The Springs

Dear Members of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara Community,

In last week's letter to the Elderberry Parent Child Circle, Ms. Ashley insightfully wrote about striving, as adults, to be "worthy of imitation." In her message Ms. Ashley quotes Renate Long-Breipohl who said, "Steiner is emphasizing the moral quality of adults' thoughts and deeds as being the decisive influence on the young child. Therefore he regards the self-education of the adult as paramount. 'The education during these first two-and-a-half years should be confined to the self-education of the adult in charge who should think, feel, and act in a manner which, when perceived by the child, will cause no harm.'"

Ms. Ashley elaborates on the above, writing, "This is different from the mainstream approach of 'earlier is best' when it comes to academics. As parents and caregivers, our thoughts, feelings, and actions all have a tremendous, lasting impact on our children. Shifting our focus from educating (in the mainstream, academic sense of the word) our young children to educating ourselves (striving to think, feel, and act in a kind, warm, loving way) will allow the child to feel safe and well cared for, to have the confidence to explore the world around him, and to learn through observation and imitation."

Striving to be worthy of imitation applies not only to the adults but our older children as well. The animal dioramas of Ms. Anderson's 4th/5th Grade class are worthy of imitation, care-filled, inventive creations that bespeak a touching wonder for the creatures of our continent. The dioramas are lined up along the Great Room walls and have been a source of joy for all who behold them.

The Annual Fund link:

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

With gratitude,

The WSSB Admin Team

PS The poem of the day is by Wendell Berry:

The Springs

In a country without saints or shrines
I knew one who made his pilgrimage
to springs, where in his life's dry years
his mind held on. Everlasting,
people called them, and gave them names.
The water broke into sounds and shinings
at the vein mouth, bearing the taste
of the place, the deep rock, sweetness
out of the dark. He bent and drank
in bondage to the ground.