Winter 2024

By Karen Atkinson

Educators everywhere need ongoing support, inspiration, and opportunities to develop and nurture new capacities. Renewal Courses offer rich professional development experiences designed to inspire personal and professional growth. Participants enjoying a Renewal Course receive a full week of instruction, engagement in the arts, and connection with community, complete with practical resources designed to uplift and guide them through the next school year, while planting seeds of encouragement for ongoing growth.

With the onset of Covid-19, Renewal Courses were offered only online for a couple of years, with scant opportunities to gather in person. By now, however, we are fully back with a record twenty-two courses to choose from this coming summer: thirteen in-person on the conjoint campus of High Mowing and Pine Hill Waldorf, and nine online!

Two separate week-long sessions will take place this coming summer. Participants can choose to attend Renewal Courses In-Person during the first week or Online during the second week.

In-Person Renewal Courses will be held on the rolling hills of the High Mowing School campus in Wilton, NH, starting on Sunday afternoon 30 June and ending at midday on Friday 5 July. Participants will be able to immerse themselves in the arts, study with colleagues and leading instructors, connect with community, gather inspiration for the coming year, and take time for self-care (see details below). Offerings are designed to support the inner life and renewal of educators from early childhood through high school.

Online Renewal Courses, which provide inspiration and practical preparations for teaching grades 1-8, allow participants to tune in from the comforts of their own chosen summertime location. Online Renewal Courses start on Monday 8 July and end on Friday 12 July; each day lasts from 11:30 a.m.–5:45 p.m. EDT. These courses provide participants the opportunity to connect with the wider Waldorf community as they learn from seasoned faculty and collaborate with colleagues teaching the same grade.

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Titles of In-Person Renewal Courses (Sunday 30 June – Friday 5 July 2024)

• The Class Teacher: What Was Steiner Thinking? with Jack Petrash and special guest Julie Ludvigsen
• Considering the Spiral: The Child’s Changing Consciousness as Reflected in the Waldorf Curriculum Grades 1-12 with Carol Bärtges
• Teaching Subject Classes in Independent and Public Waldorf Education with Jason Child and special guests Dan Foster, Adria Osgood
• High School and Adolescence: The Journey from the Subjective Self to the Objective World with David Barham and Frances Vig
• Early Childhood: Renew, Balance, Ignite, and Inspire Joy with Kris Hughes
• Preparing for Grade 1 with Sarah Galligan
• Preparing for Grade 2 with Jen Persinotti
• Preparing for Grade 3 with Kris Ritz
• Preparing for Grade 4 with Joshua Gartland
• Preparing for Grade 5 with Jen Kershaw
• Preparing for Grade 6 with Irene Richardson
• Preparing for Grade 7 with Alison Henry
• Preparing for Grade 8 with Katherine Nickel

Additional In-Person offerings during the first week of Renewal Courses include:

• Teaching Science in Grades 6, 7, 8 with Will Minehart
  • Part of the grades 6, 7, 8 grade preparation courses
• Activities and Extra Lesson to Support Whole Classes with Connie Helms
  • Part of the early childhood course, plus all grades 1-8
• Teaching Singing and Music through the Grades with Meg O’Dell
  • Part of the grades 1-8 preparation courses
• Leading Thoughts with Jack Petrash
  • Offered daily for all Renewal Course participants
• Community Singing with Jason Child
  • Offered daily for all Renewal Course participants
• Daily Eurythmy with Mari Yamaguchi
  • Offered daily for all Renewal Course participants

Rejuvenating restorative self-care available to all Renewal participants throughout the In-Person week.

• Guided Bird Walks
• Forest Bathing Explorations
• Restorative Yoga and Meditation
• Healing Massage
• Personal Facials
• Wim Hof Immersion Therapy

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Titles of Online Renewal Courses (Monday 8 July – Friday 12 July 2024)

• Preparing for Grade 1 with Lori Kran
• Preparing for Grade 2 with Jen Persinotti
• Preparing for Grade 3 with Kris Ritz
• Preparing for Grade 4 with Joshua Gartland
• Preparing for Grade 5 with Jen Kershaw
• Preparing for Grade 6 with Sarah Nelson
• Preparing for Grade 7 with Alison Henry
• Preparing for Grade 8 with Katherine Nickel
• Waldorf Leadership Development with Torin Finser

Additional Online offerings during the second week of Renewal Courses include:

• Teaching Science in Grades 6, 7, 8 with Will Minehart
  • Part of the grades 6, 7, 8 grade preparation courses
• Teaching Singing and Music Through the Grades with Meg O’Dell
  • Part of the grades 1-8 preparation courses
• Artistic Engagement through the Grades with Adrienne Patrick
  • Part of the grades 1-8 preparation courses
• Daily Keynote Lectures with Robyn Brown
  • Offered daily for all Renewal Course participants
• Community Singing with Meg O’Dell
  • Offered daily for all Renewal Course participants

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For more information about summer Renewal Courses, and to register, visit our website: Renewal Courses 2024