imhoff indaba, april 2016 - imhoff waldorf school · imhoff indaba 2016, no 4 15 april 2016 3 to...

Imhoff Indaba 2016, No 4 15 April 2016

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IMHOFF INDABA A QUICK-READ UPDATE OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL

Saturday, 16th April 2016

from 09h00 – 11h30

at the Primary School Movement Room

Refreshments will be served!

We would like to extend a warm invitation to all parents to attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM). Much work and activity takes place behind the scenes to enable the school to flourish and develop. The AGM provides an opportunity to hear what has been accomplished from the various portfolios and working groups during the previous year, and what actions are planned for the future. It is an opportunity to meet the teams that guide these activities, to ask questions and to get involved in areas that interest and enthuse you.

The following groups will be reporting back:

• College of Teachers

• Finance

• Enrolment and Marketing

• High School Matters

• The Dragon Tree Project

• Security

• Health & Safety

• Sponsorship

• Sustainability, Maintenance, Grounds,

Environment

The AGM will also provide an opportunity to meet some of our newly appointed members of staff:

• Shelby Hadwen, Primary School Teacher

• Liesel Botha, Pre-School Teacher

• Claire Albert, High School Secretary

The Constitution is available on request.

Financial Statements Financials are available prior to the AGM for those who wish to see them.

Invitation to the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of

Imhoff Waldorf School

Upcoming Events:

Next Sat, 23rd April: Traditional Evening at the High School

4-6:30pm

Sat, 7th May: Art, Craft and Services Auction

Please note: Change of venue to Monkey Valley Resort, Noordhoek


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gumboot dancing African food djembe drums singing storytelling poetry

Traditional CelebrationTraditional Celebration

gumboot dancing African food djembe drums singing storytelling poetry

11 ststpresented by Imhoff Waldorf Sponsorship Team

Saturday, 23rd April 20164pm to 6.30pm

Imhoff Waldorf High School, Old Solole BuildingCnr of Kommetjie Rd and Wood Rd

021 785 1408 | 084 945 6583

Dress-up!Bring a blanket to spread on the grass!

Adult Meal Ticket R50

Children’s Meal Ticket R30

Don’t Miss our first Traditional Celebration!

We would like to warmly welcome dance and eurythmy teacher Sandise Ngxumsa to our school. Sandise has been teaching the Grade 7's African dance. The children have been preparing a fabulous presentation for our Traditional Celebration on Saturday 23 April 4pm to 6:30pm. Come join in the fun at this exciting new event!

Class 7 African Dance Demo at the school’s

first Traditional Celebration!


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To parents looking for a warm and nurturing playgroup for their 2-3 year olds, I highly recommend the toddler group at Imhoff Waldorf School. The teacher is wonderful and has years of experience. Together with her teaching assistant, she lovingly carries the little ones through the morning with a gentle rhythm of gardening, creative play, crafts, baking, story and song. My son adores school! There is still space for applicants this year.

Jenny Veitch, Parent

Toddler Group:

Places Available

The Class 7s held a wonderful Market Day on 10 March at the Primary School. Thank you for all your planning, marketing and hard work Class 7s! There were many happy customers on the day buying all the yummy and beautiful things on offer...

After all was bought, counted and calculated, the Class 7s generously decided to donate some of their takings to the Imhoff Waldorf Sponsorship Fund.

Class 7 Market Day

https://www.facebook.com/ImhoffWaldorfSchool/

https://www.facebook.com/ImhoffWaldorfSchool/


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The class 10's started their term with a re-immersion into colour with their Art main lesson: Impressionism. After two years of working almost entirely with the polarities of black and white – which mirrors the extremes the young teen experiences, the students welcomed the chance to explore colour theory and colour mixing. As their own being begins to harmonise and they start to find balance within themselves, the complements that they discover first inwardly and then through colour, work to enhance this process. Learning about the lives of the Impressionists and the spirit of the times out of which this Art movement grew helped to inspire them with their own Impressionist paintings. Each student picked an Impressionist painting which they have been working on recreating in their Art running lessons. The challenges lie in working only with the primary colours as well as black and white. They have to mix all the colours they see in the paintings using just these five colours. It is also a challenge for them to try to match the impasto-style brush strokes of these famous artists. It is an amazing journey for both the students and myself, watching as these masterpieces unfold is always inspiring as a teacher.

Currently the class tens are busy with the history of Poetry and its various forms in their main lesson. Each student has been working at using existing poetic structures and rhyme schemes to create their own poems. This work helps them to find their voice and to experience the richness of the English language, its power as well as subtlety. The following are some examples of the work they have produced thus far.

Kath Kelly, Class 10 Guardian teacher

Class 10 Art and Poetry Main Lessons


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Peryton

Caitlin Abrahamse, Class 10

Are you a deer?Are you a bird?What is it about youThat's so absurd?

I saw right through your iron wireAll the things you're running from -Even your desires

The lilies, they sang,The trees, they hummedThe beasts of the nightTo which you succumbedAnd now you just sit in silenceAnd now you just sit in silence

They say I am PerytonClouded by the beauty of my skeletonAnd now I just sit in silence.

I have not

Aviwe Nowanga, Class 10

I have not

finished

The homework that

is due for today

and which

you were probably

so eager to mark

Forgive me

but I couldn't miss

last night's movie.

Butterfly

Ashley Taylor, Class 10

In the night I found a cocoon,Shadowed by the dark-light of the moon.The sight of the creature made me smile,So I decided to stay for a while.

Around the bundle is a trail of sap,Twirling and dancing just like a map.It struggled its way out of the warm embraceAnd danced in the sky like a piece of lace.

With wings as fine and smooth as silk,Gleaming in the light colour of off-white milk.Up and up she begins to flutter,The gentle buzz sounding like a mutter.Her delicate soul is unfurling and free,As her heart enlightens and fills with glee.

As fast as light she flashes,As a full-grown butterfly she dashes.She finally flies and feels free,Waving a teeny good-bye to me.

Some of Class 10, doing leatherwork


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High School Work Party 2016

The high school students and teachers ran their own work party beautifying the high school last term. Thanks all!


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Our lovely Class 12s are hard at work on Tom Stoppard's witty and deeply profound "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead" which they will present on Thursday, Friday and Saturday the 9th, 10th and 11th of June at 7pm nightly. There will be refreshments on sale and we ask R10 at the door. We look forward to welcoming you!

Class 12 Play coming up in June!

Just a small illustration of the beauty found daily in our

wonderful school!

A huge Thank You to Parents who lift Redhill children on a weekly

basis and who jump in when there is a crisis! Your help is not taken for

granted. You are amazing!

WILDLIFE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL

Isn't it wonderful in Nature, how, if you just introduce one element, suddenly a whole new cycle of life can start?

At the high school, just before our Open Day, we filled our ponds near the entrance and put a few fish in there. Within a few weeks we now have a resident water snake - completely harmless, assures Gabriel Dowling, our resident class 11 snake expert. And then this afternoon, we saw a heron, circling the grounds dangerously close to our pond...... And so the cycle of life continues, each one as important as the next link in the chain.


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This article appeared in the Huffington Post Blog ,

03/06/2014 03:35 pm ET | Updated Dec 21, 2015,

By Cris Rowan, Paediatric Occupational Therapist,

biologist, author.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics state infants aged 0-2 years should not have any exposure to technology, 3-5 years be restricted to one hour per day, and 6-18 years restricted to 2 hours per day (AAP 2001/13, CPS 2010). Children and youth use 4-5 times the recommended amount of technology, with serious and often life threatening consequences (Kaiser Foundation 2010, Active Healthy Kids Canada 2012). Handheld devices (cell phones, tablets, electronic games) have dramatically increased the accessibility and usage of technology, especially by very young children (Common Sense Media, 2013). As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’m calling on parents, teachers and governments to ban the use of all handheld devices for children under the age of 12 years. Following are 10 research-based reasons for this ban. Please visit zonein.ca to view the Zone’in Fact Sheet for referenced research.

1. Rapid brain growth

Between 0 and 2 years, infant’s brains triple in size, and continue in a state of rapid development to 21 years of age (Christakis 2011). Early brain development is determined by environmental stimuli, or lack thereof. Stimulation to a developing brain caused by overexposure to technologies (cell phones, internet, iPads, TV), has been shown to be associated with executive functioning and attention deficit, cognitive delays, impaired learning, increased impulsivity and decreased ability to self-regulate, e.g. tantrums (Small 2008, Pagini 2010).

2. Delayed Development

Technology use restricts movement, which can result in delayed development. One in three children now enter school developmentally delayed, negatively impacting literacy and academic achievement (HELP EDI Maps 2013). Movement enhances attention and learning ability (Ratey 2008). Use of technology under the age of 12 years is detrimental to child development and learning (Rowan 2010).

3. Epidemic Obesity

TV and video game use correlates with increased obesity (Tremblay 2005). Children who are allowed a device in their bedrooms have 30% increased incidence of obesity (Feng 2011). One in four Canadian, and one in three U.S. children are obese (Tremblay 2011). 30% of children with obesity will develop diabetes, and obese individuals are at higher risk for early stroke and heart attack, gravely shortening life expectancy (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Largely due to obesity, 21st century children may be the first generation many of whom will not outlive their parents (Professor Andrew Prentice, BBC News 2002).

4. Sleep Deprivation

60% of parents do not supervise their child’s technology usage, and 75% of children are allowed technology in their bedrooms (Kaiser Foundation 2010). 75% of children aged 9 and 10 years are sleep deprived to the extent that their grades are detrimentally impacted (Boston College 2012).

10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be

Banned for Children Under the Age of 12


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5. Mental Illness

Technology overuse is implicated as a causal factor in rising rates of child depression, anxiety, attachment disorder, attention deficit, autism, bipolar disorder, psychosis and problematic child behavior (Bristol University 2010, Mentzoni 2011, Shin 2011, Liberatore 2011, Robinson 2008). One in six Canadian children have a diagnosed mental illness, many of whom are on dangerous psychotropic medication (Waddell 2007).

6. Aggression

Violent media content can cause child aggression (Anderson, 2007). Young children are increasingly exposed to rising incidence of physical and sexual violence in today’s media. “Grand Theft Auto V” portrays explicit sex, murder, rape, torture and mutilation, as do many movies and TV shows. The U.S. has categorized media violence as a Public Health Risk due to causal impact on child aggression (Huesmann 2007). Media reports increased use of restraints and seclusion rooms with children who exhibit uncontrolled aggression.

7. Digital dementia

High speed media content can contribute to attention deficit, as well as decreased concentration and memory, due to the brain pruning neuronal tracks to the frontal cortex (Christakis 2004, Small 2008). Children who can’t pay attention can’t learn.

8. Addictions

As parents attach more and more to technology, they are detaching from their children. In the absence of parental attachment, detached children can attach to devices, which can result in addiction (Rowan 2010). One in 11 children aged 8-18 years are addicted to technology (Gentile 2009).

9. Radiation emission

In May of 2011, the World Health Organization classified cell phones (and other wireless devices) as a category 2B risk (possible carcinogen) due to radiation emission (WHO 2011). James McNamee with Health Canada in October of 2011 issued a cautionary warning stating “Children are more sensitive to a variety of agents than adults as their brains and immune systems are still developing, so you can’t say the risk would be equal for a small adult as for a child.” (Globe and Mail 2011). In December, 2013 Dr. Anthony Miller from the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health recommend that based on new research, radio frequency exposure should be reclassified as a 2A (probable carcinogen), not a 2B (possible carcinogen). American Academy of Pediatrics requested review of EMF radiation emissions from technology devices, citing three reasons regarding impact on children (AAP 2013).

10. Unsustainable

The ways in which children are raised and educated with technology are no longer sustainable (Rowan 2010). Children are our future, but there is no future for children who overuse technology. A team-based approach is necessary and urgent in order to reduce the use of technology by children. The following Technology Use Guidelines for children and youth were developed by Cris Rowan, pediatric occupational therapist and author of Virtual Child; Dr. Andrew Doan, neuroscientist and author of Hooked on Games; and Dr. Hilarie Cash, Director of reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program and author of Video Games and Your Kids, with contribution from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society in an effort to ensure sustainable futures for all children.

Technology Use Guidelines for Children


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Naturally, we want to have you with us forever… it goes without saying! However, should you need to fly to further pastures (like: Sweden, Italy or perchance Australia!) or for whatever reason, leave our school: we would like to remind you to PLEASE give us the required notice as stated in your Agreement with Parents/Guardians contract. The contract states ONE TERM’S NOTICE – which amounts to three months, and is a standard period of time in all schools. If you happen to know even further in advance, you are welcome to let us know earlier. In terms of our agreement with you, should we not receive a term’s notice in writing, the school will be obligated to charge a term’s fees to maintain the health of the school by allowing time to find a replacement for your child.

Let me share a brief story to fill you in on the impact a lack of notice has on the sustainability of our school: there was once a lovely little girl looking for a happy place to learn. Her parents brought her to Imhoff Waldorf School, where they believed she would be very welcome and where she would thrive. At the time of her application, the class was full to brimming with bright and beautiful children, so her family waited patiently on the waiting list and let things take their course. After the delightful Christmas holidays, we came back to school and discovered that one of the children was not coming back – her family had decided to move during the holidays and hadn’t let us know. We of course contacted the parents of the little girl who had applied, but by then they had enrolled her at another school so that she didn’t miss any learning… and it was too late to give the place to her.

It took some time to fill that space and now the class is complete again, but in the meantime, we lost the possibility of placing that little girl – AND her younger brother in the Preschool - and carried an empty space for several months. Of course, this is part of the life of the school, but had we received notice in time, we could have ensured a much healthier picture all around.

This story has a happy ending: we continue to learn and grow. If you do find yourself making plans or meeting changes, please give us a heads up as soon as you have that inkling AND, once you are sure, please can you inform us IN WRITING three months in advance. This way, we can keep our school strong and solid… together.

The Enrolment Team

ENROLMENT NEWSFLASH:


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C L A S S I F I E D S

Gaia Waldor f School , Oude Molen Vi l lage, Alexandra Road, Pine lands, Cape TownPosta l Address: PO Box 13416, Mowbray 7705

Tel: 021 447-0546 � Fax: 086 516 3346 � Email: [email protected] �Web: www.gaiawaldorf.co.za

URGENT:

CLASS 6TEACHER REQUIRED

The Gaia Waldorf School in Pinelands seeks a suitablequalified Waldorf teacher to commence workas soon as possible until December 2017.

A successful applicant must meet the following criteria:

Have appropriate academic qualifications, with SACEregistration

Interest in and identification with the Waldorf ethos of theschool

Be creative innovative and enthusiasticHave a real interest in children and their development

*Letter of Application and Curriculum Vitae to:

The College of Teachers, P.O. Box 13416,Mowbray, 7705

Email: [email protected]. 021 447-0546

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parents. Please visit our website www.cittashanti.com for class times or contact us

directly at 0769182488 / [email protected] / Face Book page

Cittashanti Yoga Studio

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TERMS & CONDITIONS• Depending on location a delivery fee will be charged.

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imhoff indaba, april 2016 - imhoff waldorf school · imhoff indaba 2016, no 4 15 april 2016 3 to...

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