Kimberton Waldorf School
Education That Matters
In the context of an upcoming Presidential election, we will consider how we can understand our current cultural and political predicament from a developmental, growth-oriented perspective, with an emphasis on recognizing some of the most prevalent patterns and dysfunctions that inhibit the health of diverse communities.
Watch below a recording of this insightful lecture, and please join us for our next Lecture Series on Monday, October 28th at 6:30pm.
Dr. Brad Kershner offers reflections on the metacrisis and shares an in-depth summary of the book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. He makes connections between the themes of this book, the larger constellation of social and cultural problems we are all facing, and the principles and practices of Waldorf education – an approach to learning in community that offers timely and relevant values and practices to address our deepest educational questions and dilemmas.
This lecture was offered to parents at Kimberton Waldorf School – October 11, 2023
Dear Families,
As the leaves make their way from branch to earth, and the warmth of the autumn sun finally subsides to allow for the coolness of November, I find myself wondering how you are doing, and how we are all doing, collectively. How are you? Hanging in there? Wondering how you’d even begin to answer such a question?
There is much to celebrate and appreciate in these first two months of school. We’ve already done so much! And there’s more to come as we move through the winter holidays, which are sure to be filled with meaningful main lessons, off campus adventures, artistic expressions, and enough assemblies and special events to ensure that we all have plenty of chances to revel in the camaraderie of our community, and to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of life that come with raising children within a small Waldorf school, nestled in the beautiful landscape that we call Kimberton.
And yet, our hearts are broken. The indescribable tragedies of the world around us continue to pound on the doors of our conscience and reverberate throughout the many layers of our collective psyche. The contrast between the daily blessings of our community life and the ongoing horrors of war and terror that scream their cries to our unprepared ears couldn’t be more stark or extreme. How could we ever make peace with this situation? How can we come to terms with the injustice of this existential discrepancy? I don’t know. I really don’t know, and I doubt that we can.
But there are some things I do know. I know that we can love and care for each other ever more and even better than we do, and that is worth striving for. I know that everything that we do here in our little corner of the world does matter. And I know that the seeds of peace are best planted in the ground beneath one’s feet, in soil that’s been tended and prepared by loving relationships, for that is where they are most likely to grow strong and tall.
There is much more to say, with many different kinds of truths to be shared and many different perspectives from which to understand our predicament, but I hope you don’t mind my attempt to say something, and I hope you will join me in continuing to work for peace close to home while seeking to understand the wars that rage around us. As was discussed at our recent community education event, there is no way to avoid our shared plight of living through a metacrisis, but the work we are doing here together is a small but meaningful part of what needs to happen for a new and more peaceful world to be born.
May peace be with you,
Brad Kershner
Head of School
Kimberton Waldorf School
Written by Alicia (Warner) DeMont
Last year, current KWS junior Kayla Hirschfield (class of 2023) was nominated by her rabbi to participate in an anti-racist program through The Chester County Religious Action Center. The focus of the program is on racial equality and social justice issues. Upon the completion of the course, participants are asked to undertake a capstone project. As her capstone experience, Kayla decided to build a website that features a list of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) owned businesses in Chester County. She built “the website to encourage the community to support BIPOC owned businesses as well as for people who already want to support such businesses, but don’t know where to start.”
Through a KWS class on business entrepreneurship and her own experiences, Kayla came to realize just how foundational locally owned businesses are to the overall health of a community. She also knows that BIPOC owned businesses face unique challenges. “Dealing with obstacles like racial discrimination and systemic racism, it has always been harder for BIPOC to move forward with their businesses. BIPOC owned businesses face injustice socially, economically, and systemically whether it be from banks, customers, social problems, etc. While white owned businesses face some of the same hardships that BIPOC businesses face, they never have to deal with the struggle of race. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s gotten more difficult for all businesses to stay afloat. We see more BIPOC owned businesses shutting down significantly more than their white owned counterparts as they are the most affected group in business.”
In thinking of ways to connect to and give voice to BIPOC owned businesses in Chester County, Kayla contacted BIPOC business owners and invited them to be listed on her website. Seven businesses are listed on her website – ranging from restaurants, a toy collection store to an organization called Diaspora Community, which is a web-based community aimed at guiding African businesses in Diaspora seeking to do business in Africa.
On August 29, 2021, Kayla launched her website on zoom. She invited the KWS and wider communities to attend. It was a successful launch with more than 20 people in attendance. During the launch party, not only were the business owners recognized and celebrated for their entrepreneurship, but they also had the chance to discuss issues of systemic racism, especially in light of business ownership.
“I care about racial injustice because this issue still greatly affects people of color, and I feel that if I can do something about it, even in a small way, it can make a difference. Systemic racism affects businesses owned by people of color, and if we can support those businesses, we could be a step closer to making that difference. I know that KWS is committed to being an anti-racist community and I’m hoping that students, faculty, [alumni] and parents will see the importance of such initiative.”
KWS/KFS alumni are encouraged to support Kayla in her work to promote BIPOC businesses. She “would appreciate any referrals of eligible businesses in Chester County that might be interested in being included in the website. This would be a great way to participate and potentially make a difference for a local entrepreneur.”
Please contact Kayla Hirschfield at: ccbipoc@gmail.com
Website: https://bipocbusinesseschestercounty.carrd.co
The Class of 2020 has had wonderful college news arriving in mailboxes and inboxes! We are so proud of them.
A list of all acceptances to date follows. A number of students applied Early Decision and so were admitted to their top choice and did not apply elsewhere. Seniors had until June 1 to commit to the college of their choice. Some students are still considering a gap year, a national trend. They received nearly $600,000 in merit awards per year. Congratulations to our accomplished seniors!
Please join us on Wednesday, July 22nd at 7:30 pm for an evening full of wisdom and insight into the Waldorf curriculum led by Gerald LoDolce, seasoned Waldorf teacher who has taught over four cycles of classes at our very own Kimberton Waldorf School. Gerry will also explore how the curriculum offers to explore other cultures and has adaptability to embrace & educate within the context of today’s cultural challenges, mindfully following up on last week’s invigorating talk by Torin Finser. There will be time for a question and answers at the end. (this info is also posted on the KWS School Calendar)
KWSPA hosted Torin M. Finser on July 9th
Torin has over 60 years of experience in Waldorf education as a student and learner, parent, teacher, teacher of teachers, author, Ph.D., and leader in the international Waldorf community.
“Waldorf Education for Social Justice” is his passion and the focus of much of his current work. He emphasizes the need for schools to connect with the current issues dividing our society: political polarization, racism, income inequality, immigration, nationalism, and religious fundamentalism to name a few. Focus on these problems at the educational level can be transformative and put power in the hands of the community to address their immediate concerns, seek out new ways for the field to change and adapt in the future. But external advocacy needs to be balanced with opportunities for introspection as well, which Waldorf education also beautifully teaches our children.
Please take a moment to become familiar with Torin and his work. His extensive bio and the books he has authored are linked below. We’ve also attached a link to recent and powerful articles to read in preparation. There will be a small window for discussion and a few questions. Please take advantage of this tremendous opportunity to engage with change.
Bio https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/faculty/torin-finser/
Books https://www.amazon.com/Books-Torin-Finser/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ATorin+Finser
The Future of Waldorf Education: Beyond 100 https://www.waldorftoday.com/2019/09/the-future-of-waldorf-education-beyond-100/
Beyond 100: A return to the social justice roots of Waldorf Education https://www.antioch.edu/new-england/2019/04/19/beyond-100-a-return-to-the-social-justice-roots-of-waldorf-education/
Thurs, Jun 25, 7:30p (see community email for link)
We would like to thank all those who participated on June 25 in the first of a series of Social Justice discussions through the KWS Parent Association. Many thanks to Mari Avicolli for hosting. We’re proud to say it was our largest Parent Association gathering thus far! This anti-racist self-reflection work is not easy or comfortable, and we acknowledge the courage it takes each individual to look within for evidence of racism or bias. This is the only way forward to a peaceful and socially just world, which is one of the core principles of our school.
Mari Avicolli is an alumna who returned to KWS to teach in 2015. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State with a focus in cross-cultural communication. From 2017-2019 she served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. While there, she led diversity trainings for PCVs and host country nationals in an effort to help everyone be seen and feel playing in the orchestra for the musical, assisting on the Odyssey, or roasting coffee and talking about Ethopia with the 7th and 8th grades.
We are grateful to Mari for initiating the conversation about anti-racism with our community, and during this discussion she will share an overview of…
white fragility – cultural appropriation – how to raise anti-racist children – intersectionality
Some KWS high school students have participated in BLM protests in Philadelphia, Phoenixville, and West Chester. Pictured above at 38th and Market Street.
Kimberton Waldorf School is deeply saddened by recent tragic events of racial injustice. We support work in the world that aims to break down systemic forms of racism. We wish to express our sorrow for all people of color who are and have been subjected to injustice and racial discrimination. Diversity and inclusion are important values of our school community, and we honor the inherent dignity of all human beings.
Bryan Stevenson on the Frustration Behind the George Floyd Protests
