"Real love will take you far beyond yourself..."

Dear Friends Near and Far,

Sometimes when you witness our school in action -- the students begging to play "Hot Cross Buns" and then playing it, with magnificent ironclad sincerity, on their rented violins with little extra flourishes; the younger grades chasing around the resident lamb; some boys climbing a loquat tree, whispering conspiratorially; the child trying, with all her forehead-crinkled might, in front of the entire class, to finally recite all of her 12 times tables -- you can feel a heartbroken love, a love that is often immediately followed by another feeling: an impulse to care, to serve, to do right by, to make sure this school on the outskirts of Santa Barbara, California in 2018 continues and thrives.

Many schools today -- and understandably -- sell their schools by promising what those schools will provide the students in the future. Many schools say that attending their schools conduces to attending other schools (good high schools, good colleges, good graduate schools) and conduces to ultimately securing (grail of all grails) illustrious careers. Again, understandable. But after a point, one could argue, this impulse to focus on what a school will provide for the student in the future seems to not only be poisonous (especially if the school overly stresses merely outward success) but a red herring.

The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara cares -- cares deeply -- for the futures of its children, but it also cares for the present of its children. In other words, our school is not merely a stepping stone, an expedient, a means to an end. We love that the children attend this school because this is how we want them to spend their time now. We don’t want their mortal precious lives in situations needlessly dehumanized, needlessly fast and destabilizing, needlessly remote from joy and nature and whole-beinged aliveness.

Ken Wilber wrote some words that perhaps are relevant: "Adi Da’s phrase kept running through my mind: ‘Practice the wound of love...practice the wound of love.’ Real love hurts; real love makes you totally vulnerable and open; real love will take you far beyond yourself..."

We share this newsletter today to encourage you to go beyond yourself by giving to our school -- giving monetary donations to our Annual Fund -- and thereby helping us practice the wound (and joy) of love. Your monies will directly support the unique richness that is the Waldorf curriculum; your monies will support a healthy, healing, nature-connected education that involves hiking, gardening, field-trips, and caring for animals; your monies will provide tuition assistance, new science instruments, improvements to our facilities, and support for a host of programs that impact our children. No gift is too small and each is deeply valued.

You can do this -- reach beyond yourself and give to our school -- by clicking the link below:

https://payit.nelnet.net/form/sn1QcMWw

Thank you for your participation in our Annual Fund and your support of this crucial education.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Kaster and Teddy Macker
Administrators