Dear Taos Waldorf community,

My name is Andy Salamone, and I am the newly-elected president of the Taos Waldorf School Board of Trustees. Our school year has gotten off to a vibrant and exciting start, and as we begin to settle in to our new fall routines, I thought it might be helpful to give the parent body an update on some of the inspiring things that have been taking place in our school community and to talk a little bit about the overall functioning of the school.

If you were at our fabulous all-school gathering and ice cream social last week, some of this is going to be repeat information, but there's new news within as well.

Farmer's Market
Visit our booth at the Taos Farmer's Market every Saturday morning from now through the end of the season.  TWS community members new and old alike have joined forces to put together some great produce, jams, chutneys, and other fun items that will last through this winter and beyond.  Proceeds go to fund the tuition of students otherwise not able to pay, and also to the Teacher Care Fund.

It's a great way to support the school, get out for some sunshine and fresh air on a Saturday morning, and run into some friends.  

SEEKING SUPPLIES:  the Farmer's Market team is always on the lookout for new and/or used jars, pectin, and other canning equipment.  Please see Stacy Hammond or Guiditta O'Rourke for details.

Information on the successes and choices of Waldorf alumni

Excerpted from "Life After Waldorf High School"
By Abraham Enten

"Education Toward Freedom" is one of the most important principles of Waldorf Education. Many schools use this phrase as a motto or as a key principle in describing themselves in brochures and other public material.

Walk into a Waldorf-inspired classroom and you will be struck by a fragrant presence of the arts. Watercolor paintings hanging on their drying racks, colored pencils neatly tucked into a student knit pouch, and recorders humming as a bird perches outside the window on the class birdhouse – all these and more are part of specialties taught at appropriate times throughout the elementary and middle school years. Arts are also woven into everyday curriculum. Classroom activities such as circle time and main lesson books have central roles in student’s learning. Main lesson books are the most commonly used evaluation tool for teachers and student’s palette for displaying their achievements. Here, students capture lesson content and expressively record their day’s learning. Yes, even a child’s ‘textbook’ is an artistic expression and is beautiful to experience.

The World of Waldorf video series shows children and teachers in their Waldorf schools.  The Sanderling Waldorf School in Encinitas, CA is a wonderful example of Waldorf principles put into practice.

Each student begins their day with a greeting, eye contact and a handshake with their teacher.  They enter a classroom full of natural light, natural materials and bright colors. During circle time the students and teacher sing a welcome song, followed by active learning.  The students physically move during instruction, clapping hands, performing sequential actions or tossing balls.