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The Beginning of the End of Snow Days

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Fri, 12/14/2018 - 12:35am

Q: Is this the last generation that will look forward to Snow Days?! 

No grades till 15: Estonian schools encourage creativity over rote learning

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Wed, 12/12/2018 - 7:57pm

Wow, great news coming out of Estonia and the Waldorf Haridus School! We love when parents actively seek and establish holistic education environments for their children.  

"There are nine parent-owned Waldorf schools in Estonia — of these, four have been set up in the past decade. The Association of Free Waldorf Schools and Kindergartens of Estonia says there are 1,200 students in such schools this year — twice the number five years ago." http://ow.ly/CbtO30mKKr8

Live theatre improves learning and tolerance

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Tue, 12/11/2018 - 11:02am

In addition to cultural excursions off-campus, each WSB student, starting in first grade, performs a class play to a captive audience of family and fellow students. 

Why is this noteworthy?

Because "seeing live theatre appears to make students more understanding and accepting of different people... being exposed to something outside of their narrow world they gain some greater understanding of and acceptance of that broader world."  http://ow.ly/ZlVO30lMz0x

Disciplining Young Children: Why Simply Saying No Isn’t the Answer

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Mon, 12/10/2018 - 7:58pm

We are one month away from our Winter 2019 Parent & Child classes, where we teach parents, guardians, and other caretakes how to redirect versus just saying, "No." Register now at waldorfschoolofbaltimore.ticketleap.com 

"Kids are naturally curious and are driven to explore the world around them. There are times we have to tell them no in order to protect them or the things around them, but when we constantly tell them no, we stifle their sense of wonder and deny them opportunities to grow and learn." http://ow.ly/5aeC30mKV6Z

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Receives Grant From NoVo Foundation

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Wed, 12/05/2018 - 5:36pm

WOW! Congrats to Housatonic Valley Waldorf School on receiving a $600,000 grant from the NoVo Foundation.

"The grant will fund three primary areas: variable tuition (tuition assistance), diversity work, and teacher development, with the goal of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the student body and school community."  http://ow.ly/3BOB30mpbyq

Waldorf 100: Opening Mathematics

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Mon, 12/03/2018 - 10:49am

Q: "Do we explain mathematics, or do we encourage students to think for themselves and form their own mental images, out of which they then generate mathematics?"​

Rudolf Steiner Course Information

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Sat, 12/01/2018 - 10:54pm

On the eve of Waldorf education's 100th anniversary and its founder's 150th birthday, learn more about the man, the myths, and the misperceptions about Rudolf Steiner.

The purpose of this iWaldorf course designed by Eugene Schwartz is to "deepen and broaden our understanding of Steiner’s contributions to the modern world. The result is a series of lectures that explore Steiner’s biography, the times in which he lived, and, above all, the significance of his path of inner development."  

The Dangers of Distracted Parenting

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Fri, 11/30/2018 - 12:00pm

Interesting weekend read. Like many, we tend to focus on digital consumption and media habits of children, often at the expense of the real culprit - our parents and caregivers' growing dependence on technology.  

10 Tips to Help Parents Talk to Kids about Internet Safety

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Thu, 11/29/2018 - 12:36pm

This evening our 4th and 5th-grade parents are meeting to discuss age-appropriate technology usage. This article from the American Academy of Pediatrics Federal Advocacy offers great tips for proactively starting this conversation in your own home: ow.ly/90Ff30mKUtE

Color in the Waldorf School

Submitted by Stacie Henderson on Wed, 11/28/2018 - 10:20am

Follow up to Monday's post on visual elements in classrooms, this article from the Honolulu Waldorf School illustrates the care and attention to detail taken when designing a Waldorf school.