From Susan Howard, WECAN Coordinator |
Dear colleagues,
Greetings from the WECAN Staff, Board, and project leaders at this busy entrance into the new school year. The whirlwind of autumn is upon us!
WECAN is planning a number of activities, including the Birth to Three Conference in October, an in-person conference in Spring Valley in February, and online webinars and meetings, that we hope will be on interest to you, We are also reaching out to parents this year in various ways, including a series of online parent evenings with Dr. Adam Blanning offered as a support to the parents in your community. See the reports and Upcoming Events below for more information.
Thank you to all who participated in the Covid Research Study, an international study about the experiences of Waldorf early childhood educators worldwide during and after the pandemic. We look forward to sharing the results with you later this fall.
WECAN is also working together with Alma Partners on a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Audit and we are looking forward to a retreat with Alma Partners during our November Board meeting. This audit is far-reaching and is mentioned in several of the reports below. We will keep you informed of our progress!
We hope you will enjoy reading about our activities and we invite you to participate with us this year in our collective growth and learning.
With warm wishes to all,
Susan
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Growing Child/Growing Community
The Landscape of Social-Emotional Development
Holly Koteen-Soule and the Early Childhood Research Group
The WECAN Early Childhood Research Group has been listening to the stories of our colleagues and to the many questions that have arisen out of trying circumstances of the past three years. We have learned a lot about our capacity for flexibility and resilience. We have also witnessed the effects of the unpredictability of our times on the children, parents and ourselves.
At a certain moment, it became apparent to the members of the Research Group, that as a movement, we need to understand more deeply the trajectory of the social-emotional development during the first seven years, the effects of stress, anxiety and trauma on our children’s social-emotional well- being, and how early childhood teachers can better support the children in our care.
Our current project is an ambitious one, but one that we hope will help answer some of the questions that have arisen and help us cultivate new skills and capacities.
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Birth to Three
Magdalena Toran and Heather Church
Happy Fall to everyone, we hope that you are beginning to settle into the new year and that soon we will see you at one or more of our upcoming events.
Birth to Three Conference - The Birth to Three conference will take place in person this fall. It is our intention that the conference be very experiential. We are excited for this conference and look forward to offering a hands-on gathering with many opportunities for participants to learn experientially.
Birth to Three Focus Groups - In the spring we began gathering with colleagues according to their area of focus, including childcare providers, parent child teachers and birth to three trainers. This fall we will begin to meet with home care providers as well. These online meetings provide an opportunity for those who work in specific areas of birth to three to share their ideas and questions and learn more about WECAN birth to three programs. Meetings are open to all and are hosted by Heather Church and Magdalena Toran, WECAN Birth to Three Coordinators. See Upcoming Events for a list of dates and zoom links.
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October 14-16, 2022, Sophia's Hearth, Keene
Registration closes October 8.
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Teacher Education Update
Ruth Ker, Teacher Education Coordinator
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This summer was a busy time for our Teacher Education institutes as many of them resumed their in-person studies after a long time of studying on-line. Congratulations to all of those who weathered the covid waters with great flexibility and dedication to their students, faculty members and community. This summer, two of those institutes received site visits from WECAN and congratulations are due to Gradalis Early Childhood Teacher Training, in Northglenn, CO, for acceptance as a new Associate member to WECAN. This summer, Sound Circle Center in Seattle, WA has also moved from Associate membership to Full membership. Our site visitor was impressed with the quality of education she witnessed at each of these institutes.
In September, we began our monthly Teacher Training Institutes zoom calls with discussions about the proposed changes to the Teacher Education Shared Principles. These changes reflect anti-bias consciousness and the revisions of teacher training expectations and coursework. I look forward to the upcoming rich discussions that happen at these monthly zoom calls. On the horizon are conversations around ‘who trains the teacher educators’, discussions from our working group on faculty evaluations and the provision of ongoing professional development for EC teachers. In this mutually supportive environment, goodwill thrives amongst our member institutes.
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From the Membership Office
Laura Mason, Membership Coordinator
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The collaborative engagement of our organizational members is crucial as we continue to support one another in meeting the unique needs of children in this time and place. Many thanks to member programs who recently reviewed our proposed new WECAN Shared Principles and provided feedback this month. We look forward to discussing your feedback at an upcoming board meeting.
We have 50 programs in membership renewal and application processes this year! We hope the process of self-study and peer review will help these programs to better recognize their strengths and areas of growth and help guide them in their future development.
The following programs have completed membership processes since we last reported in June:
- Bayou Village School in Tomball, Texas, renewed its Associate Membership.
- Brooklyn Waldorf School in Brooklyn, New York, renewed its Full Membership.
- Comunidad Educativa Waldorf Baaxal in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, renewed its Associate Membership.
- Ecole Imagine in Val-David, Quebec, renewed its Associate Membership.
- High Mowing School in Wilton, New Hampshire, renewed its Full Membership.
- Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, Vermont, renewed its Full Membership.
- Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School in Viroqua, Wisconsin, renewed its Full Membership.
- Valley Waldorf City School in Lake Balboa, California, renewed its Associate Membership.
Congratulations to all!
Supporting the work of all our members is a team of regional reps. We currently have 20 reps serving 15 regions and sub-regions. To see the full list of regional reps for the 2022-23 school year, visit the Contact Us page of our website. Feel free to reach out to your rep if you have questions, would like to support the planning of a regional gathering, or just want to check in.
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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access
Lynn Turner and Leslie Wetzonis-Woolverton, IDEA Coordinators
Our summer work has been overflowing! In June, on both of our behalf, Leslie attended and participated in the Birth to Three Conference in Dornach sponsored by the Medical Section (see more in the Birth to Three Report). As WECAN began the process of an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access self-audit, much was needed to review existing documents and systems. Leslie and I are delighted to share how grateful we are to all who responded to the survey request sent by Susan Howard. Your shared reflections are, and continue to be important voices as we strive to identify essential areas to deepen our work together. We are also so grateful to work with our talented colleagues in Alma Partners, in this audit process.
Now as summer moves into fall, we find ourselves meeting the moment which shapes and forms a brand new school year. We carry the bounty and abundance of summer, reflecting on life at its fullest alongside our own inner renewal. By holding onto those moments, we gain strength and courage to prepare and guide us towards winter. We continue to do the potent work of centering inclusion, diversity, equity and access as we strive to build and create meaningful and compassionate communities together. This time for courage continues to echo and center our joy and commitment through every aspect of our Waldorf early childhood curriculum.
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SAVE THE DATE!
WECAN FEBRUARY CONFERENCE WILL BE IN PERSON IN 2023!
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TOWARD A KINDER MORE COMPASSIONATE SOCIETY ~
FINDING OUR WAYS
February 10-12, 2023, Spring Valley, NY - in person!
Our February Conference will continue for a third year to work with the theme “Towards a Kinder, More Compassionate Society.' This year our focus will be on Finding Our Ways. Pairs of presenters from WECAN’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Committee and Early Childhood Research Group will share insights out of their own inner and outer work, and after the Saturday and Sunday morning presentations, there will be facilitated conversation groups on the conference theme. Presenters will include Nancy Blanning and Anjum Mir, Lynn Turner and Leslie Wetzonis-Woolverton, and Laurie Clark and Stephanie Hoelscher.
More details to come soon on the WECAN website and Community Hub!
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Birth to Three in Education and Care: Rudolf Steiner, Emmi Pikler, and the Very Young Child
Edited by Heather Church
Birth to Three in Education and Care: Rudolf Steiner, Emmi Pikler, and the Very Young Child shares its title with the theme of the first conference of its kind to be hosted at Sophia’s Hearth Family Center and Training Institute in Keene, New Hampshire. The keynote speakers have devoted their life’s work to understanding the young child, to what the child’s needs might be, and how we, as conscious adults, can welcome them most warmly into their physical bodies and onto their paths as human beings. They explored how Emmi Pikler and Rudolf Steiner inform educators’ work with very young children. In Waldorf early childhood education, we are so very fortunate that these two deeply sensitive, insight-filled streams have found each other, and that these four wise teachers, and those who take up their indications, continue to work with and for young children so that developing humans might be as free as possible to choose a path in life, to be who they came here to be, with the least hindrances and the greatest resources.
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Loving care for the child under three
By Helle Heckmann
Taking the child’s need as her point of departure, Helle Heckmann sets aside mainstream expectations. Twenty-first century pressures on families, imposing long working days on parents and much absence from the family and home, create the classic problem of our times: while creating economic safety and security for their families, how can we give the best we can to the children we love, while also satisfying our personal needs as well as the demands of society? This book offers perspectives from several adults who care for young children in diverse ways.
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The Picture Language of Folktales
By Friedel Lenz
Fairy tales speak in a visual language—but what do these pictures speak of? In The Picture Language of Folktales, Friedel Lenz looks at fairy tales and their original images as part of the development of human consciousness. The characters of these stories are human beings living within two worlds—one which is physically visible and experienced through bodily senses and another that is not visible but nonetheless sensed. Friedel Lenz’s consideration of these twenty-five tales, originally collected and retold by the Brothers Grimm from 1812 to 1857, offers the possibility of limbering up our thinking and feeling to allow the pictures of these stories to speak. WECAN extends deep gratitude to Clopper Almon for this translation.
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Eurythmy in Kindergarten - A contemporary approach to speech and movement
By Sabine Deimann
Eurythmy in Kindergarten is a beautifully illustrated answer to the question, “Why eurythmy in kindergarten?” This unique, artistic form of movement, with its deep connection to the formative power of speech, is especially important for young children’s speech development, which is increasingly under threat in our times.
This lovely booklet is written for kindergarten teachers, eurythmists, students in training programs, and parents. We have sent a sample copy to each WECAN Member program and encourage you to order more for your colleagues and parents!
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Child of Nature
By Rikke Rosengren
Nature has a unique potential as a platform for children to grow and experiment. Child of Nature emphasizes children’s curiosity, their natural need for movement, and how to optimize the possibilities for children’s development outdoors. Parents, teachers, and caregivers will learn practical ways to give children the chance for adventurous play and sensory stimulation, and thus to support a pedagogical foundation for education that is based on children’s healthy development. Beautifully illustrated with over 180 color photographs and drawings.
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WECAN 2022 Early Childhood Resource Catalog
Copies of our current Catalog are complimentary, individually or in bundles of five.
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Upcoming Events
BIRTH TO THREE CONFERENCE ~ EVOLUTION OF PLAY
October 14-16, 2022, Sophia's Hearth, Keene, NH
To Register and for more information Click Here. Registration closes October 8.
BIRTH TO THREE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS:
The meeting dates and times will also be posted on the WECAN Community Hub and the WECAN website calendar
These remote meetings provide an opportunity for practitioners in a variety of settings to discuss the unique aspects of their work, share ideas, and connect with and support one another. Meetings are open to all and are hosted by Heather Church and Magdalena Toran, WECAN Birth to Three Coordinators. We look forward to sharing meeting links with you soon.
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HELPING CHILDREN FEEL CALM IN AN ANXIOUS WORLD
Parent Evening with Dr. Adam Blanning
November 16th, 8:30 EST
The focus will be supporting parents, this event is open to caregivers of all kinds - parents, guardians, childcare providers, teachers etc.
We look forward to sharing more details and registration information in the coming weeks.
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TOWARD A KINDER MORE COMPASSIONATE SOCIETY ~ FINDING OUR WAYS
February 10-12, 2023, Spring Valley, NY - In Person!
Our February Conference will continue for a third year to work with the theme “Towards a Kinder, More Compassionate Society." This year our focus will be on Finding Our Ways. Pairs of presenters from WECAN’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Committee and Early Childhood Research Group will share insights out of their own inner and outer work, and after the Saturday and Sunday morning presentations, there will be facilitated conversation groups on the conference theme.
Presenters will include Nancy Blanning and Anjum Mir, Lynn Turner and Leslie Wetzonis-Woolverton, and Laurie Clark and Stephanie Hoelscher.
More details to come soon on the WECAN website and Community Hub.
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WECAN and AWSNA are joining our colleagues in the international Waldorf movement to raise funds to support Waldorf communities in Ukraine during this time of great suffering and violence.
Click here to donate, and in the drop-down menu, select “Freunde/Ukraine Relief.” Donations are tax-deductible.
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With many thanks on behalf of the AWSNA and WECAN Boards,
Susan Howard, WECAN Coordinator
Rebecca Moskowitz, AWSNA Executive Director, Advancement
Melanie Reiser, AWSNA Executive Director, Membership
Stephanie Rynas, AWSNA Executive Director, Operations and Member Resources
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Join WECAN by becoming an Individual Member!
Membership benefits include:
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A subscription to the Gateways Journal (includes the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 issues)
- WECAN News Updates
- A 10% discount on WECAN book sales
- Discounts on registration fees at WECAN Conferences
- Regular email messages that include reports on activities, conferences, and events within WECAN and IASWECE (the International Association of Waldorf/Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood Education).
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