Reflections A magazine for family, friends, and supporters of The Camphill School SPRING + SUMMER 2019 Editor’s Letter Blessings on the blossom Blessings on the fruit Reflections Blessings on the leaf and stem Blessings on the root Contents 4 Bill Daggett: A Necessary Responsibility / 5 Gardening at The Camphill School: A Beautiful Contribution / 6 Giving to Camphill: The PA EITC Program Is a Game Changer / 8 The Three Essentials: Our Work Takes Root / 10 Places We Did Not Know: Max’s Journey to Beaver Run / 12 Fund in Focus: Accelerated Assets Fund / 13 Spark Creativity / 14 2019 Gala / 15 The Camphill Gala Wants to Send You to Cancun This blessing, sang together before so many lunches here at The Camphill School, is a favorite of mine. It is especially fitting at this time of year as the buds of springtime are bursting forth. At Camphill, we are truly blessed by nature, from the blossom all the way down to the root. I have said this many times before, dear readers, so forgive my repeating myself: I am so fortunate to work at The Camphill School. Not only do I get to enjoy lunch with our students in Longhouse and Whitestone, I also have lunch with the Meadowsweet kindergar- teners. I count my blessings that I can share a midday meal with many of the students I cherish knowing. I am fortunate that Meadowsweet kindergarten is also where my youngest son, Flynn, spends his days. The fact that I can share lunch with him and his friends is incredibly special. His deep love, admiration, and reverence of nature is beyond com- pare. He is interested in every living thing—trees, flowers, birds, bees, and most importantly his fellow humans. This comes from his own internal impulse, but also because his experiences at Meadowsweet have deepened the fascination. Each child here is rooted in nature and explores it daily, either in or out of the classroom. Nature nourishes us in so many ways. At The Camphill School our Earth and all her creatures are cherished and cared for as deeply and wholly as our students. This is why we share 2018–2019 Board of Directors Jennifer Nilsen, President / Tom Rosendale, Treasurer / Claus Sproll, Secretary / Sonja Adams a blessing on nature and all her influences so often. Guy Alma / Bethany Asplundh / John R. Fish, O.D. / Brent Franklin / Kylie Gilliams / Jan Christopher Goeschel, Ph.D. / Bill Hagner William C. Herman, Esq. / Rosemary Huether / Fran Kinniry / Amy P. McHugh / Sarah Schreck / Andreas Schuschke / Bernard Wolf Emeriti Manfred Maier / Raymond Ripper Editor Courtney Coffman Contributors Amy Gleicher / Maggie Hegney / Libby Sanders Courtney Coffman Photography Contributors Michael Oliveira Editor 2 REFLECTIONS SPRING + SUMMER 2019 CAMPHILLSCHOOL.ORG 3 Feature Feature Bill Daggett: A Necessary Responsibility Gardening at The Camphill School: 01 / Seventh grader Simon heads off to By Maggie Hegney, Development Officer A Beautiful Contribution deliver an arrangement he and his classmates created 01 / Bill Daggett at our schoolhouse By Courtney Coffman immediate action and formed the It is February. I struggle to get to Last year, the crew also started “We are outside in nature, not just Kistler Tiffany Foundation. Today, the Garden Shed, tucked behind supplying the classrooms with floral going for a walk, but looking for cer- the foundation provides various Trillium and Garden House. There arrangements. Each week, students tain things. Our eyes are open and levels of support to different non- is a thick layer of ice-covered walk the campus looking for sea- we learn to identify new plants. We profit organizations throughout the snow on the ground. It is a bit sonal blooms (yes, blooms even in discover what blooms in the winter region. treacherous. It didn’t help that winter!) to incorporate in the vases. We learn to do things for others,” I am in the wrong shoes for this They then arrange what they have Lisa shares. The next venture for Six years ago, Bill was introduced kind of traversing. I have actu- gathered and deliver them to each the garden crew is to forage wild to The Camphill School through ally never ventured to the Garden class. food and learn what can be con- Brent Franklin, one of our board Shed in my nearly fourteen years sumed or used in their creations. members and a fellow member at Camphill. I wasn’t sure what to I watch the seventh graders Lisa also would like each class to of Philadelphia’s Business Clubs expect. put some of the arrangements have their own patch in the garden America. He recalls his first time on together. Each sprig and stem to grow whatever they wish. Much The Camphill School campus: “Guy As I open the door to the modest placed in its vase just so; each one like Mary in The Secret Garden, [Alma] and I spent an hour walk- brown structure, I am welcomed carried down the hill proudly and Lisa knows that healing, hope, and ing around, and I remember seeing by warmth, light, and comfort. It is placed prominently in classrooms love grow from well-loved and well- a young woman playing an adap- surprising, and I am taken aback to of friends. What a beautiful contri- tended bits of earth. tive violin on her lap. I was struck by the stark contrast of where I just bution to the school! how resolutely she was working on came from. Plus, this is the Garden it, and she was so good.” “Shed”—yet it is the furthest thing from a shed. It smells of dried herbs Bill and Kistler Tiffany Benefits have and flowers. I immediately forget been a supporter of the school the winter outside. since that first visit in 2013. He gen- erously contributes to our annual Lisa Schmitz greets me, and we fund each year and says that he sit down to chat. Lisa has been at loves introducing people to the The Camphill School since 2000. school. Bill believes it is a neces- She has a true gardener’s spirit and sary responsibility of a business wanted to lead the Garden Crew 01 owner to give back to the commu- at the school for a long time. She nity, and he takes pride in support- finally got her wish and is revamp- One of the things you first notice of our world. “I’ve always thought ing The Camphill School and the ing what they do. After taking about Bill Daggett is his dedi- it was important to give back, and many other charitable organizations classes in herbalism, she has devel- cation to his work. Bill has been I’m ecstatic that I’m able to support he champions. For Bill, it seems, oped a passion for creating rem- with Kistler Tiffany Benefits, an causes that I care about. It’s excit- dedication comes easily. This is his edies and is sharing that with the employee benefits firm, for his ing to see people’s ideas for making fifty-fourth year at Kistler Tiffany students. entire working career. In Bill’s the world better be put into action.” Benefits, and he tells us that his words, he has “carried a Kistler This impulse to give back took on a three sons all work for the company The focus used to be growing food. card all my life.” new form thirty years ago when Bill and he still goes into the office on Now, Lisa and the students are and four of his colleagues attended weekends. We are grateful that this growing healing herbs and flowers Bill likes deals, enjoys working a speech on charitable giving. The steadfastness extends to his sup- that they make into herb salts, teas, 01 with people, and loves seeing how group was so inspired by what they port of The Camphill School too! salves, and tinctures. non-profits meet the challenges heard that they decided to take 4 REFLECTIONS SPRING + SUMMER 2019 CAMPHILLSCHOOL.ORG 5 Giving 01 / Coworker Julia at the Valentine’s Dance 02 / Nina in the pottery studio at Beaver Giving to Camphill: with eleventh grader Zara Farm with staff member Sam The PA EITC Program Is a Game Changer HOW DOES THIS PROGRAM BENEFIT emphasized. Applications are sub- CAMPHILL SPECIAL SCHOOL? mitted on July 1 for all first-time busi- THANK YOU! Funds donated by businesses will ness applicants. To participate in the We are so grateful to the following for support our financial aid program for EITC program, visit the Department of contributing to our EITC program: Pennsylvania students who lack Community and Economic Development government or personal resources. (DCED) website (http://newpa.org/) to Craig & April Adams complete an online application. HOW DOES A BUSINESS APPLY? The process is simple, but dead- lines and timely compliance must be IMPORTANT DATES MAY MAY JULY 15 15 1 Business applicants Businesses that All other 01 that have fulfilled their are in the middle businesses two-year commitment of their two-year and wish to reapply to commitment renew their two-year It’s not just other factors. Perhaps two-thirds or WHO QUALIFIES FOR EITC? commitment three-quarters of the donation amount Any business authorized to do business for business is still out of pocket to the donor. in Pennsylvania that is subject to one or However, in the case of the EITC pro- more of the following taxes: anymore! gram and individual tax credits, the • Personal Income Tax Turn your PA tax dollars into tuition donor’s net cost of the donation can • Capital Stock/Foreign Franchise Tax assistance for our students! be as little as 6–7 cents on the dollar.