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The Healing Strength of Puppetry 4 The Early Years: A Conversation with Andy Ward 6 Faculty Profiles 8 Alumni/Development News 10

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N ewsH a w t H o r N e V a l l e y s c H o o l

W a l d o r f e d u c a t i o n f o r h e a d , h e a r t , a n d h a n d s

rom an early age, a child learns to listen to the

human voice. Research shows that the human

voice is more life giving than human touch in

the earliest years—not that either should be

lacking. From the capacity to listen, the child learns to

speak; from speech will stream writing, reading and

arithmetic.

In a Waldorf school, the capacity to listen is fostered

through the weaving of imaginative pictures. A child in

the middle stage of childhood (7-14) learns best when

the teacher speaks in “pictures.” Everyone, consciously or

not, strives to find the best pictures for his/her thoughts.

This striving characterizes the feeling life developing in

the child, which is vastly different from the personal life

of feeling in an adult. One could best relate this feeling

development of the child to an historical or evolutionary

time when humans thought in pictures alone, a time

when mythology existed in place of today’s science, when

F

Foundations of Learning:WaldorfEducationin Practice

Alexander Eas ton ’15, 5 th grade main le s son work

By Regine Shemroske, Class Teacher

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Hawthorne Val l ey Schoo l News

development of memory, strengthening and deepening skills. Furthermore, the teacher understands the importance of repetition as a means to strengthen the child’s will. To do something allows the child to remember it. To listen with interest evokes the child’s feeling, while repeating and reviewing the content encourages understanding and knowledge. Through interest, repetition and action, the child becomes not just a “know abouter” but a true knower, someone who has experienced knowledge. The teacher who has artistically presented a lesson allows the child to become intimately connected to the learning process. This active and participatory process cannot be compared to memorizing information and accumulating facts of pre-digested and delivered lessons. Active teaching draws forth living thinking from the child’s imagination, while building memory.

In Waldorf schools, the first reader in first grade is the child’s own writing. So the mood and feeling through which the teacher presents the main lesson material is of paramount importance: presentation fosters the children’s capacity to listen, and becomes the foundation for speaking, writing and reading. The vocabulary of the teacher and his/her conscious choice of words in the course of eight years promote the capacity for sophisticated thinking, flexible feeling and wakefulness in the student’s will.

Science classes begin in kindergarten with nature walks and seasonal activities; over the years, gradually but consistently, with interest and repetition, children’s capacities to become scientists, not just to learn about science, are strengthened. They become observers of phenomena, surmise information, record it in science main lesson books, illustrate

words were alive as a concrete pictorial force, and abstract terms and abstract thinking were not yet born. Grade school children still live in a world where this consciousness is their reality. Therefore, the stories told in grades one through eight have the strongest value if brought to the children with something drawn from the older experience of mankind. We see this in the curriculum as fairy tales, fables, Old Testament stories, Norse Mythology, Ancient History, the Romans, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and biographies in modern times. Thus the eight years of lower school curriculum are filled with imagination, in a brushstroke.

When teachers use pictures, the feeling life grows in the child. We then follow through with related activities so learning is stimulated and true insight ensues. The more alive the pictures are, the more learning and the ability to remember increase. A child’s development of memory depends on these imaginative pictures. With interest, the capacity for memory develops and blossoms. The teacher trusts in his/her innate ability to meet the child at each appropriate juncture and educates with a sophisticated tone and presence, to ‘draw forth’ (Latin: educare) something asleep from the depths of the child’s soul: interest. The teacher presents the topic in a manner whereby the human voice is the vehicle for transmitting stories, anecdotes, knowledge, and evokes in students the capacity for listening and memorization.

The other component used to strengthen the capacity of memory is rhythm. The very fact that in Waldorf education a teacher continues the journey year after year with the same class, and remains with a class ideally for eight years, provides a truly wonderful experience of rhythm and nourishes the

Alexander E

as ton ’15, 5 th grade main le s son work

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what they observe and conclude a circle of wholesome knowing.

With the arts integrated into all classes, the students’ senses become fine tuned. An historical example is Leonardo daVinci, who knew during the Renaissance that art and science worked hand in hand, if one wanted to understand the world. The true artist is a scientist. The true scientist is an artist. This understanding seems especially relevant in today’s world. Great students and great teachers are proficient in both science and art. An example from our valley is Gary Ocean, who has created artistically beautiful landscapes with plants, based on his scientific understanding of nature, climate, location and soil.

Through enthusiasm and reverence for the world we live in, thinking, feeling and willing extend into the depth of the child’s soul and span a bridge to the world through the curriculum. Sharing the experience of tone, color, music and texture, Waldorf teaching goes beyond the facts to educate the human being. It is our highest endeavour as teachers to develop free human beings, who in turn develop their own purpose and direction.

People today are increasingly less able to listen. The power of listening is reawakened by the art of movement (eurythmy), through which speech and music are made visible. This is further enhanced through yearly drama and classroom improvisation during language, history and geography lessons. The children study two foreign languages (usually contrasting a Romantic and a Germanic language) from grade one onward, which aim at developing capacities for flexibility of soul, cultural diversity, and the children’s understanding of their own cultural and linguistic roots. Interesting differences and similarities in words and structure are noted. Such exercises bring to light the cultural background out of which each language developed.

Students learn through doing. The children spend time in a vegetable garden, where they plow, cultivate and harvest. The patient effort involved in raising farm products is a wholesome social experience for the children. Inner and outer engagement strengthens their will forces. In weekly handwork lessons, the children learn through the grades to knit, crochet, needlepoint, sew and felt. They make

dolls and stuffed animals, and when studying the Industrial Revolution in grade eight, they sew with a sewing machine, using patterns they create.

This education is not measured by standardized tests; rather, Waldorf teachers measure each child by his or her individual tone, resounding in what is truly his or her strength and skill. We do not educate or train children to learn a specific profession. We help the child unfold his/her predisposition for science, music and art. These foundations allow students to find their own way through Waldorf education.

Through the right education, the child is drawn forth from a world of sleep. Listening in a dreamy way, the child’s imagination awakens through living pictures, active participation and wholehearted insight. Deep learning encompasses three crucial components: feeling-imagination, doing-acting and insight-knowing, in that order. The lessons become the child’s own: what has been digested, assimilated and transformed becomes inner experience.

The process of deep learning awakens the child’s capacity for learning, developing an awareness of him or herself and others in the process. As Waldorf teachers, the capacities we aim at fostering in our students are the heartfelt effort and love for learning—a free self with a unique voice.

. . .

When asked what he hoped to evoke in his

students, a master mentor emphasized the

importance of finding one’s own voice—be

it reading, conventional writing, science,

math, arts or social learning.

No one should become a botanist or a zoologist through what he learns in grade

school; that can only come through his special gifts, which are revealed by his choice

of vocation and which should be sure to appear during his life if there is a true art of

education. Through his gifts! That is, if he has the gift necessary for a botanist, he

can become a botanist…that can only be the result of the gifts of the child in question,

which is to say: predetermined karma. This must come about through the recognizing

that this child has the makings of a botanist…it must never be the result of making

our grade school lessons in any way a preparation for special scientific activity.

Rudolf Steiner, Balance of Teaching

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The HealingStrEngtH

of PuppetryBy Janene Ping, Kindergarten Teacher

the puppetry impulse is one of the most important art therapy impulses for the coming century. Why? Because with hand and string puppets, something is possible that cannot be achieved in theatre or in movies, namely that the spiritual and soul expressions of the players are completely in the service of the images that are created with the help of the puppets.

Fairy tales, plays and everyday scenes that are presented in this innocent fashion come to life in a way that allows the onlooker, especially the child, to take in the content consciously, without the overpowering soul impact of real theatre drama. the spiritual image content appears in the foreground and the imaginative capacity conceives rich nourishment, while at the same time the constitution of the child is guarded from impressions that are too forceful and that would disturb the flow of images.

the marionette play is for adults a conscious, and for children an unconscious, education in imaginative vision, and therefore it is an activator of the highest order of the forces of self-healing. the marionette and puppet theatre is an effective alternative to television and the multimedia culture of our day.

I want hereby to speak out warmly on behalf of the goetheanum in support of encouraging worldwide puppet theatre culture, and beg everyone who reads this to consider how they can financially and otherwise contribute to this goal.

These words, written in 1999 by Dr. Michaela Glöckler, Director of the Medical Section of the

Anthroposophical Society, offer strong encouragement to those of us devoted to the humble initiative of the “Magical Puppet Tree” here in Hawthorne Valley. This year, we enter our 16th year of

performance art! Founded in 1992, we have performed over 70 different productions of multicultural world, folk and fairy tales in a variety of puppetry styles: silk marionettes, felted animals, types of shadow and light, and rod, hand and tabletop puppets have been moved by experienced as well as novice

puppeteers. All the world’s a stage for the animation of form, and magical beings have surprised children of all ages as they spring from pockets, baskets, gardens and even trees of the forest. They also weave the wonder of destiny and what it means to be human when we explore humanity’s collective unconscious in the

HOuSE AT POOH CORNER

THREE LITTLE MEN IN THE WOODS, ASTRID BARNES & MARy LOuISE BEDARD

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soul’s journey through age-old myths and stories. Small worlds within worlds are created on the stages of our “Morning Star Theatre.” In our archives, over 300 puppets await their next turn in the limelight, when their character will once again come to life. The art of puppetry mirrors a picture of incarnation, as the

human spirit endeavors to ensoul and enliven earthly life.

Over the years, many supportive people have joined our troupe: teachers, artists, musicians, storytellers and parent and student puppeteers. Their work has enriched the cultural festival life of our community, deepened the artistic exploration of each story and enhanced

pedagogical learning experiences for our students. I am filled with heartfelt gratitude for the warm friendship and inspired dedication of all those who have joined in the tending and care of this “magical puppet tree,” and who have, in Dr. Glöckler’s words, nurtured an “unconscious education in imaginative vision.”

www.magicalpuppettree.org

HOuSE AT POOH CORNER

THREE LITTLE MEN IN THE WOODS, ASTRID BARNES & MARy LOuISE BEDARD

THE SHOEMAkER AND THE ELVES

NkOSATI AND THE DRAGON WITH JANENE PING

Hawthorne Valley School News

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QTo begin, Andy, what are some of the important themes of the early years in a child’s

life?

AFirst of all, one must recognize the child as a spiritual being. When encountering a young

child, we acknowledge that here is a large soul in a small, immature body. Truly, this little person carries with him much wisdom, “trailing clouds of glory.”

The work of early childhood is for children to become active self-learners. By strengthening this sense of self, the child is ready to embark upon future schooling. The goal of education is to help human beings on their journey to be creative, self-directed and healthy individuals. As Rudolf Steiner said, “All education is self education.” This applies even to young children who are beginning to uncover their inner voice.

QCan you characterize the physical development of the child?

AThere is an impulse to become upright that is inherent in babies. This motivation to

stand upright and gain control of their physical bodies leads to further refining of the sensory motor skills. Learning about their own physical nature encourages the littlest ones to experience the world and all it has to offer.

Although an infant is quite capable in many ways, we also see how the growing child needs to learn to inhabit his/her body and move within the world. The infant has certain movement patterns built in, so to speak, and there is a drive to imitate. This is not a mechanical imitation. young children inhabit the people around them and take it all in. Therefore, it is essential that the environment be worthy of imitation.

young children need frequent and appropriate physical activity to dev-elop properly. In order to integrate all their sensory systems, children must have many varied opportunities for using their bodies: running, jumping over puddles, climbing trees, etc. In the kindergarten classroom, we may build an obstacle course or practice jump rope. During our mornings with the children, there is always movement incorporated, in the form of finger plays or circle games.

QWhy is free play so impor-tant?

AWe would call it self-initiated play. The capacity for play has been shown to be a crucial part

of the development of most mam- mals. Through self-directed play, the child digests impressions of his/her surroundings and transforms them into something of which s/he can make sense. There is a deeply important creative aspect to this type of imaginative play that allows children to digest meaningful ex-periences in their lives.

In addition, play is a social activity. Learning to incorporate other child-ren in the process of play, explore new possibilities and negotiate with peers fosters creativity and cooper-ation. There is a natural progression that we see among young children. While the three-year old child typically plays individually or along-side peers, 4 and 5 year-olds are more likely to engage in social play. The beauty of mixed ages in the kindergarten setting is that the older ones become role models for the younger children.

Q What about the importance of rhythm in the child’s life?

AThere is a natural “breathing in” and “breathing out” which is necessary for the child’s

healthy development. Predictable rhythms allow the curious and independent nature of the child to emerge. When routines are established, the child knows what to expect; this in turn gives the child confidence and a sense of calm.

Of course, it is appropriate to have some surprises and experiences that are out of the ordinary. This cultivation of wonder is just as valuable for the young child.

the Early Years A Conversation with Andy Ward

Recently I had the opportunity to talk with Andy about early childhood education.

With over 27 years experience as a kindergarten teacher in the Hawthorne Valley

School, Andy’s is the voice of wisdom when it comes to speaking about young children.

With her boundless warmth and enthusiasm, she shared some key principles regarding

the early development of the human being. ~ Cate Decker, Alumni Parent


7

As rhythm is vital, so is a sense that the world is a magical place. The child’s natural amazement and openness to the world needs to be protected and nourished. One must engage with the child in marveling at a tiny insect for example, or the crash of a thunderstorm.

Similarly, through festivals, the kindergarten teacher fosters a sense of mystery. For example, when children and their families go on the Lantern Walk on a cool November evening, the children witness and participate in something beyond the everyday experience. It is these “precious moments of wonder” that provide a child with respect for the unknown.

Q Parents often hear conflicting messages about discipline. How would you advise

parents on this topic?

AAn over-emphasis on rewards and punishment, and extrinsic behavioral control, does not

help the child learn self-discipline. To the child, this can feel hollow and empty. Rather, it is important for parents and teachers to find ways of allowing children to gain self-esteem through their actions. In this way, an inner compass is forged. Family chores and contributing to the welfare of others is important learning for young children. As adults, we must often do things because a situation calls for it, not because we expect a reward for our deeds. This sense of responsibility is gradually fostered throughout childhood.

Setting limits is important, as is informing children, sometimes playfully, about expectations. Children don’t enjoy being out of control. They may test boundaries, but they feel safest when there is adult guidance.

Q If a child is having difficulty in the classroom in some way, how might the kindergarten

teacher address the issue?

First of all, by observing. A particular behavior may indicate an emotional struggle. One must look deeply to see what is getting in the child’s way.

The kindergarten teachers work closely with parents to talk about the child’s needs and to develop ways of supporting the child through this challenge. Recommendations may include curative eurythmy, art therapy or music therapy, all of which can have a beneficial effect.

QMuch has been written about the effects of media on young children, yet our culture is

inundated with mechanized toys, computer games, and TV shows aimed at very young children.

AWe spoke about the hugely important aspect of healthy physical development and

self-initiated play in a child’s life. Screen time and the commercial toy industry are antithetical to young children’s development, and are totally opposed to the tasks of early childhood.

A child seeks authentic experience, not the virtual impressions of mass media. Children need the space to learn about their own bodies, their family and nature; to have sensory experiences grounded in the real, physical world. Also, when children are given so much by the way of material things, they come to expect so much. They lose track of appreciation, failing to understand what goes into making a balanced meal, for example, or what it takes to heat one’s home with wood.

QCan you address the quality of warmth and its value in early childhood?

A In addition to keeping a child dressed warmly for health reasons, there needs to be a

soul warmth as well. When an infant is born into a family, it is essential that the little one feels welcome, that there is joy in his or her arrival. Children want to expand into the world; adults support this process through drawing the child out by way of warmth. Even traumas can be survived when a child is drawn back out in a loving, supportive manner.

Just as Erik Eriksson spoke about the first phase of human development as a time of learning trust, Rudolf Steiner spoke of children learning that the world is good. This trust in those who care for them allows children to gain confidence. It is a first big step, which then leads to other stages. Each developmental phase is an important building block for the next period in one’s life. This sense of soul warmth is essential for the child to gradually venture out into the world.

By sharing warmth and modeling appreciation for life’s gifts, both large and small, Waldorf kindergarten teachers help children form the broad foundation of awe, gratitude and wonder on which they will build their emotional and moral life.

William A. Ward died peacefully at home on Sunday, October 5, 2008, after a courageous three-year journey

on the cancer path. He moved to Harlemville with his family in 1976

to take a class teacher position at then-fledgling Hawthorne Valley

School, where he devoted the next 30 years of his life to classroom teaching and to the growth and development of the school. At his request, in lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the “Children of the Future” Fund of the

Hawthorne Valley School.


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Sarah ClarkBy Indigo Ocean, First grade Assistant, Playgroup teacher, and HVS Librarian

Sarah Clark, our new first grade teacher, brings a wonderful joy and

enthusiasm to her life and work. On a beautiful late August morning, I had the opportunity to give Sarah a tour of our farm and forest, introducing her to farmers and others we met along the way. Afterward, we sat down and had a chance to talk about Sarah and what brought her here to Hawthorne Valley.

Raised in northern Nevada, Sarah received a B.F.A. in performing arts from California Institute of the Arts (Cal-Arts) in Los Angeles. After traveling abroad, she settled in New york City and began teaching the Drama section for the East Harlem Tutorial Program for grade school aged children, and also taught in an early childhood classroom in Brooklyn. After a few years, opportunity knocked in New Orleans, and Sarah relocated there to teach drama in an after school arts program, while attending the university of New Orleans’ teaching certification program.

During that time, Sarah was introduced to Waldorf education through a friend who worked at the Hill School in New Orleans, the only school providing Waldorf education in the state of Louisiana. Her friend explained the basics of Waldorf education, which intrigued and inspired Sarah to begin reading some suggested books. Sarah describes this pivotal point in her life: “Like many educators when they find

F A C u L t Y P r O F I L E S

Waldorf education, I was moved and excited. Something about the teaching path I was on had never felt quite right. Like walking into a Waldorf kindergarten, this new discovery just felt so right.”

Sarah began her Waldorf teacher training at the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California during the summers, while “class teaching” at The Hill School in New Orleans during the school year. Her experiences at The Hill School were powerful. The young school was severely impacted by the effects of Hurricane katrina in 2006 (only 3 days after the first day of school), which resulted in the need to find a new home for the school, as well as the loss of more than three quarters of its enrollment. It took a few months to get the school up and running again in its smaller form – by that time, the students had missed most of the fall semester. Families and faculty alike were displaced; many were living in FEMA trailers. The worldwide Waldorf movement stepped in and gave support from all corners of the globe, sending money, supplies and prayers.

Sarah acknowledges that the big challenges she and her colleagues faced post-katrina have given her a “deep reserve of endurance

and flexibility.” Faculty there needed to be able to teach a little bit of everything; they all shared their talents with each other’s classes. Sarah feels this has given a well roundedness to her teaching abilities, in addition to those subjects that are her natural passion, the visual and performing arts (drawing, painting, sculpture, crafts, poetry, speech and drama).

When Sarah was visiting Hawthorne Valley last June, she had the opportunity to observe our year-end Rose Ceremony, and was very moved by the experience. She saw grace, poise and intelligence displayed by our graduating seniors, and it affirmed her belief in Waldorf education as the right education for our time, as well as enhanced her excitement to participate in guiding young people at Hawthorne Valley toward their individual paths in the world.

Sarah has found genuine fulfillment as a Waldorf teacher and doesn’t wish to do anything else! She has been looking for a place to finally “put down roots,” and feels that Columbia County is it. She finds it very exciting now to be part of a school that is fully realized, with special subjects being taught that truly reflect Rudolf Steiner’s indications. Sarah was also drawn to Hawthorne Valley School as part of a greater Association rather than just a school, with the beautiful farm and

other aspects that make our valley unique. She loves the bucolic setting, and also the fact that she is only a couple of hours from New york City. Sarah has found a charming mid-nineteenth century house near Stockport, where she makes her home with her partner and two dogs. SARAH CLARk


9 Gary Lamb

Susan JoplinBy Indigo Ocean, First grade Assistant, Playgroup teacher, and HVS Librarian

F A C u L t Y P r O F I L E S

One of the new faces in our lower school this year is that of

Susan Joplin, our third grade teacher. Although new to Hawthorne Valley School’s faculty, Susan has many years’ experience as a Waldorf school educator.

Susan was born in Budapest, Hungary, and was a child there during the revolution. She fled with her family to Austria, where they lived for two years in refugee camps while waiting to immigrate to the united States. Susan’s family settled in the Boston area, where Susan continued her education, ultimately pursuing college at Boston university.

With a degree in government and philosophy under her belt, Susan began investigating the teaching field, which was something she had always wanted to do. However, her friends who were public school teachers dissuaded her from her life’s goal.

After traveling, Susan came back to Boston. In addition to her regular jobs, Susan began volunteering at a daycare center, thinking perhaps this would be a different way to work with children, perhaps without the frustrations of the public school setting.

Here is where her life took a significant turn. One day, Susan came across a beautiful poster advertising a Waldorf nursery and kindergarten in Cambridge. She called and offered her services as a volunteer. The school politely declined her help, but

Susan had a long conversation with the teacher, who told her enough about Waldorf education to spark her interest. This teacher offered the name and address of a Waldorf teacher training school, The Garden City School and Waldorf Institute. Susan visited, met with John Gardner, faculty chair, and loved everything about the school.

Right about this time, Susan was offered a place in a graduate student program in Boston, which included a nice teaching assistantship. An important, life-altering decision had to be made. This newly discovered type of education resonated in her; anthroposophy promised a rich spiritual and life path, so Susan chose Waldorf education.

Everything moved very fast after that point. Susan enrolled in the teacher-training program at the Waldorf Institute, graduated and started teaching first grade at the Washington Waldorf School the very next year! She took her first class through the eighth grade, marrying in the summer between 7th and 8th grades. After her class graduated, she didn’t want to commit to another group of

students because she planned to start a family, so Susan taught handwork and art until her daughter was born, followed by a son 22 months later.

While her primary focus was her children, Susan worked part time as a tutor and in an after school program. She worked as a kindergarten assistant at Acorn Hill Children’s Center, ultimately becoming lead teacher. Later she returned to the Washington Waldorf School, taking another class through the entire sequence of lower school grades.

Susan had visited Hawthorne Valley in the past, for conferences and to accompany her third graders to the farm’s Visiting Students Program. She has always loved the beauty of the area, and had tucked the idea in the back of her mind to settle here someday. With her class graduated and her children grown, when Susan saw a job opening at HVS advertised online, she jumped at the opportunity. She applied to a few other schools also, but once she interviewed at

HVS, she had already made her choice.

Susan has now settled into an apartment right in Harlemville. Her short walk to school is quite different from years of commuting in the Washington D.C. area! Susan is absolutely delighted to be here, and is so pleased by her surroundings every day. She looks forward to the 3rd grade year, and getting to know each student in her class. We all give Susan Joplin a hearty welcome to Hawthorne Valley!

This newly discovered type of education resonated in her;

anthroposophy promised a rich spiritual and life

path, so Susan chose Waldorf education.

SuSAN JOPLIN


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A L u m n I n E W SBy Zusha Elsinson, Class of 1998

The class of 1998 gathered in Harlemville this July for a won-

derful 10th reunion.using our heads, hearts and hands,

we remembered the good times at Hawthorne Valley. We laughed. We caught up. I’m pleased to report that everyone seems to be happy and is pursuing their passion.

The reunion was organized by Beth Laskin and Julian Seidenberg—and

mate Nick. We reminisced about the good old days of main lesson books and class plays, and were treated to a fire-eating performance by Rebecca Dalton.

On Sunday, we met up for brunch in Philmont. Most of the unforgettable class of 1998 was there. Hanna Bachrach, Rebecca Dalton, Bronwen Davies-Mason, Zusha Elinson, Tiffany Fredericks, Sasha klasen Beecher, Beth Laskin, Nick Iuviene, Ethan Myers, Nina koch (all the way from Switzerland), Jennie koch, Julian Seidenberg, Jessica Nayowith, Brian Von Moritz and Julie Wright were all there. There were kids and significant others, too. Sasha brought her daughter Majel. Julie was with her three boys, Ivan, Ronan and Eamon. Jess had her two daughters, Piper and Reagan. And Hanna’s then-fiancé and now-husband Jedd braved the reunion.

Even those that couldn’t make it were with us in spirit. Julian read a moving letter from Mark Bolevice who’d recently gotten a long sought job as a New york City fireman. We also got to see Eben Leonard, now a famous chef, live on the Cooking Channel on Saturday night.

Feeling grateful for our experiences at Hawthorne Valley, we decided to give the school a gift as part of our reunion, and made donations to the school’s different scholarship funds. We encourage other classes to do the same.

All in all, it was a great time. Thanks to the organizers. See you at the twentieth!

. . .

From art, music and farming to firefighting, nursing and

neuroscience, it was inspiring to hear about the paths everyone has chosen.

REBECCA DALTON, JENNIE, ZuSHA, ETHAN

THE CHILDREN OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1998

it was a threefold success! On Friday night, the class met at Beth’s house. Saturday morning, we gathered at the school to share what we’ve been doing for the last ten years. From art, music and farming to firefighting, nursing and neuroscience, it was inspiring to hear about the paths everyone has chosen.

Later that night, we had a little get-together, graciously hosted by Barbara and Joe Iuviene, parents of our class-


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S E Y m O u r L u B I n

March 12, 1923–

April 10, 2008

Szlama Lubinski was born on March 12, 1923 in Czestochova, Poland to a mother from a deeply religious background and a politically alert, leftist-minded father who was a cabinetmaker. In school, Szlama took a liking to being in plays, and although a scholarship awaited him for his further education following seventh grade, he decided, as the eldest of three children of a poor family, to work for his father. His early love and skill for dovetailing endured life-long, touched with affection for the beauty of the wood and the satisfaction of work.

Szlama’s youth was abruptly curtailed by the preambles and outbreak of World War II. Some aspects of the Holocaust years can be read in his account, contributed to Henry Barnes’ book Into the Heart’s Land. Following two post-war years in the country, he spent a year in Munich earning his diploma as a master cabinetmaker, and then worked in a shop making furniture until setting sail for New york in spring 1949.

On Ellis Island, Szlama became Seymour. Married in 1952, he moved to Lorain, Ohio, where carpentry and building became his main livelihood. In spring 1960, when his daughters were three and six years old, he visited Spring Valley, led there by Peter Dukich, with whom he worked on a construction site in Lorain – one of fewer and fewer such job sites, as the steel industry declined. The family moved in time for the new school year at Green Meadow Waldorf School in fall 1961.

Connections with people in the Threefold Community tilled the ground for new roots and a new lifeline. Seymour was soon involved in biodynamics, study groups, bee keeping and building projects in the community, including the transfor-mation of Lisa Monges’ residence into the Fellowship Community’s initial Hilltop House.

Moving to Spencertown in 1978 became a wellspring for the latter part of Seymour’s life. Continued bee keeping, gardening and his impeccable cabinet making became the setting for new meetings. He began a faithfully pursued path of painting classes, attended study groups and in 1988 became a member of the School of Spiritual Science. Many trips with friends belong indelibly to the horizons of these years; yet it was always a great joy to come home to his cottage in the countryside that he never ceased to savor.

Many know of Seymour’s love of beautiful things; his delight in birds and Mozart, his enthusiasm for making soup and baking, and for giving away his homemade jam. He continued to keep up on global political happenings, with an awareness of the plight of people in not-very-front-page parts of the world.

Both generous and argumentative, Seymour took a certain pride in his readiness to “say what I think.” This was both appreciable in its integrity and at times a little treacherous socially; yet he could make people feel recognized and special. As three of his older Harlemville/Copake friends reached the end of their lives, Seymour’s attentiveness and regular visits, characteristic of his quiet loyalty, were also a turning point toward his own approaching passing.

Seymour moved to the Spring Valley Fellowship Community on

Thanksgiving weekend, following his astonishing recovery from an illness that fall. In a gentle closing of the circle, he could again see some of the work done with his own hands. Without missing a beat, he became involved in many activities during his brief span there of four and a half months.

For the last ten years, Seymour’s Tuesdays were given to volunteering in Camphill. All that he enjoyed about this was highlighted by his love for the Healing Plants Garden. When the memorial gathering there on July 26 closed in the garden, his friends’ voices rising in song, one could join him in gratitude, knowing that the life-stream of anthroposophy and the essence of his friendships were the wellspring of his earthly life made new. ~Helen Lubin

(Excerpted from a longer article for News for Members of the Anthroposophical Society in America.)


12

SEyOuR LuBIN MADE A LASTING

IMPRESSION ON HAWTHORNE

VALLEy SCHOOL

not only on his students,but on the generations

to come throughhis planned gift

to the ScholarshipEndowment Fund.

For more information on making a planned gift, please contact the

Development Office at518 672-7092 x 105 or email

([email protected]).

Pico the Gnome Farm Fall Festival Saturday October 11th

1:00 pm | 2:00 pm | 3:00 pm

“Sweetly sleep, dreaming deep, have no fear, have no care…” So sings a fairy to the dreaming Pico as he gains strength for his next day’s adventures. Join us to witness his courage as he

meets Gongurra the Giant in this original story by Eric and Martina Muller with music by Diane Ingraham Barnes. Also at

the festival event look for puppets on parade!

“Witchamaroo” Hawthorne Valley School Halloween Festival Friday

October 31st

6:00 | 6:30 pm

Did you know a tiny witch lives in a pumpkin at the field’s edge? In this offering for the younger audience (3—7 years

old) we witness what happens when Witchamaroo encounters all that goes bump on a Halloween night. Our puppet show is

part of a larger festival offering that includes

“The Halloween Hoe-down”

7:00 - 9:00 pm

Families are invited to come in costume for a spirited flurry of dance beginning with simpler reels for children and building to

traditional contra dances for the more experienced crowd. With music by Caryn Niedrenhaus and Andy with caller.

Silk Marionette Workshop for Adults Friday November 21st

7:00 - 9:00 pmand

Saturday November 22nd

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

As the gift giving season approaches we invite you to join a sewing circle of friends to create your own silk marionette.

Participants can choose from a number of patterns: king, Queen, Jester, Fairy, Gnome, or Angel.

Materials Fee $45 Pre-registration is required.

Please call 672-7542


13

Serving Our Communityfor 18 Years

Prenatal & Children’s CarePreventive HealthcareInjuries, Arthritis

KNOLLHOUSETHERAPY

Sliding Fee Sca le

Appointments in Copake andHarlemville … Give us a call!

Jeanne Simon-macDonalD (518) 329-5722 DiPL. EUR.; DiPL.TH. EUR

Therapeutic Eurythmy Movement Coaching

GreGor Simon-macDonalD (518) 329-5723 M.PHiL; LMSW

Psychotherapy Counseling

In the free resolveof your heart,take your own life in hand. ~Rudolf Steiner


14

We are proud to announceDigitalRadiography This technology provides

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ing your family’s exposure to radiation by up to 90%. Another addition to our quality care.

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websites logos brochures newsletters

advertising direct mail catalogs magazines signage more...

183 Kallop roadKingston, nY [email protected]

CreativeDireCtor

15


We are proud to announceDigitalRadiography

janmdesign.com

CreativeDireCtor

Published bi-monthly, September through June for students, parents, grandparents, faculty, alumni, and others interested in the mission

and activities of Hawthorne Valley School.

Editor: Caroline Geisler | Co-Editor: Joan BlumCommittee: Caroline Geisler, Indigo Ocean, Gary Lamb

Art Director: Jan Melchior, 845-883-0038, [email protected]: Amy Flaum, 518-672-7092 x 114

[email protected]

ADVERTISING: Display advertising rate, deadlines, and reservation information can be obtained at

www.hawthornevalleyschool.org, or by contacting Amy Flaum, 518-672-7092, x 114, [email protected].

Classified advertisements are carried in a separate publication, The Weekly Calendar, and should be directed to

Caroline Geisler, 518-672-7092, x 105, [email protected].

note: Paid advertisements appearing in this or any Hawthorne Valley School publication

do not imply endorsement by Hawthorne Valley School.

SuBSCRIBE: Request a mail subscription or email notification of newsletter website postings by contacting

Caroline Geisler, [email protected].

The hawThorne Valley School newS is a

publication of Hawthorne Valley School

330 Route 21C Ghent, NY 12075

518-672-7092

www.hawthornevalleyschool.org

HAPPy HAWTHORNE VALLEy kINDERGARTEN HALLOWEEN GHOSTS

HAWTHORNE VALLEy ASSOCIATION

Hawthorne Valley School 330 Route 21C Ghent, Ny 12075

Waldorf Education

in the Hudson Valley

(Pre-K through

12th Grade)

Printedon Recycled

Paper

ALumnI! Whatever year you graduated,

it’s always good to hear from you. Drop us a line

at [email protected], or call

518-672-7092, x 114 and ask for Amy.

We’d love to hear your news,

and bet your classmates would, too!

all pages sept oct

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