Michaelmas
V30 N02 September 30, 2005
What is dull in our feeling, What is hard in our thinking, What fails in our willing, We shall lift up To fields of light, Where the Archangel Michael, Master over the Dragon, Summons our thinking
To move in Gods Glory, Calls to our feeling To live in Gods Presence, That we may waken Our deepest will To serve with him The Son of God.

The Bulletin

Adam Bittleston

Oct 3 Oct 7

7:00p 7:00p
Mon Fri Mon Tue Fri Tue Wed Sat Mon Mon Tue Fri Sun
Gr5 Parent Evening Plum Cottage Parent Evening No School Thanksgiving Day
Oct 10 Oct 11 Oct 14 Oct 18 Oct 26 Oct 29 Oct 31 Oct 31 Nov 1 Nov 4 11:00a to 1:00p 16 7:15p 7:30p
Class Parent Meeting Medical Conference Threshold of Birth Gr4 Parent Evening Photo Re-takes for Lower School ECC Inauguration and Dedication for Marjorie Thatcher Parent Teacher Conferences No School Mid-term Break
quality care and for families that have the need. Margo Running
Thank you to Jeremy Long of Padraig Cottage who has donated enough wool to wrap around our Christmas Fair several hundred times. The crafters working on the items for the Marketplace have lots to do now and have taken up some new projects with great enthusiasm. If you wish to help in any knitting projects, please see Ronaye in the front office. Also, let me recommend that you visit Padraig Cottage on Fridays from 12:00p to 5:00p at 1035 Shakespeare Avenue in North Vancouver. They have some wonderful gift ideas. Directions are available at the office. Ronaye Thank you. The District of North Vancouver recently dedicateed bursary funds for all licensed child care programs. We submitted applications on behalf of some of our community members and several have been the recipients of these funds. The grants are applied directly to these families tuition and helps offset the school's tuition adjustment in these cases. This is a wonderful gesture of support for our

School Announcements

Next Fri Oct 7, the Lower School hosts our annual Thanksgiving meal. Gr1 to Gr8 have a task in sharing the assembly of this event; activities range from putting up pictures on the wall, setting tables, cutting vegetables, cooking the soup, serving, baking bread, and of course clearing away and cleaning dishes. And as usual we ask that students bring in vegetables that can be added to the soup on Wed Oct 5. A table will be set up in the front hall. We thank you in advance. The Grade School Faculty Dear Parents The Grade School Faculty has recently discussed the safety and appropriateness of heelies (shoes with wheels). We have come to the conclusion that heelies fall under the same category as roller blades or roller skates and must therefore not be worn on school grounds at any time. This is in line with the School Grounds Guidelines on page 7 of the Parents Handbook. Your help in reminding the students
of this would be much appreciated. Kind regards, The Grade School Faculty Calendar Date Changes There are some changes on the Calendars that you received in the Orientation Packages mailed to you in August. Please make the following changes directly on your calendars. On the two month calendar please change the date of the Early Childhood Centre Inauguration and Dedication Ceremony. It will be held on Sat Oct 29 and not Oct 30. On the Holidays Calendar please change the last day of term date. Dec 21 is the last day of term but it is a Wednesday not a Friday Attendance: If your grade school child/student is away from school please call Ronaye (604)985-7435 x218 before 8:30a and for Infant/Toddler x101, Preschool x102, Plum Cottage x103, Red Rose x104 High School students please call Robert (604)986-2922. It is important for us to know when and why your child is away from school. Thank you. Ronaye
Editing & Production Meg Cameron-Jones Administrator Rea Gill Art AninA Formankova Calendar Ronaye Ireland Distribution
Phonebook If there are any errors or omissions in your family's data in the phonebook, please send corrections to Mary Paradis, Director of Admissions, (604)985-7435 x200 or

admissions@vws.ca.

work will be based on the highly successful book by the same title. At this point, UBC facilities look like the most interesting ones. We'll keep you posted. Lydia Nahold Eurythmy for Health and Harmony Beautiful movement to poetry, rhythm and music for attunement and refreshment. Where there is movement, there is life! Eight sessions on Tuesday mornings Oct 4 to Nov 29 (no class Nov 1) in the VWS Roundhouse. $75 for 8 sessions or $10 per individual session. Some scholarships are available. Call Wendalyn von Meyenfeldt in the evening to preregister. (604)984-2462

There will be a reprinting of the phone book in early October. Admissions Office Hours I will be happy to assist you between the hours of 8:30a to 3:00p Mon through Fri, except for Thu, 8:30a to 2:30p. If you would like to see me before picking up your child at 3:00p, please arrive prior to 2:45p. Mary Paradis, Director of Admissions Warning: Tow Away in No Parking Areas Everyone is now aware of the restricted and no parking areas. We are required to enforce the parking and Harolds Towing will be monitoring and towing cars parked in these areas. This is a requirement of the Fire Department. Gerard MacIntosh, Chair. Practical Needs Committee Drinking Water and Cleaner Hands Filtered drinking water is now available to all students in all classrooms in the ECC, in the Grade School, and in the office at the High School. The water fountain in the hallway, the kitchen, faculty room and office at the Grade School also is now filtered water Please check with your childs teacher to determine how the students can use the filtered water within the classroom. In the interest of good hygiene, there are now soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers in all of the classrooms. Please encourage your children to drink water and wash their hands. Rea Gill, Administrator
Health concerns for yourself or someone in your family? Homeopathy is the most widelypracticed health system outside North America. Despite the recent media reports on pharmaceuticallyfunded studies in journals discounting homeopathy, for over 200 years people have been benefiting from its profound, gentle, non-toxic healing. For information, call Susan Drury, DCHomeopath. North Vancouver office hours, house calls available, special rates for Waldorf families. (604)671-7863 David Larson is pleased to announce his continuing association with John Doerksen at the Family Music School, located at 13th and Chesterfield. David Larson will be teaching violin and viola, and John Doerksen will teach cello. Also available is private instruction in piano, voice, theory, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, euphonium, trombone, and tuba. Mr Larson will also coach chamber music ensembles, and is starting to form some larger ensembles and orchestras. For further information please call (604)988-8818. Cello Lessons John Doerksen would also like to announce openings for several private cello students. His health has much improved and he is resuming a full schedule. Resume on request. (604)522-8400 Youth Ikea Bed (Bangsund), approx 1 metre high, lots of storage with drawers underneath. Like new! $100. Ellen (604)983-9198 A beautiful summer comes to an end and with it honey appears on the wish list. As usual, flower power provides us with golden unpasturized honey, as unadulterated as you can commercially get it. Prices remain as last years, delivery is in the first half of Nov; the date will be announcement in a later bulletin. Order sheets and prices are displayed on the bulletin at the Lower School. If you have any questions call Stefanie Reuter (604)921-8648

The Bulletin is published bi-weekly during the school for the parents and friends of The Vancouver Waldorf School. The next The Bulletin publication will be Fri Oct 14, 2005 Submissions for Marketplace & Community Announcements are due Fri Oct 7 at 3:00p All Other Submissions are due Tue Oct 11 at 9:00a Submit to:

bulletin@vws.ca

Bulletin News
To view the bulletin on-line, we recommend that you upgrade to Version 7 of Adobe Reader or Acrobat.

Marketplace

Kenmore Vacuum, 12.0 amp with power sweeper & attachments. Good condition, $135 OBO. David (604)724-4579 Childrens Items Choroi Kinderharp with case and tuner, like new $190; solid pine bookcase with glass doors and festival shelf, wall mounted $110; solid oak school-type desk with lid $125. See message board for photo descriptions. All prices OBO. David (604)724-4579 Of course, everyone wants an extraordinary life. The question is, what does it take to have an extraordinary life every single day? The freedom to be absolutely at ease no matter where you are, who you're with, or what the circumstance. Join us for a free Introduction to Landmark Education on Fri Oct 21 at 6:30p to 9:30p. Location: Sheryl & Don Jacobsen, 534 West St. James Rd, North Van. Everyone welcome. Ages 16+ (special introductions for young people ages 8-12 and teens are also available). Please RSVP or call for more info. Sheryl (604)987-7405 or Patrick/Zan (604)205-5175
In order to be published, any payment due must be received in the The Bulletin envelope in the school office before the deadline and include the full name of the contributor. Advertising Rates School Parents: $3 -1-7 lines Community: $6 - 1-7 lines Marketplace and Community Maximum 14 lines. Subscriptions Email $ FREE Child $ FREE Pickup $25 /year Mail $50 / year Disclaimer Items and advertisements appearing in this Bulletin may be the opinions or beliefs of their contributors, and may not necessarily reflect the policies or ideas of The Vancouver Waldorf School. Direct all questions to: Meg Cameron-Jones 1(604) 985-7435 x233

mcameron@vws.ca

Adult Education
Jaimen McMillan (movement therapist and founder of Spacial Dynamics), Sally Fallon (renowned nutritionist) and Tom Cowan (holistic medical doctor) will present a weekend conference The Fourfold Path to Healing in Vancouver from Mar 17 to Mar 19 of 2006. The
2725 St Christophers Rd North Vancouver, BC V7K 2B6

N02 September 30, 2005

2005 Childrens Christmas Fair
Dear Christmas Fair Gnomie, My child is in grade four, and Ive been losing sleep, thinking our class is responsible for organizing the whole Childrens Christmas Fair and Market! What Id really like to do is gather greenery and decorate the school before the fair, and then on fair day sing with the wandering Carolers, do my Christmas shopping in the Marketplace and enjoy some of those great organic sausages with my kids - however instead Ill force myself to join the organizing committee and try to figure out how the heck to pull off something like this. But where to start? November 26th is right around the corner!! Argghhhh! Ssssshivering in My Shoes Dear Ssssshivering, You poor dearie, take a deep breath! No longer does the Grade Four class have to organize the Christmas Fair, just as no single class is given any special event (except for Grade 6s Bairns Bazaar, and thats for the teacher to deal with!). Ease yourself; now the Christmas Fair Organizing Committee sits snugly within the Parent Council and includes stalwart fair veterans such as Walter Daroshin (World Peace is no challenge to this man!), Wendy Noel (a twinkle in her eye and a volunteer list to die for), Susan Drury (provides good ballast and stability), Meg Cameron (waves her magic wand and its all done), Sally McDermott (attention to detail and doesnt miss a trick), and Sheryl Jacobsen (warm, winning and wonderful). They are the folk who steer this lofty ship, letting the rest of us sign on as crew in those tasks we really enjoy. So put your name

down to volunteer in greenery-gathering and decoration! Join Marilyn Langes choir (and see if you have a costume lurking in your attic)! Save your money for the splendid Marketplace, and have a visit with all your friends and family at Outdoor Foods! In a nutshell dearie, this year you can follow your heart and participate in whatever area of the fair you desire so rest easy, and get a good nights sleep! Gnomie

Want-Ads

Cleaning out Closets? If you have any old woolen sweaters, socks, clothes made of velvet, silk or other fine fabrics that you no longer use, please bring them to Ronaye in the office. These materials can be recycled into beautiful crafts for the Christmas Fair, and are greatly appreciated.

Volunteering

How to volunteer and what to volunteer in? The Fair Committee is currently looking for a Contact Person to be assigned to each of the following Fair activities: Blow the Boat Childrens Activities (older and younger) Event Ticket Sales Gnome Forrest Greenery (gathering, delivery and setup) Strings Caf Specialty Foods Shepherds Lunch As a Contact Person, you will be fully supported by the Organizing Committee in creating and managing an event, and will have volunteers available to decorate, staff and clean up. Being a Contact Person is a great way to get in early on the spirit of the fair. Contact any of the fair committee members below, and join in the fun! In the Spirit, Walter Daroshin Susan Drury Wendy Noel Meg Cameron Sally McDermott Sheryl Jacobsen (604) 988-3864 (604) 671-7863 (604) 922-0964 (604) 983-8586 (604) 984-8745 (604) 987-7405

Craft Corner or

Many Hands Make Light Work
Attention all crafters, would-be crafters, and those in the incompetent-but-enthusiastic category:
Every Tuesday morning after drop-off in the ECC Community Room, Fiona Thatcher will be creating kits for special crafts to be sold at the Marketplace. Come join her and help make kits, make crafts, make friends. No great skills necessary, all are welcome. Kits/crafts will be for such delights as Teething gnomes, felt mice, finger puppets, beanbag frogs, winter and fall fairies, wizard gnomes, walnut gnomes, pipe cleaner gnomes, and knitted animals. Every Thursday morning in the ECC Community Room, Ranata Chek-Harder will be holding a crafting circle with different crafts each week. Next weeks craft will be gossamer woolen angels, gorgeous for hanging or crowning the top of a Christmas Tree. Take-Home Crafting Kits (great to do when relaxing with friends or family): Various kits (including kits for knitted animals of all species) will be available to take home and make up in Ronayes office, starting this Friday. Pick some up for yourself and a friend and create over a cup of tea.

Vancouver Waldorf School Biographies

Jennifer Brant

Life has a beautiful way of bringing things around full circle and after an absence of 17 years, Jennifer finds herself once again in a Vancouver Waldorf School classroom, this time as a teacher. She came to Waldorf education as a refugee from the public school system, discovered her artistic nature with encouragement from Elaine Mackee and Gunther Schneider and her questioning nature with encouragement from Phillip Thatcher. Graduating from the Toronto Waldorf School in 1989, Jennifer returned to Vancouver to begin a Bachelor degree in Music, specializing in voice. The arrival of her son Aiden brought her passion for visual art to the forefront and after some experimentation, she enrolled in welding at BCIT. She discovered she needed to expand her artistic repertoire and this led her to a Bachelor degree in Visual Art from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Sculpture, drawing, photography and textiles were her media of choice and continue to be her creative outlets. Concurrently with her artistic education, Jennifer discovered a passion for education through facilitating parenting courses and working as a clinical teaching associate. She began to ask questions about her sons education and immersed herself in the work of Joseph Chilton Pearce, Alfred Adler, John Taylor Gatto, Matt Hern, Chris Mercolgliano and Rudolf Steiner. She enrolled in the one year Bachelor of Education program at UBC and graduated in August of 2005 with a specialization in French as a Second Language. She is passionate about communication in all its forms, sustainability, alternative building, and social and environmental responsibility. Along with her partner Ian, she is creating a series of school programs on their 40 ft. ex-navy utility boat Selkie. She continues to ask lots of questions, be inspired by the exhilarating beauty of the temperate rainforest and make art as often as possible. When she is not teaching, she can be found walking her dogs in Lynn Headwaters, designing and building her environmentally conscious living space or spending time with those she loves.

Ian Giles

Ian grew up near Horseshoe Bay and has spent most of his life working and exploring on the water. After high school he attended Canadian Coast Guard College and completed a four-year Bachelor of Nautical Science degree. For the next five years he worked as a ships officer here on the west coast, doing lighthouse supply, buoy tending and search and rescue. In 1994-95 he completed an 11,000 mile offshore sailing trip aboard his own 27 foot cutter. This trip was an important turning point for him and he decided to leave the Coast Guard and expand his horizons. For the next several summers he instructed seamanship and kayaking for Outward Bound in Canada and the U.S.A. and in 1998 he moved to Port Townsend in order to learn the art of wooden boatbuilding. After completing a six month course at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding he decided to return to Vancouver and enroll in Interdisciplinary Studies at UBC. His primary and secondary disciplines were biology and French respectively. During his years at UBC he worked as a captain of a 68 foot ketch, doing ecotours on the north, central and south coast of B.C. as well as Haida Gwaii and S.E. Alaska. Ian has most recently completed a Bachelor of Education degree at UBC and during the summer he and his partner Jen purchased a 40 foot boat on which they intend to run education programs that focus on sustainability. Ian brings to Waldorf a love of nature and a strong belief in experiential education.

SPECIAL PROJECTS September 30, 2005
Dear Parents, It has been brought to our attention that there are assignments and projects that some students will be doing that require special supplies. While it is our intention to cover all supply needs through the fees that are collected at registration, there are some items that cannot be covered and that have not been included in the fee amount collected. The school cannot provide the materials for these special projects because of their individual nature, and the variable of choice given to the students. This enables the teachers to include an element in special projects which allows for the freedom of individuality as expressed through the choice of medium. This year there are no class kitties and parents are not being asked to pay extra for classroom supplies, trips, filtered water, flutes for grade one or three, gym strips, and many other sundry expenses. However, parents will still be responsible for purchasing or renting other musical instruments, and for providing the materials for the kinds of special and/or individual projects mentioned above, such as in the case of assignments that have an artistic component chosen by the student, or for the artistic component of the Grade 8 year-end and Grade 12 graduation projects. Another example is in the case of the Grade 8 sewing project where the students are asked to choose and purchase a piece of fabric. We apologize for not clearly communicating this at the time of registration. We hope that the purchase of material for special projects will not create a hardship. We also recognize that it was not made clear that, while many supplies are provided initially, replacement for lost or damaged supplies is the responsibility of the student and/or parent. In the future we will include this communication in the enrolment process so that there will be fewer surprises during the year. If you need assistance or if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at (604) 985-7435 x202.
Yours sincerely, VANCOUVER WALDORF SCHOOL

Rea Gill Administrator

2725 ST CHRISTOPHERS ROAD T +1(604)985-7435
NORTH VANCOUVER, BC V7K 2B6 WWW.VWS.CA

CANADA

F +1(604)985-4948
Inauguration & Dedication Ceremony
Saturday October 29, 2005 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Vancouver Waldorf School
On behalf of the Faculty, the Board of Trustees, and the Administrative Staff of the Vancouver Waldorf School, please join us on Saturday, October 29 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm as we celebrate the official inauguration of The Rose Centre - our fully licensed Early Childhood Centre offering programs for children from birth through six years of age. We will be recognizing all of the individuals that carried the vision and did the work that led to the manifestation of The Rose Centre but most particularly we will be celebrating the work of early childhood educator Marjorie Thatcher with a special dedication ceremony. Her commitment to healthy child development, combined with her genuine love for young children and their families, was the inspiration and vision for The Rose Centre. Marjorie Thatcher has played a crucial and formative role in the development of Waldorf early childhood education in North America. By fostering healthy dialogue across geographic and cultural divides, Marjorie has reached out to parents through her pioneering work in pre-natal and adult education, and continues to conduct early childhood teacher training activities through the West Coast Institute. She is a founding member of the Vancouver Waldorf School Society and after 36 years of service to an untold number of families has retired from her active role of class teacher in our Parent & Tot and Preschool programs. She is and will continue to be missed by children, parents, and colleagues alike. Her indomitable spirit comes from her deeply held convictions that children should have a physical space and a space in time, where creative free play can flourish. In 1983 Marjorie became a founding board member of the Waldorf Kindergarten Association of North America. She served on the board for fifteen years, where she was an active force in helping early childhood educators to work together with school communities and deepen their ability to meet the needs of the very young child. Please join us in celebrating a remarkable career of service to the needs of children and families. Please RSVP by October 7, 2005, via the email address or voice mailbox provided below and include your name and contact information. If you know of anyone you feel should receive a special invitation to this event, we also ask that you provide us with these names AND addresses, with any additional information that would be helpful establishing contact. This information can also be sent via the email address or voice mailbox below. RSVP by October 7, 2005 via voicemail (604)985-7435 ext 207 or email events@vws.ca

The Rose Centre