Our Graduates Outreach - Cincinnati Waldorf School

Q&A with Janela HarrisClass of 2006Describe what first comes to mind whenyou think back on your years at the CincinnatiWaldorf School (CWS).The first thing I think of is the close senseof community. I remember having the sensethat I knew everyone involved with CWS,or if not “knew,” that I’d at least recognizetheir faces or names. After that, I think ofour Main Lesson Books, and how involved Iwas with my own learning.How did CWS prepare you for high school?CWS prepared me especially well for generalclass work. I was intimidated by themagnitude of the change in the social settingfrom Waldorf to Walnut Hills, but overall Iwas very well prepared.How could CWS have better preparedyou for high school?After being at CWS, my biggest issue in highschool was lack of knowledge surroundingtests. I didn’t know how to study very well,and I had anxiety about actually takingtests. I think part of this is probably justmy personality, but I do believe CWS couldhave better taught me methods for studyingfor tests, and a little more about test-takingstrategies.What do you feel was unique about yourWaldorf education?I think the structure of days at Waldorf wasvery unique; the combination of block mainlesson periods, and shorter special subjectclasses. Making main lesson books is somethingI’ve never heard of anyone else doing,but which I thought was very useful. Simply…how integrated my ‘normal’ learningwas with creative and artistic expression.How was your imagination and curiosityaffected by your time spent at CWS?I have held on to my imagination and curiositymuch longer, and value it much more,because of being at CWS. I think that manyother styles of education don’t give studentsa chance to explore their creativity as CWSdoes. As a result, students mature, andlose some of their imagination and curiositywithout ever really appreciating it. AtWaldorf, I not only continued to exercise myimagination and curiosity longer than mostchildren, but I also learned to appreciatethings which are sometimes seen as childish.What have you gained from your Waldorfeducation (emotionally, intellectually,spiritually)?Emotionally, I have gained a true appreciationof community. I am well aware of thefact that I am most comfortable when I havea sense of being included in a small andclose-knit community, and I definitely creditWaldorf with that comfort and my awarenessof it.Intellectually, I am very interested inlearning. I am also in love with the idea oflearning simply for the sake of learning.The more I interact with people with differenteducational backgrounds than mine,the more apparent it becomes that Waldorfhas instilled in me the idea that the pointof learning is to know more, as opposed tothe attitude that learning should be moldedaround another goal, like passing a test orgetting a decent job. I’m very grateful forthe fact that CWS has instilled in me such avalue of knowledge.CWS gave me a great awareness of flexibilityin spirituality. I am very open to andaware of variations in spirituality betweendifferent people, and I believe Waldorftaught me about some less common ormainstream ideas about spirituality (or, ifnot an understanding of the ideas, at leastof the fact that they exist), where my peershave basic understandings of major worldreligions, but seem to be somewhat narrowmindedabout what counts as religious orspiritual beliefs.Have you maintained any important relationshipsmade through CWS? Please tellus about them.I have maintained some relationships fromCWS, but most of my CWS relationshipshave petered away as I’ve grown apart frompeople who either left Waldorf before I did,or remained a larger part of the communitylonger than I did.One of my favorite friendships, however,is with Erica Patterson. We were both inMiss Susan’s kindergarten class in 1996,and according to Erica, we played kittenstogether all the time. I don’t remember that,but I do know that we always got along, andeven after our graduation from 8th grade,we’ve remained close. Erica and I went toFrance and Iceland this past summer, whichwas my high school graduation gift, andin addition to commenting on each other’sFacebook pages, we have been sending eachother postcards since college started thisyear. I think my relationship with Erica isso close not only because our personalitiesare compatible, but also because we wentthrough so much of the CWS experience togetherand that naturally creates a commonbackground.Do you feel CWS cultivated a love oflearning? If so, how?CWS has definitely cultivated a love oflearning, for me. It’s hard to say if this is apersonality trait I’d have without Waldorf,but I definitely love all kinds of learning.Throughout high school and my first semesterof college, I’ve never disliked all aspectsof a class, and I think that as long as somethingis being taught, I’m pretty interested.CWS contributed to this by allowing for somuch personal specificity in each class thatI’ve developed the idea that any given classis what I make it.Tell us what you’re doing now.I am attending Haverford College, a liberalarts college of about 1200 students, locatedabout 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia.I’m undecided on my major, but as of now Iam leaning toward majoring in psychology,with a career as a clinical child psychologist,or anthropology. Here at Haverford, Iwas selected as an outstanding member ofthe class of 2014. I gave an interview, tookpictures, and there is now a profile of me onthe Haverford College web site on a pagedesigned to give prospective students anidea of the Haverford student body. You canview my profile at the following link: http://www.haverford.edu/admission/profiles/freshmen/harris.phpTeacher’s Response:As our 8th grade classes grow larger andthe Cincinnati Waldorf School sends morestudents off to high school each year, wehave refined our curriculum as necessaryto be certain our students are well preparedfor high school. Study skills and test-takingstrategies are now part of our Upper Gradescurriculum. CWS has incorporated an introductionto the scientific method, lab equipmentand reports into its 8th grade scienceblocks. The vocabulary of expository essaysis also used much more frequently now.~Jodi Harris, CWS Upper Grades Teacher3

9th grade English project by Ruthie Arthur ’10A Coming of Age Storytold by Ms. Chris Sekely, CWS Kindergarten Teacher, at Graduation 2010Once upon a time, a king and a queenhad many sons and daughters who wantedto go out into the world to seek adventure.All but the youngest is allowed to go. Theelder princes and princesses set out on theirjourney and come upon three old women.One woman is stuck in the rocks. Onewoman is stuck in the water. The third isbeing whisked off by the wind.The elder princes and princesses pass byall three women without aiding them andend up in an enchanted castle where they allfall into an enchanted sleep.Now when the brothers and sisters do notreturn home, the youngest prince begs to goout and look for them. This prince is not soself-consumed, so when he sees the threeold women, he stops and helps them out ashe makes his journey. Each woman thanksthe youngest prince and gives him a gift thathelps break the enchanted spell and freeshis siblings from their enchanted sleep.As our Waldorf students leave our protectivekingdom, I see them as the youngestprinces and princesses. I hope for themnot to fall into the enchanted sleep of “justgetting it done.” Let their hearts inspire how4they do it!Before our graduates leave the CincinnatiWaldorf School, it is good to reflect upontheir own journeys and the gifts they’ve receivedalong the way. A few gifts they mayremember from their early days are:• Kindergarten bread with honey butter• Stone soup• Walking to Spring Grove• Farm days at Ms. Leslie’s• The rock and stickcollection they gatheredalong theirjourneys• Being allowed to playin all kinds of weather• Being allowed tosmell flowers, climbtrees, and fully appreciatethe earthI know these experienceshave given ourgraduates strength andcourage, as well asmaking them unique ina world that’s consumedwith taking care of“me” first.I’d like to close by sharing a verse we sayin our Faculty meetings here at CWS whichencompasses my wish for our graduates:“Imbue thyself with the powerof imagination.Have courage for the truth.Sharpen thy feeling for responsibilityof soul.”I wish all our graduates well and that theymay live happily ever after!

Our Class Trip to Maineby Grace Rupp ‘10, written for 9th grade English ClassAfter three years of raising money by sellingcoffee and baked goods, our CincinnatiWaldorf School Class of 2010 had enoughmoney at the perfect time for our 8th gradeclass trip to Maine. We were all looking forwardto purchasing and organizing our gear,then arriving in Maine to learn how to kayakon the ocean and camp in the wilderness ofthe beautiful islands.As we bolted out of the airport bus, thepungent smell of oysters and seaweed welcomedus to Maine! We were on the coastnear Bangor and our first night was spent ina rustic cabin on the rocky beach. The nextmorning we awoke surrounded by our expeditionguides who were playing flutes andsinging. They told us about what we wouldbe doing for the next week. We went throughthe basic drills and then we were off!After the first few days, we all got used toliving off the land and we settled in. Thenone night, out of nowhere, a huge rainstormrolled in!!! Our tarps were flying everywhere,all of our water was knocked over andwe had to struggle to keep everything dryand warm - including our own bodies! Wetied the tarps to trees in order to shelter ourfood and gear. We lit a fire under the tarpsDear Students,It has been your privilege to have had sucha wonderful Waldorf Education with yourmany excellent teachers. As parents, it hasbeen our privilege to watch you all grow andthrive. This education is truly unique.Where else would you have been able to…• dig a giant mud pit in 2nd grade, and getcompletely covered in mud at the MedievalGames in 6th grade?• build a working bread oven in 3rd grade?• go rock climbing and camping in 7th and8th grades?• perform such marvelous plays every year,including even Shakespeare?• freely do such diverse and interesting (andin some cases death-defying) projects in8th grade?• spend a week ocean kayaking and wildernesscamping off the coast of Maine withyour classmates?At the Waldorf School, you had all thisand more, in addition to learning the usualreading, writing and arithmetic and learningthem with beauty, spirit and grace. Youtruly have done some pretty amazing anddifficult things!to prevent shivering and to get somewhatdry, although it was an uncomfortable night.The next morning, we used nature’s clothesdryer: the sun!Working together as a team and helpingeach other out was a great experience for allof us. We came to the realization that if wedid not have each other, we wouldn’t havebeen able to face the difficulties of an expeditionin the middle of nowhere. In manyways, I believe that storm made us strongerand helped us to fully realize how easy wehave it back at home.The weather was nice from then on and welearned many great survival skills, includinghow to build a fire, swim in a 30 degreeocean, entice seals to follow our kayaks, andhow to work together during a scavengerhunt for the reward of a bucket of chocolatepretzels! We even learned how to carve ourown spoons from chunks of wood.I’m sure that nobody in our class will everforget that trip because it made us appreciatethe earth we live upon and how to work withone another in order to accomplish our goals.We had an amazing time that I willnever forget!What it Means to be Blessedwith a Waldorf EducationAdapted from a graduation speech presented byDick Norton, CWS ParentBut now you’re moving on to differentschools, with perhaps some different ideasabout education, and frankly there are somethings you need to know about your futureclassmates out there…• You need to know that some of them maynot be able to tell the difference between aknitting needle and a crochet hook.• You may meet people who can’t put theircolors in rainbow order, or who think youplay indoors on a rainy day, or who think aGnome is a town in Alaska.• You may come across folks who think needlefelting is some form medieval torture,ORFF is an embarrassing bodily function,or that eurythmy is a medical condition.• You’re certain to encounter people whothink that a letter grade is more importantthan the knowledge it’s supposedto represent.Have patience with these people! Workwith them. Do your best. Listen with an openmind and an open heart. And just remember,not everyone is blessed with a WaldorfEducation!Jackson Savage ’10 is an honor roll freshmanat Walnut Hills High School. He playsbass in the Senior String Orchestra. He is alsoinvolved in Clifton recreational soccer, BoyScouts and My Nose Turns Red Youth Circus.Ellie Paulsen ’09 is a sophomore at WalnutHills High School, where she plays violinin the orchestra. They are going to be playingat Carnegie Hall in New York City this year!Eric Risk ’08 moved to Moscow with hisfamily soon after graduating from CWS. Heis now a junior at the Anglo-American InternationalSchool of Moscow, where he is involvedin theatre and soccer. Eric still keepsin touch with many of his CWS friends, inspite of the distance!Max Gust ‘09 is a sophomore at TurpinHigh School and an honor roll student. Heplays football and runs track. You may haveseen him at our last May Faire … first in lineto send Mr. Olson into the dunk tank!Janela Harris ’06 graduated with honorsfrom Walnut Hills High School last spring,where she participated in the debating forum.She is now a freshman at Haverford College inPennsylvania. Don’t miss her Q&A about herWaldorf experience in this issue of Outreach!Malcolm Harris ’09 is a sophomore atPurcell Marian High School. He loves theaterand has already been in four school plays!Anna Kaiser ’09 is a sophomore at WalnutHills High School, where she plays celloin the school orchestra. She is also a soccerplayer and a member of My Nose Turns RedYouth Circus.Gus Merrell ’09 is a sophomore at St.Xavier High School, where he participatesin school plays, Yearbook Club, two musicensembles and fencing.Jackie Jackson ’10 moved to Alabamawith his family this past summer, whereJackie attends Columbia High School. Heis an honor roll student and is involvedin his school’s Global Arts Club. Jackieparticipated in the Poetry Out Loud NationalRecitation Contest. He won 1st place in hishigh school and went on to take 1st place inthe regional competition. His original poemwill be copyrighted and he is slated to recitethe poem on the radio soon. He will go on tocompete in the upcoming state competition.Collin Leonard ’09 is a sophomore at theSchool for the Creative and Performing Arts.He is on the honor roll and participates in theRunning Club and Thespian Society. Collinwas cast in multiple productions last year asa freshman including SCPA’s major productionof Macbeth. He was awarded a scholarshipto attend the Thespian Society’s statecompetition in Columbus and is applyingagain this year.Cameron Leonard ’10 is being homeschooledthrough Connections Academy. Heis maintaining a 3.7 GPA.5

The Eighth Grade Research Projectby Lori Kran, CWS 2nd grade teacher, Chair College of TeachersCollin Leonard ’09 TrebouchetKes Baladad-Binns ’10 Dress DesignMary Kate Norton ’10 OriginalPiano CompositionThe Eighth Grade Research Project andPresentation exemplifies a fundamentaltenet of Waldorf education: to cultivate apassion for life-long learning. The intentionsof this year-long assignment are foreighth graders to research a topic aboutwhich they are passionate; to acquire newknowledge and new skills; and to createsomething useful, beautiful, handy, orinnovative. Students are also expected toask an adult who is an expert in their fieldof interest to mentor them throughout theyear. This fosters a meaningful relationshipbetween mentor and student. It furthercultivates the well-known Waldorf studentquality of interacting easily with adults.Those of us lucky enough to have hadpersonal experience with Waldorf graduatesknow that these fine young women andmen look adults in the eye, expect and givefirm handshakes, and expect to be takenseriously by the adults in their lives. Thisis why so many high school teachers reportthat Waldorf students exude confidencein their studies and genuine enjoymentfor learning. The projects culminate in anevening of demonstrations as students areexpected to present their research to theCWS community. Most students delve intothis project enthusiastically. It is an opportunityfor them to individuate their interestsand studies and to work on a long-termproject. My students, the Class of 2009,impressed me not only with their interests,but also with the results of their research,planning, practice, and hard work. Projectsincluded: building a trebuchet, a terrarium,remote airplane, telescope, sewing a quilt,learning: to cook, be an excellent “handyman,” the piano, the electric and acousticguitar, to sketch, to hunt, research and writepoetry, improving martial arts skills, andmaster a difficult song. Every presentationdemonstrated how seriously students tooktheir research project.Anna Kaiser ’09 Quilt DesignMax Gust ’09 Electric GuitarRishabh Goud ’09 Martial ArtsNayonika Goud ’10 Indian Dancing6Hailey Olson ’09 Piano PerformanceJackson Savage ’10 Recycled Race Car

The Honored Eighth Graderby Beth Norton, parent of 3 CWS ChildrenDuring the 2009-10 school year, I got toexperience the culmination of 12 years ofWaldorf education. I also got to experiencetwo new things about Waldorf!After the ups and downs of 6th and 7thgrade, we weren’t sure what to expect forour daughter’s final year. We knew the curriculumwould be very challenging (and itwas). We knew the kids would have morefreedom and responsibility (and they did).And we knew there would be the 8th gradetrip (which exceeded our every hope).Beyond this, we just figured it was a yearto wrap things up and begin the moving onPhotograph by Tatum Davis ’07process. What we came to realize was thatthe 8th grade year is a very special year ofhonoring the graduates. This was the firstnew thing I learned.I started to realize this during Wintergarden.The 8th graders were last to walkthe spiral. The parents all crowded in frontexchanging hugs, a little misty-eyed. Thekids walked the spiral with their “self-portrait”candles they had made and returnedto the classroom. When I turned around togo, I saw that the back rows were full ofteachers and support staff - Early Childhood,Special Subjects, other Lead teachers- exchanging hugs, a little misty-eyed.They too had come to honor these students.These “honorings” continued throughoutthe school year as privileges, invitationsto join other classes for special events andopportunities to be of service to the school.In Eurythmy, they had fun experiencingtheir favorite stories and dances again. InGames, they got to train for the traditional8th grade vs. Faculty softball game. Theywere asked to be special visitors to the ECclasses.In April, the class put on an amazing performanceof Much Ado About Nothing. Andthen came the 8th grade trip. I wish I couldshow you what those kids looked like whenwe met them (after a week of sea-kayakingoff the coast of Maine) in the airport. Theyall looked so confident and happy andproud - not at all the usual picture of agroup of 13- and 14-year olds. The trip wasthe rite of passage every parent hopes his orher child will experience in adolescence. Itwas an experience that will stay with themalways. (You just can’t say this about a tripto DC with a busload of parents!)After the trip, there was a rush to finishthe 8th grade projects - projects oftheir choice that had been inthe works since Fall. It wasamazing to see what the kidsachieved. And again, the kidswere honored with a wonderfulturnout from the communityand tons of applause and enthusiasm.Graduation was a week laterand Mr. Cordray honored thestudents by allowing them todesign the graduation ceremony.It was beautiful and unique,just like their special class. Theparents and 8th graders spentat least a month on cloud nineremembering their last fewmonths at CWS.The second thing I learnedhappened while visiting high schools withmy eighth-grader. Inevitably, the questionof grade point average and class rankwould be asked. We would explain thatWaldorf does not give grades and go intoa long drawn-out explanation of the 8-yearcycle etc. Without fail, the high schooladministrator would look confused and say,“That can’t work. How do you motivate achild without giving a grade?” End of conversation.I started to think about this andrealized that here was another big dividebetween Waldorf and traditional education.Waldorf doesn’t seek to motivate thechild. Waldorf seeks to bring forth the lightof self-motivation within the child. In theearly years, the child is motivated by a loveof the teacher. Around 6th grade, this lovechanges and the child must pull forth hisor her own motivation in order to succeed.An adolescent, who at age 14 can motivatehimself or herself to succeed without theoutside judgment of grades or ranking, willbe able to draw upon self-motivation his/her entire life. And this may be the greatestgift of a full 8 years of Waldorf education.Artwork by Lisa Patterson ’09Ruthie Arthur ’10 is a freshman at LakotaWest High School where she is currentlymaintaining a 3.75 GPA. She was most recentlyseen captivating the imaginations of ouryoungest students as a Fall Fairy at the Autumnat Meshewa Festival, along with her CWSclassmates, Grace Rupp and Nayonika Goud.Erica Patterson ’06 graduated from HighlandsHigh School in Ft. Thomas, KY, in Juneof 2010. She is now a freshman at ColoradoState University, with a double major in Biologyand Equine Science. Don’t miss her Q&Aabout her Waldorf experience in this issue ofOutreach!Rishabh Goud ’09 is a sophomore maintaininga B+ average at Sycamore High Schooland is quite active in sports at his school. Heplays football, volleyball and is on the wrestlingteam.Alyssa Thompson ’10 is a freshman at theSchool for the Creative and Performing Arts,where she is a Visual Arts major. She made theA Honor Roll her first quarter! She is pursuingher interest in acting by taking the ActingCertificate Program through the CCM dramadepartment and participating in Groundlings atthe Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.Jacob Wergers ’09 is a sophomore at AndersonHigh School where he plays football,baseball and is on the Student Athlete LeadershipTeam. He also maintains a 4.0 GPA andwas voted “Student of the Month” last April.He recommends that CWS students transitioningto large high schools join a team, club ororganization right away as this is the best wayto meet new people and develop a new groupof friends with similar interests.7