Tag Archives: Waldorf Festivals

Grateful for Challenge

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Following the devastating fire of July 29, MWS received donations from 17 Waldorf schools and kindergartens across America. Faculty and Staff, as well as parents and alumni from Canada and schools around the world, also made individual gifts. As an expression of gratitude, MWS sent an open letter of thanks to the members of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), as presented here:

On September 29, two months to the day after the devastating blaze that destroyed our school, we returned to our home site to celebrate Michaelmas. It was a beautiful, clear autumn day and the children were excited to explore their favorite play spaces. For many families, it was their first visit to the school since the fire and the empty slab encircled by chain link fence that confronted them brought a poignancy to the festival. It seemed to inspire the students and, as they performed our traditional pageant, their voices were strong and sure. As the forces of heaven and earth united to bring aid to the besieged villagers, we felt a renewed sense of resolve. St. Michael raised his bright sword and the terrible, fire breathing dragon was tamed. The program ended, as always, with a blessing of gratitude and we stood by the cauldron enjoying the community soup as we contemplated just  how much we have to be thankful for.

The extraordinary outpouring of support that followed the fire was humbling and all of us at MWS are immensely grateful. We were able to move our school into a former public school building that was already home to a small nursery school cooperative. Their leadership graciously welcomed us to share the property with its bright spacious classrooms and extensive playgrounds. Donations of desks, chairs and blackboards arrived from schools and colleges around Rhode Island. More than 3000 pieces of additional classroom furnishings and equipment were received and curated by MWS community volunteers. Still more arrived by mail including donations of books and toys from other Waldorf schools. We were able to open on time with everything we needed for the school year.

The children have settled into their classrooms and we are becoming accustomed to our new surroundings. While a few minor challenges associated with the transition remain, we are also discovering unexpected joys. For example, while we love our woodland home, new ball games are made possible by the brick walls and asphalt playground, and our older students enjoy being within walking and biking distance of town. Parent volunteers continue to prove invaluable as we re-establish the systems that support the daily life of the school and we are grateful for their patience and grace.

Thankfully our families, including those newly or partially enrolled at the time of the fire, have stuck with us and we have not lost any enrollment from the disruptions of the summer. This is a testament to the power of community and the strength of the Waldorf curriculum. New families were welcomed in and trusted that MWS would recover in time to provide the high quality Waldorf education they were counting on. We are grateful for the moral and spiritual support of our fellow Waldorf schools who also believe that, because Waldorf education works with the essence of the human being, what matters most is our relationships with each other and the world as we perceive it. This shared understanding bolsters our teachers as they seek the unique teaching opportunities our present circumstances offer.

We are moving forward quickly and thoughtfully with plans to rebuild the school. Faculty and Staff, and community members with professional expertise in property development, are working with our architects to design the new building. Fortunately most of the grounds remain undisturbed and we can rebuild from the existing footprint. Before the fire, we had recognized that more space was needed to meet our program needs. Planning for a Community Center as well as enhancements for the Early Childhood classrooms had begun and the new design will draw on this work.

While MWS has insurance to cover the cost of replacing what was lost, the new building will require at least $1.75 million from fundraising. More than $191,000 has been received by Meadowbrook Rising – The Campaign to Rebuild Our School via our GoFundMe page and other gifts have been sent directly to the school. We are especially touched by the kindness and generosity of the Waldorf community. We have received gifts from Waldorf teachers, alumni and schools around the country. We are deeply appreciative of this support that gives substance to the spirit of community that will be woven into our new building.  Construction is expected to begin early in 2019 and, if all goes well, we will return the school to its beloved home campus in spring of 2020. We hope we will have an opportunity to welcome you there in the future.

Click to visit our GoFundMe page

Saint Nicholas Day in a Waldorf School

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Saint Nicholas Day at Meadowbrook Waldorf School

shoes Saint Nicholas

The children in the lower grades were busy yesterday tidying their rooms and placing their shoes out neatly in anticipation for a visit from Saint Nicholas.  This morning those eager boys and girls found treasures of clementines and small shells in their shoes waiting for them, sometimes with a hint of glitter left behind from their secret visitor.

Who is Saint Nicholas?

Today the children celebrate Saint Nicholas Day.  Saint Nicholas was a bishop born in the 4th century. He was known for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose modern name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas.  Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, pawnbrokers.* Saint Nicholas day is celebrated throughout Europe and is honored by Waldorf schools and Waldorf inspired homes and homeschoolers as well.

Legends of Saint Nicholas

One of the most popular stories of St Nicholas tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman’s father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man’s daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas.**

Saint Nicholas Felted

Our German teacher shares this poem about Sankt Nikolaus translated into English.

Knecht Ruprecht – Theodor Storm

From out of the forest I now appear, to proclaim that Christmastide is here!
For at the top of every tree are golden lights for all to see;
and there from Heaven’s gate on high I saw our Christ-child in the sky.

And in among the darkened trees, a loud voice it was that called to me:
‘Knecht Ruprecht, old fellow’ it cried, ‘hurry now, make haste, don’t hide!
All the candles have now been lit – Heaven’s gate has opened wide!

Both hong and old should snow have rest away from cares and daily stress;
and when tomorrow to earth I fly “It’s Christmas again!” will be the cry.’

And then I said: ‘O Lord so dear. My journey’s end is now quite near; 
but to this town I’ve still to go, Where the children are good, I know.’

‘But have you then that great sack?’
‘I have’ I said, ‘it’s on my back.
For apples, almonds, fruit and nuts for God-fearing children are a must.’

‘And is that cane there by your side?’ 
The cane’s there too,’ I did reply;
but only for those, those naughty ones, who have it applied to their backsides.’
The Christ-child spoke: ‘Then that’s all right! My loyal servant, go with God this night!’

From out of the forest I now appear; To proclaim that Christmastide is here!
Now speak, what is there here to be had?
Are there good children, are there bad?

Sources:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas
**http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/