March 2012 - Green Meadow Waldorf School

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Continued from page 7 independent 501(c)3 not-for-profit. All donations are tax-deductible. We need volunteers and donations for all of these programs. Contact Raoul Cansino, Community Service Chair, if you can help: rcansino@ gmws.org or 845-356-2514 x105. Sixth Grade Business Math Meets Community Service By Green Meadow Sixth Grade Class Teacher, Evangeline Wolfe 8 • The Bulletin • March 2012 How much does a family of four spend on monthly living expenses What are the things a family needs to survive, and how much do they all cost Does the family have enough income to afford all these expenses These questions stirred up much enthusiasm in the sixth grade Business Math main lesson block. Why teach Business Math in the sixth grade Having learned about fractions and decimals already, the sixth grader is ready to learn about percentages. The road to algebra is paved by work with percentage ratios and interest formulas. But this is not all. The sixth grader, approaching the twelfth year of life, is at a pivotal moment. This is the time when rational thinking begins to awaken. With this newfound intellectual capacity, the child is eager to explore the world of economics; she has “an innate sense for the calculation of interest rates, for what can be raked in as profit, for the principle of discount, and so on. This information appeals to the instincts”. (Steiner, Practical Advice to Teachers, Lec. 14). Steiner claims that “it is exceedingly important that we not teach the children [economic concepts] too late. If we do, it means that we can count only on their egoism... To teach them these concepts at this age is very important for them, because the inner selfish feelings for interest rates, bonds, and so on are not yet stirring in children who are so young” (ibid.) The idea of a Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) fundraiser provided a handson opportunity for the students to hone their economic instincts while doing community service. After our imaginary accounting exercise, it made quite an impression on the students to learn about the budget of a typical family in the N2N program. The class held a Valentine’s bake sale with the object of raising $300 to buy groceries for one of these families. The sale was a great success, and the class raised more than $450. Thanks to Raoul Cansino and all of you who baked and bought goodies to support our fundraiser. The sixth grade will continue the lesson with an upcoming visit to the grocery store! Community Service in the Sixth grade By Green Meadow Sixth Grader, David Bánóczi-Ruof Before the winter break, we had a block called Business Math. In this block we learned all about percentages and where we use them in everyday life. Our teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, decided that we should do something that involves money, so she partnered up with Herr Cansino and together they decided that we should raise money for Neighbor to Neighbor. Neighbor to Neighbor is an organization started and run by Herr Cansino and Ms. Monteleone. When Ms. Monteleone came to the school, she told Herr Cansino that there were some families in need whose children attend the Chestnut Ridge Middle School. They decided to raise money and help. For two days our class held a little bake sale (which hopefully you came to) on the whitetop at lunch and after school. We sold baked good, handmade bracelets and Valentines cards. Our goal was to raise $300 but we raised $450! We will donate all of the money to Neighbor to Neighbor to buy groceries and other household items for a family or two. The plan is for our class to go shopping for the families at the A&P with the money. Thank you to all of those who supported our efforts! “If you can’t feed one hundred people…” By Green Meadow Senior, Ella Scott My first experience doing community service was when I was 13. I went with my seventh grade class on two breakfast runs that year and realized how necessary this sort of work is for the community, as it really gives a leg up to those struggling to balance their lives. More recently I have been involved in the Shopping Program, where I buy groceries for disadvantaged families through donations made by our community. Typically the budget is $150, which, unfortunately, is never quite enough; however, I use it to purchase food items and other living necessities which the families cannot afford. The families that benefit from this program live very near to our community in Chestnut Ridge, although often people don’t realize how close to home they really are. Upon delivering the food, I am always received with smiles and many hands to help carry bags into the house. Once, when I was leaving I heard the children of one particular family, shrieking and cheering with excitement and joy. I knew I was a making a difference, which is an unexplainable feeling. Giving, in any form, time or money, is a gift not only to the receiver, but also to oneself. When I attended Spring Valley High School, my eyes were opened to the financial situations of many of the families whose children I went to school with. There were many students who were only eating one meal a day, which was provided free by the school. This shopping program is especially dear to my heart because it gives help to our own community and the people that I know personally through my time at school with them. I think that it is important to care for the community that we live in, and extend our generosities and good fortunes to those in close proximity with us. I am reminded of something Mother Teresa once said: “If you can’t feed one hundred people, then just feed one.” d
Nurse’s Corner The Importance of Movement in Child Development By Green Meadow School Nurse and member of the Wellness Committee, Jeanne Schirm Children have the capacity to move even before birth. In fact movement starts in the womb. Growth movements, differentiated movements and formative movements begin in the womb. When we are born, we have a breathing movement, which allows us to be on the earth. The sense of movement in the newborn child is developed slowly. A beautiful movement that perhaps many of us have observed is at about three months of age when the child begins to observe his own hands and then later, feet. Stretching and reaching and playing with hands and feet are all exercises which support the development of the sense of movement. The best way to ensure that children have enough physical activity is to see that they have enough rest. Perception of movements requires rest. Too many gestures around the child are unfavorable. It is important that children develop their own individual movement patterns on their own time and in their own way. The sense of movement enables the human being to determine the position of limbs in relation to the body and to another. The sense of movement can teach the child to perceive movement and form in the outer world and can be activated throughout life. This sense is probably educated the most and often not in the right way. Inwardly, on the soul level, mobility gives us a sense of freedom. The hopping, skipping dancing child is an example of this. The opposite of this feeling can be observed in differently abled children. They do not have this ability to move freely and thus, feel bound to their bodies. Bodily motions are meaningful for children when they fit their possibilities and life situations. For example, it would not be desirable to hold a child’s hand when they would rather crawl, just as it would not be helpful to teach them to skip or hop before they would naturally be ready to learn these things. This would go against the nature of movement. The organs for movement are located in the muscles. They include muscle spindles, motor endplates and all stretch sensitizer organs that are distributed over the entire movement organization, including tendons and ligaments. In this way, the body can perceive stretching, tension, relaxation and position in relation to other parts of the body. The entire body is involved when we move even if we are only moving one part. The entire movement organization of the human being is involved in the perception of movement. We find more and more children today are not used to moving and playing and because of this, have missed important developmental stages in movement. Many people are not sufficiently aware of their bodies, their motions, and their orientation in space. This lack of awareness has repercussions for learning and general health that can last well into adulthood. Many of the learning disabilities and social problems that exist today can be traced to missed or hampered development in movement. Spatial Dynamics is a form of movement in Waldorf education that stimulates this development through ageappropriate movement exercises. For instance, very young children develop fine-motor control and a sense of rhythm through finger games, string games and clapping rhythmically. Circle games and jumping rope can further develop their sense of rhythm and relatedness to the surrounding space. These activities aid in developing an enhanced sense of self-awareness of their personal space, yet with clearly defined boundaries, thus enabling young children to move fully and at the same time know who they are. In this way, they can enter into a more healthy relationship with the world more ready to meet its requirements. Another factor that is immensely important to mention in regard to movement is that young children The sense of movement can teach the child to perceive movement and form in the outer world and can be activated throughout life. in their early years learn through imitation. They will imitate the inward gesture of much that surrounds them by way of others and even by way of technology and TV characters if they are exposed to this at an early age. What one wants to strive for in gesture is to know the world. For example, how does a plant grow What is the squirrel’s quality of movement Imagine then, how you could convey these qualities in gesture so that the children, imitating you, can feel the plant growth or the animal’s movements. The key with gesture is be something rather than explain something. Try to be aware of as many of your gestures as possible, for this is what the children imitate. They most long to do everything as the adults do around them. There is a real need for them to have Continues on next page The Bulletin • March 2012 • 9
Page 1 and 2: March 2012 A “beacon of light”
Page 3 and 4: From the Development Office As I wr
Page 5 and 6: School News, continued from page 2
Page 7: Community Service Corner The ABCs o
Page 11 and 12: Kimberton Trip The Parzival Adventu
Page 13 and 14: Kimberton Trip (continued) Continue
Page 15 and 16: Kimberton Trip (continued) Continue
Page 17 and 18: Do you Co-operate By Hungry Hollow
Page 19 and 20: Community Announcements, continued
Page 22: FREE MONEY, GET YOUR FREE MONEY!!!

March 2012 - Green Meadow Waldorf School

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