Toronto Waldorf School changed the siding on the “new wing” of the school (built ca 1991) from red/brown to blue over the course of the summer and fall of 2023, and since the 麻豆直播 is part of that new wing, the colour of our siding is also now blue. Of course the new boards are in better shape than the old ones were after 30 years of exposure to the elements. Many people also like the new blue colour better than the old red/brown.

We thought we’d better post this updated picture before the open house on Sunday April 28th at 2-4:30 so people would know what the college looks like now! The picture was taken just a couple days ago (in late April) so the leaves are not yet out on the trees and the vegetation isn’t looking its best, but at least you get a good view of the building.

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If your destiny has led you to first get involved in working at a Waldorf school before completing a Waldorf training, then a part-time Waldorf teacher education program like those offered at 麻豆直播 may be for you.

The Part-Time Early Childhood Teacher Program

鈥� Starts this June 16th
鈥� 2 year, Birth-to-Seven
鈥� 1 year, Birth-to-Three
鈥� Enrollment every other year 鈥� if you do not enroll now, next cohort will begin in June 2026
Program Includes:
鈥� 16-day in-person summer intensive
鈥� 6-day in-person fall intensive
鈥� 6-day in-person spring intensive
鈥� independent projects
鈥� guided study sessions, group lab demos, and more.

Enrollment now open. Learn more:

Birth-to-Seven Two-Year

Birth-to-Three One-Year

The Part-Time Grades Teacher Program

鈥� Starts July 8th
Program includes:
鈥� Designated summer festival courses in-person over three years in July
鈥� Eleven mentoring sessions
鈥� Independent study and research projects
鈥� Participation in Waldorf Development Conference in November, and more.

Enrollment now open. Learn more.

Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy Distance

Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy is a prerequisite for both grades and early childhood part-time programs, and can be taken concurrently. It is offered in two formats:

1. Start anytime, from anywhere, with Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy Distance. Learn at your own pace with 32 one-on-one mentoring sessions over phone, Skype or Zoom, with independent study in between. If you are enrolling in the part-time teacher education program now, there is still time to enroll in Foundation Studies Distance. Learn more.

2. Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy Encounter features in-person classes in Thornhill (Saturday mornings), Guelph (Monday evenings) and sometimes in other centres. Sept. to May. Learn more

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Starting this weekend there are workshops in both Ottawa and BC. Robert McKay will be leading a Saturday workshop in Ottawa on Fundamental Anthroposophical Work. In BC, David Newbatt will be leading events all week long, under the title Explorations in Art, beginning on Friday April 5th and continuing though April 12. See posters below for details.

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It’s Become a Tradition

For more than a decade now, Waldorf teachers and spiritual seekers have been coming to 麻豆直播’s Summer Festival of Arts and Education for next-grade preparation, professional renewal and artistic inspiration.

The tradition continues with this year’s full three-week program. The first week is for grade intensives. Weeks two and three feature general interest courses in the arts, early childhood themes, and Waldorf pedagogy.

You can register for one, two or three weeks of the program, full day or half day, whatever suits your needs, schedule and interests. There is a 10% discount for two weeks, 20% for three weeks. Delicious hot vegetarian lunches are available as a pre-order option if you register far enough in advance.

Here are this year’s courses. See rscc.ca/SummerFestival for course descriptions and presenter biographies.

SUMMER FESTIVAL COURSES FOR ANYONE INTERESTED

鈥� The Foundation Stone Meditation and Our Biography

鈥� The Group of Seven and the Spiritual in Art

鈥� What Am I? Why Am I Here? What Can I Do?

鈥� Veil Painting鈥� Woodwork鈥� Art for Art鈥檚 Sake or Art for Humanity鈥檚 Sake

鈥� Journey Through the Grades: The Heart and Soul of Waldorf

鈥� For the Love of Painting

SUMMER FESTIVAL COURSES FOR TEACHERS

鈥� Full-day grade intensives for grades 1-8

鈥� Science Grades 6-8

鈥� Music

鈥� Drawing

鈥� Generative Principles

EARLY CHILDHOOD AT THE SUMMER FESTIVAL

鈥� Building a Firm Foundation: The Four Lower Senses

鈥� Puppetry and Felting

鈥� Working with Silk Marionettes

Learn More / Register Now: www.rscc.ca/SummerFestival

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Continuing in our series of free talks with Kenneth McAlister around the major festivals of the year, 麻豆直播 is happy once again to present Kenneth’s upcoming talk on the festival of Easter, titled “The Interweaving Natural and Spiritual Processes of Easter“. This talk will take place at 9 am on Easter Saturday March 30th. Kenneth describes it as follows:

We will try to develop an understanding of the Easter Mystery in the context of inner and outer seasonal changes. In the second session (after the mid-morning break) we will use the centre/periphery meditation to deepen our experiences of the opportunities Easter presents.听See the full poster for this even below:

Anthroposophy in Toronto will also be hosting a public event on Thursday March 28th, an Introduction to Eurythmy, led by CoCo Verspoor at the Waldorf Academy, in downtown Toronto. This event is the latest in a series of their anthroposophical evenings. See details on the poster below.

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Last Friday March 15th the TWS music room was filled with a capacity crowd for the part time Early Childhood graduation. The invited audience of friends and family gathered to support and honour the 17 graduates from 麻豆直播’s Professional Development for Waldorf Early Childhood Teachers Part-Time program, a record number.

In her introductory comments program director Karen Weyler wondered if the unusually large size of this class was due at least in part to people having responded personally to recent events, wanting to do something in response to the harm to childhood that resulted from Covid restrictions of recent years.

Talking with Laurie Harper-Burgess afterwards she expanded on that thought, noting that so many of the graduates already had advanced degrees and qualifications in other professions, and yet they left all that behind to take up the challenge of becoming a Waldorf early childhood educator.

The graduation program included eurythmy, songs, a short marionette piece, and presentations from some of the students. However, most of it was Karen talking about each of the 17 students and presenting a certificate and a rose to each of them..

The following words about each of the graduates are based on Karen’s notes from the event:

Maria Agostini

Maria is now living in Spain and immersing herself in the community of the local Waldorf school that her two girls attend.  She had been in the Kindergarten at Halton for 6 years.  When I met Maria at that time, I could see her affinity for very young children.  Did an amazing presentation on the Care of the Caregiver from the Perspective of the 3-fold Social Order.

Janelle Burnham

Janelle leads a 3 morning preschool and 2 parent and child classes at Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton.  She is the mother of 4 children, a light-hearted person with a beautiful sense of humour.  Janelle isn鈥檛 quite sure how she found herself at a parent and child class with her first born about 16 years ago.  But there was no turning back for her and she probably never imagined at that point that one day she would be a Waldorf teacher.  Her research paper was titled Literacy in Waldorf Early Childhood Classrooms: what鈥檚 going on in there?

Maria Teresa Donayre

Maria is an afternoon assistant with the Forest Kindergarten and after-care teacher at Halton Waldorf School.  She also found Waldorf education through the parent and child class she attended with the little boy for which she was a nanny.  Marita is a quiet, consistent presence in this group who deeply cares for children and can feel what they are experiencing. Marita’s paper was titled How does technology impact child development from Birth to Seven?

Daniela Fernandez Holloway

For just one week now Daniela is the Lead teacher for the Dandelion Kindergarten at Halton WS.  In her life before children she used her industrial design and lighting design degrees working in a university in Chile.  But it was her son鈥檚 need for childcare, that eventually made her aware of Waldorf education and its value. She also has a daughter. Daniela brought us her research on How to Support Parents through the Early Years.

Lili Golbous

Lili is the assistant morning teacher in Birchgrove, Kindergarten, at TWS. She has a masters degree in Architectural Engineering, and has taught Interior Design, high school and elementary school, and then realized that it’s Kindergarten where the learning of life happens!  Lili is accomplished in handwork skills, loves puppetry and story telling and studying Rudolf Steiner鈥檚 works. Her paper was on How to Identify and Work with 鈥楤ullying鈥� in the Kindergarten.

Maria Hernandez

Maria is a kindergarten assistant at the Sunrise School of Miami. She attended Waldorf school in Columbia and also Florida, in her early and middle years. Maria is compassionate and conscientious, a baker, folk dancer and also Spanish teacher. During her studies here with us, Maria has simultaneously completed her Bachelor of Education degree. Perhaps Maria will have her own Kindergarten class this Fall. Her research was How teachers can help children and their families deal with the loss of a loved one.

Gayathri Kandasamy

She has been lead teacher in Cedar Kindergarten, at TWS, since September. Gayathri has an MBA and a degree in computer science.  But as a conscientious parent, Gayathri鈥檚 son brought her to TWS in 2018. In order to understand the Waldorf educational approach, she became active in the school as a supply teacher and started Foundation Studies. She has also been a lead teacher in the childcare.  Gayathri鈥檚 research was titled: Rethinking the relationship between the Teacher and the Assistant(s) in the EC Classroom.

Candace LeBlanc

Candace is an assistant kindergarten teacher at Polaris School and Centre, Ottawa.  She is the mother of four children and as a La Leche Leage leader, and pregnancy, labour and postpartum doula, she strives to serve humanity, especially young children and their mothers.  Candace enjoys writing poetry, drumming and dancing. Candace鈥檚 paper was the Moral Development of the Educator through Stories, Fairytales and Folktales.

Shannon Legere

Shannon will have her own Kindergarten class at Rowen Tree Children鈥檚 School, Peterborough this September.  She was on her way to becoming an Ontario Certified Teacher when she recalled the spark that learning about Waldorf Education gave her while attending a permaculture design course in Ecuador. Shannon has been at Rowen Tree since 2019 and brought Arlan to us during our time in this teacher education.  She gave us an enthralling presentation on Biodynamic Agriculture.

Madhavi Mali

Madhavi recently became the lead teacher for Dandelion Preschool at TWS.  It was through her friend at the temple that she learned about TWS and as an RECE happily joined the childcare at TWS.  She has a son and daughter, enjoys crafting and has a very large, giving heart. As a proficient cook, she provides all whom she knows with nourishment and love. Her research was on the Effects of Screen on Early Childhood development

Chandra Maracle

Chandra has been a student of anthroposophy for many years and co-founded Everlasting Tree School in 2010.   Chandra is our current graduate of the Birth-to-Three certificate.  She is the mother of 5 children and has a passionate understanding for the need of community around postpartum mothers.  She is currently working on her PhD with her thesis being on the nourishment needed to replenish and sustain new mothers and their babies, which she shared with us this week, including a puppet show and flavourful 鈥榗orn mush鈥�.

Janet McCarrol

Janet has been an educator of young children for almost 35 years ranging in experience as a childcare supervisor, kindergarten, lower school ESL and special education teacher in the public school board.  Currently she works with the grade 2s at TWS. With this certificate Janet has a sense she will be on her way to bringing her deepened understanding of early education to parents with their toddlers.  Janet is also working on a 鈥榶et untitled鈥� documentary film on Waldorf Early childhood in urban settings鈥︹�tay tuned for the Grand Premiere

Shannon McMaster

Shannon is the owner/operator of the Forest Courtyard Initiative, a small private nature school in Tottenham. As the mother of three children it was her own experience growing up on a farm and time in Waldorf schools that she longs for her own family, and now offers to many others. Shannon is true, raw, pure and direct with her intention. She helped us all to be authentic. Her passion for children and the possibility of a holistic approach to live and education is clearly evident.  hannon鈥檚 presentation was on Creating and supporting a Waldorf home childcare agency.

Andressa Oliveira

Andressa is a kindergarten assistant at the Waldorf Academy, Toronto. With a degree as a physical education teacher, Andressa can confirm that she now has her 鈥榙ream job鈥�. She first met Waldorf education when she was seeking childcare for her daughter while they were still living in Brazil. Andressa considers ideas deeply and is diligent in finding what is true to her. Her research was on a very interesting topic, about the Disruption of the Foundational Senses through Immigration. 

Cuiting Pan

Cuiting is assistant toddler teacher in Rosebud at TWS. When she was in middle school, her teacher had told her class, in order to encourage the students to do well in their studies, that if they didn’t work hard and excel, they might end up being a caregiver of young children and have to change diapers. Cuiting has a degree in Architectural design and as the mother of two girls has realized that the highest calling is indeed to change diapers consciously!  In her search as a new mother, she learnt of Waldorf Education on line and quickly found her way to 麻豆直播 upon arrival in Canada. Her research was titled Cultivating the Inner Light of Early Childhood Educators.

Bandana Sandhu

Bandana has been a supply teacher at TWS for the last three years.  She is the mother of two beautiful children birthed by another and started her Waldorf journey with Parent and Child.  Bandana has volunteered with our sister organizations and with other social services.  She has a thirst to discover the multifaceted nature of Waldorf Education.  We have so appreciated her deep and poignant questions in our sessions.

Eunyoung Yuk

Eunyoung is the lead teacher in Elderberry Preschool at TWS.  With a Master鈥檚 degree in clothing and textile in Korea, Amy had her own business in clothing design and is so able to create in knitting, embroidery, sewing, as well as play the piano and doing folk-art painting.  Coming to Canada, Amy took her RECE designation at Seneca and found her way to TWS.  She has two sons.  Amy鈥檚 research was How do Waldorf EC teachers support the development to the four foundational senses during and in the aftermath of the Pandemic.

Part-Time Early Childhood Teacher Program

BEGINS THIS JUNE 16 – Professional Development for Waldorf Early Childhood Teachers: two-year, part-time Birth-to-Seven and one-year part-time Birth-to-Three. Programs start every other year. Enrolment now open. Learn more:

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What is the HEART Program

Over the past decades, teachers have met increasing numbers of children who are struggling to meet their developmental stages due to sensory, emotional, and educational challenges both at home and at school.

With remedial support, these students often progress quickly once their underlying needs are met. Without this help, students can carry long standing difficulties into their adult lives.

The goal of the HEART program is to strengthen, support, and train educators dedicated to helping students work through their challenges.

HEART is a graduate level, professional development program that provides teachers, therapists and educational specialists with knowledge and practical skills to work in a healing manner with children facing developmental, social/emotional, and learning challenges.

HEART is based听on Rudolf Steiner鈥檚 anthroposophical听picture of the human being,听Waldorf child development and听educational methodologies, and the adult development of the educator. It develops capacities to observe with understanding, assess with depth of knowledge, and remediate with effective practical technique.

Tuition Assistance Available for Canadians taking HEART

Dear Canadian Waldorf Schools,
听
As the director of the Healing Education And Remedial Training (HEART) program offered through the 麻豆直播, I am reaching out to your respective faculties and boards of trustees to let you know that we currently have funds available for tuition assistance for this program.听

Although we welcome international students, at this time we would like to give preference to qualifying Canadian applicants to our HEART program with听an offer of tuition assistance.听
听
As you are well aware, there has been a substantial increase in the number of children with developmental and learning/behavioural/emotional challenges in our schools,听 most noticeably during these post-pandemic years.听 Trained Extra Lesson practitioners in our Waldorf schools can help to meet this need.听

While several of our students have covered the full tuition on their own, some of our students have had their HEART program fees supported by the Waldorf school where they are employed.听

If your school is able to contribute to the HEART fees along with available tuition assistance, a successful applicant could only need to give time and efforts to their HEART studies. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity for any of your eligible faculty, I would be happy to speak with you. Please indicate your interest before April 1st.听
听


Arlene Kamo,

HEART Director, 麻豆直播

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Seth Jordan is in town this week to teach at the Seminary of the Christian Community in North America. On Thursday March 7th, his last day here, he will be giving a talk at 7:30 pm at Hesperus Village, sponsored by the Polaris Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada. Everyone is welcome. Details on the poster below:

Seth will also be part of a four-day workshop on Practical Threefolding in Viroqua Wisconsin March 14-17.

Anthroposophy in Toronto Events

Anthroposophy in Toronto is pleased to announce that during the last Thursday of the following months: March, April, and May, we will be hosting “Open Anthroposophy” evenings at the Waldorf Academy, 250 Madison Avenue, Toronto, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. 

These evenings are open to anyone and will be of interest to people who have studied anthroposophy for years as well as people who are brand new to spiritual science. Every evening will include some activities but also a chance to enter into a free discussion on relevant topics.

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麻豆直播 offers two part-time programs and one full-time program for becoming a Waldorf early childhood educator. While you can start the full-time program any year in September, the part-time programs accept new students only every other year. The last cohort of the two-year Birth-to-Seven part-time program started in June of 2022, and will graduate in March of 2024.

The next cohort of part-time EC students begins June 16, 2024. That will be for both the two-year Birth-to-Seven and the one-year Birth-to-Three programs. The full name for these part-time programs is Professional Development for Waldorf Early Childhood Teachers Part-Time. The name reflects the fact that students in these part-time programs need to also be working in Waldorf early childhood settings.

The full-time Early Childhood Waldorf Teacher Education program is different in that no prior teaching experience is required. The full-time program runs five days a week, September through May, with holidays similar to the school year for Christmas and spring break.

If this is something for you, talk to Karen Weyler kweyler@rscc.ca 905-764-7570 to begin your journey.

For more details:

Full-time Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Education

Professional Development for Waldorf Early Childhood Teachers Part-Time, Birth-to-Seven

Professional Development for Waldorf Early Childhood Teachers Part-Time, Birth-to-Three

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This year 麻豆直播 is featuring three early childhood related courses in weeks 2 and 3 of the Summer Festival. That’s in addition to ten other courses on anthroposophy, Waldorf education and the arts. And then there’s the first week for grades teachers which is devoted to grade intensives for grades 1-8. The full range of courses is outlined in our 32-page Summer Festival brochure which can be read or downloaded here. But you can read the course descriptions and presenter bios for the early childhood Summer Festival courses below:

Working with Silk Marionettes – Mornings

Rudolf Steiner referred to marionette plays as moving watercolour pictures. From the ground up we will learn about choosing a story and finding the deeper meaning within it. We will try various stage sets and create props that really work to create magic 鈥� where and when and how to add the magic of song and/or music. We will practise how to move each story character and to fine tune their gestures in sync with their role in the play. First and foremost, we will have an experience of how working together on a creative endeavor like marionette plays helps build appreciation, understanding and colleagueship. July 22-26, 9 am to 12:30 pm.

with Laurie Harper-Burgess

Laurie has recently retired after working in Waldorf school early childhood settings, primarily mixed age kindergarten, for over 30 years. For 12 of those years she has been the caregiver in her LifeWays representative-site home childcare, Hearthstone, working with 1 to 6 year olds in a family-style model. Her love of all aspects of her work with children has brought joy, healing and transformation in an ongoing life journey. Now she would like to share some of that love and joy with parents and teachers of young children.

Puppet Felting for Early Childhood – Afternoons

In this felting workshop we will make the puppets for four different stories – one for each of the four seasons. We will felt the characters using coloured fleece, pipe cleaners and felting needles. With these you can create magical puppet shows at home, in a garden or on a forest walk for your children, grandchildren or class. Celebrate birthdays, seasonal festivals and fun! As we work we will explore ideas for staging, movement, gesture and songs. No previous felting experience is necessary. July 15-19, 1:30 to 4:45 pm.

鈥淧uppetry is a remedy against the ravages of civilization.鈥� 鈥� Rudolf Steiner

with Dianne Goldsmith

Dianne Goldsmith taught with the Toronto Board of Education for fifteen years. After the birth of her first son, she discovered the Toronto Waldorf School community. For many years she had a Waldorf-inspired home playgroup after which she joined the early childhood faculty at TWS, first as a kindergarten assistant, then as lead teacher until her retirement in 2015. Currently she mentors early childhood teachers and teaches puppetry at 麻豆直播. She is a founding member of the Silk and Strings Marionette Troupe.

Building a Firm Foundation: The Four Foundational Senses – Mornings

Let us take a deep dive into the four foundational senses, the sense of touch, life/well-being, self-movement and balance. Each day we will focus on one sense and then engage in practical and artistic activities, movement and games to enliven and develop that sense. We will finish with an overview of the twelve senses and the relationship between the four foundational, the middle four and the higher four. We will see the importance of building a strong foundation in the first seven years in order to become a fully functioning human being. July 15-19, 9 am to 12:30 pm.

with Laurie Harper-Burgess

Laurie has recently retired after working in Waldorf school early childhood settings, primarily mixed age kindergarten, for over 30 years. For 12 of those years she has been the caregiver in her LifeWays representative-site home childcare, Hearthstone, working with 1 to 6 year olds in a family-style model. Her love of all aspects of her work with children has brought joy, healing and transformation in an ongoing life journey. Now she would like to share some of that love and joy with parents and teachers of young children.

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