Inspire, Experience, Grow, Create

December 2015 THE MESSENGER

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Jeff Wilson Accepts Scholarship 2

Grandparents & Special Friends Day

2

Betty Staley Coming to AWS 3

Parent Society News 3

End of Year Gifting 3

Financial Aid 4

Orchids on Campus 4

Scrip for the Holidays 4

AWSNA News 4

Bleachers Thank Yours 4

Waldorf Educational Resources 4

Juniper Tree Store 5

Crafts for All Ages * Delicious Food

Live Entertainment * Vendor Market * Flying Fox Ride

Pocket Lords & Ladies * Walking Stick Carving * Box Maze

Puppetry * Dragon’s Back * Raffle Gift Baskets

Juniper Tree Store Sales . . .

And Much More!

WINTER BREAK :

EARLY DISMISSAL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH AT 12:30

CLOSED DEC. 22ND - JAN. 8TH

CLASSES K-12 RESUME WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11TH

The Messenger Page 2 Back to Table of Contents

Dearest Parents,

Invitations have been mailed and we

have already received many responses!

For those of you who’ve missed the RSVP

deadline of November 27th, fear not!

We’re extending the deadline to Friday,

December 4th. Please be sure to let us

know which of your loved ones to expect

for what is sure to be a lovely morning

filled with family and fun.

To RSVP, please email the Main Office at

awsmail@austinwaldorf.org

or call 512-288-5942 ext. 100

We look forward to welcoming you

and your family to this wonderful

event!

GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

SENIOR JEFF WILSON COMMITS TO GEORGE MASON GOLF

9th grade that Jeff began play-

ing golf for the school. That

year, he was the first AWS

student to participate in the

TAPPS State Golf Champion-

ship, placing fourth. The fol-

lowing two years, under Jeff’s

leadership as “swing coach,”

the AWS golf team qualified

for the TAPPS State Champion-

ship, placing third each year.

As a freshman and sopho-

more, Jeff co-designed and led

the high school golf elective

that provided a terrific train-

ing opportunity for AWS team

players.

Texas is known for a very

competitive junior golf com-

munity. Hence, Jeff has had

much experience honing his

skills alongside some of the

best junior golfers in the

country. For three years, Jeff

has competed in Southern

Texas PGA (STPGA) and Texas

Junior Golf Tour (TJGT) tour-

naments throughout Texas.

Jeff is also a member of the

American Junior Golf Associa-

tion (AJGA), a prestigious jun-

ior golf organization staging

golf tournaments nation-wide.

Playing well in an AJGA tourna-

ment means being “seen” by

hundreds of college golf

coaches.

Jeff’s primary goal this past

summer was to turn in multi-

ple below-par tournament

rounds (aka: red number

rounds). He met his goal with

a (71-74 -71) in the TJGT TX.

JR. Masters/JR. World Qualifi-

er; two top-ten AJGA finishes

(78- 73-68) and (71-73-70);

and a top five STPGA finish

(74-70). After watching Jeff

play in two AJGA tournaments

in Maryland, George Mason’s

head golf coach, Scott King,

said, “He’s consistent and

calm. I like that!”

Instrumental in Jeff’s devel-

opment and continued pro-

gress is his swing coach, John

Sosa – a former top ranking

player at UT and professional

golfer, and now the Director of

Instruction at River Place

Country Club. Also, Ted

Gleason, of Road to College

Golf, has been an invaluable

coach and mentor behind

Jeff’s efforts to navigate the

competitive world of junior

golf. Recently, Jeff has come

“almost” full circle with his

first coach. In September, he

started earning community

service hours as a teaching

assistant with Mr. Whitman

working to shape another gen-

eration of Texas junior golfers.

CONGRATULATIONS,

JEFF!

In a special ceremony on

November 11th in the Austin

Waldorf School gym, senior

Jeff Wilson (Class 2016)

signed his National Letter of

Intent and committed to play

golf for George Mason Uni-

versity in Fairfax, Virginia.

The ceremony was attended

by the entire high school,

Jeff’s parents, Jim and Mary,

sister Molly (via Facetime!),

several long time neighbors,

and two golf coaches. Jeff is

the second AWS student to

commit to play NCAA Divi-

sion-1 athletics. Jeff has

been awarded an athletic

scholarship and will pursue

a degree at the George Ma-

son School of Business.

At the ceremony, Austin

Waldorf School’s Athletic

Director Erik Olson spoke of

Jeff:

“To achieve this dream, Jeff

has spent thousands of

hours dedicated to improv-

ing his skills and he is now

the two-time defending State

Champion in TAPPS golf. The

is also an excellent student

and has played multiple

sports. For six years he has

been an amazing quarter-

back leading us to five

championships and a 50-3

record. Last year, he was a

TAPPS All-State player on our

Final Four basketball team.

More importantly, Jeff is a

good friend, brother, and

son.”

In fifth grade, Jeff started

his golf training at Greyrock

Golf Club under teaching-

pro, Brandon Whitman. Ini-

tially, he participated in Grey-

rock’s Interclub Junior tour-

naments and then advanced

to U.S. Kids Golf tourna-

ments both locally and in

Pinehurst, NC where he cap-

tured three Tour Champion-

ships by 9th grade.

As a “lifer” at Austin Wal-

dorf School, starting in the

Moongarden, it was not until

Looking Ahead

Grandparents and Special

Friends Day - Friday, December

11th

Winter Fair - Saturday,

December 12th

November Parent Society

General Circle Meeting

Another invigorating Parent

Society General Meeting this

past month! With wonderful

interactive elements from Mr.

Miller and Mr. Smith, we

explored the woodworking

room and created a group art

project with rice. Following this

time in the classroom with our

able instructors, we split into

small groups for engaging

discussions on the merits of a

Parent Code of Conduct. Some

of the comments following the

meeting: “One of the best PS

meetings I’ve been to in all of

my years here.” “The best PS

meeting I’ve attended. I liked

the interactive nature and

experiencing what the kids go

through in class.” “Enjoyed the

discussion aspect. It was a

safe and open environment for

sharing our thoughts.” “Being

here is like good therapy.”

Meeting Minutes can be found

here. And look for a link to our

podcast coming soon!

As always, many thanks and

see you soon,

Your Parent Society Leadership

Council: Hani Talebi, Susan

Henson, Matt Howell, Steffani

Mitchell, Corey Horton and Jeff

Roberts

parentsociety@

austinwaldorf.org

Page 3 December 2015 Back to Table of Contents

ADULT EDUCATION: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THINKING WITH BETTY STALEY

Coming on Wednesday, January

13 from 7:00-8:30pm,

reknowned Waldorf educator

Betty Staley will share how the

Waldorf approach and current

neuro-science support the

development of thinking in

children. Thinking is a

fundamental human quality

which is the basis of freedom.

Beginning in the early

childhood years, a healthy

foundation is laid. During each

stage new capacities are

awakened which lead to critical

thinking and creativity.

Ms. Staley is a worldwide

lecturer and workshop

presenter and the author

of several books, including

Adolescence: The Sacred

Passage Inspired by the Legend

of Parzival, Between Form and

Freedom: A Practical Guide to

the Teenage Years, Hear the

Voice of the Griot!: A Guide to

the History, Geography, and

Culture of Africa, Tapestries:

Weaving Life's Journey, and

Splinters of the Sun: Teaching

Russian Literature to High

School Students.

She currently directs the

Waldorf High School Teacher

Education at Rudolf Steiner

College, as well as programs for

public school teachers. A

Waldorf educator for over thirty

years at the kindergarten,

elementary, high school and

teacher training levels, she is a

founder of the Sacramento

Waldorf High School where she

taught history and literature for

nineteen years.

Early in 2015 she lectured at

Tuscon Waldorf School

regarding Parenting the Young

Adolescent in Challenging

Times. A recording of that

lecture is available here. We are

delighted to have such a

renowned expert here to advise

our faculty and parents. Please

stay tuned for further details

regarding this event. You will

certainly not want to miss this

opportunity to gain helpful

insights to the world of

adolescents.

Submitted by Jeff Roberts, Parent Society Secretary

GREETINGS FROM THE PARENT SOCIETY!

Submitted by Jeff Roberts, Parent Society Secretary

END OF YEAR GIFTING

Twice per year, parents are encouraged to contribute

to monetary gifts for the school’s subject teachers

and full-time and part-time staff. Each class

coordinates gifts for the class teachers, and the

Parent Society coordinates the subject teacher and

staff gift.

If you wish to contribute and help us recognize the

efforts of these vital members of our school, you can

find a donation form in the Main Office. You will see

that you may either specify certain amounts for

certain people, or give a lump sum that will be

distributed by the Parent Society. Gifts must be

received by Tuesday, December 15. There is a locked

drop box in the Main Office in which you may

securely leave your donation. This collection is a

perfect way for small gifts from each family to grow

into potentially large gifts for all the people who

nurture our children throughout the year.

How It Works: Parents fill out the forms with

individual amounts, lump sum, or a combination

(explained on the form) and turn the forms and a

check (written to AWS with “Year End Gift 2015”

written in the memo line) in at the office. Amounts

are tallied the last Thursday of school, and, with the

invaluable help of the Business Office, checks are

written, paired with Thank You notes, and distributed

the last day of school.

All gifts are anonymous and confidential and

participation is strictly voluntary! If you have any

questions, you can

contact us at parentsociety@austinwaldorf.org.

Submitted by Kathy McElveen, Interim School Director

The Messenger Back to Table of Contents

Our campus is rich with native plants, including this

ladies’ tresses orchid (Spiranthes ssp.) recently

spotted in a moist, shady location in the kindergarten

parking lot. The flowers are small and the stem short

and grass like, so many people don’t recognize them

as orchids or even notice them at all. The plant is 8-

10 inches tall with white flowers arranged in 2-4

spiraling rows. The flowers have a mild fragrance

(unlike most orchids which lack scent). There are very

few on campus, so count yourself lucky if you spot

one!

WATCH YOUR STEP! FINANCIAL AID

Financial Aid applications

for the 2016-2017

academic year will be

processed by SSS (School

and Student Service for Financial

Aid). Anyone interested in

qualifying for the upcoming

academic year will find information

and forms available for download

on the school’s website

under Admissions/Tuition

Assistance.

REMINDER:

The application deadline for

current AWS families is January

15th, 2016.

Parents/Guardians are required

to submit an application online to

SSS as well as a Financial Aid

Request Form directly to the

school. In order to qualify and

receive assistance, it is important

that you submit all of the

necessary forms by the application

deadline. Questions regarding the

process should be directed to the

business office.

GIFT CARDS FOR SALE

Scrip is for sale in the

Business office! Visit Lee

Uerkwitz in the Main Office

to purchase the following:

HEB - $100 cards

Starbucks - $10 cards

Whole Foods - $100 cards

Shell - $50 and $100 cards

Amazon - $25 - $100 cards

Submitted by Lee Uerkwitz,

Finance Director

AWSNA NEWS

INTERNATIONAL ART CONTEST

There is a new international

contest for Waldorf students

between the ages of 17-19

called Routes of Sculpture

International! It’s been de-

veloped with Christopher

Clouder, educational con-

sultant, writer and lecturer,

who's the pedagogical direc-

tor, as well as several other

Waldorf-Steiner Teachers

from Germany, Denmark,

Hungary, Australia, Switzer-

land, and the United King-

dom. The project involves

creating two marble reliefs

for the outside of the Hospi-

tal of Pediatric Cardiac Sur-

gery in Tuscany. Deadline:

January 7, 2016

Here are links to youtube

videos about the contest:

https://youtu.be/Kg5Mrf4Q

oHQ

https://youtu.be/TWQax-

gMHaw

For more information: (link to

pdf)

To apply: (link to pdf)

For more news from AWSNA,

please click here.

WALDORF EDUCATION RESOURCES

Renewal Magazine

Parents did you know that you

receive a copy of the wonderful

Renewal magazine twice per

school? The Fall/Winter issue

will be arriving in the near future

and you can pick up your copy in

the main office. We will keep you

posted.

What is Renewal? Renewal is a

magazine offering great articles

about all aspects of Waldorf

Education. It is published twice a

year. The main purpose of

“Renewal” is to promote under-

standing of the principles and

practices of Waldorf Educa-

tion. It is a quality publication

and a valuable resource.

Waldorf App for Apple Products

This application provides an

abundance of resources for Wal-

dorf education. If you have an

apple product, you can check it

out! e.Theric by DWNLD,

Inc.https://appsto.re/us/

wnuU5.i

Submitted by Jennifer Batallas, Parent Education Committee Member

BLEACHERS: THANK YOU

Thank you to the fol-

lowing families who

helped the bleachers

on the field come into

being: Arnold,

Bledsoe, Chadwell,

Clement, Flores/

Madere, Harrisons,

Hernandez, Hoising-

ton, Morin, Olivier, Pa-

tel, Ravet, Tejada, Vo-

gelsass and children.

Without you, we would

still be standing room

only!

Page 4

Austin Waldorf School 8700 South View Road

Austin, TX 78737

Our Mission: “Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who, of themselves, are able to give purpose and direction to their lives.” ~Rudolf Steiner

By creating a school environment that balances academic, artistic and practical disciplines, the Austin Waldorf School cultivates a love of learning, creative thinking, a sympathetic interest in the world, self-confidence and an abiding moral purpose.

Celebrating 34 years of educational excellence in Austin.

December 2015 Back to Table of Contents The Messenger

Main Office: 512-288-5942

Fax: 512-301-8997

High School: 512-301-9550

Fax: 512-439-0143

Kindergarten: 512-288-5120

Aftercare Emergency: 512-767-5707

Juniper Tree : 512-288-5106

www.austinwaldorf.org

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E-mail:

Awsannounce

@austinwaldorf.org

The Austin Waldorf School is a non-profit educational institution, 501(c)3, that welcomes students of any religion, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin.

Wishing you a simple and meaningful holiday -Shelley & Carson

Juniper Tree Hours in December: December 1 - 19:

Monday through Friday 8 am to 4 pm Saturdays 11 am to 2 pm

Open 10 am to 4 pm on December 12th during Winter Fair. Tax Free Day!

December 21-24: Open 11 am to 2 pm

Closed December 25 - January 3

JUNIPER TREE STORE NEWS

The Four Gift Rule of Gift-Giving One thing they want

One thing they need

One thing to wear

One thing to read