AWS Awareness

Alabama Waldorf School1220 50th Street SouthBirmingham, AL 35222

On the web at AlabamaWaldorf.orgBlog: AlabamaWaldorf.wordpress.com

Email Enrollment@AlabamaWaldorf.org

Combined Classes... A Change for the Good?By AWS Administrator, Lisa Grupe, Ph.D.

A very important and exciting change is afoot at AWS! Next year, we will offer the full 8 grade complement, but only using 5 teachers: while teachers will continue looping, next year’s 1st/2nd, 4th/5th and 7th/8th grade classes will be combined. This combining is expected to continue due to low enrollment tendencies in the grades classes over the years. AWS plans to offer all five subject classes including Spanish, Russian, Movement/Games, Handwork, and Music. We haven’t had a dedicated Music teacher for several years, so this is great news!

What are the benefits of a combined class?

There are many socio-emotional benefits to be gained by having students of various ages in class together. Peer interactions are often seen to be more positive in ‘combined class’ settings. There is greater development of social skills and more cooperation. Students develop a feeling of comfort and security and a positive self-concept and satisfaction with their achievements. In any group of learners, achievement can be measured on a bell-shaped (inverted-U) curve with a few students functioning at the high end of the curve, a few at the low end, and the majority

somewhere in the middle. In a combined class, the bell-shaped learning curve tends to be a bit broader, and teachers will find that students occupy one place on the curve for mathematics, another place for foreign language, another place for handwork, etc. It has been our experience that the broader curve gives students room to “find” their varying levels of achievement; the fact that a student can experience high achievement in one area and low somewhere else can help the student’s developing academic self-esteem. Each small class, now combined into a larger class, will have more of an opportunity for social development with the larger class.Younger students will also benefit from interaction with students who have an additional year of academics under their belts. Older students will have the benefit of review as well as the experience of being a peer tutor; teaching another student how to multiply fractions will only solidify the process in their own brains.*

How does a class combination work?

Let’s look at the combination of 4th and 5th grades as an example...The gesture of 4th grade is one of the child claiming who s/he is now that childhood has been left behind as a result

of “the 9-year change.” The gesture of 5th grade is one of proportionality and grace: students are physically the most proportional they will be until adulthood, and this is complemented by a graceful “settling in” to who they are. The 4th grade curriculum involves parts of speech and grammar, fractions and factoring, local history, and zoology. Fourth grade is taught against the historical backdrops of American Indian lore and Norse myths. The 5th grade curriculum includes active and passive voice, decimals and mixed numbers, ancient Greek, Indian, and Egyptian history and mythology, botany, and U.S. history. The main historical gesture of 5th Grade is Greece, so Greek heroes and tales would begin in January. Ancient Mythologies would likely come as late as possible (April/May) in order to maximize the appeal these stories have to the developmental nature of students in both grades.(cont’d on p.8)

2012-2013, No. 3 February 28th, 2013

*This article is an excerpt from a handout created for the February AWS Family As-soc. meeting. For the full article, go to our blog at AlabamaWaldorf.wordpress.com.

Page 2 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 Page 3

AWS Calendar of Events - March & April 2013Waldorf Summer Camp 2013! This summer, AWS will be

offering a preschool and early grades program beginning Wed., May 29th, and ending Tue., Aug. 13th. Open to children ages 2 1/2 to 6, as well as rising 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders, crafts, circles, games and cooking activities will rotate in two-week cycles for Fairy Tales Around the World! And the popular Water Day Wednesday is back, too. Registration for non-Waldorf families is now open! Check out alabamawaldorf.org or email Enrollment@alabamawaldorf.org for details and a registration packet. New families will need to sign a form that acknowledges their acceptance of the “no-media attire” and healthy foods poli-cies while at AWS.***

Morning Garden is Back for the Spring Semester! AWS’ Award-winning Parent-Toddler Program returns for the Winter/Spring 2013 semester, led by Nursery Teacher and AWS parent Holly Thompson. Thursday mornings from now till April 25th, Miss Holly will lead parents and their 1 1/2- to 2-year-olds in crafts, fingerplays, songs, and indoor/outdoor playtime. There is still room

for a few more pairs of students, so email Opal South at Enrollment@AlabamaWaldorf.org if you’re interested in finding out more! The group meets Thursdays (no class 3/28 for Spring Break) from 9:30-11am. Cost is $8.50 per class.***

Welcome to AWS! AWS would like to welcome Brianna Payne to the faculty. Ms. Payne has been a substitue for both the preschool and the grades programs, as well as the Afternoon Extended Care teacher for the younger grades. Last month she took on some of the Movement classes as Jennifer Cripss stepped down from her duties with the 1st through 4th grades in order to focus more on her teaching duties at the new HAI (Holistic Approach for Individuals) School, a therapeutic program developed by Ms. Cripps and Puzzle Piece (see p.6 for more on the HAI school).*** Welcome to new Nursery students, William Morris, Rania Masri, and Alina Negrin. Ms. Downs also accepted Sarah Kato into her 6th grade class in December. We’re so glad you’re here!***

Annual Gala Fundraiser just around the corner! Mark your calendars to attend Alabama Waldorf School’s 2013 Spring Soirée at the Clubhouse on Highland. On Sunday, April 7th from 5 to 8pm join us for live and silent auctions, gourmet hors d’ouvres, beer, wine, and of course the festive company of fellow Waldorf supporters! Last year’s April Fools’ Fiesta raised over $25,000 and because this year’s needs to raise even more we’ve enlisted the help of local auctioneers Grang-er Thagard. Tickets are $60 per person; $100 per pair. Email Enrollment@AlabamaWaldorf.org for details.***

From 2013 Gala Chair, Rachel Baay: Our Spring Soirée is fast approaching and our auction items are rolling in! Signature Health is not only sponsoring the Live auction-- they’re also donating two Concierge Medical Memberships! Thank you to all of the businesses donating to our Spring Auction: Agoge Fitness, Rolfing® Structural Integration by Andrew Brown, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Red Mountain Entertainment, Birmingham Zoo, Uriel, Full Circle, Pelham Civic Center, Icon Performance, Jennifer Cripps, Birmingham School of Music, Dariana Dervis, Porsche Driving School, Ruffner Mountain, Mama Judes, Wood Folk Toys, Sarah Gurganus, Twisted Tiara, Chrissi Larkin, National Auctioneers Association, Cecily Hill Lowe, Leslie Martin, Lindsay Mouyal, Vestavia Bowl, Birmingham Barons, Red Barn Foundation, 1st Avenue Rocks, Lula Woodworks, Professional Results Piano Tuning, Pam Weaver, Brainiac Puzzles, & Mentone Springs Hotel. We hope there are many more to come!! To donate an item or service, email Rachelb@alabamawaldorf.org***

Spring Soiree at the

Clubhouse on HighlandSunday, April 7th, 2013, 5-8pm

Join AWS for the 2013 Annual Gala Fundraiser...

Clubhouse on Highland2908 Highland Avenue South

Birmingham, 35205 (Near Rojo) Tickets $60 per person, $100 per couple

Built in 1910, the finest Arts and Crafts style home in Birmingham, by Molly and William S. Brown, the Clubhouse served as a home for the Alabama Federation of Women Club’s 3rd District for over 60 years and continues its charitable legacy today. Charitable organizations dedicated to the improvement and wellness of Birmingham, and the world, like Alabama Waldorf School, have flourished in this gracious home of timeless beauty.

*The Clubhouse on Highland is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an open space for people and organiza-tions to thrive. All people are welcome to join and support their vision for a better world. We honor diversity, inclusion and self-expression. Membership Dues: $120/Year.

Live Auction with Destination Vacations Silent Auction featuring local artists and services Hors D’oeuvres Complimentary Wine and Beer Music by Complete Music of Birmingham

Tickets available soon in the AWS Office and online at www.alabamawaldorf.org

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5 6School Resumes Marketing

Committee Meeting, 11:30-12:30pm

Assembly Auditorium 2:30pm

7 8 9 10 11 12 13Spring Gala!! 5-8pm at Clubouse on Highland

Class Photos, Outdoors

Family Association Meeting, 11:30-12:30 with Student Performance! Closs Photo's Outdoors

Class Photo Make-up Day

14 15 16 17 18 19 201st, 2nd & 3rd Grade Parent Evening 5:30-7pm Grades Classrooms

AWS Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30-7pm

Marketing Committee Meeting, 11:30-12:30pm

5th Grade Pentathon

Spring

Holiday!

21 22 23 24 25 26 276th & 7th Grade Parent Evening 6- 7:30pm Central Building

Magic City Art Connection, Linn Park. Come Visit Our Booth!

Magic City Art Connection, Linn Park. Come Visit Our Booth!

28 29 30Magic City Art Connection, Linn Park. Come Visit Our Booth!

April 2013

Spring Holiday!

5th Grade Pentathon Linden Waldorf School Nashville, TN (17th-19th)

Classroom Participation Day for prospective students, KG-7th grade

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2Assembly Auditorium 2:30pm

3 4 5 6 7 8 91st/2nd grade Parent Evening, 6-7:30pm

Marketing Committee Meeting, 11:30-12:30pm

AWSNA Conference, Emerson Waldorf School (our own Lisa Grupe is a presenter!)

AWSNA Conference, Emerson Waldorf School

10 11 12 13 14 15 16AWSNA Conference, Emerson Waldorf School

Marketing Committee Meeting 11:30-12:30pm (Gala agenda)

Family Association Meeting, 11:30-12:30 (with Student Performance!)

3rd Grade Circus, 2:00 - 2:45pm, Gym

17 18 19 20 21 22 231st/2nd Grade Tea, 3:30-4p 4th/5th Grade Tea, 4-4:30p 7th/8th Grade Tea, 4:30-5p

AWS Board of Trustees Meeting, 5:30-7pm

Marketing Committee Meeting, 11:30-12:30pm

Holi--Hindu festival of Spring! (Kindergarten students should wear old clothes that can be paint-spattered!)

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

March 2013

Happy Spring Break!!! School resumes Mon, Apr. 1st…and

that's no joke :)

Page 4 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 Page 5

On Thursday, February 7th, parents and teachers met in the school auditorium to hear Ad-ministrator Lisa Grupe’s biennial State of the School address. After being asked to complete a brief survey (see results in the sidebar), Dr. Grupe led a pow-erpoint presentation which gave a brief overview of the school’s historical benchmarks, how we got where we are today, and what we need to do to become sustainable, both as a non-profit business and an educa-tional community. Historical benchmarks includ-ed:2002 – Tuition Adjustment Pro-gram begins 2005 – Full financial audit “going concern” designation2006 – Financial review (mini-audit); year ended “in the black”2009 – Paid off loan taken out to begin Grades school2012 – Ended year “in the black” The current situation of the grades and nursery classes being below capacity gave the school a 17% budget deficit, and we have always covered any deficits with fundraising. So far this year, some of this gap has been “filled” by: Head, Heart, Hands fundraiser ($4,000); Holiday Faire ($6,000); Annual Giving ($26,000); School Store & Affinity Programs ($3,500). But, we still have a long way to go in order to ensure our teach-ers receive

paychecks through the end of the fiscal year, and to ensure the students receive the quality Waldorf classroom supplies and instruction.

So, how can you help? +Sign up for Movin’ and Gro-ovin’ (more on p.4) or sponsor a student, alumni, or teacher by pledging toward their goal of +The Spring Soirée is Sunday, April 7th, 5-8pm at the Club-house on Highland (see flyer on p.2)! We are still looking for des-tination getaways that are within 5 hours of Birmingham, such as the Gulf Shores area. If you can donate to the silent or live auctions, contact Rachel Baay, rachelb@alabamawaldorf.org.+Stay tuned to hear more about our digital giving campaign, which we’ll launch in early May. This will be AWS’ spinoff from last year’s highly successful Ala-bama Gives Campaign, where we were #6 in the state for over-all donations! Aside from the necessary fundraising the school must do to stay “in the black” for 2012-13, a new school structure for the Grades Program was an-nounced and briefly discussed (more on front page). The Febru-ary FA meeting on 2/14 featured some time devoted to the new structure, which includes com-bined classes for 2013-14. As

many of you know, our school has combined classes as part of its his-tory, so there is plenty of experience from which we can all benefit. “Combined Class Parent Talks” over the next few weeks are

also scheduled. Importantly, among the new changes is the faculty’s commitment to offer a full 8-grade Elementary School complete with all 5 subject classes: Handwork, Movement, Music, Russian, and Spanish. Lastly, if you have ideas for a new site beginning in 2016, the Office will be glad to hear them since this building will be razed for Altamont lacrosse fields at that time! If you would like a copy of the powerpoint slides from the State of the School presentation, email lgru-pephd@gmail.com.***

Biennial State of the School Address:Where we’re going and how we plan to get There!

Where does the money go?

•  Income = $549,427

•  Expenses = $660,084

Salaries 79%

Development 1%

Health Insurance

7%

Classroom Supplies

2%

Marketing Expense

1% Business Cost 5%

Rent 5%

Where does the money go?

•  Income = $549,427

•  Expenses = $660,084

Salaries 79%

Development 1%

Health Insurance

7%

Classroom Supplies

2%

Marketing Expense

1% Business Cost 5%

Rent 5%

Survey Results from 33 AWS Parents

How did you hear about AWS? The majority of responses to this question confirmed what we already knew to be the case: over 70% heard about the school through word of mouth, most of those mouths belonging to AWS parents! Only 1 of the 33 re-sponses heard about AWS solely through an advertisement/online research.

What made you decide to come to AWS? -- 40% said Waldorf curriculum & philosophy brought them here; 18% said the school environment/community, and 12% said they chose it as an alternative to public school.

Why are you still at AWS? -- The most popular response was “my child is happy” and “my child is thriving.” Other responses: -“Nowhere else teaches the whole child effectively.”-”My child is interested in learn-ing; not interested in TV or fads.”- “foreign languages”- “respect for different learning styles”***

How do you move and groove your miles? Here’s what some of our students said...

1st Grade (20% registered) 2nd Grade (36% registered) 3rd Grade (44% registered)

Gardening - Jack Go for long walks and pretend that we’re traveling to a distant land and having an adventure! - Ben and Epps

I walked in my neighbor’s Christ-mas Parade! - Selby

Walking on my hands! - Rosie I play with my little sister. - KiranDoing cartwheels! - Kate 4th grade (11% regisetered) I walk my dog, Tahi. - MadiHopping -- Bain I play “Monkey in the Middle” with

my classmates. -GenevaRock climbing - Kylie

5th Grade (57% registered) 6th graders (8% registered) 7th Grade (44% registered)I dance to my favorite music. - Natalie

Bean bag tossing - Sarah Ride horses - Bronwyn

Ride my bike - Emily Playing and exercising in the pool - Jasmine

Walk to and from school - Ella, Clay, Isaac

I walked and ran in the Krispy Kreme Run, but I did NOT eat the donuts! - Olivia

(The 6th grade class went ice skating as a group on Jan. 26th!)

Teachers (30% registered) Ms. Bradley reported that she rakes leaves for her Movin’ and Groovin miles.

Ms. Powell said, “I lift heavy grand-children! One is 26 pounds and the other is 16 pounds!”

Wondering why there’s a swatch of yarn wrapped around the pole in front of the school? It’s part

of our Movin’ and Groovin’ fundraiser - for every $1000 raised, Handwork teacher Ms. Gurganus will make a color-ful yarn swatch for the pole! Our goal is 20 swatches!!! So far, Movin’ and Groovin’ has 49 registrants, including 38 students. Come on, every-one! Get on the ball -- literally! It’s not hard to come up with ways to Move and Groove the miles for a marathon. You get

credit for yoga, yard work, hik-ing, and more! We need 100% support if we are to raise the slated $22,000! The good news is that most students have been doing laps in Ms. Cripps’ Movement classes, so those miles will count whenever they do the paperwork and register. We are waiving the $30 registration fee if a student raises more than $275 in pledges (already paid registration fees will be refunded in these cases). If anyone would like to turn money in from flat pledges,

please come to the Office. The final mile has been moved to May 1st, and all are invited to join us at 1pm as we move and groove to the finish line! While fun and commu-nity-friendly, these activities are crucial to the livelihoods of our teachers and staff. We thank you for your support as we share in the striving of supporting Alabama’s only Waldorf school.***Which classes have the most students regis-tered? See the chart below to find out!

AWS Victim of Honored with Yarn BombingWondering why? Read on!

Page 6 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 Page 7

The following is an excerpt from a typical 3-week As-tronomy Block Rotation. This particular Astronomy block was taught in Ms. Grupe’s combined 5th/6th grade class.“The skills that the students develop with compass and straight edge will be put to use again as we depict the arcs and circles that describe the paths of the stars in different quadrants of the sky. Our study of Astronomy will be based primarily on observations made with the unaided eye. In spite of all that we have learned using advanced optical and radio telescopes and through the development of the computer simulation of stellar conditions, we are remarkably blind to the wonder inherent in the simplest astronomical observations. This block will attempt to awaken your child to these primal phenomena. Your support at home in minimiz-ing the role of the telescope and other inventions is appreci-ated! Weeks One and Two: Apparent movement of the stars in different parts of the sky. “Fixed stars”, “wandering stars” and constellations. Appearance of the stars in different parts of the world. Myths and legends linked with the constella-tions. Week Three: The moon and its phases. The relation-ship of the moon’s position to that of the sun. The sun in four seasons; the sun in the equatorial, temperate and polar zones of the earth. Lab Night: Birmingham Astronomical Society visits AWS in the evening for a look at the night sky. Field Trip: Birmingham Southern Planetarium”***

Astronomy in Grade 6

Langauge Arts in Grade 3

In Waldorf schools, the foreign language classes comple-ment the curriculum of the core academic subjects. After Nature Studies in Grades 1 and 2, and the Man and Animal Block in Grade 3, Grade 4 introduces the different animal kingdoms to the students. Rita Gregorievna and Natalie Mixon brought the ani-mal reports assignments to their respective Russian and Spanish

classes, and students had the opportunity to translate (literally) what they had learned in their Main Lesson Zoology classes to their foreign language classes.

From left: Izzy (cheetah), Jaden (squid), Sophie (dolphin), Izzy

(wolf), Jaden (bear), Daniel (bird).***

Zoology in Spanish and Russian, Grade 4

Students study astronomy first and foremost through observa-tions of the sky with the naked eye. These Main Lesson Book pages are from Ms. Downs’ 6th grad-ers. Text and pictures are created about the phenomena observed by the students. Over the break, for example, students were asked to observe “The Southern Sky” (see above) and then draw it when they returned to school. Astronomical events and concepts are explained from a geocentric point of view, and include eclipses (below), the move-ment of the stars (top right), and The Circumpolar Constellations (bottom right).***

Ms. Bradley’s class recently participated in an excercise called “Collaborative writing.” Collaborative construction of poetry, recipes, and expository and narrative compositions not only develops the strong organization, diction, spelling, and punctuation skills necessary to becoming a confident and capable individual writer, but offers a unique opportunity for devel-oping social competency in the classroom.

Step One: All students share their thoughts and ideas regarding the topic.Step Two: Thoughts are formed into well-con-structed sentences or stanzas and written onto the board. Normally, the result is ten to twelve sentences or thoughts.Step Three: The class discusses which ideas are repetitive and which ideas could be grouped together.Step Four: Students all must agree on a topic sentence or poetic theme.Step Five: Students all agree on supporting de-tails and arrange these in order of importance.Step Six: The final version of our class compo-sition is written on the board neatly.

Using the Col-laborate Writing exercise, students created the fol-lowing composi-tion together, re-telling the story of Noah’s Ark: Many genera-tions passed, and people roamed every corner of the world, but mankind had become evil. God found a good man named Noah and told him to build an ark for a flood would destroy the earth. Noah was told to fill the ark with two of every living crea-ture and save his family. It rained for forty days and nights, but finally the ark emerged on Mount Ararat. God made a rainbow and blessed Noah and his descendants.*** (See page 9 for a fun poem the 3rd graders wrote together about this year’s Holiday Faire!)

Above: Ms. Bradley’s chalkboard draw-ing of Noah’s Ark which accompanied the Language Arts block. Ms. Bradley’s artwork is a good example of how Waldorf class teachers strive to ensure their 2D artwork which is displayed in front of the students, suggests movement and depth. This makes it more imitation-worthy, as well.***

With the “doing” and “thinking” part of the lesson fulfilled through the observations and the Main Lesson Book work (see above), the “feel-ing” part is satisfied usually through poetry, song, or painting. Ms. Downs’ 6th graders performed “Where is the Moon?” a beautiful melody with lyrics that describe the different phases of the moon, at the February F.A. meeting. Below are the words to “The

World’s Wanderers” by Percy Bys-she Shelley, which Waldorf teach-ers often choose to include in their Astronomy Main Lessons, as well.

I. Tell me, thou Star, whose wings of lightSpeed thee in thy fiery flight,In what cavern of the nightWill thy pinions close now?

II. Tell me, Moon, thou pale and grayPilgrim of Heaven’s homeless wayIn what depth of night or daySeekest thou repose now?

III. Weary Wind, who wanderestLike the world’s rejected guest,Hast thou still some secret nestOn the tree or billow?***

As part of their nature studies class, students at the HAI School learned about the eagle. Pictured below is Jack, standing in the middle of the nest fit for an eagle with a 6-foot wing span!***

Nature Studies at the HAI School

Page 8 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 Page 9

Holiday Faire 2012! Poem by AWS 3rd graders

...Dig for gold, climb a rock

wall...

Fairy cakes were won. Prizes galore!

Music...

...Or Jacob’s Ladder, if you dare!

...and a Little Elves’ Store

!

...Friends...

Facing the Screen Dilemma

We are fortunate to count UAB Early Childhood Education Professor, James Ernest, Ph.D., among our Alabama Waldorf School parent body. Recently, Dr. Ernest passed along a docu-ment entitled, Facing the Screen Dilemma: Young Children, Technology and Early Educa-tion. In it, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Alliance for Childhood provides a guide to help parents make informed decisions about whether, why, how, and when screen technologies should be introduced to young children. We are grateful for the informa-tion, which reveals some of the latest data (2012) on the effects of media on young children.Some of the highlights Dr. Er-nest indicated are paraphrased below. Research findings: - The so-called interactive electronic books...are less likely to induce the kind of adult-child

interactions that promote literacy than traditional books do.- Studies of adults suggest that attributes of the internet, such as hyperlinks and the rapid introduction of new information, may undermine reading com-prehension as well as deep thinking. For children under 3, research demonstrates that screen media represent a poor tool for learning language and vocabulary and suggests that they are actu-ally linked to delayed language acquisition.- By the time children turn 10, every additional hour of televi-sion they watched as toddlers is associated with lower math and school achievement, reduced physical activity, and victimization by classmates in middle childhood.- School-age children with 2 or more hours of daily screen time are more likely to have increased psychological dif-ficulties, including hyperactivity, emotional problems, and difficul-ties with peers.

Girls ages 8 to 12 who are heavy users of social media are less happy and more socially uncomfortable than their peers

Memorable Quotes:-For better or worse, repeated behaviors—including behav-iors such as watching televi-sion, playing video games, and playing with phone apps—can become biologically compelled habits.-“It could be argued that ac-tive play is so central to child development that it should be included in the very definition of childhood.” American Academy of Pediatrics-Modern science confirms what the early childhood commu-nity has known for years—that infants, toddlers, and young children learn through exploring with their whole bod-ies, including all of their senses.***

...To get the class functioning as one and still maintain the developmental nature of the Waldorf curriculum, Norse myths and Indian lore continue as the story context in the fall of 2013 while parts of speech and grammar are reviewed for the 4th graders and built upon while adding active and passive voice for the 5th graders. Combining the Mathematics curricula of Grade 4 and 5 is easy because fractions and decimals are two ways of working on the same thing: parts of numbers. It is a simple task to teach fractions to 4th (while allowing 5th to review) and

then move on to decimals as simply another way of writing a partial number.

Will the teacher have as much time for each child?

The amount of time for an individual student is determined by the number of students in the class and the efficiency of the lesson plan, not by the grade structure. Generally, combined classes are the same size as other classes or smaller. At AWS, class sizes in the Grades are limited to 18 students with exceptions being made to enlarge the class on a case-by-case basis.***

*Visit our AWS blog for answers about how the 1st/2nd grade combination and 7th/8th grade combinations will work. Other questions addressed:-What is a Combined Class?-Why do combined classes exist?-Has AWS combined classes before?-How does it work?-What are the benefits of a combined class?-Are there any disadvantages to a combined class?-Will the teacher has as much time for each child?-Will a student miss or repeat curriculum material?-Do other Waldorf schools have combined classes?*

Combined Classes... A Change for the Good? (cont’d from p.1)

A great time was had by all at this year’s Holiday Faire!...

Affinity Programs paying off!

Our Com-munity Devel-opment Liai-son, Rachel Baay, has been hard at work collect-ing cartridges, handing out Publix cards, and, on January 22nd, distributing flyers about the most recent affinity program, “Let’s Raise Some Dough” at Slice restaurant.With AWS family support, along with Slice’s gener-ous donation of 10% of sales that day, AWS was sent a check for $450! We can’t thank the restaurant enough for choosing to support our local nonprofit education-al community!***

AWS Photo

Gallery

Visit our blog at AlabamaWal-dorf.wordpress.com for the full

outline with link to the 2012 journal article.

AWS Photo

Gallery

Page 10 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3 Page 11

If you would like a sponsorship in the Awareness,

call 205-592-0541,

or email Enrollment@

AlabamaWaldorf.org

The AWS Awareness is brought to you by these proud sponsors...

Specializing in Craniosacral Therapy and

Pediatric Physical Therapy

yerbytherapyllc.wordpress.com

yerby1@gmail.com

Susie Strauss, co-ownerNancee Neel, co-owner

Keri Lane HontzasBackyard Movie Parties

FLIX, Inc.Keri Lane PromotionsPh: 205-595-3549Cell: 205-223-3549Email:info@backyardmovieparties.comwww.backyardmovieparties.com

Thanks to our 2013 Gala sponsors!! All listed on page 2

The AWS Awareness is brought to you by these proud sponsors...

Page 12 AWS Awareness, 2012-13, No. 3

...with Special Thanks to our Title sponsor...