Michael Hall News

Where do tech CEOs send their kids to school?

Julie Ruse — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:29:22 +0000

It appears that many of the top echelon in Silicon Valley are choosing computer-free schools for their offspring. The Waldorf School of the Peninsula in Northern California is the school of choice for the chief technology officer of eBay. Many of the elite from Google, Apple, HP, and Yahoo also send their kids there.
Computer free, you say? Yep. That’s right.
It seems what is good for the goose is not always good for the goslings …
Curious to know more, I looked over the Waldorf curriculum. Grades 1-3… reading, writing, and arithmetic. Grades 4-6… reading, writing, and arithmetic. Grades 7 and 8… reading, writing, and arithmetic.
That wasn’t all. House building is also studied in grades 1-3. Norse myths and ancient civilizations are taught in grades 4-6. And seventh- and eighth-graders learn about astronomy and world exploration.
Introduction to computer education is mentioned way, way, way down the list, beginning in the ninth grade. After, of course … reading, writing, and arithmetic (Algebra 1.)
Wow.
A recent article in the New York Times quoted Alan Eagle, an executive from Google who said, “The idea that an app on an iPad can better teach my kids to read or do arithmetic, that’s ridicululous.” He went on to say that his fifth-grade daughter doesn’t know how to use Google.
Apparently she is too busy studying elementary physics and comparative biology.
The classrooms are taught by teachers who engage their students in collaborative discussions and creative, hands-on tasks. They also use something called “pen and paper” to further critical thinking skills with nary a computer in sight.
The article quotes Mr. Eagle who says, “Technology has its time and place: If I worked at Miramax and made good, artsy, rated-R movies I wouldn’t want my kids to see them until they were 17.”
So why are these people trying to sell computers to our schools?
Maybe so they can pay the expensive tuition to the Waldorf School.
But, we are told that our kids are getting left behind. That we are failing them by not having “a tablet for every child.” I am starting to believe that a garden rake for every child might serve our kids better. It is physical. It is engaging. You can see progress. You can work collaboratively. Not quite the same as house building, but it gets you outside and working with your hands.
I would think by now there would be all kinds of empirical evidence that would prove to us that technology is improving student comprehension and test scores … only there is no proof. There is only conjecture, and advertising, and pretty brochures, and sales forces from … Google, Apple, HP, and Yahoo telling us that we need computers in our schools.
Mary Stewart Community Press guest columnist for www.Cincinnati.com.

Debate competition results …

Julie Ruse — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:26:21 +0000

Well done to Amber Stevenson and Karenza Cutting who were both selected to go through to the semi-final of the Debating Competition which was held last Friday at St. Bedes School in Sussex.

Amber made it through to the final and debated on ‘Charity starts at home, the Overseas Aid Budget should be cut in times of economic hardship’ which will be held on the same day.
Unfortunately Amber was pipped at the post and lost by 4 points out of 300.

Congratulations to Amber for getting to the final.

Michael Hall Students in Semi-Final Debate Competition organised by Charles Hendry

Julie Ruse — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:50:53 +0000

Charles Hendry, our local MP, organized a Debating competition between local schools including, amongst others, Michael Hall, Uckfield Community College and St Bede’s. The first round was held at St. Bede’s last Friday with varying debates on the ‘legalization of drugs, capital punishment, Scottish independence and nuclear energy’.
Amber Stevenson and Karenza Cutting were both selected to go through to the semi-final of the Debating Competition to be held this Friday at St. Bedes School in Sussex.
Our two students, Amber and Karenza will be debating against each other on the motion ‘Athletes from countries that have murderous regimes should be barred from the Olympics’ with Amber arguing for the motion and Karenza against. Following this two teams will be selected to go through to the final debate, ‘Charity starts at home, the Overseas Aid Budget should be cut in times of economic hardship’ which will be held on the same day.
Well done to Amber and Karenza and we wish you well for Friday.

In Support of Screen Free Week – 30th April until 6th May 2012

Julie Ruse — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:53:45 +0000

In Support of Screen Free Week

See full article at: http://news.steinerwaldorf.org/

A familiarity with all the technologies that surround us and influence our lives is an essential part of a complete education. There is growing evidence, however, that too much ‘screen time’ is detrimental to children and Steiner schools do not shy away from engaging in critical debate about the appropriate use of computers, TV and DVD.

In Steiner Waldorf schools computers are generally used by students at secondary age and not earlier. They very quickly master the necessary ICT skills and many go on to successful careers in the computer, film and TV industries.
Research published in the world’s most reputable medical and scientific journals shows that the amount of time children spend watching TV, DVDs, computers and the internet is linked with significant measurable biological changes in their bodies and brains that may have adverse medical consequences.
The following research article by Dr Aric Sigman Health Education Lecturer, Fellow of the Society of Biology, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society August 2010 provides further information. Read more (17 page pdf)
Screen-Free Week (April 30-May 6) is an `annual celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn off screens and turn on life.` Screen-Free Week.
The fact that a number of parents working in high profile jobs in Silicon Valley choose to send their children to Steiner schools was picked up by the American press in recent months. CNN News from Silicon Valley
Steiner Waldorf schools form the largest group of independent, non-denominational private schools in the world. They thrive on every continent, in every culture and within a wide range of ethnic contexts, including Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil and China. There are currently over 1,000 Steiner schools worldwide and 35 in the UK. There are over 2,000 Early Years settings in a total of 64 different countries. The first school was opened in Germany in 1919, the first in the UK in 1925.

Please visit the SWSF web site for more information or contact us directly.

Alan Swindell SWSF

Nature Deficit Disorder – National Trust Report

Julie Ruse — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:55:58 +0000

National Trust Report – Natural Childhood
BBC Article

Nature Deficit Disorder: response to National Trust report from the
Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship (SWSF)
SWSF shares many of the concerns highlighted in Stephen Moss’s research commissioned by the National Trust.

An active engagement with the natural world is an important aspect of Steiner Waldorf education.

In Steiner early years settings the young child is given every opportunity to play outside, to explore and make use of natural materials and to experience the outdoor as a familiar environment, full of wonder and possibility.

Throughout the primary school years teachers will look for opportunities to link classroom learning to the outside environment. The study of house building and farming at age nine may involve the making of clay bricks or the hands-on experience of farming techniques. Chemistry lessons at age 12 may involve the building of kilns to make charcoal or lime; physics lessons may involve green-wood turning or practical engineering solutions that take children out of the classroom and into the natural world.

At the same time a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world is fostered from pre-school all the way to adolescence. This is supported by the use of stories that draw on the world of plants and animals, the celebration of seasonal festivals and a curriculum that includes botany, geology and animal study .

At secondary level there is an approach to natural sciences that emphasises the need for observation and direct experience rather than simply an abstract knowledge of prevailing theories. A sense of the moral responsibility we have towards the natural world is cultivated.

Steiner schools engage their parents in critical debate on issues such as play and screen entertainment, encouraging them to give their children wide opportunities to get active out of doors.
Steiner Waldorf schools form the largest group of independent, non-denominational private schools in the world. They thrive on every continent, in every culture and within a wide range of ethnic contexts, including Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil and China. There are currently over 1,000 Steiner schools worldwide and 35 in the UK. There are over 2,000 Early Years settings in a total of 64 different countries. The first school was opened in Germany in 1919, the first in the UK in 1925.
Please visit the SWSF web site for more information or contact us directly.
Alan Swindell SWSF

AGM update – The School Development Plan

Julie Ruse — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 10:08:15 +0000

For the last two years, Michael Hall has been working to produce a strategic plan for the development of the school. The aim of the plan is to create momentum towards the future of Michael Hall. This short report describes the main themes in the plan and the activity it is already generating.

Ethos

The SDP opens with a statement of the school’s ethos, which is built around the following quotation: “Our highest aim must be to develop young people who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives”. The full text is on the school website.

Objectives

The SDP sets out the school’s objectives. These can be summarised as follows:

• Education which is consistently excellent
• A full school
• A living curriculum
• Mixed ability classes and a wide range of abilities
• Social and financial status no barrier to entry
• A centre of excellence for Waldorf teacher training
• Financially viable
• Sustainable in every sense of the word

Education

Education is at the heart of the plan. A detailed curriculum statement is included for the whole education from kindergarten to Class 12. This forms the foundation for numerous current initiatives to improve both the curriculum itself and the way in which it is delivered.

Student numbers

The SDP states that Michael Hall has a capacity for about 720 students – 120 in kindergarten and about 50 a year in Classes 1 to 12. Student numbers have grown strongly in recent years, but – with the exception of kindergarten, there is still significant capacity in most year groups. We are keen to fill these spaces partly because it is essential for financial viability, and partly because we want to offer Waldorf education to as many children as possible.

Financial viability

The plan demonstrates that the school is not yet in full financial health, but that – if student numbers grow – it should be possible to arrive at financial viability without drastic fee increases. For this purpose we define financial viability as meaning: enough teachers; fair pay; adequate classroom resources; sufficient fee assistance and a healthy level of capital investment. We think this balance is achievable in the foreseeable future.

Site and buildings

Work to recover the Clockhouse has prompted a wider review of how we use our school buildings, and this year, a working group has been looking at this question across the whole school site. Key themes being studied include the best use for the Clockhouse, the possibility of undertaking more teaching in the mansion, a permanent home for our sixth kindergarten, an “outdoor classroom” near the school garden, and the eventual removal from our site of the old wooden huts. We are hoping that first outcomes of this work will be implemented in time for the start of autumn term.

AGM and Any Questions Review

Julie Ruse — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 06:01:30 +0000

About a hundred parents, teachers, Council members and friends of the school gathered last Saturday for a very lively AGM and Any Questions. The meeting included presentations about the new school management structure and about the School Development Plan – a strategic picture of where Michael Hall is heading over the coming years and what we are doing to get there. We’ll brief you on the School Development Plan next week, but for now, here is a summary of what was said about school management.

Last year, the College of Teachers and the Council of Trustees worked together to improve the management of Michael Hall. This work aimed to achieve the following:

• To simplify and speed up decision making.
• To create clarity of purpose and accountability – for parents, teachers, and Council members.
• To give the College of Teachers the freedom to run the school.
• To allow Council’s to fulfil its role under the law
• To ensure that the school could work towards a clear objective, namely “to develop free human beings, able of themselves to impart purpose and direction in their lives, through providing them with an excellent and modern education in an accessible, comprehensive, and sustainable school based on Steiner Waldorf principles”.
The result of this work was a reinvention of the School Management Team (SMT) and a clarification of the role of Council.
SMT now comprises the chairs of Early Years (Mark Fielding), Lower School (Sarah Wilson), and Upper School (Jo Reeves), together with the Resources Manager (Chris Marshall) and the chairs of College (Michaela Devaris-Halla and William Forward). It is through SMT that the College of Teachers is effectively able to manage the school. SMT works in close collaboration with mandate holders, also appointed by College, who take responsibility for particular areas of management work.
A key aspect of the new management arrangements is that faculty chairs now have a wider co-ordinating responsibility for what happens in their part of the school.
The role of Council has also been refined, and is now clearly seen as one of governance. It can be summarised as ensuring that the school is managed well, in accordance with the law, and in pursuit of the objective.

AGM Saturday 17th March

Julie Ruse — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:22:01 +0000

Click on poster to enlarge

Waldorf Today – This week’s issue is really different!

Julie Ruse — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:26:55 +0000

Paul Zehrer’s short film for the Marin Waldorf School was the starting point. After watching it, we decided to have a video showcase issue.

We thought we’d let the students, teachers and parents from Waldorf schools around the world brighten up your day with a glimpse into seven different Waldorf schools around the world.

It was difficult selecting only seven videos. There were so many to choose from. This isn’t like the Academy Awards or Sundance.

These aren’t the “best.” They are simply the “seven.”

Each one a small facet of a very, very large jewel.

We hope you enjoy. -Ed ,Waldorf Today

See this link http://www.waldorftoday.com/news/

Review of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

Julie Ruse — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:36:18 +0000

by Dorthee Garwood-Baulf, aged 10, Class 4A

This is a musical production of a girl called Alice. She falls down a rabbit hole in a dream and is led on the most peculiar adventure, with the odd Duchess and her screaming baby who, soon, as Alice finds out, is a pig! …. meeting grinning Cheshire Cat who disappears so suddenly, usually leaving its big grin!

Then she meets the White Rabbit, with his watch and parasol.

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is just ridiculous, she is asked a mind-boggling riddle and finds out that there is no answer!

Different sizes and everything, she’s had it all.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee are absolutely hilarious, making your sides ache with laughter.

Everything is so well put together…. Nothing missed out.

I think that all the people involved did an amazing job, with special thanks to the Costumes room, musicians, lighting, script writer, the fab five star director and last, but not least, Class 12 who have done such a good job!

Well done all.