Love, The Guest

Dear Members of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara Community,

In India they say if a pickpocket meets a saint, he sees only pockets. This adage, according to one writer, “asks us to look for the filter through which we see the world and the people around us.” Right now, one could argue, our collective filter distorts: it can prevent us from seeing the beauty of this world and each other.

The beauty of things was joyously and tearfully plain today. This morning WSSB gathered for its Winter Performance wherein each class shared a song or a strings-offering or both. Even a pickpocket this morning would have seen that the saint was indeed holy. (We will send a recording of this event as soon as it is ready.) We thank our Grades teachers -- and our Strings teacher, Ms. Hagen -- for making such a performance happen. It was a very heartening and moving celebration.

On a different note, we would like to share that Heidi Goodwin, our Business Administrator, has moved on from WSSB after many years of service. Heidi began her journey at WSSB as a parent; then helped variously in the office; then became our Business Manager, and finally our Business Administrator. We are grateful for Heidi’s tenure here, and wish her the best on the next leg of her journey. The Board and Carolyn Kaster have worked on re-configuring the Admin Team to best serve the needs of the community. We will keep you apprised of news regarding this re-configuring in the days to come. In the meantime, the Admin Team -- Carolyn Kaster, Teddy Macker, Melissa Stever, Yesenia Mora, Alexis Schoppe, and Laura Macker -- carry on, grateful to serve WSSB.

We close this message at the crowning of the year with a snatch of the song sang in unison this morning:

People look East, the time is near
Of the crowning of the year.
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth, and set the table.
People look East and sing today
Love, the guest is on the way…

May we be hospitable to such a guest over the holy days, and into the year to come.


* To support your child and her/his community, please give money to WSSB's Annual Campaign. Our goal this year is $60,000 with 100% school-wide participation (parents, faculty/staff, and board). Let’s make this happen for the sake of the kids and the faculty and staff who hold them! Remember that fundraising covers 10% of our total budget, bridging the gap between revenue and expenses. Click here now to support your community:

https://waldorfsantabarbara.org/annual-giving-fund

Happy holy days,

The WSSB Admin Team