News

  From the Editor’s Notepad The Romans named this the month of purification (februo = “purify through sacrifice”), signaling it was a time for cleansing and fresh beginnings. This year we get an extra day of this activity as we re-align the earth’s orbital relationship to the sun with the addition of February 29.  In this spirit, we preview some of the new beginnings in the offerings––and those who offer them––during the coming months. In addition, with this issue we are rolling out a new format. Tell us what you think of it!  –– Douglas Gerwin, Executive Director Center for Anthroposophy   [ps2id id=’RC’ target=”/] A New Look and a New Manager  With this issue, Center and Periphery, the online newsletter of the Center for Anthroposophy, gets a new look, thanks to the expertise of Rachel Cohen, the Center’s recently appointed Operations Manager. Here is a brief introduction to the latest member of our administrative team. Regular readers of our  online newsletter, Center & Periphery, will notice a different look to our thrice-yearly broadsheet as of the current issue. This is but one change wrought by Rachel Cohen, who was appointed last fall to the new position of Operations Manager at the Center for Anthroposophy (CfA). Rachel came across the advertisement for this position while working as a sales account executive at the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, a regional newspaper in Southern New Hampshire. It happened to be her task to place this ad in her newspaper and––as a Waldorf parent herself––she seized upon the opportunity to submit her own application. After a series of interviews, she was asked to join CfA’s administrative team as of 1 September 2019.  Rachel brings to this position a rich background in administration and graphic design. Before joining the Monadnock Ledger she worked as a real estate agent, graphics designer, technology trainer at  Keene State College (where she received her BA degree), and editor of a golf club newsletter in Flagstaff, AZ. She earned a MS in Management from Antioch New England Graduate School in 1999. In her previous newspaper job, she was known as “The Zen Master” for her serene disposition and ability to work quickly on multiple publication tasks without losing her center. What better testimonial for her new role as Operations Manager of our Center! We warmly welcome Rachel to our circle and hope our readers will too when they have occasion to speak with her. In the meanwhile, we extend heartfelt thanks to Anamyn Turowski of Waldorf Publications at the Research Institute for Waldorf Education, who from the inception of our newsletter skillfully handled its graphics and layout, as well as supplying the articles with a lively and sometimes humorous accompaniment of visual images. Thank you, Anamyn!    = = = = = = = = = [ps2id id=’alumni’ target=”/] Alumni Responding to the Call  Over the past year, participants in  CfA and Antioch programs have rallied to the call for the creation of a new alumni association. Torin Finser, who has spearheaded this initiative, offers a first work-in-progress. Thanks to the support of foundations and several individual donors, we have successfully launched a new project to connect with alumni who have participated in programs sponsored by the Center for Anthroposophy (CfA) and the Waldorf Program at Antioch University New England (AUNE).  In the first six months of this project, we have conducted an initial survey of alums to assess their wishes for an alumni association, and held five alumni gatherings: two in New England, one each in Tucson, Seattle, Kone, and Maui.  In each case alums expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to meet face to face and share valuable insights arising from their years in the classroom. We have designed and will soon send to our alumni a more comprehensive survey asking for a more in-depth review of their teacher training experience in light of subsequent years of teaching.  We will use the results of this second survey to evaluate the courses of our teacher education programs. In the meantime, we are collecting “stories of success” from our alums and others for a new book on “Waldorf Teacher Education – Best Practices Beyond 100”. Alumni of CfA and Antioch programs are invited to submit brief outlines of any story describing a moment of success they have had with a student in or outside the classroom.  If you are an Antioch or CfA High School Teacher alum please take part 2 of our Alumni survey here. = = = = =  [ps2id id=’Renewal’ target=”/] Preview of Renewal Courses for Summer 2020    Karine Munk Finser, Director of CfA’s popular Renewal Courses, offers a brief preview of common attractions this summer, including some new options of timely urgency.   Dear Friends, This year we have taken the big step of going paperless with our Renewal brochure, not simply to support the environment but also because we know that most of you find us and register online. A single flyer listing all of our courses has already been sent to many of you. We are delighted to share our new Renewal Brochure for 2020 here. The first week of courses––June 28th to July 3rd––will feature our grades-specific courses. New this year is that Christof Wiechert, in addition to offering his popular morning lectures, will visit all the grades once to share his rich insights into the art of the child study. David Newbatt will help teachers tackle blackboard drawings that enrich the curriculum and express the joy of creating fresh images in front of the students.  During the second week––July 5th to July 10th––we will address burning questions of our times. A five-day research symposium on financing Waldorf education and addressing diversity and equity in our schools is intended to stimulate a creative and solutions-based exchange. Leaders of our movement, including Linda Williams and John Bloom, will be on campus to help find solutions and create the language needed for their implementation. In this spirit, Bronya Evers and Melody Brinch will offer storytelling and  […]

You are cordially invited to attend this free info session with Dr. Finser on “Building Bridges to Waldorf Teacher Education”.

And here it is reviewed by her Antioch professor and mentor Torin M. Finser: It has been my pleasure to read an exciting new book from Waldorf Publications: Bare Hand Knitting by Aleshanee Akin and illustrated by Elizabeth Auer.  It is an incredible gem, an inspired guide to creativity and practical activities for young and old using our most precious tools: our hands! Aleshanee introduces the book with her personal story of healing with her daughter, and sets a context that goes far beyond schools and curriculum as it is usually taught.  Through a sequence of chapters that include braiding and knotting, finger knitting, whip-stitching, wet-felting and more, the author communicates step by step instructions that all can understand and use.  Enhancing the book immeasurably are the numerous illustrations done by Elizabeth with grace and accuracy.  Just looking at the drawings is a feast for the eyes!I highly recommend this book for all who care about humanity and reclaiming our social mandate through our hands.  I can see it used in homes, schools, prisons (where needles and other devices are usually banned), clinics, hospitals and community centers.  It is a festival of the spirit and gives us hope for the future. Torin M Finser   

 All CfA and Antioch alumni are warmly invited to two reunion gatherings during Renewal Courses: Thursday July 2 and Thursday July 9, 2020 at 5:15pm in the Big Room at High Mowing.  Conversations will be followed by dinner and evening events.All are welcome!