Inspire, Experience, Grow, Create

February 2014 FEBRUARY 2014

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Graduation Plans 1

Foreign Language Plays 2

Community Service 2

Foreign Exchange Program 3

Sand Fest 3

Technology & Adolescence 4

Architecture 6

Board Corner 6

Annual Talent Show 6

Work Experience 7

Swim Team 7

The Sport Report 8

SAVE

THE DATE

As our seniors enter their

final semester at AWS, most

find themselves in the

“waiting period” while

colleges and universities

make decisions regarding

their applications. Through

Early Application (EA) and

Rolling Admissions (RA)

students have received

acceptances to many schools

including Austin College,

Baylor University, Lamar

University, Southern

Methodist University,

Southwestern University,

Texas State University, Texas

Tech University, Trinity

University, University of

Dallas, University of Texas-

San Antonio, University of

Texas – Tyler, Texas A & M

University-Galveston, St.

Edward’s University, Austin

Sciences. Caitlin Kalk, our “go-

to pastry chef,” has committed

herself to studying Pastry and

Baking and Business

Management at Johnson and

Wales University in Denver.

Walker Stone, another AWS

soccer player, will attend Texas

State University where he can

investigate majors such as

Business, Environmental

Sciences, Coaching, and

Construction Management

while continuing to play soccer.

There is much celebration for

these three, as well as for all

student acceptances, and our

very best wishes for those still

enduring the “waiting period.”

Community College, Hendrix

College, Purdue University,

Johnson & Wales University,

Louisiana State University,

University of Colorado –

Colorado Springs, Agnes Scott

College, Eckerd College, and

Clark University. Some are still

waiting to hear regarding their

Regular Decision (RD)

applications to many other

institutions. These students will

make decisions by May 1st.

However, the three seniors

in this photograph have heard

from all their colleges and after

considering options have made

their final decisions. Jessica

Brown-L’Hoste, AWS soccer

player, has signed to attend the

University of Texas at Tyler

where she will play NCAA

Division III soccer while studying

Kinesiology and Health

AWS CLASS OF 2014 POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING

Saturday,

March 1st 10 am—12 pm

Join us for the

Austin Waldorf School

All Community

Meeting

Submitted by Patricia Daunt-Grogan, High School Counselor

Page 2 February 2014 Back to Table of Contents

The AWS 11th graders

celebrate their 11th year of

Spanish and German plays on

February 5 and 6, 2014. We are

anticipating a full house for the

school performance on

Thursday, February 6 at 11am,

so would welcome friends and

families particularly to our

premier performance on

Wednesday, February 5 at 7

pm. Both performances are in

the beautiful AWS Performing

Arts Center.

"Die Zauberfloete"

by Emanuel Schikaneder and

Carl Ludwig Giesecke, with

music by Wolfang Amadeus

Mozart, is about the search for

love, wisdom and fulfilment.

Princess Pamina, daughter of

the Queen of the Night, is

kidnapped by Sarastro, the

Priest of Wisdom and

Love. Luckily Prince Tamino

stumbles onto the scene, meets

the bird catcher Papageno, and,

sets off to rescue Pamina. Along

the way, animals are tamed and

the Queen of the Night is sent

back to her realm. Tamino and

Papageno undergo challenges of

silence, fire and water before

Papageno wins his true love

Papagena in the earthly realm.

Tamino and Pamina, after

demonstrating courage and

virtue, join the initiates of the

wise Priest Sarastro at his

Temple of Wisdom.

“Eco de la Montaña”

by Ramón García Domínguez is

a play about gaining

independence and breaking

away from the herd. Eco, the

echo of the mountains, is tired

of always repeating what

everyone else says and is ready

to say what SHE thinks. Vicente

is a follower, and always goes

where others go. Borrego, a

sheep, is tired of always

following the herd, and wants to

be independent. Vicente and

Borrego meet at the top of the

mountain and discuss how tired

they are of not being their own

individuals. Eco, who overhears

their conversation, gains the

confidence to break away from

the spell imposed on her by

Juno, wife of Jupiter. What

ensues is a comical interaction

between the three and others

who climb the mountain to hear

their echo. In the end, they all

discover who they truly want to

be, and realize that they can be

independent individuals even

when they are around

others. The play is full of slap-

stick comedy and play-on-words

in Spanish, all interpreted by an

outstanding group of 11th

graders.

Article reprinted from the Austin Waldorf School 2012-2013 Annual Report

FOREIGN LANGUAGE PLAYS Submitted by Ann Coltman & Giannina Guardia Hayes, High School World Languages

TRANSFORMATION THROUGH SERVICE

Why do our Waldorf

students have such a

strong altruistic streak? There are many aspects of

truth, beauty and goodness in

our curriculum and in our

community that contribute, of

course, but one that stands out

in particular is our emphasis on

service. From the early

cultivation of the healthy social

fabric of the class in the grade

school, through the focus on

chivalry and honor in the middle

school, continuing through the

individual community service

requirement in the high school,

and culminating in two weeks of

work experience in a service

context in 11th grade, and a

group service project during the

12th grade class trip, hands-on

service opportunities engage our

students in the world. This

healthy interest in local and

global community helps them

appreciate the value and

humanity of others. Interest in,

and engagement with the world

helps adolescents avoid self-

centered behaviors and

attitudes, and unites them with a

world outside themselves and

helps them connect with the

needs and life situations of

others. This is very healthy

during a time of intense physical

and emotional development. We

seek to draw our students out of

their narrow social worlds

through the service opportunities

they encounter in the Austin

Waldorf School curriculum.

In the 11th grade, students

are required to spend two weeks

engaged in service professions,

from kindergarten teacher to

doctor to social worker. Some

students also choose service-

oriented senior projects. Many

return from these experiences

with a new appreciation for the

culture of those they helped. Two

particular recent examples

come to mind. One was from the

presentation of Zachary

Rosanova’s (Class of 2011)

senior project, a service trip to

Latin America, in which he

remarked on the priority the

young people he worked with

placed on the relationships in

their families, rather than their

material goods or lack of them.

Another was a conversation with

an 11th grader (Jessica Brown

L’Hoste, class of 2014) after she

returned from working in a jobs

program for women who had

been in prison. She was

impressed, she said, by the fact

that, although these young

women had made mistakes, they

were not so different from the

rest of us.

The experience of coming

back together in the spirit of

service on the senior trip seals

the process – students emerge

empowered to be collaborative,

effective workers who value and

honor the humanity of the

people they are inspired to help.

As these young people leave the

loving home of their youth, their

proud high school teachers can

honestly recommend them as

individuals who have the moral

compass to choose wisely how to

contribute to their community

and to the world.

Page 3 The Messenger Back to Table of Contents

The eleventh grade students will soon begin

their sand sculpture block in the school’s sand

“yurt”, including a three day sand castle

workshop with Amazin’ Walter, a highly

respected, master sand sculptor. The

culmination will be a trip to Port Aransas to

compete at Texas Sandfest, an internationally

recognized sand sculpting festival, which is a

challenging, but highly enjoyable event that all of

our students look forward to. With almost a

decade of trophies under our belts, this year’s

students have quite the reputation to live up to.

For the past few years, AWS alumni have also

been spotted competing in the adult categories.

Sand sculpture is amazing for technical,

creative, social, and cultural reasons. Students

can rapidly create recyclable, eco-friendly works

on a large scale. Creatively, being composed of

sand and water, the sculptures are seen as

temporary and students feel free to take greater

risks in the work. Socially, sand sculpture is an

excellent team building activity. Planning,

organizing, communication and execution are

capacities inherently strengthened through

sculpting together. Students put their skills to

the test in an exciting, real world manner. With

over 100,000 onlookers and a limited amount

of time, it is truly jaw-dropping and heart

warming to see how impressively students rise

to the occasion, as well as happily interacting

with the audience and other sculptors. Culturally,

competing at the festival, students observe both

masters and amateurs engaged in mutual

artistic practice and gain a sense of being an

active, cultural participant in a respected, world

wide activity. They witness first hand, in a living

way, their education transformed into

meaningful, tangible practice.

We invite everyone to come down and

support our students. Sand Fest is a family

friendly event that makes for a great weekend

get-away!

For more information go to :

www.texassandfest.com OR visit:

http://www.portaransas-texas.com/port-

aransas-texas-sandfest.php

THE 2014 SANDFEST SAND SCULPTURE FESTIVAL IS SOON APPROACHING

For the past 8 years,

AWS High School students

have been participating in

exchanges with schools in

Germany, Switzerland and

Latin America. This

experience not only

serves their second

language acquisition

needs by allowing them to

be immersed in their

respective cultures and

languages, but also

serves as a unique way of

engaging in the journey of

self discovery. Students

often return with a

stronger sense of who

they are, a stronger sense

of independence, and a

wider perspective of the

world. In turn, when the

exchange students visit

our school they bring a

greater diversity, which

allows our community to

experience some of their

traditions and customs.

During this Spring

2014 semester we have

four exchange students

visiting the AustinWaldorf

School. Alyza Moore

(11th grade) travelled to

Lima, Perú the summer of

2013, and her exchange

partner, Miranda

Montenegro, is currently

visiting the 11th grade at

our school. Samantha

Horton (10th grade) will be

travelling to Lima, Perú

the summer of 2014, and

her exchange partner,

Manuel Jara, has been

visiting the 10th grade

since the beginning of the

semester. José Luis

Turincio (10th grade) will

be travelling to Buenos

Aires, Argentina during the

summer of 2014, and his

exchange partner, Pedro

Zerda, has also been

actively participating in

our 11th grade classes

this spring semester.

Finally, Dulce Rivera

(9th grade) will be

travelling to Switzerland

during the Fall 2014

semester. Her exchange

partner, Georg Jaeschke,

has been participating in

our 10th grade

classes. Some of the

exchange students have

already jumped into our

athletic programs, by

participating in boy’s

basketball.

Please help us in

welcoming them to our

community, and in making

their exchange experience

as positive as possible.

Our exchange program

continues to grow, and

it is through the support

of our community that

we are able to host and

sustain this type of

relationship.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROGRAM Submitted by Ann Coltman, High School World Languages

Submitted by Robert Miller, Art Program Director

February 2014 Page 4 Back to Table of Contents

How do we work

responsibly with the new

computer technologies

and communication

media as Waldorf parents

and educators? To what

extent and up to what age

should we protect our

children and students

from their influence and

how can we provide

healthy antidotes to any

negative effects on their

development?

These are profound questions to

which Douglas Gerwin gave some

very wise answers in his recent talk

for parents and teachers at the

Austin Waldorf School. The

following is an excerpt from an

article based on Dr. Gerwin’s

presentation that originally

appeared in Center & Periphery,

a quarterly online newsletter of

the Center for Anthroposophy

available at :

www.centerforanthroposophy.org.

When Is

Technology a

Tool? When a

Crutch? During the course of history,

advances in technology have

typically been accompanied by stern

warnings about their false promises

and dangers to our physical or

mental health. Listen only to the

words of Thamus, legendary king of

Thebes, who according to Socrates

had this to say to the divine Theuth

when the Egyptian god presented

the king with a new technology for

recording events and memories

called “writing”:

“If men learn this,” exclaimed the

king, “it will impart forgetfulness in

their souls; they will cease to

exercise memory because they rely

on that which is written, calling

things to remembrance no longer

from within themselves, but by

means of external marks. What you

have discovered is a recipe not for

memory, but for reminder.”

“And it is no true wisdom that you

offer your disciples,” he went on,

“but only its semblance, for by telling

them of many things without

teaching them you will make them

seem to know much, while for the

most part they know nothing, and as

men filled, not with wisdom, but with

the conceit of wisdom, they will be a

burden to their fellows.” [Plato,

Phaedrus, 275a-b]

Similar outcries during the

Renaissance were launched against

the printing press, and in more

recent times we have heard laments

about the corrosive effects on our

language of the tape recorder, the

typewriter, the word processor, spell

check, and now e-mail and Twitter

and AAA –– the Age of Acronyms

and Abbreviations. A modern-day

Cassandra might well tweet, “OMG.

How un42n8!”

Thamus’ words of caution did not

prevent writing from becoming an

increasingly widespread tool, first

among priests and scholars and by

now in the pudgy hands of every

eager first grader. No elementary

school teacher would wish it

otherwise.

And yet there is prescience in

Thamus’ warning. Our powers of

memory today, it would seem, are

no match for those of the Ancient

Greek bards, who we are told could

recite Homer’s epic poems by heart,

hours at a time. And I hear high

school teachers say they can tell by

its tone and fluency whether a

student’s essay was hand-written or

composed on a keyboard.

Do I wish to imply that we should

roll back the teaching of writing or

extend “Screen-Free Week” to all

electronic communication? No.

(How, after all, could I expect you to

be reading this article, if I did?)

Rather, my point is to suggest that

Socrates’ cautionary tale hints at an

aspect of technology we may be

prone to overlook.

As the root meanings of the word

suggest, technology [Gr. techne,

“tool” and “way, means”] implies

something about instruments, on

the one hand, and something about

ways to use them, on the other.

Now, before you can make use of a

tool, you need first to develop a

measure of skill to carry out on your

own the physical or mental deed

that the tool is intended to make

easier. Don’t give toddlers a

hammer, for example, until they

have mastered some level of skill at

hitting things accurately. Keep

calculators away from children until

they have acquired some proficiency

in arithmetic operations. In the first

case, youngsters need to build up

physical muscle before a hammer

can serve as a useful (rather than as

a recklessly destructive) tool; in the

second case, children need to build

up “spiritual muscle”––say, through

mental math––before a calculator

can function as a useful aid to

intellectual operations rather than as

a substitute for them.

Herein lies the key: give a child a

tool early on in life, and it will

supplant the very skill it was

intended to supplement. In other

words, tools become prosthetics, or

crutches, if introduced too soon.

Their use also tends to become

addictive.

The same case can be made

about any piece of technology, to the

degree that it enhances a human

skill or way of doing something.

Electronic media are no exception.

The fundamental questions remain

the same:

Which human skill are these

electronic “tools” designed to assist

or even mimic?

At which age will children have

developed these skills sufficiently so

that these “tools” can serve rather

than subvert them?

Let’s take television, perhaps one

of the more controversial examples.

Television mimics the human ability

to create pictures. According to

Rudolf Steiner, children learn to

think by inwardly creating mental

pictures and mental images. If

pictures are outwardly supplied

ready made, they rob the child of the

opportunity to build the “imaginative

muscle” needed to become

independent thinkers. Since the

ability to think unfolds gradually, the

age at which children can benefit

from television, rather than become

TECHNOLOGY & ADOLESCENCE Submitted by Cat Russel, PhD, Austin Waldorf High School Chair

Cont’d. on page 5

The Messenger Page 5 Back to Table of Contents

slaves to it, will vary. A general

guideline, though, will be: the later,

the better, recognizing that we

cannot shut off our children from all

exposure to these kinds of tool.

Indeed, Rudolf Steiner cautions

against banning tools of technology

outright. In a lecture given shortly

after the outbreak of World War I

[“Technology and Art”, Dornach 28

December 1914], he declared: “It

would be the worst possible mistake

to say that we should resist what

technology has brought into modern

life, that we should protect

ourselves . . . by cutting ourselves off

from modern life. In a certain sense

this would be spiritual

cowardice.” [emphasis added]

Instead, Steiner goes on to say,

the more we expose ourselves to

technology (rather than flee from it),

the more we need to strengthen in

ourselves––for instance, through

the arts––precisely those human

capacities that technology mimics or

supplements.

In our present time, attention is

turning to the appropriate use of

computers in schools. Paradoxically,

we read about kindergarten

teachers who are encouraging the

use of computers and tweeting in

pre-school while, at the very same

time, some university professors are

banning these tools outright from

their lectures and jamming their

seminar classrooms to curb the

distractions of so-called social

media. In this hotly contested field of

enquiry, the questions suggested

above can be posed once again:

Which human skills does the

computer mimic or supplement?

At which age will children have

developed these skills sufficiently so

that the computer can assist rather

than hijack them?

To the first question: Which

human skills does the computer

mimic or supplement?

It is tempting to think of the

computer as a fancy calculator or

stern grammarian, and for many

people (myself included) this device

does indeed serve these functions.

But what makes the computer

distinctive from other technological

devices is its ability to simulate

human experience. In fact, as one

respondent suggested, we should

rename the computer “the

simulator” in recognition of the

tremendous benefits that the

computer has wrought in our culture,

especially in the fields of

engineering, medicine, and––yes––

entertainment and even

broadcasting.

Computer models allow us to test

new engines, fly new airplanes, try

out new drugs without even creating

them in the physical world. Using

virtual models, we are able to

experiment with new designs and

simulate their effects. By the same

token, every weather map you see

on the evening newscast and just

about every vehicle or building you

see get blown up in a scene of a so-

called “action movie” these days is

some kind of computer simulation. If

you have remained seated long

enough at the end of a film to watch

the credits roll, you will know just

how many people work on a film’s

computerized “FX”.

So, what’s the problem with that?

The problem is the same as for all

examples of technology. It’s great

when it supplements a skill you have

already developed, and it’s not so

great when it supplants it. If you have

mastered some drawings of

projective geometry, the computer

can enhance your understanding

and appreciation of this mind-

bending subject through models of

geometric forms set whirling in

simulated motion. But in teaching

this subject, I would never wish my

students to work with these

simulations until they had first

achieved a measure of skill in

making their own drawings. It’s the

difference between listening to a

recording of music you don’t know

and listening to a recording in which

a skilled soloist plays precisely the

piece you have struggled for months

to play yourself. The recording is all

the more thrilling if it supplements

your own experience rather than

replacing it.

There, then, is the first point: the

computer supplies us with a virtual

experience that can serve to

supplement our actual, that is to say

lived, experience. The mischief––

including, I would suggest, the

beginning of addiction––begins

when the computer supplants it.

Virtual experience is of a different

order of being than lived experience.

It is like an advertisement for a loaf

of bread: the promise––but not the

delivery––of nourishment. If

anything, the image will stir the

craving but not, of itself,

relieve it.

To the second question: At which

age will children have developed

these skills sufficiently so that the

computer can assist rather than

hijack them?

If we can recognize the specific

genius of the computer as being its

ability to simulate human

experience, then (at least in an

abstract way) we have already

answered the second question. The

child will be ready to benefit from

simulated experience to the degree

it has already engaged in its own

lived experience.

But here’s the rub: who is willing–

–or even able––to withhold the

computer from children for that

long? As one set of parents reported

in response to our questions, the

more they try to keep the computer

from their children, the more they

run after it. So we need an

alternative approach.

Here’s one. Let’s ask a practical

question: what are children not

doing while engaged with the

computer that otherwise they might

be doing? Three things come to

mind:

~~They are not moving

~~They are not creating their

own mental pictures

~~They are not engaged in lived

experience

Empirically, we know that children

need to exercise all three of these

capabilities if they are to enjoy a

healthy physical, emotional, and

spiritual life, both in childhood and

later in adult life. In the context of

Waldorf education, we know that all

three of these exercises involve the

child’s developing sense of self, or

“I”. When the child’s “I” is engaged,

the child will develop healthily; when

the “I” is not engaged, the child will

not mature.

Empirical studies show that the “I”

is most engaged when the child is

stirred to physical movement

(especially in the pre-school years),

when it is inspired to create mental

pictures (especially during the grade

school years), and when it is

motivated to embrace self-directed

lived experience (especially in high

school and in the years that follow).

To the degree, then, that children

spend their time on the computer at

the expense of exercising these

three capacities, to this same degree

their caretakers––that is, we as their

parents and teachers––need to

provide all the more opportunities to

develop them.

A ratio of computer time to

movement time; a ratio of computer

time to mental creativity time; a ratio

of virtual computer experience to

lived experience needs to be

calculated––perhaps negotiated

and modified––as the child gets

older. The key point, though, is that

movement, mental creativity, and

lived experience get to be “front

loaded”, so to speak. First the real,

then the simulated, or e-real.

Otherwise, the child will run the

risk of growing up without the full

involvement of its “I” or ego. And

when ego is treated as e-go, it will

only be a matter of time before

it’s e-gone.

About the author: Douglas

Gerwin, Director of the Center

for Anthroposophy and

Executive Director of the

Research Institute for Waldorf

Education, has taught history,

literature, German, music, and

life science at the Waldorf high

school level since 1983. He

presently divides his time

between adult education and

teaching in various North

American Waldorf schools.

Douglas is the founder of the

Waldorf High School Teacher

Education Program at the

Center for Anthroposophy and

editor of several books related

to Waldorf education.

TECHNOLOGY & ADOLESCENCE CONT’D. FROM PAGE 4

February 2014 Back to Table of Contents

Page 6

Submitted by Morgan Vierheller, High School Humanities

The 12th grade History

Through Architecture main

lesson completes the series

known as the aesthetics

blocks. In each grade,

students study history

through the lens of a

cultural discipline; Art in

ninth, Poetry in tenth, Music

in eleventh and Architecture

in twelfth. Artistic work

reflects the conscience of a

culture which may be

overlooked by only focusing

on traditional political

history.

In the architecture

blocks, our seniors work

through the progression of

architectural innovation and

the underlying inspiration

for paradigm shifts, both

technologically and

aesthetically. Through

geometric constructions,

3-D modeling and

biographical investigation of

their choosing, students in

the 12th grade work

through an experience of

these shifts, culminating in

a presentation of architects,

architecture and related

movements.

Saturday,

February 15th,

2014

WALDORF TALENT SHOW

Tickets: $6—students

$10-adults

$25-family of 4 or more

Pre-show events in the Gym:

5:15 pm

Enter the ping-pong tournament,

sample the delicious buffet

(including quiche, hummus, fruit,

veggies, apple cider, desserts), and

sign up to win fantastic silent

auction prizes.

Performance begins in the PAC:

6:30 pm

There will be three sets, with two

intermissions. The first two sets are

appropriate for all ages. The final

set will include loud rock music and

other performances more suitable

for students in middle school and

older. Enjoy food, drinks,

camaraderie and the silent auction

exhibits in the gym during

intermissions.

All proceeds support the AWS Class

Trip Pool.

Please contact

Mandy Winford at:

flyingfishdesigns@sbcglobal.net

or call 512-788-1044 for more

information.

The Senior Class

Of 2014

Cordially Invites You

To the Annual

The Board of Trustees has

hit the ground running in

2014. We enjoyed a long

weekend of Dynamic

Governance training in

January with the College of

Teachers, High School Faculty,

and Administration to adapt

our internal school leadership

functions. This work has

ensured the Board of Trustees

and College of Teachers is

ready to begin the search for

the Administrator position for

the Austin Waldorf School.

The Board of Trustees and

College of Teachers will

continue working closely in

this process and will have

more to share at the All

Community Meeting.

We would like to invite you

to attend this All Community

Meeting on Saturday March 1,

2014 from 10 am to 12 pm.

This is an opportunity for

our entire community to come

together and share in the

current and future planning of

the Austin Waldorf School.

Each year the Board of

Trustees, The College of

Teachers, and School

Administration utilizes this

meeting to ensure our

community is engaged in the

work of our school. The

strength of our school is as

strong as the bonds our

community nourishes. The

Board of Trustees looks

forward to seeing our current

families attend.

We are blessed to have

many talented community

members serve on the

Standing Committees of the

board. In December, the

Board of Trustees accepted

the recommendation from the

Site Committee to add a

multipurpose classroom and

locker facility onto the

gymnasium. The Site

Committee is working hard

with school administration on

the design and funding phase

of this project.

Lastly, we would like to say

“Thank You” for the many

ways all of the families

support our school. The goal

for this year’s Annual Fund is

$231,000. With the beginning

of the school year, our

community of alumni, faculty,

and parents has donated 54%

of the goal for Annual Fund.

Remember, in this New

Year, to take a moment and

pledge to the Austin Waldorf

School Annual Fund.

Thank You!

Submitted by Jenni Evans, Board President

BOARD CORNER

HISTORY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE

Page 7 Back to Table of Contents The Messenger

What is the AWS Work

Experience Program?

The The Austin Waldorf School

Work Experience Program is

designed to provide high school

students with guidance and

inspiration through a practical

work experience.

Over the course of a two-week

period, the student expands his

or her academic and artistic

school experience with a learning

opportunity in the workplace.

AWS invites employers to

contribute to our student’s lives

by volunteering to host one of our

students.

Students are searching for

truth. They wonder: “Who am

I? How can I make a difference in

life?” These questions are

central to the adolescent, and

work in the world outside of

school can play a crucial role in a

young adult’s development.

Our aim is to develop young

adults who view themselves and

others with equal measures of

compassion and objectivity.

What is the Role of

the Student?

In order for the work

experience placement to be

successful, students are

expected to do the following:

Communicate with a

potential employer to

arrange a minimum of

40 hours of work.

Arrange transportation

to the jobsite and be on

time.

Approach the experience

with openness and

enthusiasm.

Comply with all rules and

safety procedures.

Carry out responsibilities

in a courteous,

responsible manner.

Call the coordinators if

there are problems that

can’t be solved at the

workplace.

Call the employer and

coordinator if illness

prevents them from

working.

Complete all school-

related assignments

(graduation

requirement).

Accept no payment for

their services.

What is the Role of the

Employer?

Employers play a vital role in

the success of the program,

contributing substantially to the

student’s growth, development,

and future career plan.

While students’ levels of ability

will vary, they should experience

as realistic a job situation as

possible. To this end, it is

expected that employers will do

the following:

Provide the safest working

conditions possible.

Inform students of all

important health regulations

and safety procedures.

Provide a variety of tasks

and responsibilities, where

feasible, so that students

can learn about all aspects

of the business.

Assign students to an

employee who can act as a

job supervisor, preferably

throughout the entire

experience.

Contact the work experience

coordinator if there are any

questions or problems.

Complete an evaluation

form, discuss it with the

student, and return it to

AWS.

The employer has the right to

terminate a student’s

participation.

How do I become and AWS

Work Experience Employer?

For more information on

volunteering to become a Work

Experience Program employer,

please contact the coordinators:

Erik Olson

512-585-1767

Patricia Daunt-Grogan

512-439-0118

Fax: 512-439-0143

highschool@austinwaldorf.org

WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM

During each year of high

school we focus on a

different cognitive faculty: in

ninth grade, the powers of

observation; in tenth, the

powers of comparison; in

eleventh, analysis; and in

twelfth, synthesis.

Grade 9 students do farm

work, which complements

their science and

humanities curriculum and

helps them learn their

physical strengths and

limitations.

Grade 10 students work in

small factories/businesses

or with craftspeople,

learning about processes by

seeing products created

from start to finish.

In Grade 11, the student

begins to develop a sense of

identity in relation to others

by working in the human

services (schools, hospitals,

non-profit agencies).

In Grade 12 students are

ready to explore their unique

interests in different areas.

With support from the

coordinator, they create

their own work experience.

12th grader Julia Shults = Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay, Girls 100 Yard

Freestyle Relay, Girls 100 Yard Freestyle, Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

11th grader Hudson Bell = Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay, Girls 200 Yard

Individual Medley, Girls 100 Yard Freestyle Relay, Girls 100 Yard

Breaststroke

10th grader Lucy Pickens = Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay, Girls 100

Yard Freestyle Relay, Girls 100 Yard Freestyle, Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

10th grader Will Tucker = Boys 100 yard Freestyle, Boys 100 Yard

Breaststroke, Boys 50 yard Freestyle

9th grader Sydney Rodgers = Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay, Girls 100

Yard Freestyle, Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

9th grader Zoe Harrison = Girls 100 Yard Freestyle Relay, Girls 100

Yard Breaststroke, Girls 50 Yard Freestyle

Submitted by Colleen Sauer, High School Office

HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM

Our amazing 2013-2014 Swim Team participants:

Austin Waldorf School

8700 South View Road

Austin, TX 78737

Our Mission: “Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who, of themselves, are able to give purpose and direction to their lives.” ~Rudolf Steiner

By creating a school environment that balances academic, artistic and practical disciplines, the Austin Waldorf School cultivates a love of learning, creative thinking, a sympathetic interest in the world, self-confidence and an abiding moral purpose.

Celebrating 34 years of educational excellence in Austin.

Page 8 Back to Table of Contents The Messenger

Main Office: 512-288-5942

Fax: 512-301-8997

High School: 512-301-9550

Fax: 512-439-0143

Kindergarten: 512-288-5120

Aftercare Emergency: 512-767-5707

Juniper Tree : 512-288-5106

To unsubscribe to the Messenger, click here. Questions or comments? Click here.

E-mail:

Awsannounce

@austinwaldorf.org

The Austin Waldorf School is a non-profit educational institution, 501(c)3, that welcomes students of any religion, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin.

SPORT REPORT: HOOP DREAMING OF TITLES Submitted by Corey Horton, Roadrunner Sports Reporter

It’s February, and that means

the homestretch of the basketball

season, as teams try to win regular

season titles and prepare for

playoff runs. There have been

exciting wins and tough losses this

year, and each team has seen

improved individual and team

play. Here are some of the stories

we’re following into February

(dreaming big for our teams in

March!), as well as a preview of

remaining home games. For results

and recaps for each team visit :

http://aws-

knowledge.pbworks.com/

Athletics%3A%20Basketball.

High School Girls

This year, the team entered with

plenty of returning talent, but

lacked depth as just two starters

and six players returned from last

year. Returning players have

shown growth in their games, and

the freshman have provided

needed depth.

The result? An amazing 22-1

start! Along the way, they have won

three tournaments and two games

in overtime, each requiring last

second heroics. Most recently,

they have picked up double-digit

wins over rivals Shiner St. Paul and

New Braunfels Christian. A district

title and a deep state tournament

run are squarely in their sights!

Senior point guard Lauren

Alexander runs the offense and has

led the scoring with great three

point shooting. Senior guard

Jessica L'Hoste sparks an

aggressive pressing defense that

smothers opponents. Junior Alexa

Richardson has translated her

volleyball prowess onto the

basketball court. Sophomore

center Samantha Horton has been

a strong presence in the paint on

defense and seems to always find

a few layups on the offensive

end. Junior Emma Graves got off to

an excellent start on both ends of

the court, but an ankle injury

sidelined her for district play and

the team can only hope that she is

able to return for the state

tournament. Meanwhile, the team

has been getting key minutes and

points from sophomore Aleah

Goldstein and freshmen Dulce

Rivera Osoria, Eliza Callahan, and

Sophie Laird.

Halfway through district play,

coaches Erik Olson, Darcell Smith,

and Keith Graves have our girls tied

for the district lead at 5-1 with New

Braunfels Christian. By the time

you read this, they will have played

home games against John Paul and

Shiner, and will have only one

home game left - Senior Day!

High School Boys

After a rocky start to the season

(0-3 with two double-digit losses), it

was soon clear that this team is a

good one, and could even win

district! After their first pass

through the district schedule, they

had gone 5-1 and their loss also

was by just a single point to John

Paul II. Their overall record is up to

14-7, and the team is fun to watch,

averaging more than 60 points per

game, thanks to a balanced

offense and an aggressive defense.

Freshman point guard Toby

Marek leads the offense and is the

team's top scorer, averaging more

than 14 points per game (ppg). His

brother, senior center Matthew

Marek, is playing his first season

for the Roadrunners, and he has

been a powerful force . Junior

Sebastian Paredes and sophomore

Jeff Wilson both provide excellent

scoring inside and outside and

each averages more than

10ppg. Junior guard Jonah

Lipscomb is a tenacious defender,

while junior forwards Aidan

Habenicht and Max Graves provide

muscle and scoring inside. The

team has great depth with key

minutes being played by seniors

Josh Frankel & Christopher

Frizzell. And when an unfortunate

injury to sophomore Ryan Mata

ended his season, the team

brought up freshman Ben Callahan

to show off his outside shooting.

Heading into the second half of

district play, Coaches BJ Terrill and

Aaron Urbanus have the

Roadrunners in 2nd place in

district, just one game behind John

Paul II, and should be poised for a

deep run in the state tournament!

The JV team has also been fun

to watch. They are led by five

freshmen - point guard Dominic

Dixon leads an aggressive defense

and is an excellent 3-point

shooter. John and Ben Callahan

both are excellent passers and

outside shooters, while center

Ethan Denson battles the biggest

opponents in the paint. Joined by

Ian McGinn and sophomore

exchange student Manuel Jara, the

JV team always puts on an

entertaining game as they out-

execute larger opponents.

SENIOR DAY

There is just ONE chance left to

see the high school teams before

the state tournament, and that will

be SENIOR DAY on Friday, February

7th. Not only will we be honoring

our seniors on this day, but we will

be playing defending district

champs Halletsville Sacred Heart,

so it should be great

basketball! Please come out and

cheer! The schedule for Senior

Day is as follows:

5:15 pm - JV Boys play their

final home game of an excellent

season.

6:30 pm - Varsity Girls

rematch against the Sacred Heart

team they beat by a single point in

January.

7:45 pm - Senior Day

Ceremony honoring 10 seniors -

Lauren Alexander, Josh Frankel,

Christopher Frizzell, Jessica

L'Hoste, and Matthew Marek

8:15 pm - Varsity Boys play

the 3rd place Indians and a shot at

the district title may be on the line.

After Senior Day, look for

announcements on the

Roadrunners seeding for the TAPPS

2A playoffs, and hopefully hosting

playoff games on Tuesday,

February 18 and possibly Saturday,

February 22.

Middle School Boys

The boys have two middle

school teams, with eight 8th

graders playing in the AIPL 4A

division and a 1A team comprised

of six 7th graders and four 8th

graders. The teams are coached by

Corey Horton and Kevin Ng, with

help from David Hoisington. The

4A team is tall and aggressive and

have overwhelmed many of their

opponents with their

athleticism. Unfortunately, they

lost their first game of the season

to a hot-shooting St. Austin team

and currently sit 1 game behind St.

Austin for the regular season

championship. The 1A team plays

with great enthusiasm and growing

skill and that has translated into

wins as they also have just one loss

this year, to undefeated St.

Stephens. Their most memorable

game saw them break a tie with 23

seconds on a free throw and then

seal the victory 15 seconds later

with a 3-pointer to beat Regents.

Middle School Girls

The girls have a single team this

year, playing at the tough 4A level,

and coached by Erik Olson and Darcell

Smith. They have started their season 2-

3 with their last game being an exciting 5

point win over Redeemer.

Remaining Games:

There are a number of great

opportunities to see the middle school

teams in February. The 4A teams have a

doubleheader against St. Louis on

Thursday, February 6th with the girls

tipping off at 6pm and the boys at

7:15pm. The boys 4A team has set up

non-AIPL games against the two best

teams at the 5A level, facing St.

Stephen's on Saturday, February 8 and

Regents on Saturday, February 15. The

boys 1A team plays its final home game

vs St. Theresa's on Wednesday, February

12 at 6pm.

The AIPL Tournaments will all be away

from home, 2/19-2/22, with times and

opponents to be determined, and the

teams would love your support. Look for

an upcoming announcement of date and

locations on aws-families.

See you in the bleachers -

Go Roadrunners!