Archive for November, 2012

St. Crux News – Update!

We raised a whopping £1000!

All our thanks to everyone who donated, carried, shifted, baked, sold, wrapped and stacked.  Well done all. Emma and Gaynor (Class 2)

 

On December 5th the school will have its annual cafe and bric-a-brac sale at St. Crux church, situated at the end of the Shambles.  This is next Wednesday!

Twice a year we have the use of St Crux for this purpose and its a lovely way to make some extra money for the school.  This year Emma Cooper (KG1/Cl1) and Gaynor Evans (KG1/Cl2) are organising the day and we very much need your help to make it a success.

We rely on volunteers to staff the cafe and bric-a-brac stalls, provide the food to sell in the cafe inside the church, and bric-a-brac and books to sell outside on the stalls.  The rota for the day and a pledge list for items for the cafe is in the main corridor – please sign up to help in any way you can.

We realise that many of you have children in early years, so to make it easier for you to get involved there will be an afternoon school creche open to any children in early years – sign up for a place in the main corridor.

Who and what we need:
Drivers and helpers at school from 8:50 on the day to load up bric-a-brac, books, food etc to take to St Crux

Volunteers to help set up the cafe and stalls at St Crux from 9am
Volunteers to staff the cafe and bric-a-brac stalls

Volunteers to help clear-up at the end of the day and take unsold items to charity shops and the tip

Lots of donations of cakes, sandwich fillings, and soups to serve in the cafe

Donations of bric-a-brac to sell – please only whole, unbroken items.

Please bring your bric-a-brac to school and leave outside the cupboard at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the cafe.

Any food donations should be left on the school entrance table on the afternoon of Tuesday 4th December or first thing Wednesday morning.

With best wishes and thanks in anticipation of your help!

Edith Bierman and York Steiner School

The cover of our 2013 School Calendar is a photo of a painting created by Edith Bierman.  Edith has a special place in the history of our school, as well as in anthroposophy and eurythmy in particular, and we thought we should share that with you.

The painting was created by Edith Bierman (1908-2012), who is believed to have been one of the last living people to have met Rudolf Steiner. Around 1980 Edith became the first teacher to the York Steiner School teachers, and it was at this time that she painted the Welcome sign for the Ryedale Waldorf School, which subsequently became York Steiner School. Michael and Joan Rose, Martyn Rawson, Linda Fryer, Neil Fulstow and Ann-Marie Macdonald, who became class teachers in the school, are among those who were taught by her.

Edith Bierman died on 4th May 2012 at the age of 104. Her obituary can be found here (also here as a pdf). In her life she was a Eurythmist as well as a water colour painter. She created a set of pictures of the Eurythmy forms for the Calendar of the Soul by Rudolf Steiner. Some of these may be viewed here.

The Welcome painting was re-found in a cupboard by Michael Rose who restored and framed it, with the frame having been carved by Edith’s husband. It currently lives in its restored state in the staff room. The verse reads,

Welcome to Rydale Waldorf School
My thoughts fly toward school
There my body learns meaningful movement
There my soul gathers strength for life
There my spirit awakens to the true Being of Man

After Rudolf Steiner
A Blessing on the School

Calendars and Cards Now Available!

York Steiner School 2013 Calendar, Birthday Calendar & Christmas Cards

The York Steiner School 2013 Calendar is now available to buy from the school office at the bargain price of £6!  The calendar is A4 sized and comprises of photographs taken by parents and reflects a flavour of daily life within school. All proceeds go to the school fund.

This year we have also produced a Birthday Calendar which can be used year after year to note Birthdays and Anniversaries. The calendar features some of the children’s paintings. Each calendar will also be priced £6 with all proceeds going to  school funds.


Each calendar will be on display outside the School office.

School Christmas cards are now on sale priced £2.50 per pack of 10 in the School shop. Each pack contains  5 children’s paintings of which you get 2 in each pack.

Calendar’s and cards will also be available at the Advent Fair on the Home Produce Stall.

Advent Fair – call for action!

The Advent Fair is just over a week away, and class 3 are busy as bees with final organisation. If you can help in providing any of the following, please contact Lyndsey or Sue from Class 3, email us at info@yorksteinerschool.org or ask at the school office.

  • Raffle Tickets – please sell and return stubs and money by Monday 19th if possible!
  • White table cloths are needed for the cafe, do you have any?
  • More home produce needed – please bring in jams, chutneys, pickles, cakes, bread…
  • Are you able to make a vegetarian quiche or a dessert for the cafe? Please tell us!
  • Cafe also needs large pots and pans, and serving dishes
  • Finally cakes, CAKES, CAKES!!! Please bring them on the day for continental cafe

All your help is much appreciated and is what makes our Fairs so wonderful. See you all on the 24th!

With grateful thanks from the organisers in Class 3!

 

Changing Views on Education

Changing Views on Education

There seems to have been a flurry of articles in the mainstream press over the last couple of months discussing the way academic studies are providing insights into how the modern world is affecting the development and education of children.  These studies appear to support the pedagogical structures in place in Steiner schools and the ‘age-appropriate’ nature of Steiner Waldorf education.

Here are a selection of those articles.

Social media limits pre-teens’ experiences, says neuroscientist Baroness Greenfield

Link to full article. Download the original TES_article as a pdf.

Ban under-threes from watching TV, says study

Prof Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at the college, said: “Whether it’s mobile phones, games consoles, TVs or laptops, advances in technology mean children are exposed to screens for longer amounts of time than ever before. We are becoming increasingly concerned, as are paediatricians in several other countries, as to how this affects the rapidly developing brain in children and young people.”

Link to full article. Download Under threes and TV article as a pdf.

Steiner education works! German study shows

New research shows that Steiner students learn with more enthusiasm and interest, feel more supported, and know their strengths better than students in mainstream schools.

SWSF link. Original link (in German: use Google Translate to read if required!)

Boredom is good for children, says Oxford professor, because it encourages creativity

‘Boredom encourages creativity. Children’s bedrooms littered with bears receiving emergency treatment or dolls circumnavigating the turbulent “carpet seas” are everyday evidence of how boredom fires the imagination.’

Link to article. Download Boredom is good for children as a pdf.

Why Waldorf?

Finally, here is a wonderful film made by Marin Waldorf School with parents, children and other members of their school community demonstrating how our education works in practise, and why a parent should consider Steiner Waldorf education for their children.

 

Latest Newsletter

Our latest web newsletter can be opened here NewsletterAutumn or in the ‘blackboard’ menu at the right of every page.

Thank you!

School Photographs Now Available!

This year’s School Class Photos are now available to view and order! They are all on display outside the school shop.

Prices are £5 for 1 copy, £9 for 2 copies, £12 for 3 copies and £3 for any additional copies after the first 3.

Please place your orders with Gill in the school office by 19th November!

Thank you!

Pupil Places now available

Our next Open Day is on Sat April 27: 9.15-12pm

We are often oversubscribed so please contact us to book a place or to arrange a personal visit.

Contact us