WECAN Early Childhood Educators Conference 2019

BECOMING HUMAN: EARLY CHILDHOOD AS A FOUNDATION FOR A MORAL LIFEWith keynote speaker Dr. Adam Blanning, Denver, CO

Every young child must work through a great weaving project--the bringing together of pre-birth intentions and innate soul capacities with hereditary gifts and challenges. Successful weaving gives the child not only a deeper sense of self, but also creates the essential foundation for moral health.  We will trace the incarnation process in order to better understand how we can all best know, recognize, and love the other.

Together with Dr. Blanning we will explore how early childhood experiences relate to the development of later moral capacities in adulthood. This is in relation to a larger theme we are working on that has to do with the social needs of the times, and to the World Early Childhood Conference in Dornach in April 2019, which will have as its theme “Individual Freedom and Social Responsibility - Seeking ways toward a human future”.

The February 2019 conference will include a wide array of workshops and mini-sessions, a Friday evening marionette performance of “The Rock Spring Wonder” from Goethe’s fairytale, and a performance by Eurythmy Spring Valley on Saturday evening. The Vendor Hall will be open on Friday afternoon as well as all day Saturday, and information on training centers and sponsor organizations will be on display in the Hospitality Room.

This year a pre-conference workshop on Public Policy Advocacy will be offered Friday, February 8 from 10:15am to 4:30pm (snacks and lunch provided) by Wendy Shenk-Evans, Executive Director Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI) and Denise Monnier, Director of State Advocacy, MPPI, facilitated by Sarah Arnold, WECAN Public Policy Coordinator and WECAN board member.

Study suggestions in preparation for the conference: Lecture 3, June 27, 1924, in Education for Special Needs (The Curative Education Course), Rudolf SteinerChapter 8, pages 82 – 94 in Understanding Deeper Developmental Needs, Adam Blanning. *available at store.waldorfearlychildhood.org

Attendance at the conference is open to those who are active in Waldorf early childhood education, as well as educational support teachers, care group members, eurythmists, and class teachers.

We look forward to seeing you!Andrea Cooper, Andrea Gambardella, Susan Howard, Louise deForest, and Magdalena ToranWECAN Conference Planning Committee

Getting HereThreefold community residents Christiane Landowne and Beth Generalli provide pre-arranged taxi service; contact Christiane at 845-642-2074 or clandowne@optonline.net and Beth at 845-220-7923 or bgeneralli@gmail.com to arrange for pick-up. Uber and Lyft also operate in the area.

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, TaxisIf travelling by bus, train, air, taxi or car, please find directions and details on Threefold ’s website .

If you are flying, please keep in mind that Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is by far the closest and most convenient of the three New York area airports.

Parking at the ConferenceParking at the conference is primarily located behind Holder House and on the front lawn of the Threefold Auditorium. Holder House parking is down the Hungry Hollow Rd hill, on the left, in Orchard Lane.  Parking is also available on the front lawn of the Threefold Auditorium, further down Hungry Hollow Road on the right.  Parking on the Green Meadow Waldorf School campus is very limited and primarily reserved for organizers, presenters, vendors and handicap parking.   

Housing -- Please make your own arrangements.Hotel SpecialsA block of rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott Montvale have been reserved at $109 per night room rate100 Chestnut Ridge Rd. – Montvale, New Jersey 07645.

Reservations can be made by clicking on this link:  Book your group rate for WECAN or by calling the Marriott (201) 391-7700 and mentioning the WECAN group.

The nearby Quality Inn in Spring Valley (100 Spring Valley Market Place, Spring Valley, NY 10977) has generously offered an $80 per night room rate for double queen rooms.Please use this link to get the special Quality Inn rate for WECAN

To reserve a room at the Marriott or Quality Inn discounted rate, reservations must be made no later than Friday, January 25.

Other Nearby Hotels and Home Stay Options Listed on the threefold.org website are links to a list of nearby hotels as well as host contact information for home stays/billeting.

Note: Holder House Dorms are full for this year.

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Pre-Conference Workshop - Public Policy Advocacy 101 Friday, February 8 – 10:15am to 4:30pm (snacks and lunch included)

Presenters: Wendy Shenk-Evans, Executive Director Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI) and Denise Monnier, Director of State Advocacy, MPPI. Facilitator: Sarah Arnold, WECAN Board Member

Please join us for a pre-conference workshop focusing on how to influence education public policy. Wendy Shenk-Evans and Denise Monnier will present on the highly effective work the Montessori movement has been engaging in to influence public policy at the state and federal level including: early childhood program licensing, teacher credentialing, and Quality Rating and Improvement Systems. They have also been able to gain recognition for Montessori grades teacher training in several states. Wendy and Denise will share the rationale for proactively engaging in the public policy sphere, the origins and organization of the Montessori efforts, and methods they have found to be particularly effective. This one day workshop is being offered in the spirit of beginning to build a collaborative Waldorf Public Policy effort (inspired by the collaborative Montessori work) across three organizations: WECAN, AWSNA, and The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education. The Trust for Learning, which works to ensure each child has access to high quality early childhood learning and convenes the Ideal Learning Round Table, is a sponsor of this event. Wendy, Denise, and Sarah are all participants at the Ideal Learning Round Table. You may also join Sarah Arnold on Saturday afternoon for a mini-session detailing the public policy work in which WECAN is engaging in collaboration with Ideal Learning Round Table members and/or a work-alike session on Sunday which will focus on how we can support Waldorf education to move forward in the public policy arena. Wendy Shenk-Evans is a collaborative and strategic leader whose commitment to social justice has shaped her vocational choices. As a veteran Montessori school administrator and Montessori parent, Wendy has seen the transformational impact that a Montessori education can have in the lives of children. Her passion for making authentic Montessori accessible and available to more children inspires her public policy work. Wendy has been involved in MPPI’s work and leadership since 2014, serving on and chairing the MPPI Council, overseeing MPPI’s strategic plan development, and leading workshops at numerous Montessori conferences. Accomplished in state-level advocacy and state and national coalition building, she successfully advocated for policy changes to help Montessori programs in Washington, DC flourish. Experienced in mission-driven organizational development and rooted in strategic thinking, Wendy is honored to serve as MPPI’s first Executive Director and lead its efforts to transform the policy landscape so that children of all ages can have access to authentic Montessori education. Denise Monnier is a Montessori parent, advocate, and advocacy coach, striving for public policy that supports universal access to Montessori education. More than 15 years of teaching in and leading Montessori schools made her deeply aware of the need for equity in and access to high quality education. Denise‘s journey into education policy began when she founded an early childhood outreach program. Later, as the head of Fox Valley Montessori School in Aurora, Illinois and through her involvement in the Association of Illinois Montessori Schools where she currently serves as Executive Director, her advocacy efforts turned to statewide and national advocacy. Her work with MPPI is centered around supporting our state advocacy groups and equipping them with the tools and training they need to be effective advocates for children. Sarah Arnold is a WECAN Board member and has been involved in Waldorf education since 2001 as a board member, Assistant Teacher, Teacher, and Director of Evergreen Garden Playschool in Devens, MA. Sarah is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at Boston University.

WorkshopsWorkshops each have two sessions on Saturday – 11:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 4pm

PLEASE CHOOSE ONE WORKSHOP FROM THE FOLLOWING LIST:

1. Exploration of the Conference Theme in Eurythmy How can I become human? How can I maintain my humanness? What can I do to help the child in becoming human?  These questions can be answered by actively doing eurythmy.

Participants should bring eurythmy shoes if they have them.

Brigida Baldszun is an independently-working eurythmist and therapist, who also teaches in China.

2. How to Say “No” in a “Yes” WayOur hardest moments with the children come when we need to get them from disruptive or non-cooperative behavior to where we can all go happily along together—without irritation or sternness. We will look at imaginations in verses, rhymes, playful language and movement to help in these moments. We will assume that children really want to do the right thing in the moment but just do not know how to get from where they are to where we want them to be. We will explore ways to give them a pathway.

Participants are asked to please bring eurythmy shoes, comfortable clothes for movement—sitting cross-legged on the floor and perhaps rolling about.

Nancy Blanning has 30-plus years as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and incarnational support specialist. She works as mentor, teacher trainer, and WECAN board member. She is editor of Gateways WECAN journal.

3. Coming to our SensesWe are always looking out to support the children in developing the lower senses—but we can’t stop there. We must find the way to develop the higher senses in ourselves. Together in this workshop we will explore this activity by looking at the moral development in our own lives. Social artistic activities will weave in and out of our authentic conversation and active listening.

Kathleen Bowen graduated from the Biography and Social Art Program at Sunbridge College in 2009, opening the way to a profoundly new relationship to her own lifestory and a new understanding of the journey we each take toward our development. She is a founding board member of the Center for Biography and Social Art, and is on the faculty of the Biography and Social Art Certificate Program and Sophia’s Hearth Teacher Educational Center.

4. Growing Your Powers of Observation By practicing your powers of observation, you develop the ability to create a living picture of another, in this moment.  This deepens your understanding of the other and leads to an intuitive grasp of what may bring healing forces to life.  

Experience a new way to be present.  Increase your awareness of yourself and another as a being of body, soul and spirit.  Open the door to your intuition and new understandings of yourself and the world.  Through hands on exercises and sharing we will grow and strengthen our skills of observation.

Heather Church has worked in the Waldorf movement for nearly 20 years in many capacities, mixed age kindergartens for the first 11 years then working with parent education, teacher mentoring, school leadership and inner development with both parents and teachers. Heather has trained in Birth to Seven at Sunbridge Institute, Birth to Three at Sophia’s Hearth, Collaborative Spiritual Leadership at Alkion, Connections and Adult Learning with NALM, and Biography with ARSCURA.  She is a member of the WECAN board and a Regional Representative.

5. Replenishing the Life Forces of the Teacher “The fluid element, water, brings the celestial forces to the earth.” - Margarethe Hauschka

In the first half of the workshop, we will explore the re-enlivening qualities of water, for ourselves and for the children in our care. Each participant will experience the restorative Sounding Water Bath.

In the second half, the Madonna Series will be presented by candlelight with lyre music. The Madonna series is a soul strengthening experience that Rudolf Steiner indicated opens a wellspring of healing. This potent therapy harmonizes the breathing and regenerates the life forces.

Participants should bring a full-sized bath towel and a hot water bottle.

Laurie Clark has been a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher for 4 decades and is still in the classroom at the Denver Waldorf School. She is a mentor, presenter and co-author of two books about movement enrichment for young children. She is a WECAN regional representative and a member of the WECAN Teacher Education Committee.

Robyn Jones is a Rhythmical Massage therapist who lives near Seattle.  She has worked as a class teacher and has been on the faculty of Sound Circle for many years. She loves working with teachers to cultivate self-care.

Christiane Landowne is a lifelong Waldorf early childhood educator and musician.

6. Acorn Hill’s Diversity Journey Acorn Hill has actively pursued a policy and internal examination of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity awareness. In this workshop we will share our school’s journey and open the conversation on how to bring this difficult subject to parents. We also discuss the role we play in mitigating the effects of racism in society on our children.

Liz Hagerman, has been an Acorn Hill faculty member since 2001 and is currently the Parent Infant and Parent Toddler teacher. She has been part of Acorn Hill's evolving work on equity and justice including a member of the parent diversity committee, and is a long time member of the faculty Diversity and Outreach circle. She is a Waldorf Birth to Three Specialist, a Pikler Pedagogue candidate, a board certified dance movement therapist, and a licensed counselor.

Starting first as a substitute, then working as an assistant teacher, Fozia Joshua is now a lead teacher in one of our Five Day classes. Fozia received her Waldorf Early Childhood Education training from Sunbridge Institute, New York. She is currently in the Nurturing the Roots post-graduate program.

Teresa Price has been a faculty member at Acorn Hill for over 13 years in the 5-day mixed kindergarten, nursery and summer camp programs. She has been very active in many community organizations and projects involving children, parenting, education, environmental issues, world peace, nutrition, and equity and justice. She serves on both the Diversity Committee and Finance Committee and is a past board member.

7. In My Body and On the Earth How does movement provide young children with a foundation for life? How can the natural world be the perfect environment for the essential learning of early childhood? We will explore these questions together through presentation, discussion, movement and a slideshow.

Please bring your questions and wear clothing that allows you to move.

Rachel Kennedy been an Early Childhood Teacher at The Hartsbrook School for 11 years. After 6 years of experiencing children’s ever growing need for movement and digestible sensory experience, she founded Hartsbrook’s Forest Kindergarten. Witnessing the full and joyful development of young children in nature provides deep and daily satisfaction. She is working in her school to renew our education to meet the children of the future.

8. Shelter-building Play and the Social Moral Development of the ChildA crucial element of a child’s development is the ability to become creator and shape play spaces by having access to open-ended, movable materials available for creating a world drawn from their imaginations. Akin to abutterfly emerging from the chrysalis, shelter-building is a birth place for a child’s developing sense of self. This workshop includes discussion, sharing, reflective exercises, and presentation with hands-on experiences in shelter-building planned for the afternoon.

Participants are asked to bring clothes pins, wooden clips (if they have them), a flat shee, and images of shelter-building from their classrooms or own children.

Debbie Laurin is a former Waldorf Kindergarten and Parent and Child teacher with many years of experience. She is a faculty member in the Early Childhood Waldorf Teacher training at the West Coast Institute of Anthroposophy on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Deborah also is Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Chair of Research for Pikler/USA an association for the well-being of children.

9. Come Sail Away – Boat-Making ProjectThis is a hands-on workshop in which participants will create a wooden sailboat with a wool sail. They will take home a completed boat and the pattern, directions & copy of the story. The workshop leaders will also present a puppet play of “The Wind Bird” which they use with their classes as a culminating story for this project. Discussion topics (while sanding and sewing) may  include meeting the needs of the older child in  mixed-age and the value of  making toys with children. 

Participants are asked to please bring $20 for supplies for the wood boat and wool felt sail.

Mary Maschal holds a BA in Women’s Studies from San Diego State University and received her Waldorf Teacher Certification from Waldorf Teacher Education Eugene. She currently serves as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Rep for WECAN and has taught Kindergarten for ten years.

Susan Notis Gilman holds a BS in Fine Arts from Skidmore College, a Teaching Certification from Parsons School of Design and received her Waldorf Teacher certification from Alkion Institute. She has been teaching in Early Childhood for 6 years.

10. Supporting Healthy Self-Regulation during Early Childhood Explore the window that modern brain research opens to understanding the connections between infant bonding, attachment and the development of self-regulation. This workshop will present contemporary studies on

neurological development during infancy, and offer participants opportunities to discuss how these fresh perspectives, combined with the insights of Rudolf Steiner, may help us better understand and meet the challenging behaviors of children with poor self-regulation.

Lisa Miccio holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from L.I.U/C.W. Post, and a Master’s Degree in Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College. Lisa is a kindergarten teacher at The Waldorf School of Garden City, and has been in education for over 21 years, with 17 years’ experience as a Waldorf early childhood educator. She also sits on the Sunbridge Board of Trustees, leads the Introduction to Waldorf Early Childhood Education course at Sunbridge Institute, and mentors teachers in training.

11. Nature Garden – Love It or Leave ItIs your nature table just one more thing you have to look after or is it a source of inspiration for you and the children?  We will look at the practical aspects of creating an indoor Nature Garden, how it can become a pedagogical essential, the soul of the classroom, and a powerful source of non-verbal education. This workshop will include slides of seasonal examples as well as ways to make your garden come alive.

Please bring a photo of your current Nature Garden or a photo of the empty space in which to create one.

Jan Ney Patterson, Director of Early Childhood Teacher Education Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto, completed her Foundation Studies at Emerson College and her early childhood training with Margret Meyerkort at Wynstones, England. She has taught for over 17 years in England, the USA, and Canada and is an active mentor and consultant in Waldorf schools both local and international.

12. Planting Seeds of Love, Hope and Faith with the Young Child In this workshop we will explore living pictures of healthy childhood that work within Steiner’s fairytale of “The Rock Spring Wonder” through discussion and artistic play. Working with marionettes that are brought for the Friday evening conference performance, we will explore universal strength in archetypes and gesture from the story. Discussion themes will include: How can we support the child’s experience of true goodness in a world that faces great disruption? How can we best work with parents to protect the child’s forces in order to build the capacities of resilience needed in adult life? We will share strengthening activities for the adult and healing activities for the young child that support well-being. 

Janene Ping has been a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator for almost 30 years at Hawthorne Valley School. Founder and artistic director of “The Magical Puppet Tree” she finds renewal through devoted study and whimsical play in storytelling and puppetry arts. Janene currently also leads teacher education courses at Sophia’s Hearth and at the Alkion Training Center.

13. An Anthroposophical Call of our Time – Connecting with plants and herbs in our kindergarten curriculum to foster a healthy humanity In this workshop we will explore hands on healing activities with our plant family we can use in our Kindergartens as we discuss the connection of plants and herbs to the anthroposophical call of our time.

Participants are encouraged to bring a small offering of fresh aromatic herbs such as fresh thyme, basil, mints, roses, pine needles etc., a hand towel and a small notebook for writing

Kasea Rowland Myers is a lead kindergarten teacher at The Waldorf School of Philadelphia where she has worked for 16 years, and holds Masters in Education from Antioch where she wrote her thesis, Working With The Spirits Behind Nature. She is currently and has been a mentor to new teachers in her home school as well as sister

schools and has served on the Faculty Development Group. Kasea currently serves on the Board of Trustees of her school.

14. Dancing Hands and Frolicking Voices Through the development of the lower senses, the young child establishes their foundation for later developing the higher senses:   planting the seeds of lower sense development in early childhood allows morality to blossom later in life. Our work and play with gesture, movement, loving touch, singing in the mood of the fifth, rhythm and rhyming verse, provides the developmental experiences which are essential for the young child.  Join us for a rich, playful learning experience of the Ellersiek games with a little Spacial Dynamics as well.

Wear loose comfortable clothing and eurythmy shoes are helpful.

With warmth and joy, Lynn St. Pierre brings developmental movement, music and speech for teachers, parents and children around the world.  She apprenticed with Kundry Willwerth and continues to study this work with colleagues in Germany.  Lynn is a certified Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and Ellersiek Teacher Trainer.

15. Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom – Management and SupportChildren are bringing many challenging behaviors into the classrooms these days. While a teacher tries hard to maintain a certain atmosphere in the room, it is often disrupted by a child calling for attention. How can one support the children of this time? How can we meet the children where they are, answer their needs and still maintain an appropriate environment for the group? In this workshop we will discuss some of the difficulties children bring to us. We will explore them, hands on, discuss common issues and find solutions listening to one another. Hopefully, you will go back to the classroom with more tools under your belt.  

Shiri Reuveni-Ulrich is a certified speech-language therapist in NY and NJ, working with children with different challenges for nearly two decades. Shiri is also a trained Waldorf teacher who taught first through third grade at the Otto Specht School. Her fifth year at the Otto Specht School, she is currently the speech therapist and social skills teacher.

16. Honeybees in the Garden of Children Honeybees, their hives, and their honey were once revered and sacred. The extraordinary wisdom through which the hive is established and the honeybee's importance for the earth and humanity were perceived intuitively in olden times. Today, this knowledge and reverence have been lost. The honeybee is endangered and is in urgent need of our attention and loving care. In this workshop we will discuss the wisdom-filled life of the honeybee and its hive. We will also explore how to weave our caring consciousness for the honeybee into our kindergartens through storytelling, circle games, beeswax modelling, and nature tables. There is so much we and our children can learn from the reverence, respect, gratitude, and generosity that bees exhibit in their interactions with each other in their interdependent communities.

Dr. Anke Scheinfeld has been an Early Childhood Educator for the last 14 years at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City where she teaches in the mixed-age kindergarten. Prior to teaching, Anke worked as a physician and researcher in Germany and in the USA. She received her Masters in Early Childhood Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College. Anke’s main interest is in working to align the healing impulse of Waldorf education with preventive medicine to best serve students and the school community.

17. Soothing Parent Anxiety How do we meet the fears and anxiety that today’s parents bring? How can we create an environment of calm and connection that embraces and inspires parents? As early childhood teachers, we carry the tools to help parents have more trust and bring more harmony into their children’s lives. In this workshop we will explore the challenges

facing today's parents and acknowledge that our role as teachers is changing. Together we will build new capacities and dust off some old tricks to meet parents in a threefold way.

Somer Serpe trained as an artist and as a teacher, earning her BFA degree at Parsons School of Design and her Masters in Waldorf Early Childhood Education at Sunbridge College. She currently teaches Kindergarten at the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School where she has taught since 2005. Somer is the Northeast Regional Representative for WECAN and serves as a mentor for teachers and inspirational coach for parents. In the classroom, Somer enjoys puppetry, singing, purposeful work and creating healing stories for children and parents.

18. Two-to-Three-Year-Olds in our Classrooms and Childcare Settings This workshop will focus on children between two and three, and how to bring them into classroom and childcare settings. We will explore the rhythm of the day, classroom and outdoor environments, care needs, as well as age appropriate finger games, songs and stories. We will also craft a small doll. Our time together will include presentation, discussion, experiential exercises and creation of a small doll that you can take home.

Participants are asked to please bring $5 for materials.

Katherine Scharff is a Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher in Preschool and Parent Child, Director of Teacher Education at Sophias Hearth, has a background in Anthroposophical Nursing and has Pikler training. Her studies and teaching have focused on Birth to Three.

19. Simple Rhyming Puppet Plays How simple preparations, gestures and rhyme can nourish and support the social fabric of a group of children will be the central theme of this workshop. In this mostly ‘hands -on’ workshop, the participants will first experience two rhyming puppet plays. In the first story, “Clump-a-Dump and Snickle Snack”, the whole preparatory landscape and introduction of characters will unfold out of a basket. Then after seeing “The Mushroom Story”, the participants will make their own ‘mushroom’, ‘little aunt’ and ‘other characters’ to take home. Other simple story examples will be presented and some handouts will be available.

Participants are asked to please bring a small sewing kit with felting needle and $8 for colored wool roving, felt and other supplies for needed for activity.

Susan Starr trained in Wynstones, England with Margaret Meyerkort and was a Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher for 30 years. In recent years, she has taught and given workshops for LifeWays, the Waldorf Institute of Southern California and for trainings and schools in China.

20. Self-Hygiene for the Teacher Presentation, demonstration, and hands on practice of simple self-care gestures to support your well-being, invoking and strengthening your innate forces of warmth and vitality.

Participants are asked to please bring a pair of natural fiber socks, preferably wool, cotton face cloth cotton bath towel, hot water bottle and hot water bottle cover if you have one. Please note, without these supplies the participant will be limited in participating. (To purchase excellent quality hot water bottle or covers go to http://home-care-supplies.com)

Elizabeth Sustick is a Registered Nurse specialist in Anthroposophic Nursing and Rhythmical Einreibung, active in teaching nationally and internationally and working in a private practice. She is Vice President for the Association for Anthroposophic Medicine and Therapies in America (AAMTA) and the North American Anthroposophic Nurses Association (NAANA).

21. First Grade Readiness Assessment: Individualized Meetings with Each Child How do we as educators dance with the individuality of each child in the assessment process? How do we adjust our techniques and activities to provide the most satisfying challenge for each child? The more we bring creativity to this process, the more we can truly meet each child, and the more the truth of the child’s being can be revealed. Jane will present specific practical ways of evaluating the foundational senses and primitive reflexes.  There will be time for practice and questions.

As a pediatric physical therapist who is certified in Sensory Integration, Jane Swain is highly trained and experienced in evaluating children.  She is also a senior therapeutic trainer in Spacial Dynamics and an Associate Director of Teacher Education at Sophia’s Hearth.

22. Writing Healing StoriesWe are all in the process of transformation from the beginning to the end of life. How can we as Early Childhood teachers support the children in our care in their transformation process? In this workshop we will use techniques developed by Nancy Mellon to open our intuitive capacities and train our “artistic creative courage” to let the healing forces flow.

Participants are asked to bring a notebook and pen.

Andree Ward has been a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator at Hawthorne Valley School since 1982, leading Kindergarten, Nursery, and Parent-Child classes. She is currently teaching the Parent-Child classes and is Director of the Early Childhood Specialization at the Alkion Center of Hawthorne Valley.

23. Singing as a Life-Changing Experience for Children and for Us!Rudolf Steiner describes how before birth the structure of our body is formed from cosmic music, and so when we sing we feel a sense of wellbeing - - we are reminded of our spiritual home. The consonants and vowels we sing and speak continue to have formative forces and change us.

We will explore Steiner’s life changing approach to singing these consonants and vowels and how they can help us sing with children. We will also sing mood of the fifth songs for home or school and rediscover why Steiner recommends this kind of music.

In this workshop we will breathe, move, and sing, and welcome both beginners and more experienced singers.

If participants would like a CD and book they may make a donation.

Eleanor Winship, a longstanding K-12 Waldorf music teacher, is a graduate of the Garden City Waldorf School, Juilliard Preparatory Division, and Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied violin, voice, conducting, and music pedagogy. Eleanor was trained extensively in Werbeck singing (Werbeck was a Swedish opera singer who worked with Rudolf Steiner) by Werbeck’s pupil Jurgen Schriefer and studied anthroposophical singing therapy with Thomas Adam. She has given numerous music workshops and courses at conferences, colleges, and training centers across several continents, besides mentoring and evaluating Waldorf school music programs.

Mini-SessionsSaturday, 4:45 to 6pm

PLEASE CHOOSE ONE FROM THE FOLLOWING:

1. Learn about WECAN’s Public Policy and Outreach Learn about WECAN’s collaborative public policy efforts with Montessori, Reggio, Friends, Tools of the Mind and others at the Ideal Learning Round Table. Hear about ways you can be involved.

Sarah Arnold is a WECAN Board member and has been involved in Waldorf education since 2001 as a board member, Assistant Teacher, Teacher, and Director of Evergreen Garden Playschool in Devens, MA. Sarah is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at Boston University.

2. Eurythmy - The Human Being Balancing their Forces of Thinking, Feeling and WillingBy actively doing eurythmy we will explore the movement for "M", meeting in sympathy, connecting with the other, taking on its form.

Participants should bring eurythmy shoes if they have them.

Brigida Baldszun is an independently working eurythmist and therapist, who also teaches in China.

3. Speaking in Pictures and Imaginations to Invite the Children into Action We experience that saying, “Put on your shoes” doesn’t move the children to activity. The young child’s consciousness is spoken to with imaginations and pictures. We will share lots of “pictorial speech” and imaginative ways to guide the children throughout the morning. As time allows, we will work to create some together to awaken our imaginative muscles.

Participants are asked to please bring eurythmy shoes, comfortable clothes for movement—sitting cross-legged on the floor and perhaps rolling about, and paper and pen for note taking.

Nancy Blanning has 30-plus years as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and incarnational support specialist. She works as mentor, teacher trainer, and WECAN board member. She is the editor of Gateways WECAN journal.

Rie Seo is a lead Kindergarten Teacher at the Waldorf School of Garden City. A recent Sunbridge teacher-training graduate, she chose use of imaginative, pictorial speech in the classroom as the topic of her final project. She has much to share from her research.

4. Sowing the Seeds of CompassionHow do activities such as--growing a garden, picking beans, or setting tables offer opportunities for the young child and our elders to come together and work joyfully in community?  What capacities are we developing for the future through these simple yet deep human connections? This mini-session will offer a glimpse into the unique social experiment known as the Fellowship Community and what may be possible in your school community.

Leslie Burchell-Fox has been a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator for over 20 years, and has been a member of the Green Meadow Waldorf School faculty since 2002.  Her kindergarten classroom moved to the Fellowship Community in 2013 where she continues to develop a program to include the elders in the daily rhythms of the kindergarten.

5. How does Eurythmy in Kindergarten Relate to Moral Development and the Strength of “I” in Adulthood? Steiner speaks about it this way: There is nothing as effective for the development of the human "I" as eurythmy for children. I would be happy to share some insights about it and naturally do some kindergarten eurythmy to experience it practically.

Originally from Poland, Cezary Ciaglo moved to the US in the early 90s, teaching eurythmy in Waldorf schools in the states of Washington, New Hampshire, and New York. He is currently teaching eurythmy in the kindergarten and Lower School at Green Meadow Waldorf School in Spring Valley, NY.  He has also been a long-time Adjunct Faculty member at Antioch New England's Waldorf Teacher Education program.

6. Learning from Each Other: Mentoring and Evaluating in Waldorf SchoolsFor Waldorf Early Childhood Education to go into the future in a vibrant and healthy way, we need to give the teachers of the future the support they need to find their own way, not our way, into their work. What are the questions we need to ask to help them find their own answers and how can we turn the act of mentoring into the art of mentoring?

Louise deForest is a WECAN Board member and a representative of North America on the IASWECE Council. She spends much of her time mentoring students and supporting Waldorf initiatives around the world.

7. Embracing Place-based Education in Waldorf Early Childhood ProgramsWhat is place-based education, why is it important, and how does this fit in Waldorf early childhood environments? This will be a presentation of what has worked in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in particular with outdoor elements.  The presentation will be supplemented by slides of inspiring elements from forest preschools in Scotland. This will be followed by discussion and participants can share how “place” is celebrated in their own environments.

Marilyn Grudniski has been a mainstream teacher (BA, BEd) since 1975 and taught in the Canadian sub-Arctic as well as many third world countries in Africa and South America. She returned to Thunder Bay after an absence of 26 years, began working at Little Lions Waldorf Child and Family Centre and took her Waldorf training at the West Coast Institute.

8. Sewing the Seasons – Creating Wall Hanging Art in Plant-dyed FeltTogether we will begin creating a small plant dyed felt wall hanging reflecting seasonal early childhood imagery. Participants should be comfortable sewing with felt and willing to complete the project at home.

Participants are asked to please bring a sewing kit and $20 for for plant dyed felt kit, $10 for alternative felt kit. Please specify preference. Extra seasonal kits available for purchase.

Martine Littlewood is a Morning Assistant at Green Meadow Waldorf School Fellowship Kindergarten and an afternoon Meadows Nest teacher at the Green Meadow campus mixed age kindergarten and nursery. She enjoys sewing with plant dyed felt and working with natural materials.

9. Felting a Spring Bulb with a Root ChildIn anticipation of spring, we will felt and sew a spring bulb with a root child inside.  The bulb will be a small wet felted vessel, with sewn on first leaves and a small felted root child nestled inside.

Participants are asked to bring a $5 fee to cover the cost of materials.

This mini-session will be brought by Kelly Minehart, the part-time office administrator of the Fiber Craft Studio. Kelly is an environmental science teacher, and soon to be graduate of the 9th cycle of the Applied Arts Program. Her husband is a teacher at Green Meadow Waldorf School, and her children attend the school. She has a love for handwork and nature and combining the two.

10. Gardening with ChildrenKim Pace will share her experience creating gardening programs that suit the needs of the young child.  Her approach takes into account the challenges of farming based on a school "season" rather than a traditional growing season and how to create spaces that invite the child's natural sense of wonder while the teacher learns to let go of strict rules around garden etiquette.  Together. we will explore the question: how can we create a place to say "Yes!"?

Kim Pace is a graduate of the Rudolf Steiner College Early Childhood Waldorf Teacher Training Program where she also studied Biodynamic Agriculture with Harald Hoven of Raphael Garden.  Kim is currently the manager of the dairy at Duryea Farm which is part of the Fellowship Community in Chestnut Ridge, New York.  As part of her work, Kim hosts an outreach program for local middle schoolers, farming blocks for third grade classes throughout the spring and fall as well as camp groups in the summer.  Kim is pleased to share her experience of farming and gardening with children of all ages and brings a unique perspective on how Steiner's picture of development relates directly to the care of the land, animals and human beings connected to it.

11. The First Class and the Pedagogical Section: A Path of ServiceWhen we think of the work of the teacher, we imagine creating a classroom, telling stories, preparing artistic activities, and finding meaningful ways to challenge the students in our care.  However, as Waldorf teachers, we know that this is only part of the teacher's work; a large part remains unseen, in the inner preparation of the teacher.  Many have found that working with the First Class, a series of lessons given by Rudolf Steiner to challenge those who were committed to Anthroposophy who choose to join the study, has been helpful.  The Pedagogical Section is an extension of the work with the First Class, specializing in an area and working with the larger anthroposophical community.

Laura Radefeld has been a eurythmy teacher and performer throughout North America for twenty one years. She is a eurythmy teacher at the Green Meadow Waldorf School, leads the program for pedagogical eurythmy studies at Eurythmy Spring Valley, is a faculty member at the Center for Anthroposophy High School Teacher Training, and a member of the Pedagogical Section Council of North America.

12. Bilingualism: Myths and RealityIn this mini-session we will discuss language acquisition and bilingualism. We will separate facts from myths and discover how to support bilingual children in the classroom.

Shiri Reuveni-Ulrich is a certified speech-language therapist in NY and NJ, working with children with different challenges for nearly two decades. Shiri is also a trained Waldorf teacher who taught first through third grade at the Otto Specht School. Her fifth year at the Otto Specht School, she is currently the speech therapist and social skills teacher.

13.  Making a Mini Pop-Up Duckling or Chick We will needle felt a tiny 2-3” chick or duckling on a stick and then felt a cornucopia to wrap around it.  The children delight when the little duck or chick pops up and down while you sing a duckie/chickie song which I will teach you. Come have fun and go home with a new story prop. 

Participants are asked to bring $20 for a complete kit to make 2 tiny needle felted animals. Kit will include wool for animals & decoration, prefelt for cornucopia, 2 wooden dowels, 2 felting needles, foam, lyrics to the songs, and instructions.

Celia Riahi is a long time Waldorf Early Childhood Educator. She and her wife Barbara run Cottage Garden, a successful Waldorf Family Child Care Program for children ages 1-3. Celia also has a love of making things with wool, with her hands, and has an Etsy Shop, CottageGardenFibers, where she sells her work.

14. Frolicking Sheep to Welcome Spring!Join husband and wife team for an opportunity to create a lovely 100% Icelandic wool sheep for your nature table or spring puppet play. Felting is an ancient tradition brought into modern times with handy felting needles available in a variety of sizes. Wire armature and wool in several natural hues will be provided.

Shorn wool from Magic Garden Waldorf School’s Icelandic sheep will be shown in both raw and carded condition and the process of cleaning and carding wool will be discussed. This is a hands-on workshop for beginner to advanced felters.

Participants are asked to bring $9 which covers wire sheep armature and carded wool.

Nell-Marie Rowland has been a Waldorf Early Childhood teacher since 2000. In 2006 she founded the Magic Garden Waldorf School in Wolcott Vermont, where she teaches with her husband, Charlie Rowland.

15.  Rejuvenate with Loving Touch and Spacial Dynamics A mid-conference session designed to rejuvenate through the loving touch games and lullabies of Wilma Ellersiek (designed for the very young child although restorative for all of us!), along with hands-on Spacial Dynamics exercises.  You are welcome to bring a pillow, yoga matt, and blanket or shawl for the peaceful rest and loving touch part of the session.

Please wear loose, comfortable and warm clothing. You are welcome to bring a pillow, yoga matt, and blanket or shawl for the peaceful rest and loving touch part of the session.

With warmth and joy, Lynn St. Pierre brings developmental movement, music and speech for teachers, parents and children around the world.  She apprenticed with Kundry Willwerth and continues to study this work with colleagues in Germany.  Lynn is a certified Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and Ellersiek Teacher Trainer.

16.  Spacial Dynamics® and Bothmer GymnasticsCome for restorative, refreshing movement for body, mind and soul.

Jane Swain, from Sophia's Hearth Family Center, is a senior therapeutic trainer in Spacial Dynamics®, and is certified in Bothmer Gymnastics.

17. Processes for Becoming HumanExperience transforming the wisdom taken in during the conference into self and world knowledge using 7 learning processes. Learn about the 3 Paths of the New Adult Learning as a tool for personal, professional, organizational and community development.

Following many years as a parent, Board member and Community Development Coordinator at the Toronto Waldorf School, Arlene Thorn became a New Adult Educator with the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto. In 2012 she moved to Thunder Bay where she has been active in Waldorf Teacher Development with Little Lions Waldorf Childcare and started Northern Lights School, a Waldorf School initiative in 2017.

18.  Go for a Walk! Last-minute Shopping…Go for a sunset walk, shop in the vendor hall, visit the nearby Co-op or Fiber Craft Studio, meet a friend for conversation, or just put your feet up!

Post-Conference Work-Alike and Special Interest Group SessionsSunday, 11:00am – 12:30pm

These are not presentations, but guided conversations among colleagues actually engaged in a specific kind of work. They offer opportunities to discuss challenges, insights, healthy practices, etc. Join others whose work is similar to ours and share experiences, questions, and resources.

1. Learn about WECAN’s Public Policy and OutreachThis work-alike is geared to participants from the pre-conference advocacy workshop and the Public Policy Mini-Session. Come to talk about getting involved in Waldorf advocacy and public policy.

Sarah Arnold is a WECAN Board member Public Policy Coordinator and has been involved in Waldorf education since 2001 - as a Board member, Assistant Teacher, Teacher, and Director of Evergreen Garden Playschool in Devens, MA. Sarah is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at Boston University.

2. Afternoon and AftercareMany questions exist in our schools about aftercare or after school programs. How can the afternoon programs be brought fully into our consideration in our schools, and in our movement, including WECAN support through our membership process? If you are interested in these questions, have questions of your own or would like to share your experiences as an afternoon teacher please join us. The goal will be to begin to form a WECAN task group to work toward a clearer picture of these programs and how to work with the needs of each community while remaining dedicated to WECAN principles and practices.

Lisa Bechmann is the Southeast Regional Representative for WECAN and CG Coordinator/Afternoon Teacher at the Washington Waldorf School.

3. Report Writing in Early Childhood End-of-year written reports for early childhood children are controversial, and practices vary from school to school. Together we will discuss the "why" of these reports, the pluses and minuses around them, and how to approach the writing of them if this is a school practice or legal requirement.

Nancy Blanning has 30-plus years as a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and incarnational support specialist. She works as mentor, teacher trainer, and WECAN board member. She is editor of Gateways WECAN journal.

4. Parent-Child Groups: Meeting both children AND parents where they are!The session will open with a brief introduction about meeting the parents and children where they are. After the introduction the attendees will introduce themselves and share one question they have pertaining to parent and child class. We will find a common thread within the questions and share inspirations and guidance accordingly.

Stephanie Cleary earned her Waldorf Early Childhood certification from Sunbridge Institute. She has completed additional trainings with a range of professional Waldorf certifications. She is a member of the Diversity Committee and mentor to the Kathmandu Waldorf Kindergarten in Nepal. 

5. Working with Parents - Bringing Biography Work to ParentsWe all work with parents in class meetings and our one-on-one meetings. How can we bring biography work to parents and the wider school community? Share your successful uses of biography exercises and learn more hearing from others.

Martine Littlewood is a Morning Assistant at the Green Meadow Waldorf School Fellowship Kindergarten and an afternoon teacher at Meadows Nest on the Green Meadow campus, working with mixed age kindergarten and nursery. She enjoys sewing with plant-dyed felt and working with natural materials.

6. Outdoor ProgramsFor people leading or interested in outdoor kindergartens and parent and child programs. What resources are available to us? What have we learned so far about being outdoors all the time in a Waldorf kindergarten or in a parent and child program? What are our guiding principles for serving mixed ages?

Jessica Oswald leads the Forest Preschool and Forest Parent Child classes at Green Meadow Waldorf School. She has had the great fortune of working in Early Childhood at Green Meadow for the past six years where her children are also students. Jessica holds an Early Childhood Teaching Certificate from Sunbridge Institute. From her home down the road, she enjoys gardening, hiking, and getting to know the local flora and fauna in the woods where she teaches.

7. Home Programs – Supporting the Lower Senses What are the benefits of providing a Waldorf Early Childhood program in your home? How are we able to support the four lower senses in all that we do and how is it different from working in a school setting?  Do you have a home program? Please join us and bring your questions or email them to Celia at celiariahi@gmail.com so that we can better prepare for our Work-Alike session.  

Celia Riahi and Barbara Audley have been running The Cottage Garden, a Waldorf Home Day Care Program in Amherst, MA for children 10 months to 3 years old, for 10 years. For more information, see their website at www.thecottagegarden.org.

8. Developmental Movement and Speech Training – (Ellersiek)Gather to discuss further training opportunities for those who would like to deepen in this amazing work and perhaps teach other teachers in the future. Discuss possible formats and what would meet teachers’ needs: frequency, onsite, online, DVDs, duration of a training program and goals, locations etc. Collaborate in future plans and hear more about the summer 2019 week on the farm in Michigan.

With warmth and joy, Lynn St. Pierre brings developmental movement, music and speech for teachers, parents and children around the world.  She apprenticed with Kundry Willwerth and continues to study this work with colleagues in Germany.  Lynn is a certified Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and Ellersiek Teacher Trainer.

9. Two-year-olds in our Early Childhood ProgramsPresentation and discussion on how we integrate the two-year-old child into our early childhood programs.

Many schools are considering and accepting two-year-old children into their institutions.  What are the implications of this for the child?  What do we as educators understand about the needs of the child before the birth of the ‘I’ consciousness?  What is the training needed to craft a program that meets the needs of these young children? Please come prepared with your essential question.

Katherine Scharff is a Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher who has been working with two-year-olds in a school setting for 12 years. She has a program that is in a forest setting and one that is in town.

Magdalena Toran is a Parent and Child Teacher at the Hartsbrook School. She is part of the Sunbridge Institute Part-Time Early Childhood Teacher Training class of 2004. Magdalena serves on the WECAN board and is a member of the Birth to Three Working Group.

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Conference ActivitiesWECAN Membership Information and Book SalesWECAN Membership Information Table:  Please come and say hello, check your membership status, pay your dues, become a new individual member or ask your questions. Find us Friday night near registration in the Hospitality Room, Saturday morning break time at the WECAN info table in the Rose Hall Lobby, and Saturday afternoon we will be in the Gym at GMWS with our WECAN Books sales table.

WECAN Book Sales: There is a special conference discount for WECAN Individual Members of 20% for all books purchased during the conference.  Books will be sold in the Vendor Hall on Friday and Saturday and  in Rose Hall Lobby on Sunday.

International Association (IASWECE) TableVisit the IASWECE Table in the Rose Hall Lobby and later in the Vendor Hall for information and a slide show about the activities of IASWECE, the International Association for Steiner-Waldorf Early Childhood Education. Come learn about the development of Waldorf early childhood education around the world, including new Waldorf early childhood programs in Myanmar, which will be the recipient of our basket-passing this year. Read the IASWECE Manifesto on a Child-Centered Approach in the Transition from Kindergarten to School. Sign up to receive the IASWECE e-newsletter, ask questions about the upcoming World Conference in Dornach, become a Friend of IASWECE, or purchase handmade crafts from member countries around the world to benefit worldwide IASWECE activities.    Puppet Performance Friday evening following the lecture, 8:45 pmThe Puppet Arts Alliance, “The Rock Spring Wonder”, a tale from The Mystery Drama, “The Portal of Initiation”.

Puppeteers: Janene Ping, Motria Shuhan, Somer Serpe, Dorothea Davis, Linda Frosch, and Andrea Gambardella. Reader: Martin Ping.  Musician: TBA

Sponsors and SupportersThroughout the conference you can view the displays from our conference sponsors and supporters in the Hospitality Room and Vendor Hall. Do have a look at what these generous organizations have to offer!

Job PostingsFebruary 8 - 10, Green Meadow Arts Building Lobby. A Job Board will be located in the lobby of the Arts Building for schools and programs to post positions in Waldorf early childhood settings.

Teacher Education Programs Information        On Friday, February 8, during registration hours in the Hospitality Room, training institute representatives will be available to meet participants and answer questions.   On Saturday and Sunday, Teacher Education institutes will have materials in the Hospitality Room and Rose Hall Lobby in the Arts Building. Teacher Education programs who are conference sponsors and supporters will have their display in the Hospitality Room throughout the conference.

Eurythmy Spring Valley Performance (All welcome – included in your registration fee)7:30 pm Saturday, February 10th, Threefold Auditorium. “The Cat and the Mouse” and other adventures on the path of transformation.

Dessert Café (All welcome - included in your registration fee)8:45-10:00 pm, Saturday, February 10th, Main House TentThe Dessert Café follows the eurythmy performance for all participants to enjoy a hot drink and sweet treats with friends, accompanied by live music.

Vendor HallThe Vendor Hall is in the GMWS Gymnasium.  Play items, craft materials and gifts are available Friday afternoon, 3:00 - 6:30 pm and on Saturday from 10:45 am – 6:30 pm.

Meadowlark Toys and Sunbridge Books, 817 Chestnut Ridge RoadA short walk from the Hungry Hollow Co-op, Meadowlark will be open during the conference, offering a full range of books on Waldorf education and anthroposophy, children’s books, craft supplies, and more. www.meadowlarkstore.com. Phone: (845) 290-1572. 

Fiber Craft StudioThe Fiber Craft Studio is located in Orchard House near the Main House. It will be open Friday afternoon from 2:30 - 7pm and 10am - 6pm on Saturday. Plant-dyed wool, yarns, silks and fiber craft kits will be available for purchase. Chris Marlow will be on hand for your questions.

Certificates of AttendanceCertificates of Attendance will be issued on Sunday from 10:45 – 11:00 am in the GMWS Rose Hall following the close of the conference. You must appear in person on Sunday to receive your certificate. Note the change from previous years -- certificates will be issued only at 10:45. If you cannot appear, please speak directly with either Andrea Cooper, Registrar, or Andrea Gambardella, Conference Coordinator, on Sunday morning.

SnacksRegistration fees include the scheduled refreshment breaks of coffee/tea and snacks on Saturday morning and afternoon, and the Dessert Café on Saturday evening.

Meals Available by pre-registration only, the meals are prepared by the Threefold Café in the Main House.  Jesse Webster is the cafe manager and is also a parent at GMWS.  Ingredients are primarily organic and biodynamic and prices reflect those extra costs.   Please note that the kitchen will not be able to accommodate custom requests.

Three Meal Plan Options.  Please note, Sunday Lunch is a separate meal plan available at 12:30 on Sunday.Meal Plan #1: $90 - Friday & Saturday supper, Saturday & Sunday breakfast, Saturday lunchMeal Plan #2: $63 - Friday & Saturday supper, Saturday lunchMeal Plan # 3: $15.50 - Sunday lunch, eat-in or carry-out at 12:30 only

The menu is subject to change based on availability of ingredients.

Friday SupperCarrot Ginger SoupChicken Tikka MasalaVegetable & Lentil CurryIndian RiceCucumber & Yogurt RaitaSpinach & Red Leaf Salad - mango, red onion, orange & mint vinaigretteCoconut Apple & Cardamom Tart Saturday BreakfastCafé's Almond Granola, yogurt, fruit saladGreek Baked Eggs, spicy tomato sauce, capers, fetaBreakfast PotatoToast, jam, butter Saturday Lunch County Style Chicken Pot Pie County Style Vegetable Pot Pie Café Tossed Green SaladDessert TBD Saturday Supper Pasta BologneseVegan Pumpkin Seed Pesto PastaBroccoli Florets with olive oil & garlicSelection of SaladsDessert TBD Sunday BreakfastGluten Free Old Fashioned Oatmeal w/ Apples & RaisinsFresh Fruit

Baked Eggs w/ Spinach & Sour CreamBreakfast PotatoToast, jam and butter Sunday Lunch (separate meal plan- $15.50 eat-in or carry-out at 12:30 only)Butternut Squash Soup w/ fresh bread rollsCaesar Salad with GF Croutons and Shaved ParmesanRosemary Roasted ChickenWarm GF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with whipped cream

Plus snacks during AM & PM Saturday Breaks and Dessert Café Saturday Evening (included with conference fee).

WECAN Conference Schedule 2019Friday, February 8

Time Activity Location2:30 – 7:00 pm Fiber Craft Studio open Orchard House3:00 – 7:00 pm Registration Hospitality Room at GMWS3:00 – 6:30 pm Vendors GMWS Gym3:00 – 6:00 pm WECAN Membership Information Hospitality Room at GMWS5:00 – 6:30 pm Supper (meals by pre-registration only) Main House6:15 Doors Open for Seating- Name Tags Required Rose Hall at GMWS

6:45 – 7:30 pm Conference Opening – Susan HowardSinging Together with Eleanor Winship

Rose Hall at GMWSArts Building

7:30 – 8:30 pm Keynote Lecture - Dr. Adam Blanning

8:45 - 9:15 pm Puppetry Presentation – The Puppet Arts Alliance

Saturday, February 9 - Name tags required to enter all eventsTime Activity Location

7:30 - 8:30 am Registration for Late-comers Hospitality Room at GMWS7:15 - 8:30 am Breakfast (meals by pre-registration only) Main House8:00 am Doors Open for Seating- Name Tags Required Rose Hall at GMWS8:30 – 9:00 am Singing Together with Eleanor Winship Rose Hall at GMWS

9:00 – 9:30 am Welcome and Announcements

9:30 – 10:45 am Keynote Lecture - Dr. Adam Blanning

10:45 – 11:30 am Refreshments Main House

WECAN and IASWECE Membership/Information tables Rose Hall Lobby & GMWS Gym

Vendors open until 6:30 GMWS Gym

11:30 – 1:00 pm WORKSHOPS Session # 1 See program map1:00 – 2:30 pm Lunch Main House

Vendors/WECAN Membership and Information GMWS Gym

2:30 – 4:00 pm WORKSHOPS Session #2 GMWS - see program4:00 – 4:45 pm Refreshments Main House4:45 – 6:00 pm Mini-Sessions GMWS - see program6:00 – 7:15 pm Supper Main House7:30 – 8:30 pm Eurythmy Spring Valley Performance Threefold Auditorium (see Map)8:45 – 10:00 pm Dessert Café Main House

Sunday, February 10 - Name tags required to enter all eventsTime Activity Location

7:15 – 8:30 am Breakfast (meals by pre-registration only) Main House8:00 am Doors Open for Seating- Name Tags Required Rose Hall at GMWS8:30 – 8:50 am Singing Together with Eleanor Winship Rose Hall at GMWS

8:50 - 9:00 am Announcements

9:00 – 10:30 am Keynote Lecture - Dr. Adam Blanning

10:30 – 10:45 am Conference closing

10:45 – 11:00 am Certificate of Attendance signing (see program notes) Rose Hall

11:00 – 12:30 pm Work-Alike Sessions See Program Map12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch – by pre-registration only Main House