwise, letting the
teacher know is all that is necessary.
Please schedule your holiday visits
within the given school breaks. This
helps the teachers, administrators
and fellow classmates. If for some
reason you need to extend the
breaks, submit your Independent
Study forms 5 school days before
the start of the absence. Otherwise, the school will not receive
any funding for your childs absences.
Please remember that next
Wednesday, Nov 25 is an early dismissal for grades 1-8 at 12:45pm
and 12:50p. Please make arrangements for your children to be
picked up in a timely manner.
The holidays means fundraising,
and there are plenty of SCS students to buy your gifts from. The
7th Gr. is having a craft table alongside their bake sale each Thursday
afternoon. 6th Grader, Madeline
Boevers is earning money for a
trip to Europe with the SR Childrens Chorus. She will be selling
crafts at the Faith Community
Church Christmas Bazaar (7352
Boris Court, Rohnert Park) on Sat.,
Nov 21. Sebastopol Ballet students
are selling See’s Candy for their
Nutcracker fundraiser, see Fiona
Robinson, or other ballet students.
Story Time!
A book review of Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow
Miller
by Ella Martin, 4th Gr. Student
One bright fall day, Sophie chooses a squash at the
farmers’ market. Her parents want to serve it for
supper - but Sophie has other plans. She decides
to name the squash Bernice. They go everywhere
together, story time at the library, in the garden to
practice somersaults, and to the farmers’ market to
visit other squash. The trouble begins when Bernice starts to rot. Find out
what happens next in this sweet book with beautiful illustrations that parents and children from Kindergarten - 3rd grade will enjoy.
November 2015 CharterNotes 7
Continued from page 6
strengthened.
Novelty
wears
off and
boredom
begins.
The permanent
simper
on the
masklike features of the so-called beautiful
doll becomes constricting, while the very
simple doll enables the child’s imagination to embody all possible views of the
human being in an ever-changing, mobile
way. One day the doll can be sad, one
day happy, one day lively and bright, one
day tired and mopey – a true friend who
mirrors the child’s mood.
The materials from which toys are made
are also significant because of the sensitive and impressionable nature of a child.
When a toy is only slightly shaped by
man, the natural processes inherent in it
can appropriately express their being to
the child in his/her search for experience.
If stones, animals and utensils are all
made of the identical manufactured substance (i.e. plastic), the child’s
touch is deceived and finds
no stimulation. Some people
might argue that synthetics
are more hygienic. Perhaps
our adult sense for the superior beauty of wood, wool,
or even a nutshell or pebble
has disappeared. To walk into
someone’s home and see an
ingenious tower built of simple
blocks, a wooden wagon with
Credo High Holiday Faire
by Kelly Gast, 8th Gr. Parent
Please mark your calendars! Join
us for family holiday fun. Credo
High School is hosting its 3rd
annual Holiday Faire and Play. This
event is geared for our community
of Waldorf K-8 schools, and we
have a lot to offer!
Many of our students from our
last five 8th grade classes (yes,
even one who is in college will
be helping) will be there to help
with crafts. Parents can go holiday
shopping while the children make
8 CharterNotes November 2015
handmade dolls riding inside, children
whose hands are full of brightly colored
yarn and knitting needles, paper and
beeswax crayons, or scraps of cloth and
boxes out of which they are building a
city and enacting characters in a drama
of their choosing – this gives one quite
a different feeling than does the sight of
a room cluttered with the almost always
half-broken, garishly colored Fisher-Price
activity centers, the twisted heap of
plastic race-cars, half-dressed Barbie and
Ken dolls, and children who sit, robot-like,
staring at the screen of a TV or computer game, exercising just the tips of their
fingers by jabbing at buttons.
So what shall we buy our children for
holidays or birthdays? Rather than getting
a dozen cheap plastic toys, it might be
preferable to spend all that money on
ONE very beautiful and sturdily made
object. This is certainly a way to combat
over-consumption and waste. A lovely
picture book or, for older children, one
that relates a meaningful message; tools
used for making something useful; a
clever puzzle; a musical instrument; a
pad of paper and crayons; a variety of
baskets or boxes for filling and emptying;
sawn sections of branches in different
sizes for building; a simple boy, girl or
crafts to give or keep. While these
activities are ideal for kids, guests
of all ages are sure to enjoy candle
dipping, face painting, henna art,
tinsmith ornament making, felt and
wood bead bracelet stringing and
creating forest candlesticks.
Credo’s Farming Club, under the
direction of Kelley McNeal, will
once again be selling handcrafted beauty products. Gorgeous
Christmas trees and handmade
evergreen swags will be available
for purchase, and various other
vendors will offer their own handmade products such as Waldorf
gnome doll – these materials can result
in games stimulating even to adults.
And although children may at first feel a
loss about what to do with these things
(especially if used to a more passive role
with ultra-perfect toys), time and a little
adult insight and participation in the play
situation will help transition through this
unnatural period. Children who know
how to really play scarcely know what it
is to be bored!
And where can simple but beautiful
playthings be found? Many toy stores
carry an amazing assortment of junk –
the search can be discouraging! Become
acquainted with local craftspeople who
make toys and sell them at farmers
markets or street events. Some Waldorf
schools have small stores, and their
holiday fairs often feature great toys.
Circle of Hands in Sebastopol specializes
in simple, creative play objects. And last,
but not least, Circle of Hands offers doll
and toy workshops in which you yourself
can make something to fulfill your child’s
need for excellence in play. Along with
the satisfaction gained by the rhythm
and artistry of handwork, parents can
learn about natural materials, rules of
symmetry, and the technical aspects of
craftsmanship in toy-making. Make use
of these opportunities soon to
give your child something truly
beautiful.
And here, a special request:
Please vote through Dec. 15 for
Circle of Hands as the Best Toy
Store and/or Best Baby Gift Store
of the North Bay - Sonoma &
Napa - 2015 in The Bohemian.
Thank you! 707-634-6140,
www.circleofhandswaldorfshop.com
toys, knitted items, jewelry, baked
goods and more.
While you are all dressed up for
the play, have your family’s portrait
taken by a professional photographer. Jude Mooney is offering
mini sittings for a modest fee. This
may be the perfect picture for
your holiday card. You may contact
Jude directly to schedule a sitting:
jude@judemooney.com
Be sure to stop by the Café for
some delicious hot soup or a
baked potato before you settle in
to watch our lighthearted production of Scrooge’s Christmas,
directed by Sarah Passemar.
Scrooge’s Christmas will feature a
whole new cast as well as Credo’s
Dance Club.
Winter Faire Hours:
Friday, December 4th
Faire—4:00 pm-7:00 pm
Play Performance—7:00 pm
Saturday, December 5th
Faire—12:00 pm-7:00pm
Play Performances—2pm & 7pm
Entry to the Holiday Faire is free,
activity tickets are $5.00
Scrooge’s Christmas—students
$5.00, adults $10.00.
Día de Los
Muertos altars
from grades
3-8 captured
by Senora
Daniella.
Benefits of eScrip
Hoedown Thanks
by Genevieve Bertone, eScrip / Amazon Smile Volunteer Coordinator
by Rebecca Porteous, 5th and 7th Gr. Parent
Recently, my family and I went to Fandee’s, a local family
owned restaurant in Sebastopol. If you haven’t been, I recommend it (try the Sonoma Hash!). I was very pleased when
shortly after our visit, I received an email from eScrip. Just by
taking our family out to brunch, we earned 41 cents for our
school! Then, I left a customer review and doubled my contribution to 82 cents! I know it doesn’t seem like much, but if we
go to Fandee’s twice a month in one year my family alone will
have donated $10. Again, this may not sound impressive, but
consider this:
The 7th Grade Class would like to thank all those who
helped us make the Hoedown a success. First and foremost,
we want to thank each and everyone of you who came and
participated in our Hoedown. We realize it was a first, and
you were taking a chance on us. You all made it a fun and
enjoyable experience with your lovely open hearts.
* That’s almost one hour
of paid staff time to help
with our other fundraising efforts.
* We have about 200
families in our school. If
we all used eScrip and
went to Fandee’s twice a
month, we would contribute $2,000. This is
just for ONE restaurant!
* eScrip has HUNDREDS
of participating merchants, including local
ones like Fandee’s and
Ike’s Sandwiches.
Right now, every penny counts as we work towards a new unified campus. These contributions come to our school with little
effort. Simply signing up and then taking your family out to
dinner or shopping online can earn us valuable contributions.
Plus, it works for more than just dining out. There are tons of
online merchants (with coupons!). I know some of us prefer local merchants, and that’s certainly important. But sometimes, a
trip to Target is unavoidable. And with the holidays coming up,
we will all be doing more online shopping than usual. This is a
HUGE opportunity for our school. For example, you could earn
6% of your next Columbia purchase, 5% at Macy’s, or 2.4% at
the Apple Store.
Please consider registering your card before the holiday shopping begins!
If you need help enrolling or have any questions I’m happy
to assist you. I’m also looking for a partner to help grow this
awesome program. Please give me a call if you are interested
in either getting or giving support.
Thanks so much…and happy dining and shopping!
To reach Genevieve Bertone call 310-663-3673 or email:
genearth@mac.com
We would especially like to thank Fiesta Market for
graciously donating all our delicious chicken, and Whole
Foods for a large food donation.
Auctioneer John Bain, Far and Away, our alumni band,
Miranda and Friends and Jerry Allen and Musicians were
wonderful entertainment. Mary Heller brought her sweet
goat and chickens. We thank you all for your time and energy.
Thank you for our live auction donations- Berry and Danielle
Peters, an 8-day Mexico Vacation complex, Laurie Tuchel,
an original oil painting, West County Cycle, Diamond Back
childs bicycle, Harmony Farms, lemon tree, and Micheal
Murphy for the horseback rides.
Also, a big shout out to all those who donated to the dinner
and silent auction, it wouldn’t have been the fabulous success
without your generosityAnn Austin Yoga
Starbucks
Karma Clothing
Screaming Mimis
Honeymoon Yogurt
Sumbody
Rosemary’s Garden
Bent Metals
Copperfields
Artisanas
Andys
Sebastopol Hardware
Art and Soul
Lilac Grove/Terri Shea
Leslie Thiele/Garden
Consultation
Micheal Thiele/ Biodynamic
Beekeeping Consultation
Cynthia Albers
Amanda Lane/Photography
Gypsy Cafe
Silk Moon
Laguna Farms
India Fratus/ Felted Bird
Micheal Woulbourn/Surf
Lessons
Soap Cauldron
Dhyana Center
Sound Healer
Corks
Attico
Breath Pilates
Corks
East West Cafe
Fircrest Market,
Hole in the Wall
Circle of Hands
Trader Joes
Stanroys
Howard’s Cafe
Taylor Maid
Starseed Healing Arts
James Freed
Morgan/Homemade wine
Kay Hartman/table runner
John McGarva/Homemade
wine
Carolina/Miss Kitty
Wind Gap
Wildflower Bakery
The Feed Store
The Rental Place
The Sebastopol Grange
Oliver’s
November 2015 CharterNotes 9