A Magazine for the Alumni/Ae of the Toronto Waldorf School 2006/07
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a magazine for the alumni/ae of the Toronto Waldorf School 4 2006/07 outofbounds outofbounds 1 editorial contents Danielle Kotras '94 faculty features 2 by Nils Junge '88 56-63 Why I like working on this magazine: Editorial Lynn Cullen '02 and Heather Cullen '04 I get to meet Renate Kurth again after twenty-three years! We talk by Lara Gross '02 about education, about why I gave her such a hard time in chemistry class, about what we are each doing now. It is really, really wonderful. Katja in Grade 6 I also get to chat with Anne Greer via e-mail, which is always 3 interesting (for tips on books to read and conferences to attend go to Greetings from Other Schools 38-45 [email protected]!). I get to be intensely and unexpectedly Alan Howard Waldorf School, Toronto Alumni/ae, What’s Your Passion? moved sitting at my computer one day reading a just-sent “In “Riding” by Herminone (Priestley) Jaschinski '82 Memoriam” tribute to my uncle written by an alumna who I only ever “Flying” by Rudolf Schneider '84 knew as a young girl (you really must write a book someday, Anna). 4 “Guiding” by John Chapman '99 I get to reconnect with a classmate (good afternoon, Rudolf!). I get to Greeting stalk, via phone over a couple of months, a current class teacher who from Lower School Faculty Chair Barbara Eriksson I haven’t yet met in person (in the end, the piece is exactly what I was Katja Rudolph '84 attended looking for, Barbara, and it’s nice to talk on the phone with you about 43 TWS from Grade 2 to 12. After linking our alumni/ae work to the wider world, anthroposophical and Point of View outofbounds IS: graduating, she travelled for beyond). In fact, I get to harass a whole bunch of people for material 5 “Urban Sustainability: Challenges and a year in Europe and Canada - over and over again - which is always a lot of fun, and which forms Alumni/ae News Opportunities” by Jennie Moore '85 and then completed a BA in a special bond of its own! Finally, I get to be constantly grateful for by Alumni/ae Coordinator Corinna Ghaznavi Toronto Waldorf School cultural studies and political how generous alumni/ae and faculty/staff are with their time, talent, science at Trent University. willingness and remarkable ability to tackle something they’ve never Editor: Katja Rudolph '84 Plus: 46 Designer: Katja Rudolph '84 She moved to England to do done before (e.g., write an article for a magazine). - 20 Year Reunion 8 Art Feature an MA in social and political Beside all these very good things, I get to recall, more than I would Michelle (Mantler) Josephi '81 Features Writers: science at King’s College, otherwise do, why I think we alumni/ae can all stand behind Waldorf Katherine Dynes '84 Cambridge. After a two year education and TWS. It is not simply because we went there ourselves. Anne Greer break during which she worked It’s because of the intent that stands behind it. Some of TWS’s 7 Larissa Gross '02 and traveled to India, she principles and endeavors are: TWS News 48-51 Nils Junge '88 began a PhD degree in the - to hold a reverence for childhood. by Administrative Coordinator Michèle Rossi On the Other Side of the Desk Larissa McWhinney '88 Theory and Policy Studies in - to foster in each child a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Rachel Aide '93 of TWS Bob Pickering Education Department at the Aurelie (Heintz) Duhemal '89 Anna Purcell '91 - to recognize and welcome the unique gifts brought by each child. Plus: Lucas Sorbara '88 University of Toronto. Her - to support all students in their intellectual, physical, emotional and - Faculty/Staff Coming and Going 9 formerly of L’École Rudolf Steiner doctoral work developed a spiritual development. - In Memoriam: ”Meeting Mr. Krause” 10 de Montréal Photographers: theoretical argument for a post- - to nourish the confi dence in each child to meet her or his individual by Anna Purcell '91 Thomas Dannenberg liberal choosing subject and destiny. Katherine Dynes '84 the socialization of choice in - to maintain, with Rudolf Steiner, that the highest goal of education is -TWS Sports 14 by Mary Jo Clark Kierstin Henrickson '93 education (an anti-privitization the realization of responsible human freedom. - TWS History Project 20: 52-55 Katja Rudolph '84 model) by deconstructing - to have respect, trust, and authenticity be the foundation of all “TWS and the Ministry of Education and Training” Way Out of Bounds liberal accounts of subjectivity, by Bob Pickering Ellie Hariri '90 in Boston Proofreader: relationships. Christine von Bezold agency, choice, and the welfare - to be stewards of the green space around the school and the “Testing Our Principles” by Anne Greer Siobhan Hughes '92 in Israel state. She received her degree in environment in general. 1999. She is now a researcher - to carry a vision of Waldorf education as a cultural initiative in a CONTRIBUTORS page 12 and writer, and is working on world that is, despite human inventiveness, creativity and compassion, her second novel. She lives in suffering from greed, injustice, exploitation, indifference and war. 12 56-63 Toronto with her partner who is Contributors Faculty Features - to value and encourage diversity in the community. Inge Shukla in memoriam 10 a set and costume designer These are worth supporting wherever they fl ourish. So, this is why “Meeting Mr. Krause” for theatre and opera and a Helene Gross I like working on the magazine: the people, the intention. I feel by Anna Purcell '91 Reiki therapist. grateful for having a “job” that is so personally engaging and socially 18 worthwhile. International Waldorf News “Waldorf Schools in Africa” 64-67 Katja by Alexander Koekebakker '84 Former Faculty Remember David Taylor [email protected] Renate Kurth 416.538.9536 26-37 Alumni/ae Features Lisa Wood '82 70 Front Cover: TWS’s Class of 2006 in Cuba, June 2006 by Katherine Dynes '84 Welcome, Class of 2006! - photo courtesy of Helene Gross Paul Neufeld '86 by Larissa McWhinney '88 Our class was in Cuba a total of 8 days, staying with the Martin Luther King Center. We worked at one of their nearby construction projects. Also, very importantly, we learned Joshua Rubin '89 71 a lot about the real Cuba through many different seminars we had with Cubans. The Mr. Krause Anna Center organized meetings with a priest who was an ex-Cuban politician, an economist, by Lucas Sorbara '88 TWS Events Schedule and a family doctor, and with an organization of organic farmers. Luca Polach '06 Photos by Claudia Rauch 2 outofbounds June 2006 outofbounds 3 at your first desk, hands folded with great concentration, imitating your teachers’ movements and verses and songs. Your memory capacities and physical dexterity increased and you began to write and read. Gnomes or princes guided you on your journey through the four arithmetic operations and PHOTO BY THOMAS DANNENBERG, JULY 2006 THOMAS DANNENBERG, JULY BY PHOTO you learned songs on the recorder. By grade two you had grown taller and not so round in the face. You were probably still building fairy houses or seeing how high you could climb in the trees in the magical forest playground. You learned that even though you forgot how to behave sometimes, St. news Francis wasn’t always a saint either. Grade three alumni/ae gardening, measurement and building introduced by Corinna Ghaznavi, TWS’s alumni/ae coordinator new perspective and possibilities and broke the news that it was time to leave the Garden of individuals who would not be herded, managed to come together at As the new alumni/ae coordinator I feel like I’ve been playing catch- Eden. In grade four you understood more of the all. In the end we had twelve members of the class attend (Matthias up this past year: figuring out what is going on and who is who. It’s Hintze flew in from Germany), some with spouses and children, and South West High School, Missouri, USA, Class of 1969 Barbara in Grade 5 remarkable capabilities of the human being by been great for me to re-connect with former students and get to know studying the remarkable characteristic of specific had a great day re-connecting and discovering each other as well new people. Thanks to all who respond and correspond regularly or animals and you saw that there were many parts to as new people. As always, the reunion led to unexpected insights, once in a while. any whole. Grade five began the study of ancient experiences, and pleasure at seeing one another again after so many The main focus has been on getting the alumni/ae database up and history and you saw the ingenuity of humans in years. running. It is now available to all alumni/ae through the school’s many cultures (which was your favourite?) The Upcoming I will be re-focussing my attention on getting regular to outofbounds 4 website: www.torontowaldorfschool.com under Member’s Centre in pub nights going. Perhaps we can find a patio in the summer, welcome Greek Olympics challenged your physical skills the alumni/ae section. This database is an ongoing project so please let and camping trips sent you further from home and something cozy and warm in November, a place to break up the me know if you have any questions, and please log on, if you haven’t your relationships with classmates began to reshape. terrible February days and a pre-reunion date in May.