2015 ISSUE
A PUBLICATION OF NEW YORK’S RUDOLF STEINER SCHOOL
CONTENTS
6
2 ...................Letter from the Administrative Director
3 ...................Letter from the College Speaker
4 ...................Letter from the Board Chair
OUR MISSION
6 ...................Thoughts on Race Relations
9 ...................A World of Steiner Music
22 ................Athletics: Cultivating Passion
The Rudolf Steiner School embraces Waldorf education, a pedagogy derived
26 ................Eighth Grade Coders
from the insights of Austrian-born scientist, philosopher, artist, and educator
28 ................2014 Fall Fair
Rudolf Steiner. The program, from nursery through twelfth grade, addresses the
physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities of the developing child through
30 ................2015 Spring Gala
an age-appropriate curriculum that integrates the disciplines of movement, fine
32 ................The Class of 2015
9
arts, and practical arts into the study of humanities, science, math, and technology.
Through the development of these capacities, we strive to educate the whole
38 ................Letter from the Parent Council President
22
human being in a healthy and balanced manner.
36 ................2015 Commencement Address
40 ................Spring 2015 Rose Ceremony
The Rudolf Steiner School actively welcomes students, faculty, and
42 ................In Memoriam
staff of all ethnicities and gender preferences, and of all faiths
47 ................Letter from the Alumni Association Chair
and creeds. We respect and support individuals’ spiritual beliefs
48 ................Alumni Events in 2015
and practices.
49 ................Class Notes
26
We strive to develop the mind, body and spirit of the child,
encouraging, in the process, the child’s spiritual freedom and
52 ................Letter from the Development Chairs
53 ................Letter from the Treasurer
growth. As in every Waldorf School, our teaching
54 ................Budget Results
works toward this aim by drawing on the insights into
55 ................Donors
human development pioneered by Rudolf Steiner.
62 ................The Founder’s Circle
The Waldorf curriculum is diverse in nature and rich
63 ................4 Ways You Can Give
in the teachings of many great religious traditions.
64 ................2015-16 Community Calendar
32
Students develop an understanding and respect
for the various cultures of the world through their
experience in the classroom and in the celebration
of seasonal festivals of the year. Drawing on many
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Brian Kaplan
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kevin Grant, Esq. ’04, Lucia Oswald, Adam Van Auken
traditions, we celebrate our common humanity, not
DESIGN
Eric Perry
our separateness in belief or practice.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Annabel Clark, Brian Kaplan
PRINTING
Libow Direct, Incorporated
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
1
Letter from the Administrative Director
Letter from the College of Teachers
Dear Steiner Community,
Dear Community of the Rudolf Steiner School,
T
T
he fall is always an exciting time at the Rudolf Steiner
School. The students have found their footing;
everyone is busy! Our community is alive and
flourishing. Every morning, I relish the sounds of our
Pre-K students coming to school, as they make their way
into their communities – and then again, when they go to
the park a few hours later. Meanwhile, at our 78th Street
campus, the older students discuss serious topics and share
their ambitions – it is refreshing to overhear conversations
about some very serious topics.
hroughout last year as College Speaker, I have
very much appreciated working with our varied
and vibrant community. It has been inspiring
to participate with such intelligent, competent, and
impassioned individuals, all of us united in our
commitment to the Waldorf education of our children.
One of the unique aspects of Waldorf
education is the collaborative nature of
the three-fold governing structure of
the school - comprised of the College of
Teachers, the Board of Trustees, and the
Administrative Council. Although there is
certainly familiarity with the term “College
of Teachers,” there are often questions about
what it is and its role in service to the school.
The 2015-16 school year started smoothly, and already
Fall Fair is just around the corner. Many members of
the community have been hard at work assisting in the
monumental production that is the fair. I am looking
forward to this, as it is an opportunity for me to get to
know even more alumni, grandparents, parents, and
children of all ages. School spirit is alive and well at Steiner
with all of us working together to build the school we love.
The shared journey of education has been gifted by the
addition of many new members. Thank you for taking the
time to welcome them. Your generosity of spirit and your
welcoming gestures have gone a long way in providing
our newest members with a deep sense of belonging to a
community who cares for and values its members.
This year’s Spiral focuses on nourishing our community,
and in turn, teaching the children about its importance.
We are delighted that Kevin Grant, an alum who practices
law in New York City, shares his views on key diversity
issues that are important to us all at Steiner. We take
a look at the talented men and women who teach
music at the school, and we will also examine what’s
happening in our athletics and technology programs.
Finally, the Messaging Committee spent six months last
year discussing how we share the wonder of Waldorf
education. The redesigned materials, which include the
website and the Spiral, look beautiful and we are proud to
share some of that work with you.
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
As we move through the year keep in touch with the
school, and visit whenever possible. Sit in on a Main
Lesson, and follow the progress of the children – journey
with them through their work and play. If you have
questions, and are unable to find answers from your class
reps, reach out to your Class Teacher or Area Chair who
will help you find an answer to your question. The year
is off to a spectacular start, and I hope that we all have an
exceptional winter and spring. I look forward to seeing
many of you at the Fall Fair!
Warm regards,
2015-2016
COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
Cybelle Afable
John Anderson
Carol Bärtges
Brooke Brosenne
Denise Crane
Renni Gallagher
Rallou Hamshaw ’65
Julia Hays ’73
Mary Lynn Hetsko
Timothy Hoffmann
Wendy Kelly
Leslie Li
Dr. William Macatee
Marina McGrew
Dr. Linda Ogden, COLLEGE SPEAKER
Renate Poliakine ’60
Deb Renna
Anke Scheinfeld
Lucy Schneider
Jeff Spade
The College carries the spiritual impulse
of the school. From this comes the
inspiration and responsibility it holds
for the integrity of the pedagogy. The
foundation of the School rests upon
the picture of the developing child as
expressed through the anthroposophical
perspective of Rudolf Steiner. Therefore,
it is the practice of the College to engage
in ongoing anthroposophical study,
informing our decision-making. As a
Waldorf School, we are charged with
ensuring that our developmentally
enriching curriculum and attendant programs successfully
meet the 21st Century student. Additionally, we oversee
and support the professional development of the faculty,
who are called to engage with the curriculum so that it
may be artistically delivered.
An overarching theme of the College’s year was an
exploration of how we can honor the pedagogical freedom
of the teacher while maintaining consistent institutional
standards. A task force of the College continued to
manage the faculty’s work on the Scope and Sequence
of the curriculum. Faculty evaluations were conducted
William D. Macatee, Ed.D.
Administrative Director
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and further professional development plans
were put in place. Through Area Chairs, the
College facilitated the hiring of new faculty. A
number of ongoing programs were considered,
resulting in recommendations made for further
consideration next year.
The work of the College requires each member
to be personally reflective and to participate
collaboratively, with objectivity and equanimity
in service to the School. In return, each member
is enriched in a myriad of ways. It has been an
honor for me to have served as the Speaker of
the College this year. As I depart for my sabbatical year, after
guiding the class of 2019 through their grades 1-8 journey, I
am confident that Linda Ogden, our incoming speaker, will
well serve the College of Teachers and the School.
With best wishes for a wonderful school year,
Dena Malon
College Speaker, 2014-2015
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
3
Letter from the
Board of Trustees
Dear Steiner Community,
I
t has been 18 years since I first stepped foot into the
Rudolf Steiner School. I have made many friends,
have worked with a diverse and talented group of
volunteers, faculty, staff and administration, participated
in many community events, learned many skills, looked
at the big picture, focused on the details, practiced
patience and diplomacy, and learned the real meaning
of commitment.
I have raised two wonderful boys, Benjamin ’12 and
Matthew ’15, now young men, with my husband
Marc ’79. We are thankful for the education they
received, for the life skills they have obtained, and for
the relationships they have made while at Steiner, and
we hope that their children, too, will have the same
opportunity to attend Steiner.
“The challenge we face
in balancing our current
needs with our future
responsibility is for us as
a community to balance
the push and pull of our
own intentions.”
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
As I begin to look ahead and transition out of my
volunteer/parent role at the school, I am intrigued as to
what the future will bring for the school. We all, myself
included, see our school, its faculty, administration
and our community through the natural lens of intense
self-interest in our children’s education and well being.
We work hard, contribute and engage for today, but
what are we leaving behind for those that come next?
What will the school look like when my sons are making
education choices for their children? What paths
can we take that balance the needs of today with the
obligation we have to the future of our school? What is
the legacy we build while here?
In my 17 years here at the school there have been
six board chairs, two accreditations, one capital
campaign, 2-3 strategic plans, four administrators,
expanded faculty positions, area chairs, the addition
of student support services, four college guidance
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2015-2016
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
counselors, a complete change of
the IT department, the addition
of a communications department,
marketing and alumni relations. We
celebrated our 75th anniversary, and
moved a fall fair to the spring; we
renovated our buildings and hired
our first administrative director, Dr.
Macatee.
But most impactful to me have
been the changes in governance
that is now far more balanced, the
realization of the importance of
fundraising to insure our future
stability and the board’s pivot
away from tactical engagement to
a more strategic and directional
focus. Each of these has helped our
day-to-day existence, but is vital to
our future. My hope is that we will
have the courage to stay the course
on these important elements of our
maturation as a school.
Stacey Kelly, CHAIR
Susanne Kastler-Knerr, VICE CHAIR
Mitchel Friedman, TREASURER
Blanche Christerson, SECRETARY
Walter Alexander
Alison Cariati ’83
Gail Cruise-Roberson
Susan Goodale
Rallou Hamshaw
John Heller
Sarah Hetherington
Dr. William Macatee
Claudia Mahler
Marina McGrew
Jean-Hugues Monier
Joy Phelan-Pinto
Josephine Salvador
Robert Strent
Sam Sutton
Deborah Grace Winer
Trustees Emeriti
Valdemar Bertelsen III
Robert Buxbaum
Lucy Schneider
Being a Waldorf school in New York
City will remain, in my opinion, the
single biggest long-term challenge we
will face. The work to balance our core
values embedded in our education, the
needs of our community, the rigors of
a contemporary education (especially
in the Upper School), the focus of the
curriculum, the support of the teachers
and their skills, and the management
of the costs need to be preeminent in
our thinking and our actions. We need
to address these head on, together and
within the spirit of community. We must
leave self-interest, hubris and entitlement
aside, act decisively and with deep
purpose to take the next steps to insure
our school’s longevity and relevance.
It has been my sincere honor and
pleasure to have served the Rudolf
Steiner School for the past 18 years. I
Brian Kaplan, ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY
shall miss my daily trips across the park
to the school for meetings, miss seeing
my sons walk the halls with their friends,
miss the daily engagement with so
The challenge we face in balancing
many wonderful, dedicated and talented
our current needs with our future
individuals. I will have to find new opportunities to engage
responsibility is for us as a community to balance the
myself with the school. And, I look forward to the day one
push and pull of our own intentions. There always exists a
of my sons tells me his child was accepted into Steiner.
natural tension with a community as we all try to represent
what we feel is important for the school. As we grow, some
Respectfully,
will say we have too much structure and some will say
not enough. Some will challenge the effect of fundraising
while others will press its importance. Some will see more
compartmentalized decision-making as a lack of inclusion,
while others a necessary process to move us forward. My
Dawn Trachtenberg
hope here is that we balance decisive leadership with
Board Chair, 2014-2015
consensus building to allow thoughtful, effective action
while maintaining our core Waldorf values.
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
5
“ We as the citizenry have to overcome
whatever differences perceived and real surrounding
the issues of race, ethnicity, and culture .”
were paramount to his success in defying the odds by
graduating high school, college, and pursuing an advanced
degree. It took a tremendous amount of restraint on my
part to not follow up Antuan’s analysis with a reminder
of how little room for error is afforded those of us with
melanin to spare. I did not add my two cents that day
despite my professor’s piercing eyes, because I thought
it more important to not be seen as attacking Antuan’s
personal choice narrative. I felt that any attempt to counter
Antuan’s claims would position the black community
and its members as victims powerless to determine the
outcome of their lives.
Thoughts on Race Relations
by KEVIN GRANT, ESQ. ’04
W
hen I was asked to speak at Steiner about
police community relations, it was following
several high-profile cases where interactions
with the police and black citizenry led to a homicide.
The most recent tragedy was the assassination of two of
the New York Police Department’s finest, Wenjian Liu
and Rafael Ramos, by a lone gunman, who claimed to be
exacting revenge for the lack of indictments in the highly
publicized deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown. I knew
that my presentation would not be genuine if it lacked
a discussion on race and how that colors interactions
with law enforcement. As a black man, I had numerous
examples of how frustrating and powerless it feels when
you are stopped and questioned by law enforcement
because of the assumptions they make about your age and
race. I was somewhat weary of my pending presentation –
knowing that the majority of my audience would consist of
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
individuals mostly oblivious and protected of their real or
imagined “white privilege.”
Throughout my time at Steiner, Temple University, and
Arizona Summit Law, I felt a need to speak for the “race”
given the lack of black (male) voices. At the start of my
first year in law school, my incoming class was separated
into three sections consisting of approximately sixty
students each. In the Breyer section, Antuan and I were
the black male students. Antuan was from Houston,
and despite our many differences, we were both able to
share similar experiences with various law enforcement
that left our fellow law students astonished, defensive,
or empathetic. I remember specifically one day during
Criminal Law when Antuan received an impromptu
applause following an impassioned synopsis of how
his positive choices in the face of systemic racism
Steiner.edu
That is the complicated part of speaking about race
relations in the United States, in that it is not just one
thing or another that causes the problems that we see in
our society today. Instead there are a plethora of things
working in conjunction with one another to make up
the statistics and numbers we try to understand. Our
country is a Eurocentric one, which was established
through white supremacy and the subjugation of many
perceived “others.” That “other” has changed many times
throughout our history depending on which segment of
society was deemed a threat to the internal security of the
United States. Blacks have, and continue to be that “other,”
that is most identifiable as different and not warranting
inclusion. Throughout our history the police were used to
intimidate and terrorize blacks making it clear that they
were not there to serve and protect them. Our nation
has undergone much change, but I think more than
anything we are seeing that on a local level some things
have not changed. The stories I chose to share with the
Steiner Upper School students and teachers highlighted
how much power we as citizens give the police. I hope it
also conveyed how race plays a role in these sometimes
adversarial interactions. Since the months following
my visit to Steiner, there have been several high-profile
incidents showing how aggressively the police deal with
the black citizens and communities. It is doubtful that a
1,500 word request on the topic will lead to any novel or
Steiner.edu
definite solutions to the problem. So my intention is to
use this opportunity to share my thoughts on recent events
through the lens of a practicing attorney, who is a first
generation American of Jamaican descent, or in simpler
terms a black man.
Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Akai Gurley, body cameras,
black incarceration rates, Rachel Dolezal, the Emanuel
African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting, and
the Confederate flag. These are some of the names and
things that come to mind as I sit down to pen this article.
Akai Gurley was the unarmed Brooklyn man shot and
killed by a rookie NYPD cop in an unlit housing-project
stairwell in November 2014. The saddest part about the
Gurley tragedy is that Officer Liang spent the moments
immediately following the discharge of his weapon texting
his union rep and caring more about his job than trying
to save the life of the man he just shot. Walter Scott was
murdered by a North Charleston city patrolman, who
shot at him eight times as he ran away from him following
a traffic stop for a broken brake light. If it were not for
cellphone footage shot by a passerby, Patrolman Michael
Slager’s account that Scott fled with his stun gun would
have deemed the shooting justified. Freddie Gray was
taken into Baltimore police custody after a short foot chase,
and subsequently taken on what is known as a “rough ride”
causing injuries that ultimately led to his death. These
three incidents show police officers falling short of their
oaths to serve and protect, and in each one a black man
pays the ultimate price. Cell phone footage has played a
huge role in highlighting some of the abuses that citizens
have suffered at the hands of law enforcement. This fact
has strengthened the call for police officers being required
to wear body cameras despite the various hurdles that such
an endeavor would entail. The hesitancy, unwillingness,
and inability of district attorneys to indict officers for
various abuses of power, ranging from excessive force to
murder, makes it clear that a special D.A. is necessary for
the police to be held accountable for their actions done
under the color of law. I think it is naïve to expect district
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
7
Thoughts on Race Relations (continued)
attorneys that work closely with law enforcement on a daily
basis to be neutral and transparent when asked to investigate
the actions of those same police officers.
Rachel Dolezal’s fabricated narrative regarding her heritage
is much ado about nothing. I do not agree with her lies
and deception, but this is the United States of America
where you can do and be whatever your heart desires.
But I also understand the need for those in positions of
leadership, such as the president of the NAACP chapter
in Spokane, WA to have an authentic voice that speaks
from experience. I think Ms. Dolezal recognized as
much and made a decision that will make her the butt
of jokes for years to come. I see the shooting by a lone
gunman at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal
Church that claimed nine lives as the price our country
continues to pay for its use of racist rhetoric and ideology
to establish a social construct that justified the atrocities
of slavery, manifest destiny, and more. The Confederate
flag is a symbol of those ideals that became antiquated
and ineffective in moving our country into the future and
towards its initial goal of being a city on a hill. I believe
the Confederate flag, flying on the grounds of the state
capitol, is an issue that should have been handled decades
ago. Those that argue that the flag is merely an emblem
of regional pride and history do so with no regard for the
bigotry and alienation that is inherent in such a symbol;
but I do believe the Confederate flag issue to be a state one
that South Carolinians must tackle on their own.
The U.S. has a problem. It is unacceptable that the land
of the free and the home of the brave have more people
imprisoned than the rest of the world combined. The
majority of those imprisoned are black and brown men of
limited resources. Our various law enforcement agencies
have become highly militarized and seem to be waging
war against those who have been entrusted to serve and
protect. We as the citizenry have to overcome whatever
differences perceived and real surrounding the issues of
race, ethnicity, and culture. We need to be more cognizant
and vigilant with regard to those we grant legislative,
executive and judicial power. Ultimately, race is a fictitious
concept that over centuries has become an integral part
of who we are and how we will experience life. I do not
have the answers but I think a focus on the future that uses
these teachable moments to effect change is better than
discussions that get bogged down in the minutiae of our
complicated and sometimes embarrassing past.
A WORLD
of STEINER
MUSIC
PREVIOUS PAGE
Kevin Grant discusses race with
Upper School students.
ON THIS PAGE
Dr. Brian Plane and Kevin Grant
address ninth graders during
Oral History Project class
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN KAPLAN
Alumni and teachers give us a glimpse into their
own worlds of music and performance, and what
it means to be part of the Steiner community.4
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
9
A WORLD of STEINER MUSIC
JEFF SPADE
LOWER SCHOOL CHAIR (FORMER DIRECTOR OF MUSIC PROGRAM)
F
rom the time I was five-years old,
when I saw The Sound of Music,
I knew that music was in my
blood. I immediately ran home and
reenacted the movie for my younger
brother, encouraging him to do the
choreography with me; he was threeyears old and not very interested.
I grew up in the Coal Region of
Pennsylvania, the eastern half of
the center of the state. “It’s near
nothing!” Well, it’s one-and-a-half
hours from Harrisburg.
Music was all around me, and even
though I went to a public school, it
had a really strong music program
in band, orchestra, and chorus. I
always enjoyed singing in school,
but things got serious when I began
playing the clarinet in 4th grade,
playing in marching band, concert
band, and orchestra. When it came
time to go to high school, I wanted
to continue in the orchestra, but
they already had enough clarinetists,
so I took up the string bass over
the summer and was able to join
the High School Orchestra in
September, in addition to Marching
Band, Concert Band, Wind
Ensemble, and Clarinet Ensemble.
My junior year, I decided to begin
playing the tympani. I couldn’t get
enough – I spent my summers in
Maine at New England Music Camp,
even returning as a counselor for many
summers to be a lifeguard on the lake
while continuing my musical studies.
I attended Westchester University,
10
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
outside of Philadelphia, which
has a well-recognized educational
program. I majored in music therapy,
and initially enjoyed the behavioral
science behind music, but after one
year, I realized that I was interested in
teaching, so I began studying music
education. I became a bass major,
and continued playing the clarinet,
and participating in the choirs. I
would receive my Master’s degree at
Westchester University.
singing, and grades 4-12 orchestra. I
also began crossing over to the drama
department. Between 1996-2002, I
also served as our Drama Director.
In my final year, I brought in Clio
Venho to assist me, and co-produce
the drama productions.
I was at Steiner for six years when
I learned of an opportunity stage
directing operas on the Amalfi
Coast in Italy. I felt compelled to
explore this part of the world, and
this opportunity. Following, I also
worked with the Shaker Mountain
Performing Arts Festival in upstate
NY. I would later consult several
operas, directing plays, musicals, and
operas in Delaware, Washington,
D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago.
In addition to my work as a stage
director, I was also called to be a
guest teacher and mentor for several
Waldorf Schools throughout the
country. Once I got on the roster for
an adolescent conference in Chicago,
calls from several other Waldorf
Schools flooded in asking if I would
visit to either teach or assist Waldorf
music programs. This lead to several
years of travel throughout the eastern
During grad school, I learned about
Waldorf education. I was introduced
to the Kimberton Waldorf School,
and during the interview process,
I saw the light in the students’ eyes
that drew me to the school. I loved
the natural and holistic approach of
Waldorf education and embraced
the curriculum. I began as the
music director for grades 7-12 in
singing, a “one-quarter” position, but
would ultimately take on the singing
position for grades 1-12, later adding
orchestra for grades 4-12. I guided
the chamber choir after school,
and we performed several beautiful
concerts and musical productions,
such as Gilbert & Sullivan operas, and
Mozart’s Magic Flute. I would spend
eight blissful years at Kimberton.
United States and the Midwest. I
was offered a position at the Chicago
Waldorf School and the Arcturus
Rudolf Steiner Teaching Program in
Chicago. I would remain there for
seven years.
In 2012, I received a call from Judy
Bachleitner, my mentor at Steiner,
who was the Music Director. She told
me she was retiring, and asked me
to consider returning to the school
as its Music Director. I jumped at
the opportunity to return because
I love working with our students,
and the music department is of the
highest caliber. Our faculty and
administration are the very best; so
returning to Steiner in this capacity
met me in a different way and at a
different time in my life. It was one
of the best decisions of my career
and life. I have relished these past
three years.
However, when I learned that
Marilyn Ruppart was retiring last
year, I examined the idea of working
with the administration as a next
step in my career, while continuing
with facets of our music department.
There is more responsibility, and
I have an expanded view of the
possibilities to use my talents in
a broader way for the Elementary
School – and having Jeff Venho
taking a leadership role in the
music department is also ideal. The
faculty is thrilled, and he has been
here for many years, so he is greatly
appreciated.
I plan to continue with music at the
school, using my skills as a musician
to harmonize and direct the lower
school students, faculty, and parents
in a common goal of providing the
very best Waldorf education for
our students. In addition to my
work in administration, I will once
again revive the Parent/Faculty/
Staff Choir, which is a wonderful
opportunity for adults to experience
the joy of singing and the richness
that our students receive through
the community of singing. I love
working with people, and conducting
is my love and art; it feeds me and
makes me happy everyday.
During that time, I met Tim
Hoffmann and Irene Mantel at the
Rudolf Steiner Institute in Maine,
and Lucy Schneider at a conference,
which was hosted at Kimberton.
One year later, she contacted me
about joining the Steiner faculty. I
absolutely wanted to move to New
York, and I began with grades 7-12
Jeff Spade addressing parents
during the Spring Concert
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11
A WORLD of STEINER MUSIC
JEFF VENHO
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC PROGRAM
I
chose the trumpet, or I guess it
could be said, the trumpet chose
me. When I first heard the clarion
call of the trumpet in a fourth
grade assembly, I knew it was the
instrument for me. I was fortunate to
come from a musical family and my
father worked at NBC as the associate
director of The Tonight Show. In the
eighth grade, I was encouraged by
my father to play for bandleader, Doc
Severinsen, who presented me with
a new trumpet. Over time, I realized
that the trumpet was to be my life’s
work, and I practiced diligently
and developed the skills necessary
to attend the Juilliard School of
Music, receiving my Bachelor’s and
Master’s degrees. Upon graduation
from Juilliard, while establishing
myself as a professional musician, I
began my thirty-five year teaching
career at Steiner, and have come to
understand how best to train young
musicians. In the earliest stages,
beginning in the fourth grade brass
class, it is imperative for the student
to establish proper playing habits
in order to develop consistently. In
private lessons, which begin in fifth
grade, students continue to develop
their technique and musicianship in
preparation for ensemble work and
solos in their class recital.
Steiner’s music faculty works closely
with students both in private lessons
and as directors of the school’s many
ensembles. Each of our teachers is
conservatory-trained and maintains
a career as a professional musician
in New York City. We collaborate
together in encouraging the highest
level of musicianship possible
from each student. We also guide
our students through the rough
periods that are an inevitable part
of musicianship. We find that by
Mr. O’Gallagher plays the sax
with an innovative style.
graduation, students are able to
appreciate their perseverance and
have the skills necessary to enjoy
playing their instruments in college
and beyond. As teachers, we are
gratified when students return to
relate new musical experiences while
looking look back on their musical
life at Steiner.
of Music. I studied with legendary
saxophone gurus Joe Viola, Jerry
Bergonzi and George Garzone.
I received a Master’s Degree from
the Manhattan School of Music, and
began working at Steiner shortly
thereafter. I enjoy teaching, playing
clubs and making records. It is the
best of all worlds. I am fortunate to
have toured Europe and played in
festivals, including Montreaux Jazz
Festival. I play in New York clubs
several nights a week – I believe the
record was 12 nights in a row.
In my particular case, our family
includes two thriving alumni. My
daughter, Aili ’05, is an actress and
singer. When her schedule allows,
she coaches students at the school in
voice preparation. She also works
in the musical theatre program at
June Days Music, our two-week
summer music camp. My son, Cliff,
is studying eurythmy in Spring Valley,
NY and is very involved in Waldorf
education. Of course, my wife, Clio,
is well known to both students and
parents as the drama teacher and
director of the school’s drama clubs
for many years. For us, Steiner and
family have been intertwined for
more than three decades.
Mr. Venho hitting
the high notes at
Spring Gala.
JOHN O’GALLAGHER
MUSIC FACULTY
I
try to instill in my students a love
and interest to draw and find
interesting things about music.
Reaching them on different levels
and disciplines is key to making them
think about music on a different level.
Sometimes I have a difficult time
believing that I have been teaching
students at Steiner for almost 25
years. I began at the school in 1992,
and through all these years, I have
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Steiner.edu
Steiner.edu
found that unlocking those things
is one of the most important parts
of teaching. It needs to come from
within you. That is something I am
always trying to instill in my students.
I was born in Anaheim CA, and
began playing alto saxophone in
grade school after my family moved
to Spokane, WA. Upon graduating
high school, I moved to Boston,
and attended the Berklee College
During the past 25 years, I have taken
on many projects, as both a band
leader and as a sideman, working with
artists such as Maria Schnieder, Kenny
Wheeler, Billy Hart, Tony Malaby, Jeff
Williams, Tom Rainey, Chris Cheek,
Ralph Alessi, Rudresh Manhathappa,
Mike Formanek, Ben Monder, and
Joe Henderson, who won a Grammy®
Award in 1988. It is surprising when
I think about it, but I have been on
55 recordings, issued nine CDs, and
wrote a book a few years back.
I greatly enjoy it when a former
student approaches me at a club, and
tells me I made a difference in his
life. I recently had a student, who
studied Musicology, come up to
me, and another, who became well
recognized for saxophone repair. This
is personally invigorating, and makes
me feel a sense of accomplishment.
Visit johnogallagher.com to
see where I have upcoming
performances, and please say hello
when you catch a show.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
13
and architecture; English and
human development; biology and
mathematics; guitar and Faust.
ALEX YAGUPSKY
HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY
“H
ang on, … You teach both high school math and
music? … Wait—what?” Without fail, this is the
reaction I get when I’m asked what it is I do for a
living, as if one subject must preclude the other.
Picking up the conversation, I’ll usually get some variant of:
“Well, don’t they say that math and music go together?” Sure
they do. And we can talk about the abstract nature of both
and how they rely on proportion and balance and the like.
But what of it? I’m fairly sure what “they” say has little bearing
on why I do what I do. And if I want to tease my interlocutor,
I’ll usually mention with good humor that many engineers
with whom I went to undergraduate school had tin ears, and
that many composers I knew in music school couldn’t add.
It’s really unfortunate that, as a society, we are only
comfortable with each person as expert in only one
specific domain. It is as if we can only imagine a
newborn’s parents where one solely takes care of
feedings while the other only changes diapers. Surely
this is ludicrous. Doubtless every parent does a bit of
everything—and I would argue that children call upon
parents to do things that far surpass any label. And yet
why do we have such trouble seeing this in other aspects
of life? Aren’t we each far greater than our labels?
I’ve always found “Jack of all trades; master of none,”
somewhat uninspired. I’d like to think we are all Jacks of
many trades, masters of a few, and apprentices of others. But
we are so conditioned to take in the one trade that we lose
sight of the ancillary many and few.
By way of example, I look to my own resume. After
graduating with a Bachelor’s in mathematics, I first worked
for a bank in the processing center. A few years later, I went
back to school to get my Master’s in music composition. To
pay the bills, I fell into the temp racket of the burgeoning
desktop publishing field, working evening and midnight
shifts. Most clients were financial and consulting firms,
with occasional work for graphic design companies. At the
same time, I taught piano and music theory at community
music schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey. I
designed, and to this day still maintain, a custom database
to enroll and schedule participants of an annual summer
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Mr. Y subtly conducting high school students.
piano festival. If we want to go farther back, we end up
at my having grown up mostly abroad, in Mexico, France
and the Netherlands, where the household language was
my parents’ Argentine Spanish. And, yes, in high school,
I did translation work with a contractor to prepare Dutch
subtitles for English-language movies.
…And these are just some of the labels you can give me.
I always spelled trouble for job placement counselors and
recruiters. Predictably, I was told to consider computer
coding, banking, print design, maybe even freelance UN
translation. Only rarely was I able to steer the conversation to
the totality of my background. Mostly, it was a lost cause as
counselors stuck to the straight and narrow and in plain sight.
Sometimes so much so that it crossed into the farcical.
I remember once applying to a new temp agency and
going out of my way to clearly state that I was looking for
something new with new clients. I didn’t stand a chance.
As soon as the rep saw my list of current clients, he kept
circling back to one of them with whom his agency had a
relationship. Despite my insisting on wanting something
new, he kept asking if I’d be interested in working for them,
since I was clearly experienced and I’d be a shoo-in.
I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t thank my lucky
stars that Steiner found me. I work somewhere where
breadth is valued and encouraged, and where my colleagues
exemplify this. Looking at our class teachers: where else
does one find faculty who are so gifted not only in the
subject matter, but also who learn and re-learn every year
as they go along with the class, who can paint and draw
at a level that is humbling, who can weave and tell a story
with far more intent than just getting words across, and
who give so much respect to the spoken word? In the upper
grades, faculty ask to teach more than just one thing: history
Steiner.edu
When I began teaching music
here, I would have never guessed
my duties would grow to take on
mathematics, my undergraduate
field. More recently, I’ve been
able to bring my experiences in
desktop publishing and love of
typography to helping out with
15 East, the High School’s literary
and arts magazine. And, with
colleagues, I can laugh at the
regional differences in Spanish,
discuss the latest Astérix to come
from France, argue for Dutch as a
close relative of Chaucer’s English,
or debate whether German’s
separable prefixes have some
counterpart in English (output is
to put something out, after all).
We often hear that if we are to put
in a full workday somewhere, it
should hopefully be something
we like doing. I look at my day at
school as a day being able to be
who I am.
As parents, the least we hope of
any education is that it should
foster and nourish our children’s
natural abilities and innate talents.
But at Steiner we also have them
discover things that they likely
would not have encountered
elsewhere. I think this is one
of the things our school does
particularly well. Compared to
other schools, we cast a far wider
net of required subject matter
for our students. This is not to
say that other schools don’t offer
these. But, to my knowledge, it
is only we who require it of every
student. And I think that in doing
so, we teach our students what it
is to be human.
Steiner.edu
JOE CARDELLO
HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSIONS
I
began teaching at Steiner in 1999.
Teaching never seems to get old for
me; there’s always something new,
and our students respond to learning
the many different types of music
we can teach at the school. That is
something that truly stands out for
me about our music program.
I have also had the good fortune of
playing live and recording with many
of the world’s best musicians. Our
students enjoy hearing about my
music experiences, which makes me
happy because they should know
there is a great deal they can do in life,
whether it is in music, academics or
other areas of interest.
I have been fortunate to play with many
internationally recognized musicians,
including Diana Ross, Ziggy Marley,
South African multi-instrumentalist
Pops Mohammed, banjo virtuoso Tony
Trischka, and percussionist Bashiri
Johnson, who is a highly sought-after
recording artist. Touring and recording
has opened many doors, and has been
an exciting part of my career. While
touring with Diana Ross, I played
the Prince’s Charity Trust Concert in
London’s New Hyde Park for Prince
Charles. That was very exciting. Our
Mr. Cardello
keeping a steady
downbeat during
June Days Jazz.
tour took us throughout Europe and
North America.
I have also played on The Late Show
with David Letterman, The Tonight
Show with Conan O’Brien, and on
numerous Broadway shows, including
The Lion King, The Full Monty, In The
Heights, and Motown.
I began playing drums when I was
eight-years old, after a short stint on
guitar. My first band played together
in our neighbor’s garage. We had such
a good time, and my parents were
very supportive. My father played
accordion, and my mother should’ve
been an opera singer. When I began
showing interest in playing, they backed
me from the beginning.
I attended The Hartt School in
Connecticut, and when I graduated, I
was offered an opportunity to tour in
Europe, visiting Italy, Germany and
Austria. This was a defining time for
me, and an ideal way to learn new types
of music, which has been a guiding
force for many years.
I began travelling to New York City
frequently, and got very interested in
Brazilian music. I was the recipient
of a Partners of America travel grant
to Brazil, where we researched and
performed traditional folkloric music of
the Northeast, while I fulfilled teaching
assignments at the University of Paraiba
and the University of Bahia. Later, I
would travel to Senegal in West Africa,
where I studied Sabar and Djembe
drumming of the Wolof people.
Teaching our students percussions
is such a joy, and I relish the fact
that our students enjoy learning
from me and the other magnificent
professionals, who guide our music
program at Steiner.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
15
A WORLD of STEINER MUSIC
hard work and ways of selfexpression. Teaching artists
have a moral and professional
responsibility to pass their
knowledge and experience to
future generations in order to
preserve our heritage and make us
better human beings.
I have had a very interesting
2015, and 2016 appears to be
even more so. A flutist and a
composer, Bonnie McAlvin,
invited me to record her music for
the soundtrack of a psychological
thriller My First Kiss and the
People Involved, and I recently
presented a lecture-recital during
The Ninth Biennial International
Conference on Music Since 1900
at the University of Glasgow.
MARTA REILLY
CELLO TEACHER
I
grew up in Warsaw, Poland, and
I began learning the cello when I
was six-years old in a special music
school. I spent the first 12 years of
my education in such schools. I was
accepted by The Fryderyk Chopin
University of Music, and I graduated
in 2005 with a Master’s of Arts
degree in Cello Performance and a
Pedagogical Diploma. While I was
still a student in Poland, I was invited
to perform at festivals in Germany, the
United Kingdom, France, Holland,
and the United States. I would later
spend two years doing post-master
studies in Cello Performance and
Contemporary Music at Italian
conservatories in Milan, Cremona,
and Florence. I also played in
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
various orchestras in Italy, including
L’Orchestra dell’Accademia Teatro
alla Scala, and The United Europe
Chamber Orchestra.
I came to New York on a Fulbright
scholarship in the fall 2006 to study
at Mannes School of Music at The
New School. Starting in 2008,
I pursued a doctorate in Cello
Performance and Music Theory
at CUNY The Graduate Center
receiving my doctorate in 2014, with
a focus on post-tonal analysis and the
performance of Witold Lutosławski’s
music. My music education took a
long time, but I enjoyed every part.
In fact, I feel that we are students
all our lives, which makes learning
beautiful and challenging.
My principal musical influences are
my former teachers, including Natalia
Gutman and Marcy Rosen. I enjoy
listening to the recordings of the late
cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who was
not only a great performer, but also an
indefatigable human rights activist.
I encourage my students to listen to
cello recordings and, especially, to
attend concerts. My goal is for them to
have a point of reference, which further
develops their musical sensitivity. I
don’t suggest listening to any particular
composers, but rather to as many as
possible. Through classical music
recordings and YouTube videos, we can
compare various performative styles
and techniques.
When teaching my students, my
philosophy is guided by the principle
that everyone should have a chance to
study music, to appreciate the beauty
and proportions, as well as discipline,
Steiner.edu
I am a member of Ensemble 365,
a chamber group, performing
mostly contemporary music.
We plan to play a few concerts
this month and next, and in
the beginning of 2016, I will be
preparing for recitals in Japan
with pianist Emiko Sato.
I love working with my students
at Steiner. Their passion for
cello is wonderful. I frequently
invite them to attend my concerts
because they get a considerable
amount out of seeing me play a
recital. However, I also appreciate
how busy students’ schedules
can be, especially if both parents
work. I will continue inviting
them to concerts because
attending classical music concerts
is an essential part of learning
as a student, and I definitely
appreciate it when I see my
students in the audience.
Steiner.edu
NICK FINZER
TROMBONE TEACHER
I
was fortunate to be born into a
musical world. My mom Sherry
Finzer is an international flutist.
Growing up in Rochester, NY, she
inspired my music in many ways,
and when I was young, I developed
a fascination for the music of Duke
Ellington.
In High School, I was in a band that
participated in the Essentially Ellington
competition of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
It was then that I decided to pursue
a life in music. Famed trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon heard me, and we
began a life-long mentorship. He has
since written several pieces for me.
I try to inspire my students at Steiner
in a similar way. When I began at the
school four years ago, I decided to give
my students in grades 6-12 copies of
my CDs to show them how fortunate
they are to have teachers who are
professional musicians. I encourage
them to see my shows and others at the
Blue Note, the Village Vanguard, and
the NY Philharmonic; having access to
these venues is a great opportunity.
I attended the Eastman School of
Music, and in 2011 won the Eastern
Trombone Workshop’s National Jazz
Trombone Competition – I was also
a finalist in the 2010 International
Trombone Association’s Carl Fontana
Jazz Trombone Competition.
I received a Master’s degree from the
Juilliard School of Music’s prestigious
Jazz program where I was mentored by
the trombone legend Steve Turre.
Exposition, my debut recording as
a bandleader and composer, was
released in January of 2013. Two
tracks appearing on the album
garnered a pair of accolades, the
prestigious American Society
of Composers and Performers
(ASCAP)’s Herb Alpert Award for
young composers in 2013 and 2015.
In 2014, I composed two new albums.
The Chase debuted this past July on
Origin Records, and Ten Year Suite is
being developed with a future release
date to be determined.
I have been fortunate to perform at
top Jazz clubs and concert halls with
Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra, Bob Stewart’s
Double Quartet, Terrell Stafford, Ray
Drummond, Steve Turre, and the
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, to name
a handful.
In a short period of time, I have
been able to tour North America
and Europe. Visit my website,
nickfinzermusic.com, and try to see
one of my shows this year…bring your
children.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
17
A WORLD of STEINER MUSIC
KATYA IGNATOVA
VIOLIN, VIOLA, AND PIANO TEACHER
I
was born in Moscow and began my violin studies at the
age of five when I was accepted at the prestigious Gnesin
Academy of Music for Gifted Children. I was chosen to
teach my first student, a seven-year old child, when I was
only 17. Upon graduating with a Master’s of Fine Arts
degree, I began my professional career as the principal
second violinist in the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, known
internationally as “Musica, Viva!” I toured and recorded
extensively throughout Europe, and when I was twenty-two,
and well-established as a new leading Russian violinist, I
joined the Moscow Philharmonic, with which I continued a
demanding schedule of concert performances.
In 1996, I emigrated to the United States, where I was chosen
for advanced study with Richard and Fiona Simon of the
New York Philharmonic, performing in their quartet for the
Cosmopolitan Symphony Orchestra. I have since performed
steadily in a number of other prominent organizations,
including The New American Chamber Orchestra, The
Jupiter Symphony Orchestra, and the Empyreal Strings
Quartet, where I am the first violinist, and with the Empyreal
Strings Ensemble and band, where I am the concertmaster
and principal soloist.
Mr. Bertelsen
is more than
just beats.
When I was invited to teach at Steiner in 2000, I immediately
fell in love with the place, the teachers and children, and the
whole idea of Waldorf education. The school reminded me
of the Gnessin School of Music, with a small space, family
feel, and a unique, personal approach to every child.
I like to work on creating an emotional connection to the
music we are working on, presenting it as a story, written
in a different language. I ask our students to decode what is
written on the page and express it anew from their point of
view with an understanding from their heart. I use acting as
an example. The text is the same, but the difference is how
each actor performs the scene. The example is the same as
performing a piece of music.
Since my teens at the Gnesin Academy, I developed a
passion for teaching as well as performing, which I have
pursued by devoting time to educating young violinists.
I have taught at the Long Island Conservatory of Music
and Art, at the Great Neck Music Center, and now at the
Rudolf Steiner School, where I am currently the orchestra
director and an instructor of piano, violin and viola. My
students have gone on to win awards and distinctions, such
as achieving outstanding scores on the NYSSMA Test,
becoming members of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
and the ISO New York, as well as winning the coveted NYS
Summer School of the Arts Scholarship.
Ms. Ignatova conducts students at Carnegie Hall.
There’s also the new monthly PTP
Takeover on Radar Radio LDN, an
online station based out of London.
The first one is up on the Radar Radio
Soundcloud page (search for Purple
Tape Pedigree).
VAL BERTELSEN
CLASS OF 1999
I
grew up at a very different time,
and in a very different generation,
so I am certainly a product of a
previous New York City. Like others
from Steiner, I did not grow up in
a slow, small town environment.
When I was younger, I spent a good
amount of time at home working on
music and practicing my DJ skills.
Before long, I was going downtown
to check out shows and meet up with
folks, usually older friends, who
helped me out with knowledge and
good advice.
That’s how I came up with my stage
name Geng. Genghis Khan was a
pretty heavyweight historic figure,
who went against the odds, and did
his own thing. Soon, friends began
calling me, Geng Grizzly, and that
just stuck. I shortened it to “Geng”
last year.
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Steiner.edu
Steiner.edu
I learned a lot at Steiner, going there
from Kindergarten through senior
year, graduating in 1999. I still keep
in touch with a good handful of
folks: Alex Garville (aka “the original
Birdman”), Sean Fitzgerald, Kristie
Edwards, and Ana Marin, as well as a
few others.
I began Purple Tape Pedigree, a
recording and multimedia label, in
2009. The vision was to have a new
music outlet. PTP is basically focusing
on the more “from tomorrow”
sounds of electronic music, from all
over – NYC to London, Chile, and
Durban, South Africa. This year,
and into 2016, we will have a bunch
of releases, and I will probably be
in the U.K. and Europe in October
and November for a mini tour. I’ll
be playing with some great people in
Dublin, London, and Berlin.
Purple Tape Pedigree also throws
a series of parties at Palisades in
Brooklyn called DWMS. We do four
parties per year – just had DWMS8
and DWMS9 over the summer.
We are building PTP as more than
just music. For example, we also
have a clothing line. We have our
second collection coming out in
2016. I enjoy collaborating and
building with like-minded people;
that combination of energy is
inspiring and motivating. I enjoy
touring as a DJ. Traveling helps me
keep focused, and also allows me to
further solidify myself as a producer
and performer.
Much respect to Steiner for allowing
me to talk about my craft in the
magazine. If people want to learn
more about what we are doing, they
can check out our Facebook and
Twitter pages, or our Soundcloud
site. We also have a show on BBOX
Radio called Fresh Out The Box on
Thursday nights. So, let’s hear from
the Steiner folks out there. I got so
much of my craft my Steiner, and
I like meeting other like-minded
individuals and creatives.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
19
A WORLD of STEINER MUSIC
Look for the smooth
sounds of GGM.
AILI VENHO
CLASS OF 2005
I
attended Steiner from Nursery
through 8th grade. My brother
Cliff was three years behind
me, and both of my parents are
members of the faculty. I loved
my years at Steiner. When it came
to high school, I applied to the
LaGuardia High School of Music
& Art and Performing Arts. I was
accepted for vocals, dance, and
instrumental. I chose to focus
on dance.
During my sophomore year, I
auditioned for Les Misérables,
which is all singing – no dance.
I was accepted for the ensemble.
This made me question whether I
wanted to be a singer. By my junior
year, I had decided that I wanted to
go into theater, not dance.
I made the unusual decision of
returning to Steiner for my senior
year because I knew that I could
do more theater at Steiner than
LaGuardia as a dance major. That
year, I got to do Three Sisters by
Chekhov, Anything Goes, A Streetcar
Named Desire, which was directed
by my friend for her senior project,
and The Apple Tree.
When I applied to colleges, I
was accepted to my top choice,
Marymount, with a scholarship.
But I did not want to go to college
right away, so I took two years off.
I worked in restaurants and moved
out of my parents’ house. When I
decided that it was time to attend
college, I chose against going to a
conservatory.
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
I felt that I had a great vocal teacher,
and I was in the place where the
auditions were being held; I could take
dance classes, and go to acting studios,
so I decided to go to City College
where I did a lot of theater and shows.
However, I was still fighting “the
musical theater thing.” I wasn’t sure if
I wanted to do it or not because of the
unstable lifestyle.
Ms. Venho belts out the blues during
June Days Jazz.
I grappled with the fact that both
of my parents are performers, and
I wanted to be honest about why I
wanted to be a performer. During
my senior year, while performing
one of my favorite musicals, The Full
Monty, I decided that I only wanted
to do musical theater.
I graduated at the ripe old age of
25, but it took me a little time to
get into the audition scene because
it is intimidating, so I started
auditioning a year later. My goal
was to get a summer stock job in
Maine (performing one show, while
learning another). The schedule is
crazy, and fabulous! We rehearse
between 9-5, and perform at night.
During my first summer, I
performed at the Arundel
Barn Playhouse in Maine near
Kennebunkport. President George
H.W. Bush came to see a show. We
performed A Chorus Line, one of
my dream shows, Legally Blonde, My
Fair Lady, and a 1970s revue show
called Eight Track, which was four
singers singing all classic songs.
When I returned to New York, I
had this renewed sense of energy
and desire to put myself out there,
and audition a lot because I was
centered, and confident that all I was
doing was theater.
I can feel that there are some
amazing things on the horizon
for me. Recently, I was hired for a
one-week stand-in for the musical
parody, 50 Shades, at the Electra
Steiner.edu
Theater on 43rd Street.
I learned the show in
three days, and did it
for a week, but then it
ended. However, twomonths later, I received
a serendipitous call
that the part of Pam
in 50 Shades was once
again opening up. The
show was extended,
but it closed earlier
than expected. But as
luck would have it, the
production was brought
to the Seychelles, off the
coast of southeast Africa,
where we performed
on a private compound.
This is the life – it’s
pretty wacky, and not for
everybody, but it’s in
my blood.
When I can, I teach
theater and music at
Steiner with my parents.
That is a total blast to
return to my school, and
work with many fun and
talented boys and girls.
My goal is to ultimately
perform musical theater
on Broadway. I love
touring, and I may be
interested in going on
a cruise ship for six- to
eight-months; I love the
idea of traveling while I’m
young, and I’m grateful
to Steiner for having
something to do with
planting that bug in me.
Steiner.edu
GABRIEL GARZÓN-MONTANO
CLASS OF 2007
I
attended the Rudolf Steiner School from
the first through twelfth grades, with a
three-month break at the start of the ninth
grade, when I went to LaGuardia as a drum
major. I am almost a lifer. Mr. Radysh was
my Class Teacher from first through sixth
grade. He is a master storyteller. I loved his
main lessons, especially Greek Mythology.
He transformed into the character in the
stories he told and held the class in the palm
of his hand. It was amazing! I also loved
making music in the orchestra and choirs,
and painting in Ms. Hamshaw’s class.
I spent my early years playing the violin,
guitar, and drums, before turning to the
piano and bass guitar to better complete
my compositions. By the time I graduated
from Purchase College’s Conservatory of
Music, the foundations for my debut EP,
Bishouné: Alma del Huila, were already
in place. This EP had six songs, which
were performed and recorded at Henry
Hirsch’s famed Waterfront Studios, a
renovated old church.
The songs are a humble and urgent
bout of self-expression guided by the
natural limitations of a solo performer. I
performed every clap, breath, harmony,
and note in real time.
Things fell into place, and then Lenny
Kravitz called, and invited me to open his
2014 European stadium tour. I thought I
would do a national tour of clubs for my
first tour, so playing in front of thousands
of people was absolutely astonishing.
The remainder of 2015 will be spent
recording my album and other projects,
and then touring the United States
and Europe. In 2016, I’m planning on
releasing the record and then going
back out on the road to play the U.S.
and Europe again.
I also plan to move into a beautiful new
apartment, a sanctuary where I can
upgrade my home studio, and meditate,
practice, write and record.
I need to send love to my parents, and
my sister Luna, who also attended Steiner
for 12 years, and the city’s unavoidable
lifestyle. Keep checking back on my
website, gabrielgarzonmontano.com,
for details about the new record and the
tour. I would love to meet some Steiner
friends after the show. Please pick up
my EP Bishouné: Alma del Huila, which
is available on vinyl, CD, and on most
digital platforms.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
21
ATHLETICS
CULTIVATING
PASSION:
ALL HAIL
THE STEINER
DRAGONS
22
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Steiner.edu
B
by LUCIA OSWALD, Athletic Director
y the time formal athletic teams begin in the seventh grade, Steiner students
have had years of building the fundamentals. Beginning in the lower grades,
physical education classes stress participation, teamwork, skill building, positivity,
responsibility and the achievement of both personal and common goals. It is a natural step
in a student’s physical and social development, then, to feel free to enjoy the experience of
supporting – and being supported by – a team when he or she reaches middle school.
Each year, Steiner students in grades 7-12 exert effort, commitment, and pride in our
school as our teams take part in the Independent Schools Athletic League (ISAL).
And, while Steiner ranks as one of the smallest schools within the ISAL, our size is not
Continued on next page
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
23
ATHLETICS
Continued from previous page
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
High School Boys Basketball, High School Girls Volleyball,
Middle School Girls Volleyball, High School Boys Soccer,
Middle School Girls Volleyball.
a reflection on the successes that we continue to achieve each year.
The successes of many individuals lend evidence to the health
of the program. For example, Ella Prince, Smith College
freshman, planned to play volleyball in her first year. Last year,
Travers Silverman and Bryan Rosendo qualified for the New
York State Independent Schools Athletics Association track
meet, marking the third year in a row that Steiner runners were
included. Similarly, last year’s Varsity Soccer team qualified for
the playoffs – for the ninth year in the row! Harry O’Conor and
Sebastian Recht, both freshmen last year, performed notably and
will continue to carry the team forward, replacing four strong
graduates, most of whom had been playing since middle school.
At the end of a season, however, it is not the wins and losses that remain
with Steiner’s student athletes. By necessity, flexibility and resilience
arise in team culture as students learn to problem solve, strive, step
back, adjust, defer, speak up, console and manage time, among many
other things. Working closely with teammates helps students accept
that individual performance is just one part of team life and that helping
others improve skills and performance is also crucial. A common
sentiment heard at Steiner is “a team is only as
strong as its weakest link.” Working as one team
helps the students understand that individual
performance and achievements do not define the
progression and success of that team.
It is also important to note that the program is
enriched by the fact that every student in good
academic standing is invited to participate and that
our coaches are highly skilled at meeting every level
of student-athlete, supporting each individual to
feel encouraged and to grow. As a result, many are
able to develop new sides of themselves.
In some cases, students may lean into areas that
do not represent strengths. All of these intangibles
– all of this rich mix of possibilities – leads
inevitably to a bank of memories and feelings that
students will re-experience and draw from as they
move forward in all areas of their lives. The spirit
of sport and activity, of quick thinking and action,
of determination and commitment is alive and
thriving at the Rudolf Steiner School. All Hail the
Steiner Dragons!
24
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25
TECHNOLOGY
EIGHTH
GRADE
CODERS
Moving from Information
Consumption to Digital Creation:
Talking Tech with Adam Van Auken,
Steiner’s IT Director, about
8th Grade Computer Science class.
by BRIAN KAPLAN, Director of Communications
26
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Brian Kaplan: Last year, you
introduced a new computer
science class for the 8th Grade.
Why a computer science class?
Adam Van Auken: Computer
Science is a quickly developing
field right now. There are
many exciting and rewarding
programming jobs that are
going oversees today because
of a lack of qualified candidates
in the United States. Of course,
Steiner is not a vocational
school, and we do not plan our
curriculum around important
job skills, but this was a
smart decision. Fortunately,
there are many other reasons
to teach computer science.
Programming is filled with
logic, problem solving,
mathematics, critical thinking
and many other skills that
can be utilized across the
curriculum. There is evidence
to suggest that learning
computer science can improve
learning in other subjects
(see http://blog.code.org/
post/125429946375/cs-othersubjects). Most important
is that students truly enjoy
learning programming, and
I like working with them
in this subject. I’ve taught
programming and computer
science for more than 15 years,
and several students frequently
tell me it is their favorite class.
for decades, I have studied Waldorf
education significantly, and know that it
is not anti-technology, especially in the
High School. When I attended AWSNA’s
(Association of Waldorf Schools of
North America) annual conference
last year, the focus was on technology.
Through analyzing Rudolf Steiner’s
lectures pertaining to technology, the
keynote speaker eschewed the idea
that Steiner would be against all forms
of modern technology. However, he
would certainly not be in favor of the
haphazard, mindless, and destructive
use of technology so prevalent today.
Unfortunately, wasted screen time isn’t
just occurring at home. In an effort to
be more 21st Century, many schools
are continually hopping from one tech
“bell and whistle” to another. We are
trying to buck this trend directly at
Steiner. Instead of focusing on screen
time and information consumption, we
want our students to be digital creators.
The computer science curriculum class
contributes to this goal.
BK: There are many different
programming languages. Which ones
are you teaching?
AVA: Students begin the course
learning Blockly, a visual programming
language developed by Google. It is
beneficial for learning programming
because students do not need to know
all the commands by memory. Instead,
they can learn what code blocks do
and build programs with them. Once
the students get the hang of Blockly,
they move on to JavaScript, which is
the most widely used programming
language. Much of the web is built on
JavaScript, so this is very interesting
and relevant to today’s students. Also,
the barrier to entry is low, so students
can be successful right off the bat.
Although these programming
languages were carefully selected, we
focus on programming concepts that
can be applied to all programming
languages.
BK: Do you use any special teaching
methods?
AVA: I use a blended learning
approach called the Flipped
Classroom. Using amazing resources
like code.org and Khan Academy,
students spend most of the class
working on interactive projects. I
want our students to be lifelong
learners, so I try to minimize my
involvement. I am the guide on the
side, not the sage on the stage. We
even have an “ask three and then
me” rule (students ask three students
for help before the teacher), which
promotes a collaborative learning
environment. Students really see if
they know something when they have
to teach it to one another.
One of the nicest parts about this
blended learning environment is that
it is self-paced. This prevents students
from getting frustrated or bored.
BK: What is one of your biggest hopes
for where we can take this?
AVA: One of our goals with this
class is to emphasize throughout the
class that they continue using code.
org and Khan Academy. Again, the
real priority is for our students to
be life-long learners. Our students
understand that they do not need
to wait for the teacher or the class
to begin learning. I help them by
selecting the learning resources,
but we want them to take the ball
and run with it, and they respond
to this directive because they feel a
sense of accomplishment. We are
just igniting that fire in them, and
watching them succeed.
FROM TOP LEFT High School students develop confidence in technology
and coding following Eighth Grade Coding class; Mr. Yagupsky works with
a Ninth Grade student; Coding designed by Eighth Grade class.
BK: Waldorf schools are often
viewed as being anti-tech. How
do you see your class fitting into
the Waldorf philosophy?
AVA: While I have not been
at Rudolf Steiner School
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
27
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
FALL FAIR COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS
Stacey Kelly
Jamie Carter
WORKSHOP LEADERS
AREA HEADS
NEEDLE FELTED ANIMALS
LOGISTICS
Robyn Watts
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Dawn Rhodes
TRIP RAFFLE
Sarah Gunderson
DÉCOR
Deighn Eliason
AUTUMN EXPERIENCE
Laura Montano
Sono Kuwayama
SILENT AUCTION
Dawn Trachtenberg
Nancy Raimondo
Camila Steiner
FOOD SERVICE
Abbey Warsh
Joylynn Holder
Chef Leslie Li
Gabby Ortiz ’83
the
STEINER GEAR AND RETAIL
Karen Imhoff
FALL
FAIR
US LIAISON
Alex Yagupsky
LS LIAISON
Mary Lynn Hetsko
PROGRAM ARTWORK
Carola Dixon ’15
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Rebecca Dahele
Jennifer Strent
NEEDLE FELTING
Mary Lynn Hetsko
DOLLS
Beatriz Smith
FLOWER FAIRIES AND CROWNS
Gloria Mills
CLASSROOM LIAISONS
1ST GRADE - POCKET FAIRY
Sarah Gunderson
Robyn Watts
2ND GRADE – CANDLE DIPPING
Kevin Cannon
3RD GRADE – CAKE WALK
Ellen Jacobson
4TH GRADE – JUMP ROPE
Leah Azoulay
Mary Llosa
Claire Brown
5TH GRADE – TERRARIUMS
Felicia Panepinto
6TH GRADE – CRYSTAL CAVE
Sumei Situ
Erica Farber
7TH GRADE – BROWN BAG RAFFLE
Susan Sanyour
8TH GRADE – GAME ROOM
Dee Cartensen Mainieri
Roccio Garcia Rodriguez
SAND ART
Ilya Zeldin
Save the Date:
The Fall Fair is a cherished annual tradition
at the Rudolf Steiner School. Our sincerest
thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers who
worked tirelessly to transform the school into
an autumnal wonderland.
28
KNITTING
Jennifer Strent
Lixiao Wang
FALL FAIR 2015
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
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29
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
SPRING GALA
PLANNING COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS
Luana Conte
Jeannie O’Conor
LIVE AUCTION AND RAFFLE
Katy Lindsay
DÉCOR
Deighn Eliason
Amy Schimel
SPONSORSHIP CIRCLES
Mark Reed & Daria Ilunga
Harold & Stacey Kelly
Jean-Hugues & Véronique Monier
Marc ’79 & Dawn Trachtenberg
15 EAST CIRCLE
Jerry & Erica Trachtenberg
FRIENDS CIRCLE
Dennis Pinto & Joy Phelan-Pinto
COMMUNITY CIRCLE
Daniel Goldstein & Terri Adler
John & Silvia Heller
Christopher Tsai & André Stockamp
Jeffrey ’83 & Stacey Weber
FACULTY SPONSORS
Emily Boone, Caroline Castro,
Julia Hays ’73, Lucy Schneider
GENERAL SPONSORS
Oguz & Ruby Akin, Blanche Christerson,
Brian Cullman, Paulina Eisenbeis,
Mitchel Friedman, Irene Goodale,
Susan Goodale, Bill & Adele Grant,
Rama & Sara Madhu,
Claudia & Daniel Mahler, Marion Ober ’65,
Sandeep Qusba & Dawn Rhodes,
Corinne Moor Spingarn ’64,
Michael & Camila Steiner, Renate Poliakine ’60,
Juan & Susann Villanueva
DANCE
the
NIGHT AWAY
DON’T MISS
SPRING
THE RUDOLF STEINER SCHOOL SPRING GALA
W
GALA
hat a night we had at this year’s Spring Gala! Parents, alumni, faculty
and staff, and alumni parents danced the night away on Friday, May 8th,
all in support of our beloved school. Attendees were awe-struck by the
evening’s entertainment; two pairs of award winning ballroom dancers.
2016
Thanks to the collective efforts of the Planning Committee, event sponsors, and attendees,
the Spring Gala netted an astounding $122,000 dollars. We are so grateful for those who
continue to give in a multitude of ways to provide a robust education for our students.
30
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 6:00-11:30 PM
LANDMARK ON THE PARK
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
31
THE
SENIOR
CLASS
OF
2015
THE SENIOR
CLASS OF 2015
Chloe Agar
Madeline Austin
Shakayla Belton
Annabel Berusch
Clara Dietz-Sarries
Carola Dixon
Angie Figueroa
Kelsey Finch
Rachelle Fleury
Andreina Himy
Isaiah Horton
Noah Kahan
Chiara Madhu
Carolyn Newmark
Oscar Panaretto
Ella Prince
Shavasp Quillen
Sebastian Rodriguez
Manuel Smith
Antonella Sturniolo
Montana Thomas
Matthew Trachtenberg
Annabelle Vaes
34
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
35
2015 Commencement Speaker Address
by EVAN BUXBAUM ’02
D
ear teachers, parents, guests,
anthroposophists, curative
eurythmists, curative
anthropormorphists, metamorphisists, and
of course the distinguished members of the
graduating class of 2015 – I’m honored to
be here with you today.
So far this year, commencement speakers
across the country have included the
likes of Stephen Colbert, Kanye West,
Natalie Portman, and even Jon Bon Jovi,
who you graduates probably know as –
that old guy who keeps singing about
New Jersey. But what’s my point? Well,
today I’m going to give you all three
pieces of advice, and the first one, is this
- get good at writing speeches. Because
then no matter what - you’ll always have
something to fall back on.
I remember when I was sitting where you
are now, 13 years ago. There are very few
times in your life when you get to put on
a robe, sit down, and listen to someone
tell you about the future. If it’s happening,
you’re probably either graduating - or you’ve
joined a religious cult. And if that’s the case,
you should stop listening and start running
– immediately.
But today that will not be necessary. Today
is your graduation day. The day you’ve all
been waiting for since you learned how to
wait way back in kindergarten when they
told you you wouldn’t learn to read until
5th grade. Today is the day, that glorious
day when you’re finally released, as adults,
into the world. Or as some of you will likely
remember it - the day your parents kicked
you off the family plan.
“You are a
class with big
goals, and I
know that
you will
chase them…
you have
great things
in store.”
CLASS OF 2015
COLLEGE MATRICULATION
Barnard College
36
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Honestly, when I was where you are today, I
felt exactly the same way. And I still do.
The good news is – the world needs us.
It needs people who are passionate about
changing things, and who have ideas about
how to do it.
The bad news, unfortunately, is that you’re
18. Unless of course you’re 17, in which
case, I guess that’s even worse news for you,
because people have this nagging tendency
not to listen to teenagers who they say that
they’ve found a better way to, say, run a
federal democracy, or a Taco Bell.
Concordia University – Montreal
Eugene Lang College
The New School for Liberal Arts
Ithaca College (2)
Macquarie University
Morgan State University
Parsons The New School
for Design (2)
Pratt Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Skidmore College (2)
My point is, in your life, and in your quest
to change things, you will hit many walls.
They might be a professor you disagree with,
a boss who doesn’t see your true value, a
college roommate who gets drunk and eats
your goldfish (I’ll never forgive you Dan,
wherever you are). But no matter what form
those walls take - you will run into them.
And when you do, my second piece of advice
to you, is this:
And that is what I mean. Changing
things is not a burden put on us – it is
our privilege as people in a position
to do it.
Will you face challenges? Absolutely.
Tons of them. But you must try not to
be discouraged. Because every single
day you have an opportunity to wake up
and fight to make something better, bit
by bit, until one day, it’s something great.
That can take a long time. It can take
a lifetime!
Which is why my third piece of advice is
so very important.
Don’t be miserable.
Changing the world is not a burden, it’s a
privilege.
Up until now, you’ve all followed a path
that was, in many ways, laid out for you.
Where you went to school, the classes
you took, where you lived – there was
always someone else involved in those
decisions. I’m not going to say it was
your parents, but it was probably your
parents. But that ends today. From now
on, you will make your own moves.
And that comes with responsibility.
What do I mean by that? Just imagine for
a second if everything were perfect, like it
is in Sweden. What would we do all day?
We’d have nothing to fix! Just have tons
of time to go dogsledding and import
vegetables to our frighteningly limited
Scandinavian economy.
Many of you will be leaving New York.
You’ll go to college, you’ll start a career.
You’ll have your choice of where to
live, what to eat, who to date, probably
more importantly who not to date. And
when making all those decisions, try to
remember – do not be miserable today,
Smith College
Sterling College
SUNY Oswego
Vassar College
Wesleyan University (2)
I had the opportunity to meet with the
senior class a few months ago, and the
one thing that struck me about each and
every one of you, all joking aside, is your
fire. You are a class with passion, you have
big ideas, huge ideas. You want the world
to be more efficient, to be fairer – or at a
bare minimum - to make sense!
Fortunately for us, that’s not the case.
We live in an incredibly flawed world
that needs our help. I know you all
see it. Things should run better, they
should make more sense - a lot of
adults should make more sense. But
think about it this way – it’s only
because they don’t, that you have an
opportunity to shape the world better.
William Paterson University
of New Jersey
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so that you can be happy tomorrow.
And that, I learned – is just crazy pants.
When I graduated from Steiner, I
knew two things – that I was going to
Swarthmore College in the fall, and
that one day I was either going to be
an actor in musicals on Broadway, or
a director premiering groundbreaking
films at Sundance. So you know,
small, easily attainable stuff.
It’s seductive, but its crazy pants. A path
you do not love walking will never get
you to a place you love.
And for a while, it went very well.
I loved Swarthmore, I loved the
education I got there, what I learned
about the world and about myself.
I graduated, I traveled for 9 months
around the world and landed back in
New York, in Brooklyn. I was 22 years
old, and I was ready to hit the big time.
I of course had no idea how to do
that. Or really even what it meant. But
I knew if I did, if I succeeded – then I
could be happy.
So I got an apartment, I got a couch on
craigslist, I got a roommate on craigslist,
I got a bartending degree in midtown
that I probably should have gotten on
craigslist, and I started making movies
which were awful of course, I mean,
really bad - but I kept going, and I
served people a whole lot of beer, and
I auditioned for a lot of musicals, and
as every day passed I knew more and
more that I wanted to be a director, and
that I wanted to make a feature film that
made a splash, that made people laugh,
that made an impact. I became almost
completely absorbed by that goal,
unable to think about anything else.
No sacrifice was ever too large, because
I knew that once I had made that film,
once I had climbed that mountain,
the clouds would part, and everything
would be wonderful. Everything would
be easy and then I would be happy.
And I think it’s important to tell you
all this, because you are a class with big
goals, and I know that you will chase
them. To be a psychologist, to write a
book, to be a neuroscientist, a teacher,
to launch your own fashion line or be
the next U.S. representative to Khiribati
– you have great things in store. But
equating those goals with happiness,
that’s the mistake I urge you to avoid.
I did end up finishing my film, and
it’s actually coming out this August.
(I’m contractually obligated by my
distributor to mention it at least twice
so, Sun Belt Express, Sun Belt Express).
And I’m very proud of that work. But if
I’ve learned anything in the years since
graduating, it’s that there’s no one thing
in the world, no single event, that will
ever make you spontaneously fulfilled.
Don’t get me wrong - where you’re going
is important. But I guarantee you, that if
you make sure to enjoy the work it takes
to get there every day - then no matter
what happens, through the ups and
downs, the failures, and the triumphs you will always be alright.
Seniors, our paths have crossed very
briefly here today, but I have to say, I
am very proud of each and every one
of you, because you have all achieved
something special.
Not only will you soon have a high
school degree, but you can also crochet
a multicolor placemat. And that, is not
something everyone out there can say.
So congratulations again - to all of you.
You’ve truly earned it.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
37
Letter from the Parent Council President
In addition to the dancing there is delicious
food and the opportunity to socialize with
fellow parents. If I can encourage our entire
parent-body to attend the square dance at
Dinosaur Bar-B-Q in January, I can assure a
good time for all.
Dear RSS Parents,
When I reflect on the 2014-15 year, the
two words that come to mind are school
spirit. When I think of the Parent Council
and the accomplishments we made as a
group, I’m extremely glad to have been
able to help facilitate the establishment and
continuation of many important events
throughout the community.
We started the school year by preparing baskets for new
Early Childhood families, helping to plan Fall Fair with
volunteers, and hosting several mornings for coffee on the
terrace – a tradition that new and returning parents have
come to truly embrace. We also held our second annual High
School wine tasting event for new and returning parents.
In the first week of October, many Steiner families travelled
to Westchester for our annual apple-picking day. It is such
fun for families, and the number of people attending grows
larger each year. Particularly important is our custom of
donating bags of apples through our partnership with City
Harvest. The Parent Council pumpkin sale seems to be the
official start of cooler air coming in and a changing of the
season, which brings us to Halloween – always a welcomed
festivity in school communities.
By donating clothes and coats to New York Cares in
December, we show our compassion as a community, and we
are so appreciative for the continued success we show year
after year. Please plan to donate to our New York Cares coat
drive again this year.
As we welcomed in spring, Parent Council
was active with a traditional festival - our
community-driven May Day Celebration
in Central Park. Our parents volunteered
with crown making and taught the children how to
participate in dancing around the maypole. It was the
perfect occasion for families to enjoy the beautiful day and
participate in this annual event.
While this will be my final letter as the Parent Council President,
having joined the Board of Trustees following my term on PC,
I want to once again thank my friends and colleagues on
the Council, and to express my gratitude and pride for the
work we did together to move our initiatives forward.
Thank you once again to our Parent Council members
from the 2014-15 school year: Olga Berg, Elena Canon,
Paulina Eisenbeis, Stacey Kelly, Dan Goldstein, Terri
Gumula, Ellen Jacobson, Sara Madhu, Michele Melland,
Jeannie O’Conor, Jim Salser, and Robert Strent. Your
commitment to RSS was evident in our school spirit and
collaboration within the parent community.
Warmly,
Our annual square dance in January has consistently
grown each year. It is great fun, and usually even the most
reluctant dancers find themselves joining in by the end.
Sam Sutton, P ’26, ’28
Past Parent Council President
PARENT COUNCIL 2015-16
Nursery
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
38
Karen Imhof
Katy Lindsay
Ku-Ling Yurman
Michele Melland
Elena Canon
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Ellen Jacobson
Paulina Eisenbeis
Sara Madhu
Debra Kessler
Olga Berg
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
TBD
Jeannie O’Conor
Chuck Smith
TBD
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39
SPRING ROSE CEREMONY
T
he Rose Ceremony heralds in the beginning of the school year, and trumpets it out in June. Waldorf schools around
the world honor the 1st grade and 12th grade students on their first and last days of school. In the fall, 1st graders are
presented with a single red rose by a 12th grader, which represents a milestone for both grades. The 1st graders gain a
new sense of self, while the 12th graders are on the cusp of entering young adulthood. In June, the 1st graders bid farewell to
the 12th graders by giving them the red rose.
40
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THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
41
IN MEMORIAM
MICHAEL AARONSON, Former Parent
My father, Michael Aaronson,
was a New York boy through and
through. He was born December 21,
1945 and grew up in Brooklyn with
his family where he announced in
elementary school that he was going to
be a professional drummer. He played
stickball on the neighborhood streets,
spent hours at Coney Island beach,
celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, attended
Midwood High School and played
percussion with the All City High
School Orchestra.
Michael graduated from Julliard
and his long desired professional
career began. He played timpani
for the Dance at the Met concert
series. He freelanced as a prominent
percussionist across the city playing
timpani and percussion with the New
York Philharmonic, New York City
Ballet, Metropolitan Opera, New York
City Opera, the New Jersey Symphony,
Queens Symphony Orchestra, and
Radio City Music Hall, to name a
few. He played with a pipe and drum
band, joining them in numerous
competitions. He also played with
numerous marching and brass bands.
Michael was also recognized as
a master craftsman to his colleagues
as an expert on timpani heads
and mallets. He also designed and
produced instruments for the New
York Philharmonic. He taught master
classes on timpani and drum repair
and maintenance at Julliard. He built
me a drum set from scratch, which I
use every day to further my own career
as a musician.
My father’s extensive career allowed
him to become a world traveler. He
was an avid reader of history and
current affairs throughout his life. He
maintained friends from childhood
and was loved for his warmth, gentle
humor and friendship. He was, maybe
even more than an accomplished
musician, a devoted family man. He
adored my mother, my sister and me.
Michael was devoted to my
ELISABETH BING, Former Parent
Elisabeth died this past May at the age of 100. Elisabeth’s
son, Peter Bing, alumnus class of 1972, shared the following:
“She [Elisabeth] and my dad (who died in 1984) knew
nothing about Rudolf Steiner or Anthroposophy. They
simply saw an article about the school in the NY Times,
which spoke of how children loved to learn there. They
went, looked at the school, and saw that this was true. That
was enough for them, and they promptly registered me for
the Kindergarten.
When I was in elementary school (perhaps 5th or 6th
grade), my mom was surprised to find that the school had
no class for the students in sex education or reproductive
health. She offered to come speak to classes of the
appropriate age. Mr. Barnes (the principal at the time)
politely declined.
42
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
SARAH BLOS BROOKS, Former Parent
Dr. Sarah Blos Brooks mother to Rudolf
Steiner School alums Nicolas, class of
2010 and Lucas, class of 2016, has passed
away. Her husband, writer David Brooks,
education at Rudolf Steiner, often
teaching students and serving as Class
Rep. for Lucy Schneider. My dad was a
constant in my life. What did I know?
I thought all kids forgot their recorder,
or flute, or homework…and had to
rely on their parent to save the day!
It is with great sadness that Michael
passed away on February 26, 2015 at
Mount Sinai Hospital. He tried to
beat the cancer that proved to be too
aggressive. Nearly every day, there are
more and more stories that keep his
memory and life relevant to us. My
mother says that watching me is like
having dad around. What a wonderful
compliment (I’m sure she means it as
a compliment most of the time!). We
miss you. I love you more each day.
Provided by Justin Aaronson ’02
She was unfailingly modest about her accomplishments
and sometimes unaware of the pop-culture celebrities who
came to her: I remember her asking me “Are John Lennon
and Yoko Ono names I should know?” when they signed
up for her classes. Same thing happened when Bob Dylan
and his wife came for her course. (with her love of classical
music, she did however recognize Itzhak Perlman).
My mother was well-known through her teaching in
our Upper West Side neighborhood, and even into her late
90s people would stop her in the street when we’d go out,
exclaiming “Oh, Mrs. Bing! We came to you for classes
20 years ago.” She always managed to make it seem in
these encounters that she remembered each individual ,
and took time to ask after the baby (now often already an
adult). You could see what a difference she had made in
people’s lives.”
Steiner.edu
class of 1974, also attended Steiner for his
8th grade year. An educator herself, Sarah
was deeply interested in Waldorf and all
progressive education. The whole family
was a constant support to the Rudolf
Steiner School and could be counted on
to help whether with a class play or an
all-school event. Whatever the task, Sarah
joined in exuding positive, light-filled
good humor and determination.
Fraternal Society of America and The
Catholic Diocese of Western U.S. He
married Virginia Weyman after college
and his son James Scott was born in
1965 in California. After a divorce,
Joe met and married Jackie Montero
who was his life partner for 30 years.
They travelled the world together and
enjoyed their many friends. After
he retired, he continued to be active
serving on the Business Board of
Directors of The Portuguese Fraternal
Society, and played golf until his poor
health forced him to stop.
Joe was loved by everyone, was soft
spoken and would readily smile and
see the humor in situations. He was
committed to his community and was
grateful for his full life.
Joan graduated from Syracuse
University where she was “Snow Queen,”
with a degree in Speech and Audio
Pathology. She married Richard Dyer
and moved to Mountain View, California
where her two boys, Richard Scott ’80
and Daniel Mark ’82 were born. After
divorcing Richard, Joan moved back to
New York City with her sons. Dorothy
Harrer had announced her retirement
and the school was in search for a teacher
for the second grade. Joan felt it was
perfect timing for her and her boys.
She applied and was accepted for this
position. She did continual in-school
training to prepare for each succeeding
grade she taught. Son Richard (Rick)
began in third grade and Daniel (Dan)
in first. During her years as a class
teacher, Joan made lifelong friends with
several colleagues as well as some of
her students. Once she graduated her
eighth grade, she decided to return to
her first love, teaching deaf children.
She was fluent in Sign Language and
taught at The School for the Deaf in
NYC for twenty-four years. She started
several innovative programs there for
her high school students such as running
a morning coffee shop for the public
and establishing intern training in some
of New York’s top hotels. During these
years, she met and married a former high
school friend, Paul Schmel.
After she was widowed and retired
from teaching, she moved to Scottsdale
Arizona to be near her mother and
younger brother, Frank. Poor health
forced her to move to St. Louis for her
last six years where her son Rick and his
family could look after her. She often
spoke of her Steiner friends and enjoyed
hearing about the developments in the
Waldorf school movement. Two years ago,
she gave a sizable gift to thank the school.
It was as a child at the Steiner school
that Joan’s artistic gifts were encouraged.
Throughout her life, she painted and
sculpted many beautiful pieces. Her
laughter, lively expressiveness and interest
in others endeared her to all.
Provided by Virginia Flynn ’59
JOSEPH THOMAS & JOAN ANN FLYNN,
8th grade class of 1949
When our mother Virginia Flynn
was widowed with four young children,
she went in search for a school where she
felt her they would be lovingly nurtured
and receive an excellent education. She
found The Rudolf Steiner School. At that
time, the school had only the elementary
grades. She placed her twins in William
Harrer’s class and they immediately fell in
love with their new school environment.
Joe was a quiet reflective boy who was
studious. Joan was a chatterer and a
joyous soul. She developed rheumatic
fever in seventh grade and was forced
to remain home in bed for the year.
She never complained except that she
missed school and always completed all
her assignments. From that time on in
her life, she was not able to participate
in sports or exert herself physically.
After the twins graduated from eighth
grade, Virginia placed her two youngest
children in the school; Virginia (Ginnie)
’59 into Virginia Paulsen’s class and
Francis (Frank) ’61 into William Harrer’s
new first grade.
Joseph went on to graduate from
Arizona State University with a degree
in Business Math and over the next years
studied and passed Actuarial exams. As
a boy, under Mr. Harrer’s instruction, he
showed an aptitude for math. His love
for numbers’ guided his life from then
on. He began his own actuarial company,
bearing his name in Alameda, California.
His company grew to include clients such
as the State of Nevada, the Portuguese
Steiner.edu
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
43
IN MEMORIAM
ANDREAS RICHTER ’72
CARL HOFFMANN, Waldorf Pioneer
This past April the Waldorf
community bade farewell to a
pioneer. Carl Hoffmann (19222015) traversed the globe in
service to the ideals of Waldorf
education. After having escaped
the Nazi regime in Austria, he first
encountered the work of Rudolf
Steiner in New Zealand in the
LOUIS “LOU” KRAMBERG,
Former Parent
My Father’s association with The
Rudolf Steiner School began in the
mid- to late-1950s. He managed the
gym at the 92nd St. Y, and saw every
gym class from that time up until
BRISTON IRBY REYNOLDS ’10
Briston was born on April 16,
1992, in the Bronx, N.Y. He spent
kindergarten through eighth grade at the
prestigious Rudolf Steiner School. After
moving to Effort, he graduated from
Pleasant Valley High School in 2010,
and attended the Indiana University of
Pennsylvania, where he was a member of
the Acacia fraternity.
Briston’s life was full of music,
44
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
early 40s, where he also met his
wife Christl. After being a teacher
in New Zealand, he and Christl
taught in Germany, England,
Washington, DC, and once more
in New Zealand in 1981. Carl
was the founding teacher of the
Washington Waldorf School and
the founder of the Taruna Teachers’
Seminar in New Zealand. Some
readers of this bulletin will have
read his translations of Steiner and
other anthroposophical authors.
Carl was fearless in his dedication to
the cause. He is remembered fondly
by many students. His son Timothy
was inspired by his father to take up
Waldorf education in his 20s, and
remains a dedicated and beloved
Class Teacher at Steiner to this day.
the 90s. He also ran the children’s
after-school program and the Y’s
Junior Olympics program, which
many Steiner Alums participated
in. If one of the physical education
teachers was ill, he would step in
and teach in his/her stead. This
garnered him “adjunct teacher”
status. When the time came for me
to enter First Grade, and two years
later when my brother Michael
entered, the school graciously
awarded us scholarships.
Provided by Karen Kramberg, ’81
laughter and love. He was an artist
and musician with a passion for
food and cooking. He especially
loved seafood and hot wings.
Accomplished in Martial Arts, he
advanced to a black belt in karate
and was trained in acting at the
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film
institute in Manhattan. In the People
to People student Ambassador
program, he traveled to Fiji, Australia
and New Zealand. As DJ Wulphe, he
was an artist and producer who did
it all, making beats, mixes and live
performances, doing his own hip hop
style, composing and songwriting
original pieces. He played both
the trumpet and the piano (credit:
Pocono Record)
Nadia Brent ’10 says, “I remember
Briston fondly. I had only warm
feelings for him.”
Steiner.edu
Andreas R. Richter,
DVM, 60, died peacefully
at his home on June 01,
2015 with loved ones
around him. Andreas
faced his eight years
of cancer with his characteristic
determination, courage, practicality
and dignity.
Andreas was born in Nürnberg,
Germany on June 12, 1954, the 2nd
of five children born to Max and
Susanne Richter. In his childhood
years, Andreas was immersed in the
ARTHUR SOYBEL
The son of Ukrainian émigrés
who were active in business,
education and philanthropy, Arthur
Isaac Soybel was born in Brooklyn
on June 16, 1925, and died at home
on September 6, 2014. At the Rudolf
Steiner School, Arthur played a
number of significant roles in the
late 1970s and 1980s. He became
President of the Father’s Association,
a group that advised the Board
and College and served to support
the strategic plans of the school,
both financially and professionally.
Arthur also served as President
of the Board, overseeing various
projects that reflected the school’s
growth and development, from
real estate investments to school
expansion and renovations. The
plaque outside the first floor back
kindergarten bears testimony to his
inspiration for an additional, early
world of music, nature,
Waldorf education, and
working with his hands.
As a teen, Andreas
discovered the joy of
contra-dancing that
would continue as a
thread throughout his life.
Andreas later attended Earlham
College in Richmond, IN, where
he met his future wife, Hannah
Cope. It was also at Earlham that
Andreas pursued his love of the
natural world, through field research
and habitat conservation on the
Indiana Bat. Andreas and Hannah
were married in 1979. Large animal
veterinary work took the Richters
to Pennsylvania before settling in
New York, first with a practice in
Canajoharie, and then a final move
with their three children to Genoa
in 1996.
Andreas is survived by his wife
Hannah, his daughters Erika and
Heidi and her fiancé Drew, and son
Eddie with his wife Carly; his siblings
Martin, Christiane, Astrid, Almut,
Johannes, and Lucia, as well as many
nieces and nephews.
childhood space and the second
floor terrace that was built above it.
In the early 1990s, Arthur’s help in
securing a bridge loan for the school
made it possible for the institution
to maintain financial viability during
difficult times. With his wife, Renate,
he created an endowment fund in
honor of his mother-in-law, Trude
Haake, a Berliner whose life had
been devoted to German language
and culture. The fund supports
travel, events and activities of the
foreign language program at the
Rudolf Steiner School.
Arthur’s beloved wife of 63 years,
Renate Elise Haake Soybel, was a
long-time elementary school German
and Handwork teacher at the Rudolf
Steiner School and currently still
volunteers in the lower grades. His
daughter, Carol Ann Bärtges ’73, has
taught literature, speech and drama
in the high school since 1978. This
year, Arthur’s granddaughter, Sarah
Bärtges-Ohana ’05, joined the high
school faculty as our new biology
teacher. Arthur is also survived
by grandson, Max Bärtges, ’03, a
musician and restauranteur, his
daughter-in-law, Virginia Earll
Soybel, professor at Babson College;
his granddaughter, Anna Soybel,
and two great-granddaughters,
Rebecca and Maayan. Arthur’s son,
Thomas William Soybel, a former
attorney, was a 1975 graduate of the
Rudolf Steiner School, who passed
away in 2010.
If you would like to submit a remembrance for publication in The Spiral, contact Eileen Diskin, Director of Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations, at ediskin@steiner.edu or by calling 212-535-2130 ext. 222.
Steiner.edu
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
45
THERE IS A PLACE where artistic
exploration awakens scientific inquiry.
THOUGHT
Where physical education informs critical
thinking. And where our fully integrated
Waldorf curriculum is the key to higher
levels of achievement.
PROCESS
THE RESULT? Creators, researchers,
executives and entrepreneurs. Young men
and women well prepared to utilize their
intellectual, physical, artistic and civic-minded
abilities to succeed at all they do, by any measure.
GET TO KNOW
RUDOLF STEINER SCHOOL
steiner.edu | 15 E 79th St | 212.535.2130
/SteinerSchoolNY
Letter from the Alumni
Association Chair
Dear Alumni,
T
hank you for your continued support and dedication
to the Alumni program in our community. This year,
alums gathered at the All Alumni Reunion, the Fourth
Annual Alumni Soccer Game and at West Coast reunions
in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Monique Marshall ’86
and Kevin Grant ’04 spoke with Lower and Upper School
students about diversity and social consciousness. Evan
Buxbaum ’02 was the keynote speaker at graduation and
Sarah Hetherington ’05 joins Deborah Winer ’79 and Alison
Cariati ’83 representing Alumni on the Board of Trustees.
Each contribution you made this year had deep significance
for our school community. Your generosity made it possible
for Alumni giving to reach its highest level in our school’s
86-year history.
I am incredibly excited to welcome this new school year
even though it means breakfasting with the roosters and
squeezing onto rush hour subways and buses. This will
be my fourth year as a parent. The rhythm of the school
year gives me the opportunity to return each morning
to our school on East 79th Street. Walking into Steiner
is a privilege I do not take for granted: seeing inspired
student work, smelling fragrant bread and soup from
the Kindergartens, hearing the last notes of the Junior
Chorus rehearsal and finally heading upstairs to vibrant
and industrious classrooms. Most mornings, my time at
school consists of a brief few minutes, but experiencing the
sights and sounds of our school profoundly reminds me
of the depth of intention imbued within every facet of the
education we share.
The interconnectedness of an age-appropriate curriculum,
along with the dedication of our faculty, bears fruit each
day and challenges me personally to examine my parenting
in deeper ways. At a time when thoughts and actions are
readily available for public consumption, it is heartening
to see children freely given space to absorb the subtle, not
THE FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA
Steiner.edu
easily-seen lessons, forming the basis of a solid internal
foundation that will later bloom in each of their lives.
As always, we welcome you to visit Steiner any time you
are here in New York.
The Fall Fair and All-Alumni Reunion on Saturday
November 21st are also excellent opportunities to visit with
old friends and teachers. And as I need not say, a Steiner
Fall Fair is like none other! And don’t forget to look for
Eileen’s updates on the Rudolf Steiner School Alumni
Facebook page.
Wishing you all a most wonderful fall.
Rani Vaz ’83, P ’25
Alumni Association Chair
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
47
RETURNING & RECONNECTING
CLASS NOTES
The 2014-15 school year saw no shortage of opportunities
for alums to reconnect with their school and former classmates.
Submit your updates for the next issue of The Spiral to the deveopment office by contacting Eileen Diskin,
Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at ediskin@steiner.edu or by calling 212-535-2130 ext. 222.
1940s
Gerda (Schmid) Carmichael ’48 “At
the April Magic City Art Connection
show in B`ham, AL., I won a merit
ribbon for my stained glass mosaics
exhibit. Happy, happy!”
1950s
WEST COAST REUNION
April 18 and 19, 2015
Two cities, two great events: Director of Annual Giving and
Alumni Relations Eileen Diskin traveled to California in
April for reunions in San Francisco, hosted by Bill Tandler
’58, and Los Angeles, hosted by Renata Harbison ’70.
ALL ALUMNI REUNION
November 22, 2014
This year’s All Alumni Reunion was both a chance to
reconnect and celebrate some of the fine professional
artists in our community. Held in a gallery turned office
space (generously provided by alumnus Marc Trachtenberg
’79), alumni artists submitted work to event curator
Jessica Winer ’80 for display throughout the space. From
photographs, to paintings, multimedia displays, and
lithographs, Jessica worked with artists to select pieces that
represented their body of work.
Alums spanning the generations marveled at artwork,
caught up with former teachers and classmates, and
enjoyed a delicious spread provided by Parma, a local
Italian restaurant and catering service.
48
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
CLASS OF 1965 CELEBRATES 50-YEAR REUNION
May 8, 2015
Members from the class of 1965 gathered in celebration
of their 50-year reunion. For some, it was the first time
seeing one another since graduation. Members from the
class gathered first at the Lower School, pouring over old
yearbooks and swapping fond memories.
Later that evening, the class put on their dancing shoes and
joined the rest of the community at the annual Spring Gala.
Steiner.edu
Charlotte Courtney Dukich ’59 “I
hope there are members of the class
still around and wanting to connect.
I have lived in San Diego for the last
nine years and am one of the CoDirectors for the Waldorf Institute
of Southern California, which has a
branch in San Diego. I am teaching
early childhood and handwork classes.”
Sean Stull ’59 “I continue to paint in
the White Mountains and exhibit in
the Nancy Cassidy Gallery in Jackson,
NH. I recently sold a large painting
over the July 4th weekend. The endless
beauty of a rich verdant mountain
summer is intoxicating. My work is
flourishing in these mountains. Please
feel free to download any works from
my website that you would like at
seanstull.com.”
1960s
Bob Lilienthal ’61 “An interesting
development in my life is my
involvement with others on Facebook.
I have connected with some exclassmates, an ex-teacher, as well as
RSS. I find it interesting, after half a
century, to communicate with others
Steiner.edu
about mutual interests, and to see
what they are up to.
Corrinne Spingarn ’64 “On our trip
to Europe in June of 2014, we went
to Venice, Italy so I could compete
with my team, the Alameda Dragon
Flyers, in the dragon boat race that
was being held there. We got bronze in
our division! We were also part of the
Boat Parade down the Grand Canal
and participated in the 40th annual
Vogalonga. The route is very long and
took us around St. Erasmus, Burano
and Murano before we returned to
Venice, 26 miles in all! We completed
the route within the given amount
of time and got a medal for that as
well. Steve and I also visited Croatia.
Dubrovnik—a fave, Korcula, Split,
Plitvice National Park—another fave—
and Rovijn and other parts of Italy.”
Janet Asten ’67 “I enjoyed attending
the West Coast Reunion in April
in Palos Verdes Estates in the Los
Angeles area and meeting Eileen (and
others) for the first time. An extra
bonus was riding down from West
L.A. with my high school classmate
and BFF, Pam Young-Wolff. My
oldest granddaughter Juliette recently
graduated from high school and won a
full four-year scholarship at UC Santa
Barbara - I’m very happy for her!”
Michael ’68 and Lynn Nemser “We
continue to enjoy retirement and just
returned from South Africa, Botswana
and Zimbabwe. We were thrilled to
see our daughter Stephanie Dreyer,
Senior Brand Manager for Bayer
running the Aleve business, honored
as a Healthcare Businesswoman’s
Association “Rising Star.” After
an energetic visit with our two
grandchildren, we have now migrated
to our New Hampshire properties for
the summer.”
Michael and Lynn Nemser in South Africa.
1970s
Patricia (Patty) Haft ’70 “Having
lived in Honolulu for the past
30 years, I continue to manage
the pilates studio, and coach
ballerinas, one of whom will be
featured in the world premier of
Tony award winning Chris Gatelli’s
new show In Your Arms opening
in September at The Old Globe
Theatre in San Diego. I am also
thrilled to recently have come into
contact with classmates Abbey,
Zita, Corinne, Mareika, Nadia,
Chris, and Renata, as well as
esteemed teacher Keith Francis.”
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
49
CLASS NOTES
class at Shanghai University. After
checking carefully, I accepted, and
had a really good experience there.
All the students, and the staff in
the department spoke English well,
but outside of that I was lost in a
world where I couldn’t speak or read
anything. People there are very kind
and helpful, a great experience.”
Nancy Tompkins with daughter Chaska Potter
Nancy Tompkins (Lewin) ’71
“My life continues to be an amazing
adventure. Last year’s highlight
was being present for 30 out of
100 performances of Jason Mraz
and Raining Jane. My youngest,
Chaska Potter has been performing
for 15 years in Raining Jane. They
collaborated with Jason to co-write
the album, Yes!, and took their
wonderful music around the world. I
am one very proud Mom!”
Renee Cossutta ’73 “I was invited
to teach a three-week graphic design
Ana Vargas ’75 nursed her mom
through her final illness this winter,
and is now preparing to move to the
Dominican Republic to be closer to
her remaining family.
Jennifer Bingham Johnson ’75 and
her husband, Todd, and daughter,
Isabelle, have enjoyed living in
England in recent years. They may
move to Switzerland later this year.
Carmen Laube ’75 looks forward
to a beach vacation at the end of the
summer.
Susan Franks ’75 is enjoying her new
career as a membership advocate at
her local branch of the Equinox Sports
Club on NYC’s Upper West Side.
Renee Cossutta at Shanghai University.
The poster for Marc Weingarten’s documentary
on Netflix.
1980s
Marc Weingarten’s ’82 documentary
The Other One: The Long Strange Trip
of Bob Weir is currently streaming
on Netflix. His book Thirsty will be
published in the Fall.
MAJ David Friedner ’83 returned
from Afghanistan last summer
to surprise his entire family at
his brother’s wedding. (wtnh.
com/2014/07/18/watch-soldiersurprises-family-with-reunion-innew-london/). After that, the rest
of the year flew by as he returned to
the Pentagon where he is working
in the Army Operations Center for
the Domestic Support Division.
His family threw him an awesome
birthday party recently and his
children, Patrick and Katherine,
continue to make their way through
school much too quickly.
David Ascher ’85 “I still live in NYC
with family and still practice law in
the field of personal injury-accident
cases. If you see someone measuring
a crack on the sidewalk, it’s probably
me. Say ‘Hi.’”
50
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Michelle Gross ’87 and Japanese
American artist Yukié Matsushita
have just published ABC Paris, an A
to Z illustrated book of famous Paris
monuments seen as if the viewer
were looking out at each through
the window of a Parisian’s home.
This unique book includes both a
short history of each monument as
well as French vocabulary on each
page. The book also introduces an
original color memory method to
learn the gender of over 100 French
nouns. Learn more by visiting the
following website: illustratorinparis.
com/2015/05/abc-paris-book.html
Steiner.edu
September of that same year, with
a group of parents, Wild Spruce, a
Waldorf program created to integrate
Homeschool children was born. The
next two years, I taught the First
and Second Grade curriculum to
six children in a wonderful setting
here in the Northwest. At the end of
Second Grade we put on a play on
the Legend of Aldaric and Odilia
and was so proud of my beaming
students. Last summer, my daughter
Selina Morgan came to the light. We
are now filled with joy, laughter, and
the daily madness that comprises
being parents. I look forward to
returning to teaching when the time
will feel right.”
Jeremy Martin ’11 recently
graduated from Syracuse University
in May 2015, receiving a Bachelor’s of
Science in Accounting and Marketing
Management. In addition, he will
participate in the Associated Press’
Summer 2015 Business Associate
Program; and starting in Fall 2015,
Jeremy will be attending Carnegie
Mellon University to earn his Master’s
Degree in Entertainment Industry
Management.
1990s
Ron Passaro ’95 is constantly writing
music while simultaneously trying
to take advantage of summer. He has
been semi-successful on that front so
far but has no complaints. He has also
been thrilled to reconnect with so
many great friends from Steiner over
the last few months!
The cover of ABC Paris by Michelle Gross
Michael Glotzer ’88 and his fiancé,
Emalyn, had twin boys Sept 18th.
Haven’t slept since! “I opened a MidCentury Furniture Warehouse in Los
Angeles. I have been hanging out
with Daniel Lehman ’88 who moved
to Los Angeles.”
Jessie Hays (Nickerman) ’89 “In
June of 2010 I received my Waldorf
Teacher Training Certificate from
Sound Circle Center for the Arts
and Anthroposophy in Seattle. In
Steiner.edu
Megan Margulies (Countey) ’99
gave birth to Lila Harriet Margulies
on April 16, 2015. She lives in
Newton, MA with her husband Larry.
Hand-crafted furniture by Jess Osserman.
2000s
Jess Osserman ’02 is taking her
background in design into the world
of hand-crafted furniture. Having just
finished two years learning in the fine
art of furniture-making in Northern
California and Sweden, she’s setting
up shop back on the east coast where
she hopes to continue making oneof-a-kind pieces that are timeless,
elegant and exceptionally well-made.
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
51
Letter from the Development Chairs
The complexities of today’s world require flexible thinkers
and creative problem solvers, and the gift of Waldorf
education provided by the Rudolf Steiner School delivers
on that need! Loving and valuing this remarkable
education can make giving a joy instead of an obligation.
If Waldorf education is a gift we give our children, then
investing in and supporting that education through the
Annual Fund is a gift we can give back to the school and
to future generations of Rudolf Steiner School students.
Dear Parents and Friends,
T
hank you so much for the generous (and vital)
financial support you provided over the past year
through the Rudolf Steiner School Annual Fund.
Your support played a big role in helping our school
continue to thrive!
Like virtually every private school in the country, the
Rudolf Steiner School depends on fundraising. Funds
raised through annual giving, special gifts, the Fall
Fair and the Spring Gala serve many purposes; they
support our unique educational activities (including
weeks spent by the Lower School at the Hawthorne
Valley Farm and by the Upper School at Camphill
Village), fund necessary capital improvements to our
beautiful buildings and enable us to offer competitive
compensation to teachers and staff. While tuition
dollars cover the basics of the education, community
fundraising provides a critical boost.
For these reasons and more, we enthusiastically
encourage everyone to join us in making the Rudolf
Steiner School, and their children’s education, their top
philanthropic priority.
Thank you again for your generous support throughout
the year, and a special thank you to members of
the Development Office and our Annual Fund
Representatives for their wonderful fundraising work. It’s
an honor and pleasure to serve our community.
One hundred percent participation in the Annual Fund
is our ongoing goal, and we continue to work toward
that end. As leaders of the Development Committee, we
strive to find ways to make fundraising a priority within
the community without being intrusive. From our
perspective, contributing to the Rudolf Steiner School
affords each of us a special opportunity to participate
in and support the school’s unique vision and mission
as the first Waldorf school in North America – the very
vision and mission that attracted us to the school in the
first place.
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Joy Phelan-Pinto, CO-CHAIR
Robert Strent, CO-CHAIR
Robert Lunder
Francesca Marc-Antonio
Dawn Rhodes
Dolores Rice
Richard Strassberg
Dawn Trachtenberg
52
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Letter from the Treasurer
Cordially,
Joy Phelan-Pinto P ’16
Co-Chair, Development Committee
F
or the second year in a row, we ended the fiscal year
with a planned operating deficit. While not ideal,
the Board agreed to run operating deficits for two
reasons: 1) the strategic investments we have made for our
future take time to yield gains; 2) we have been fortunate to
run surpluses in the past few years, so we can afford to run
these deficits for the short term. That said, going forward,
we do not plan to continue running operating deficits.
The Rudolf Steiner School is on solid financial ground.
We have cash reserves, no debt, and a large amount of
unencumbered assets. However, our annual operating
budget is tighter than we would like. To address this, as a
means to reducing our operating deficits, we have begun
working very hard to cut expenses overall with a focus
on keeping existing programs in place, while identifying
ways to deliver them more efficiently. Further, we have
successfully identified new streams of operating revenue
and will continue to look for additional revenue streams.
The effects of these efforts are seen in the budget for this
school year, as we get much closer to the balanced budgets
of the past.
In addition to our efforts to create a balanced budget, we
continue to focus on reaching full enrollment, the key to
our fiscal sustainability. This will be achieved through
greater retention of existing students and by attracting
new students who, ideally, will remain with us through the
completion of high school.
Robert Strent, P ’26 ’28
Co-Chair, Development Committee
2014-15 ANNUAL FUND CLASS AGENTS
Back Nursery: Tushar Shah
Middle Nursery: Nicole Kassell
Upstairs Kindergarten: Robert Strent
Downstairs Kindergarten: Karen Imhof
1st Grade: Gina Iovino & Michael Steiner
2nd Grade: Dan Goldstein & Terri Adler
3rd Grade: Christina Glover-Peacock & Raphael Peacock
4th Grade: Jim Salser
5th Grade: Claudia Mahler
Dear RSS Community,
6th Grade: Whitney Quillen
7th Grade: Scott Klein
8th Grade: Mary & Luis Fernando Llosa
9th Grade: Iris Alfonso
10th Grade: Lena Armel
11th Grade: Joy Phelan-Pinto
12th Grade: Christine Austin & Michael Filler
Steiner.edu
We enjoyed a very robust year in fund raising, for which I
would like to express my appreciation to all who supported
our beloved school. It is my hope that we will be able to
continue this trend of growing our fundraising revenues
as this is another way to both help our annual operating
budget (through current giving), and to help secure our
future (through endowed and capital giving).
On a personal note, at the end of this year several long
term Board members ended their terms of service. These
parents and a faculty member have all served the Board in
a very committed manner, several as officers in a variety
of capacities. I would like to thank them for their many,
Steiner.edu
many years of dedicated service. Their active support of
and dedication to Steiner will be missed on the Board.
In closing, I remain optimistic about the possibilities for
the future. I remain awed by the experiences our children
have here and the education they receive. I am extremely
confident about the many opportunities we are embracing
and I look forward to working with our community to
make the Rudolf Steiner School even more successful than
it already is by realizing our fullest potential.
Respectfully,
Mitchel Friedman, P ’19
Treasurer
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
53
BUDGET RESULTS
Donors
Every donor to our school is important, and every gift is significant. Donors listed in the following categories made
unrestricted and/or restricted gifts to the school during the 2014-2015 school year in direct cash and securities support,
special events, sponsorship and underwriting. We extend our warmest gratitude to everyone who participated.
2014-2015 (Unaudited)
AMOUNT
INCOME (see chart at right)
Gross Tuition & Fees
Tuition Assistance
Net Tuition & Fees
Addl. Program & Misc. Income
Net Fundraising
$12,401,754
($3,791,185)
$8,610,569
$558,583
$772,894
TOTAL INCOME
$9,942,046
EXPENDITURES (see chart at right)
Faculty Salaries
Administrative Salaries
Faculty & Staff Benefits
Program Expense
Facility Expense
Administrative Expense
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
$4,256,812
$2,383,213
$1,735,589
$1,058,283
$331,703
$615,239
$10,380,839
Net Operating Excess (Deficit)
Capital Expenses
Reserve
($438,793)
$281,630
$0
NET CASH
($720,423)
% OF TOTAL
*
**
INCOME
ANNUAL GIVING RESTRICTED
AND UNRESTRICTED
86.6%
5.6%
7.8%
1928 Circle ($25,000+)
Anonymous (3)
Mark Reed and Daria Ilunga **
100%
Leaders Circle ($10,000 - $24,999)
Gerda S. Carmichael ’43 ****
Jean-Hugues and Veronique Monier
Ronald Perelman and Dr. Anna Chapman
Marc ’79 and Dawn Trachtenberg ***
41.0%
23.0%
16.7%
10.2%
3.2%
5.9%
Partners Circle ($5,000 - $9,999)
Gianpaolo De Felice and Gabrielle Karan *
Arthur and Kathryn Garfunkel
Susan Goodale ****
Rama and Sara Madhu *
Christina McInerney ’61 *
Dennis Pinto and Joy Phelan-Pinto **
Mitchel Silverman and Stefani Greenfield
Mario Sorrenti and Mary Frey **
Rani Vaz ’83 and Mchael Moebius *
Jeffrey ’83 and Stacey Weber ***
100%
EXPENDITURES
Friends Circle ($2,500 - $4,999)
Jane Byrne
Pierre and Connie Crosby
Alfredo de Palchi and Rita Di Pace *
Daniel Goldstein and Terri Adler *
David R. Hillcoat and Ellen Jacobson *
Jennifer and Frederick Leichter ’76 Fund
Drs. Eric and Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth **
Dr. Walter Pereyra
Whitney and Tamar Quillen **
Sandeep Qusba and Dawn Rhodes *
Gideon Schwartz and Alissa Manocherian Schwartz
Friederike Felber Seligman ’63
Dr. Daniel Szekely ’68
Mr. Dominic Vaz and Marilyn Wright Vaz
SUMMARY OF FUNDRAISING*
ANNUAL GIVING UNRESTRICTED
Annual Appeal
Unrestricted Fall Fair
Unrestricted Spring Benefit
ANNUAL GIVING RESTRICTED
Laura Nadel Art and Music Fund
Rudin Scholarship Fund
Other
$549,084
$101,228
$122,582
$9,075
$50,000
$17,145
Waldorf Circle ($1,000 - $2,499)
Mark and Stacey Adkins **
Belinda Agar *
Ceki and Seniha Aluf-Medina *
Dr. Revaz Beridze and Dr. Zoya Zak
Peter Bing ’72 *
Deborah Carmichael ’79 *
Esra Cevik
Blanche and Jim Christerson *
Brian and Melinda Cullman
Elizabeth De Cuevas
*Reflects funds received and booked July 1, 2014- June 30, 2015.
TOTAL UNRESTRICTED GIVING
TO CURRENT OPERATIONS
54
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Indicates giving for five or more consecutive years
Indicates giving for ten or more consecutive years
$772,894
Steiner.edu
Steiner.edu
*** Indicates giving for fifteen or more consecutive years
**** Indicates giving for twenty or more consecutive years
Danielle Do and Samantha Sutton
Paulina Eisenbeis
William Eisenbeis
Mitchel Friedman **
Olena Horban Galanti *
Jason and Kristy Glass
Evan Gsell and Jodi Peikoff
Kanter Kallman Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Vyacheslav Kaushan
Anthony Knerr and Susanne Kastler-Knerr **
Doreen Lilienfeld and Tommy Friedner ’85 *
James and Katy Lindsay
D. Edward and Julie Martin
Andrew McCarthy and Dolores Rice *
Glenn McDonald
Bradford and Fleurine Mehldau
Luigi Perin and Christine Mitsch-Perin
Susan Pollack ’65
Eric ’71 and Fiona Rudin
Vincent Schimel
Steven Sebring
Inna Shaykevich ’03 *
Marco Spinar and Claire Brown
Allison Stone Stabile ’74
Claudia Stone ’74 and Goran Sare
Mr. Erminio Stefano and Mrs. Luana Conte
Robert and Jennifer Strent *
Noel Trachtenberg ’60
Christopher Tsai and Andre Stockamp
Vadym and Kateryna Ustymenko
Juan and Susann Villanueva **
Araks Yeramyan
Community Circle (Up to $999)
Anonymous (12)
Mark Abel and Kathleen Williams
Brian Ackley and Lisa Farjam
Ben Ahrens ’02
Jacqueline Ahrens
Dr. and Mrs. Oguz Akin
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander
Iris Alfonso
Rudy and Vivian Almonte
Roland Antonides and Karen Imhof
James Archey *
Lena Armel **
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Ascher *
Janet Asten ’67 **
Joseph Atanga and Vida Anaba
Mary Aumell *
Michael Filler and Christine Austin *
Mauricia Baca ’88
Luisa Baez
Semone Bailey
Emily Baldwin ’98
William and Susan Baldwin ****
Russell Ball and Dori Evans
Wallace Bao and Kathy Qian
Carol Bärtges ’73
Paula Bass
Esther Bauer
Lawrence Bauer ’73 *
Brooke ’80 and Carl Bedrick *
John and Gaily Beinecke ****
William B. Beinecke ’07
Andres and Carolina Belen *
Juan and Monika Beltran
Dana Benjamin ’60
Dale A. Bennett
Svein and Olga Berg *
Ross Bingham and Eleonore Kopera
Arnelle Blas
Andre Bondi ’73
Admiral Kevin and Eugenia Bone *
Karen Braga *
Xander Bremer ’05
Brooke Brosenne *
Travis E. Brown and Anandah J. Carter
Catherine Burns ’79
Richard Camacho
Kevin and Elena Cannon *
Feng Cao and Lynn Chen
Alison Cariati ’83 *
Nadja and Damian Carneol
Stefanie Casillas ’03
Allison Castro
Julio Catano
Victor Catano *
Ellen Cimino
Patricia Coates ’74 *
Calen Cole ’08
Anthony Cookson and Kim Akeret ’71
Renee Cossutta ’73
Christopher and Lori Countey
Katrina Cox ’04 *
Denise Crane *
German and Maria Creamer *
Gail Cruise-Roberson
Mr. and Mrs. Ilhan Cubukcuoglu
Prof. Patricia Dailey
Luiz De Salvo and Patricia Schwarz *
Dolores and Milton Dean **
Jan and Anne Debassac
Eileen Diskin
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
55
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dixon
Djordje and Sarah Djordjevic *
Laura Donkel
Antoine Douaihy *
Lorraine Dowd-Snella
Robert Drach and Terri Gumula
Donald Dunn and Lily Kesselman
Sky Dylan-Robbins ’07
Rose Edinger ’64
Jonathan Edwards ’96
Kristie Edwards ’99
Dr. Martin H. Ehrlich and Ms. Ioana Baraschi-Ehrlich
Deighn and Ying Eliason
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Elling
Esther Faingold
Tamar Feeser
Mrs. and Mr. Christina Feinburg
Laurie Feit ’80
Wilson Ferreira and Chiara Filippi
Joe and Deane Fitzgerald
Virginia Flynn ’59 *
Charles Foster and Joylynn Holder
Daniel and Ruth Franks
Jan Freundschu ’64
Arkady and Maria Fridman
Mark Recht and Myra Friedman *
Renni Greenberg Gallagher *
Ruy Garcia and Gala Narezo
Judy Gex
Andrew Gibbons and Manveet Saluja
Alexandra Gifford ’68 and Stephen Hansen
Dr. Elizabeth Ginsburg ’76 **
Dr. Iona Ginsburg
Carol Gleklen ’57
Elizabeth Goldfeder
Irene E. Goodale
Thomas F. Goodale ’06
Bryon and Martia Gordon
Phyllis Gottesman
Stathis Gourgouris and Neni Panourgia *
Bill and Adele Grant
John Greene *
Mathieu Gregoire ’71
Suzanne C. Gregoire ’74 *
Mohammed and Betty Grimeh
Samuel and Isabel Gross ****
Chris and Sarah Gunderson
Lisa Gustin
Patricia Haft ’70 **
Herbert Hagens ’41
Jenny Hall ’72
Rallou Hamshaw ’65 *
Christopher J. Hancock
Renata Harbison ’70 *
Joshua Haron and Leah Azoulay
Mary Harris
Kristin Hawkins
Julia Hays ’73 *
John and Silvia Heller *
Martin and Margaret Heller *
Frances Hershkowitz ’60 *
Jon Hess ’74
Rosemarie Hester
56
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Carl and Elsa Hetherington
Sarah Hetherington ’05
Mary Lynn Hetsko *
Isabel Hill *
Randall and Elizabeth Hixenbaugh
Lester and Dorothy Hoffman *
Ian Hoffmann ’03
Timothy Hoffmann and Irene Mantel ***
Abraham Hsuan and Melinda Hung **
Kaining Huang
Andrew Hubner and Sarah Hayes
Gina Iovino
Elanor James
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Jones
Rachel Jones and Benim Foster
Joanna Jordan
Patricia Kadvan
Brian Kaplan and Lambeth Hochwald
Keith Kefgen
Wendy and Scot Kelly
Scott I. Klein and Elizabeth A. Barasch
Carol Knowles ’56
Robert Koszta and Ildiko Koszta-Kope
Louis Kramberg and Sheryl Jukofsky
Gail Ritscher ’72 and Pieter Kuypers ’72 *
Hannah Labovitch
Christiane Landowne ’63
Shirley L. Latessa ****
Chung-Yu Lee and Yuen Wa Chow *
David and Miyoung Lee
Adam LeGrant ’78 ***
Hope Leichter *
Jennie and Caleb Leung *
Myron Levitsky
Leslie and Ching Li *
Robert Lilienthal ’61
Suzanne Limozinere-Kefgen
Johan Lindeberg
Luis Fernando and Mary Llosa **
Natalie Lo and Nir Ronen *
Marc Louvet
Stephen Lubben and Jennifer Hoyden *
Erika Ludwig ’86
Antonio Luis and Teresa Benedict
Dr. William D. and Mark A. Macatee
Robin Machnik
Kathleen Mahaffey
Daniel and Claudia Mahler
Michael T. Mainieri and Dee Cartensen Mainieri *
Elie Mala ’10
Dena Malon *
Hannelore Mani
Kristina Mani ’87
Tristan Mantel-Hoffmann ’06
Brennon Marcano and Isabelle Delalex
Paul and Renee Marchand **
Samantha Margles *
Diana E. Marin ’00 and Alex Neuhoff
Carmen Martinez
Charles W. McFarlane ’12
Scott McFarlane and Nancy Raimondo
Marina McGrew *
Stephen McKenzie ’75
Wayne and Lisa McKenzie
Saket and Simrat Mehta
Martina Meijer ’02 *
Luigi Mercone and Claire Szeto
Mr. and Mrs. Mercurio
Lorenzo Mitchell ’78
Deborah Mohabeer
Joyce Monges ****
Katherine Monges ’73
Marta Morales **
Gregory Muenzen and Leslie Dock
Gary Mui *
David ’87 and Nicole Nadel ***
Dr. Leonard Nadel and Mrs. Rhoda Nadel
Dr. and Mrs. Warren Nadel ****
Mr. and Mrs. Konstantine Nalpantidis
Richard Neel ’57
Michael ’68 and Lynn Nemser
Peter Nitze ’76 *
David Nuss
Sarah ’05 and Gill Ohana
Gabrielle L. Ortiz ’83 and Antonio Ortiz Marin *
Lucia Oswald *
Karla Otis
Joseph and Felicia Panepinto *
Greg and Ginger Pardlo *
Ron Passaro ’95
Genia Patestides ’88
Raphael Peacock and Christina Glover-Peacock
April Pereyra Vigil and Willie Vigil, Jr. *
Geri Perkal
Christian and Stephanie Perry *
Geoffrey and Ahna Petersen *
Cristian Piazza and Gabriela Cordo
Helene Pinsky ’65 ****
Michael Pisacane
Brian and LeeAnna Plane *
Nicholas Platt and Robyn Watts *
Renate ’60 and Boris Poliakine *
Jane Porter ’72
Zak and Robyn Powers
Rande Price
Roger Questel and Ellen Salvadori *
Chris and Lydie Raschka **
Wilken Ratz and Alexa Meyer
Gail Reed, Ph.D. ’61
John Reed and Yeardley Leonard
Daniel Rendon and Angela A. Manzueta
Heather Ricciardi
Alexandra Riccio ’88
Raoul J. Roach
Dr. Russell D. Robbins ’80 *
Susan Robinson ’69
Kevin Scott Rodriguez
Joshua Rogers and Jennifer Black
Diana ’60 and John Ronell
Katharina Roos
Morgan Ross ’09
Michael and Chanit Roston
James Roth ’83
Ami Rothschild *
David and Carolyn Rothschild *
Stephen and Elizabeth Rubin
Steiner.edu
Marilyn Ruppart
Brenda Ryan
James Salser and Lisa K. Greissinger **
Josephine Salvador
Andres David and Ayarilis Sanchez *
Colony Santangelo ’65 *
Angel Santiago and Nancy Acosta
Jose and Edyta Santiago
Thomas Schaefer
Oliver Shaper and Lily Zand
Drs. Andrew and Anke Scheinfeld **
Marion Schlapfer *
Edward Schlieben ’71 ***
Katherine Schlieben ’99
Todd Schlieben ’70
David Schneider ’84
Lucy Schneider
Eleonore Schonberg
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell Scott
Julia and Alexander Sergeyeva-Benenson *
Tushar and Anjali Shah
Scott Shepard and Phyllis Gottesman
Hisatoshi and Tsuya Shiraishi *
Shirin Shokouhi
Deborah Shriver ’67
Anne Sidamon-Eristoff ’49 ***
Sandy Siegel
Merle Louise Simon *
Amba Singh
Sunil Singh and Parwaz Rehman
Charles Smith and Sono Kuwayama *
Diana ’63 and Robert Smith *
Dr. Samuel Smith ’54 ***
Robert Snider and Francesca Marc-Antonio **
Scott Sturniolo and Stefanie Soichet ’74 **
Beverly J. Sonner ’50 *
Jeffrey Spade
Alexandra Spadea
Albert and Alice Spekman ****
Corinne Spingarn ’64 ***
Jim Steiner *
Michael and Camila Steiner *
Susan Stein ’75
Alice B. Stock ’79
Howard Straus ’60
Jeffrey and Melissa Sussman *
Joel and Shoshannah Sutherland *
Michael Sutton **
William Tandler ’58
Trivikraman Thampy and Meredith Burns
Laura Thompson
Erik and Cornelia Thomsen *
Benjamin J. Trachtenberg ’12
Wyatt Troll ’87
Adam Van Auken and Marinne Kinney
Ana Vargas ’75
Ingrid Vega
Jeffrey and Clio Venho ****
Matthew G. Verdery
Jose and Christina Vicente *
Suzanne Furth Victor ’73 *
Lukardis von Studnitz ’85
Dr. Roswitha von Studnitz ’88
Steiner.edu
Nigel and Elizabeth Walsh
Peter and Patricia Wan
Lindsay Wasserman ’77
Anne Waxman ’74
Lawrence and Judith Weber
Jesse Webster and Dr. Nicole Falanga
Kenneth Weinrib ’76
Grant Werner ’75 **
Thomas Wetzl ’50 ***
David W. White *
Dr. Richard White and Ms. Theresa Meyer
Carol Williams ’65
Joan Williams *
Robert and Shannon Williams **
Deborah Winer ’79
Dr. Steven Wolf ’73 *
Dian Woodner ’64
Mrs. Waltraude S. Woods ’48 *
Mr. and Mrs. Masahiro Yaguchi
Alexander Yagupsky and Claudia Knafo
Claudia Yatsevitch ’41 *
Michael and Kenya Young
Steve Yung and Nicole Kassell *
Dr. Peter Yurchenco ’66 and Ingrid Yurchenco
Jean Zay
Robin Zeamer ’65 *
Ilya Zeldin and Yevgeniya Roenblit
Ryan and Lisa Zentner
PARENT DONORS BY CLASS
The faculty, staff and Board of Trustees of the
Rudolf Steiner School are in grateful receipt of
direct cash and securities contributions from the
following Steiner families.
Middle Nursery, 100% Parent Participation
Kamil Barlin
Damian Busch and Nadja Carneol
Esra Cevik
Bill and Adele Grant
Brian Jones and Miriam Biolek-Jones
David and Miyoung Lee
Campbell and Kathleen Scott
Sunil Singh and Parwaz Rehman
Dr. Steve Yung and Nicole Kassell
Back Nursery, 86% Parent Participation
Brian and Lisa Ackley
Ross Bingham and Yasha Kopera
Danielle Do and Sam Sutton
Vyacheslav and Olga Kaushan
Alexandre and Katy Lindsay
Fabio and Sabrina Mercurio
Gideon and Alissa Schwartz
Tushar and Anjali Shah
Erminio Stefano and Luana Conte
Dr. Trivikraman Thampy and Meredith Burns
Peter Wan and Patricia Marques
Mr. Jesse Webster and Dr. Nicole Flanga
Downstairs Kindergarten, 68% Parent Participation
Mark Abel and Kathleen Williams
Roland Antonides and Karen Imhof
Travis Brown and Anandah Carter
Feng Cao and Lynn Chen
Patricia Dailey
Donald and Lily Dunn
Gregory Muenzen and Leslie Dock
Brian Plane and LeeAnna Keith
Joshua Rogers and Jennifer Black
Nir Ronen and Natalie Lo
Steven and Shoshana Sebring
Gideon and Alissa Schwartz
Richard White and Theresa Meyer
Ilya Zeldin and Yevgeniya Rozenblit
Upstairs Kindergarten, 95% Parent Participation
Revaz Beridze and Zoya Zak
Djordje Djordjevic and Sarah Djordjevic Poole
Christopher Duggan and Nel Shelby
Deighn and Ying Zhou Eliason
Wilson Ferreira Jr. and Chiara Filippi
Charles Foster and Joylynn Holder
Mohammed and Betty Grimeh
John and Silvia Heller
Saket and Simrat Mehta
Jean-Hugues and Veronique Monier
Paola Pedrignani
Luigi Perin and Christine Mitsch-Perin
Christian Piazza and Gabriela Cordo
Wilken Ratz and Alexa Meyer
Christopher Tsai and Andre Stockamp
Robert and Jennifer Strent
Shirin Shokouhi
Joel and Shoshannah Sutherland
Mads Svendsen and Rebecca Dahele
Araks Yeramyan
1st Grade – 79% Parent Participation
Oguz and Ruby Akin
Ceki Aluf-Medina and Seniha Inan
Roland Antonides and Karen Imhof
Feng Cao and Lynn Chen
Luiz De Salvo and Patricia Schwarz
Danielle Do and Samantha Sutton
Arkady and Maria Fridman
Daniel Goldstein and Terri Adler
Mohammed and Betty Grimeh
Chris and Sarah Gunderson
Andrew Hubner and Sarah Hayes
Gina Iovnio
Luigi Mercone and Claire Szeto
Greg and Ginger Pardlo
Robyn and Zachary Powers
Wilken Ratz and Alexa Meyer
Michael and Camila Steiner
Robert and Jennifer Strent
Dr. Trivikraman Thampy and Meredith Burns
Vadym and Kateryna Ustymenko
Araks Yeramyan
2nd Grade – 100% Parent Participation
Sasha Archer
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
57
Xo Bao and Cuixia Qian
Juan and Monika Beltran
Revaz Beridze and Zoya Zak
Kevin and Elena Cannon
Djordje Djordjevic and Sarah Poole
Ruy Garcia and Gala Narezo
Andrew Gibbons and Manveet Saluja
Daniel Goldstein and Terri Adler
Harold and Stacey Kelly
Robert and Ildiko Koszta
Chung-Yu Lee and Yuen Wa Chow
Andrew McCarthy and Dolores Rice
Michael Moebius and Rani Vaz ’83
Jean-Hugues and Veronique Monier
John Reed and Yeardley Leonard
Shawn Richmond and Semone Bailey
Nir Ronen and Natalie Lo
Amba Singh
Marco Spinar and Claire Brown
Joel and Shoshannah Sutherland
Mads Svendsen and Rebecca Dahele
3rd Grade – 90% Parent Participation
Rudy Almonte and Vivian Contreras
Juan and Monika Beltran
Svein and Olga Berg
Gianpaolo De Felice and Gabrielle Karan
Kurt and Jennifer Elling
Wilson Ferreira and Chiara Filippi
Arthur and Kathryn Garfunkel
Evan Gsell and Jodi Peikoff
John and Silvia Heller
David Hillcoat and Ellen Jacobson
Andrew Hubner and Sarah Hayes
Anthony Knerr and Susanne Kastler-Knerr
Antonio Luis and Teresa Benedict
Raphael and Christina Peacock
Nicholas Platt and Robyn Watts
Erik and Cornelia Thomsen
Masahiro and Suyapa Yaguchi
4th Grade – 83% Parent Participation
James Archey
Joshua Haron and Leah Azoulay
Luiz De Salvo and Patricia Schwartz
Antoine Douaihy
Paulina Eisenbeis
William Eisenbeis
Fernando Luis and Mary Llosa
Diana Mahiques
Brennon Marcano and Isabelle Delalex
Antonio Marin and Gabrielle Ortiz ’83
Greg and Ginger Pardlo
Sandeep Qusba and Dawn Rhodes
John Reed and Yeardley Leonard
Mark Reed and Daria Ilunga
Heather Ricciardi
Ami Rothschild
James Salser and Lisa Greissinger
Jose and Edyta Santiago
Marco Spinar and Claire Brown
Jose and Christina Vicente
58
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Svein and Olga Berg
Andrew Gibbons and Manveet Saluja
John and Silvia Heller
Esther Faingold
Joanna Jordan
Brian Kaplan and Lambeth Hochwald
Chung-Yu Lee and Yuen Wa Chow
Rama and Sara Madhu
Daniel and Claudia Mahler
Joseph and Felicia Panepinto
Andres Sanchez and Ayarilis Pena
Ilhan and Kyra Cubukcuoglu
Lorraine Dowd-Snela
Suzanne C. Gregoire ’74
Scott Shepard and Phyllis Gottesman
Ximena Jimenez
Carmen Martinez
Konstantine and Carmen Nalpantidis
Dennis Pinto and Joy Phelan-Pinto
Nicholas Platt and Robyn Watts
Whitney and Tamar Quillen
Mark Recht and Myra Friedman
Andres Sanchez and Ayarlis Pena
Drs. Andrew and Anke Scheinfeld
Kenya and Michael Young
Lisa and Ryan Zentner
6th Grade – 75% Parent Participation
10th Grade – 88% Parent Participation
Jane Byrne
Gianpaolo De Felice and Gabrielle Karan
Robert Drach and Terru Gumula
Wilson Ferreira and Chiara Filippi
Randall and Elizabeth Hixenbaugh
Benim Foster and Rachel Jones
Harold and Stacey Kelly
Whitney and Tamar Quillen
Kevin Rodriguez and Sumei Situ
Amy Schimel
Vincent Schimel
Michael and Camila Steiner
Juan and Susann Villanueva
Mark and Stacey Adkins
Joseph and Vida Atanga
Brian and Melinda Cullman
Harold and Stacey Kelly
Hannah Labovitch
Lena Armel
Wayne and Lisa McKenzie
Eric and Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth
Geoffrey and Ahna Peterson
Daniel Rendon and Angela Manzueta-Rendo
Angel Santiago and Nancy Acosta
Oliver Schaper and Lily Zand
Chuck Smith and Sono Kuwayama
Robert Snider and Francesca Marc-Antonio
Michael Sutton
Juan and Susann Villanueva
Steve Yung and Nicole Kassell
5th Grade – 61% Parent Participation
7th Grade – 64% Parent Participation
Rudy Almonte and Vivian Contreras
Svein and Olga Berg
Jason and Kristy Glass
Scott Klein and Elizabeth Barasch
Luis Fernando Llosa and Mary Llosa
Andrew McCarthy and Dolores Rice
Nicholas Platt and Robin Watts
Rande Price
Sandeep Qusba and Dawn Rhodes
8th Grade – 86% Parent Participation
Jan and Anne Debassac
Mitchel Friedman
Meggan Friedman
Anthony Knerr and Susanne Kastler-Knerr
Johan Lindeberg
Marcella Lindeberg
Luis Fernando Llosa and Mary Llosa
Michael and Dee Mainieri
Karla Otis
Raoul Roach
Matthew Verdery and Rocio Rodriguez
James Salser and Lisa Greissinger
Hisatoshi and Tsuya Shiraishi
Mario Sorrenti and Mary Frey
Ingrid Vega
9th Grade – 67% Parent Participation
Iris Alfonso
Luisa Baez
Paula Bass
11th Grade – 56% Parent Participation
Christopher and Lori Countey
Tamar Grimm-Feeser
Luis Fernando Llosa and Mary Llosa
Deborah Mohabeer
Dennis Pinto and Joy Phelan-Pinto
Stephen and Elizabeth Rubin
Drs. Andrew and Anke Scheinfeld
Alex Neuhoff and Diana Marin ’00
12th Grade – 38% Parent Participation
Anonymous (1)
Belinda Agar
Michael Filler and Christine Austin
Brooke Brosenne
Elizabeth Goldfeder
Rama and Sara Madhu
Whitney and Tamar Quillen
Scott Sturniolo and Stefanie Soichet ’74
Mark ’79 and Dawn Trachtenberg
ALUMNI DONORS BY DECADE
Anonymous (2)
Herbert Hagens ’41
Claudia Yatsevitch ’41
Gerda S. Carmichael ’43
Mrs. Waltraude S. Woods ’48
Anne Sidamon-Eristoff ’49
Beverly J. Sonner ’50
Thomas Wetzl ’50
Steiner.edu
Dr. Samuel Smith ’54
Carol Knowles ’56
Carol Gleklen ’57
Richard Neel ’57
William Tandler ’58
Virginia Flynn ’59
Dana Benjamin ’60
Frances Hershkowitz ’60
Renate Poliakine ’60
Diana Ronell ’60
Howard Straus ’60
Noel Trachtenberg ’60
Robert Lilienthal ’61
Christina McInerney ’61
Gail Reed. Ph.D. ’61
Friederike Felber Seligman ’63
Christiane Landowne ’63
Diana Smith ’63
Corinne Spingarn ’64
Rose Edinger ’64
Jan Freundschu ’64
Dian Woodner ’64
Helene Pinsky ’65
Rallou Hamshaw ’65
Susan Pollack ’65
Colony Santangelo ’65
Carol Williams ’65
Robin Zeamer ’65
Dr. Peter Yurchenco ’66
Deborah Shriver ’67
Janet Asten ’67
Alexandra Gifford ’68
Michael Nemser ’68
Dr. Daniel Szekely ’68
Susan Robinson ’69
Patricia Haft ’70
Renata Harbison ’70
Todd Schlieben ’70
Kim Akeret ’71
Anthony Cookson ’71
Mathieu Gregoire ’71
Eric Rudin ’71
Edward Schlieben ’71
Peter Bing ’72
Jenny Hall ’72
Pieter Kuypers ’72
Jane Porter ’72
Gail Ritscher ’72
Lawrence Bauer ’73
Carol Bärtges ’73
Andre Bondi ’73
Renee Cossutta ’73
Julia Hays ’73
Katherine Monges ’73
Suzanne Victor (Furth) ’73
Dr. Steven Wolf ’73
Patricia Coates ’74
Suzanne C. Gregoire ’74
Jon Hess ’74
Stefanie Soichet ’74
Allison Stone Stabile ’74
Anne Waxman ’74
Stephen McKenzie ’75
Steiner.edu
Susan Stein ’75
Ana Vargas ’75
Grant Werner ’75
Dr. Elizabeth Ginsburg ’76
Peter Nitze ’76
Frederick Leichter ’76
Kenneth Weinrib ’76
Thomas Glocer ’77
Claudia Stone ’77
Lindsay Wasserman ’77
Adam LeGrant ’78
Lorenzo Mitchell ’78
Mark Sonnino ’78
Alice B. Stock ’79
Catherine Burns ’79
Deborah Carmichael ’79
Marc Trachtenberg ’79
Deborah Winer ’79
Dr. Russell D. Robbins ’80
Brooke Bedrick ’80
Laurie Feit ’80
Alison Cariati ’83
Gabrielle L. Ortiz ’83
Jeffrey Weber ’83
James Roth ’83
Rani Vaz ’83
David Schneider ’84
Lukardis von Studnitz ’85
Tommy Friedner ’85
Erika Ludwig ’86
Kristina Mani ’87
David Nadel ’87
Wyatt Troll ’87
Genia Patestides ’88
Alexandra Riccio ’88
Mauricia Baca ’88
Dr. Roswitha von Studnitz ’88
Ron Passaro ’95
Jonathan Edwards ’96
Emily Baldwin ’98
Kristie Edwards ’99
Katherine Schlieben ’99
Diana E. Marin ’00
Martina Meijer ’02
Ben Ahrens ’02
Stefanie Casillas ’03
Ian Hoffmann ’03
Inna Shaykevich ’03
Katrina Cox ’04
Xander Bremer ’05
Sarah Hetherington ’05
Sarah Ohana ’05
Thomas F. Goodale ’06
Tristan Mantel-Hoffmann ’06
Sky Dylan-Robbins ’07
William B. Beinecke ’07
Calen Cole ’08
Morgan Ross ’09
Elie Mala ’10
Charles McFarlane ’12
Benjamin J. Trachtenberg ’12
ALUMNI PARENTS,
GRANDPARENTS & FRIENDS
Anonymous (3)
Jacqueline Ahrens
Dr. and Mrs. Richard Ascher
Ms. Mary Aumell
William and Susan Baldwin
Russell Ball and Dori Evans
Carol Bärtges ’73
Ms. Esther Bauer
John and Gaily Beinecke
Dale A. Bennett
Arnelle Blas
Admiral Kevin and Eugenia Bone
Karen Braga
Allison Castro
Blanche L. and James B. Christerson
Christopher and Lori Countey
German and Maria Creamer
Pierre and Connie Crosby
Gail Cruise-Roberson
Elizabeth De Cuevas
Alfredo de Palchi and Rita Di Pace
Dolores and Milton Dean
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dixon
Dr. Martin H. Ehrlich and Ms. Ioana
Baraschi-Ehrlich
Wilson Ferreira and Chiara Filippi
Daniel and Ruth Franks
Renni Greenberg Gallagher
Arthur and Kathryn Garfunkel
Judy Gex
Dr. Iona Ginsburg
Mrs. Irene E. Goodale
Susan Goodale
Bryon and Martia Gordon
Stathis Gourgouris and Neni Panourgia
John Greene
Samuel and Isabel Gross
Lisa and Terry Gustin
Mary Harris
Kristin Hawkins
Julia Hays ’73
Martin and Margaret Heller
Carl and Elsa Hetherington
Isabel Hill
Lester and Dorothy Hoffman
Timothy Hoffmann and Irene Mantel
Patricia Kadvan
Keith Kefgen
Wendy and Scot Kelly
Louis Kramberg and Sheryl Jukofsky
Shirley L. Latessa
Hope Leichter
Myron Levitsky
Marc Louvet
Stephen Lubben and Jennifer Hoyden
Robin Machnik
Kathleen Mahaffey
Daniel and Claudia Mahler
Hannelore Mani
Paul and Renee Marchand
Alex Neuhoff and Diana Marin ’00
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
59
D. Edward and Julie Martin
Glenn McDonald
Scott McFarlane and Nancy Raimondo
Bradford and Fleurine Mehldau
Joyce Monges
Marta Morales
Dr. Leonard Nadel and Mrs. Rhoda Nadel
Dr. and Mrs. Warren Nadel
Richard Neel ’57
David Nuss
Dr. Walter Pereyra
Michael Pisacane
Roger Questel and Ellen Salvadori
Chris and Lydie Raschka
Michael and Chanit Roston
David and Carolyn Rothschild
Brenda Ryan
Josephine Salvador
Marion Schlapfer
Edward Schlieben ’71
Lucy Schneider
Eleonore Schonberg
Sandy Siegel
Merle Louise Simon
Albert and Alice Spekman
Jim Steiner
Laura Thompson
Mr. Dominic Vaz and Marilyn Wright Vaz
Jeffrey and Clio Venho
Nigel and Elizabeth Walsh
Lawrence and Judith Weber
Brittany and Michele Weeden
David W. White
Joan Williams
Shannon and Robert Williams
Robin Zeamer ’65
CURRENT AND FORMER
FACULTY & STAFF
In addition to furthering the School’s
mission in all that they do, a great many
current and former members of the
faculty and staff of Rudolf Steiner School
stepped forward to support the Annual
Fund. We appreciate greatly all they do
for our School and community.
Anonymous (1)
Walter Alexander
Rudy Almonte
Semone Bailey
Carol Bärtges ’73
Andres Belen
Dale Bennett
Brooke Bosenne
Richard Camacho
Nadja Carneol
Stefanie Casillas ’03
Julio Catano
Victor Catano
Ellen Cimino
Denise Crane
Maria Creamer
60
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Dolores Dean
Eileen Diskin
Laura Donkel
Tamar Feeser
Christina Feinburg
Joe Fitzgerald
Myra Friedman
Olena Horban Galanti
Renni Gallagher
Rallou Hamshaw ’65
Christopher J. Hancock
Kristin Hawkins
Julia Hays ’73
Rosemarie Hester
Mary Lynn Hetsko
Timothy Hoffmann
Kaining Huang
Elanor James
Brian Kaplan
Wendy Kelly
Sono Kuwayama
Yeardley Leonard
Jennie Leung
Leslie Li
Dr. William D. Macatee
Dena Malon
Kristina Mani ’87
Irene Mantel
Samantha Margles
Marina McGrew
Marta Morales
Gary Mui
Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth
Sarah Ohana ’05
Lucia Oswald
Felicia Panepinto
April Pereyra
Geri Perkal
Christian Perry
Brian Plane
Renate Poliakine ’60
Alexandra Riccio ’88
Katharina Roos
Marylin Ruppart
Andres David Sanchez
Thomas Schaefer
Anke Scheinfeld
Edward Schlieben ’71
Katherine Schlieben ’99
Lucy Schneider
Julia Sergeyeva-Benenson
Amba Singh
Jeffrey Spade
Alexandra Spadea
Melissa Sussman
Adam Van Auken
Clio Venho
Jeffrey Venho
Shannon Williams
Dedra Wright
Alexander Yagupsky
Jean Zay
FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS
AND MATCHING GIFT COMPANIES
Kacey Cisyk Rakowicz Fund
Named in memory of parent Kacey Cisyk
Rakowicz, mother of Eddie Rakowicz ’09
and an outstanding vocalist who cared
deeply about music education, this fund
is dedicated toward the enrichment of the
music program.
Adobe
Brillo Sonnino Family Foundation
Deutsche Bank
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Glocer Family Charitable Fund
Olena Horban Galanti
Kathleen Mahaffey
Morgan Ross ’09
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Jennifer and Frederick Leichter Fund
Jewish Communal Fund
JP Morgan Chase and Company, Inc.
Kanter Kallman Foundation
Michael and Lynn Nemser Family Charitable Foundation
Pepsi. Co.
Prospect Hill Foundation
Rockefeller Philanthopy Advisors
Schwab Charitable Fund
Silverman Family Philanthropic Fund
Laura Nadel Art and Music Fund
The Laura Nadel Art & Music Fund was
established in memory of Laura Nadel, class
of 1983, and is designed to meet the most
pressing priorities within the music and arts
program, and to foster the unique approach
to arts education for which the Rudolf Steiner
School is known.
Dr. and Mrs. Oguz Akin
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Alexander
Brian and Melinda Cullman
Eileen Diskin
Joe and Deane Fitzgerald
Christopher J. Hancock
Erika Ludwig ’86
Hannelore Mani
Paul and Renee Marchand
David ’87 and Nicole Nadel
Dr. Leonard Nadel and Mrs. Rhoda Nadel
Dr. and Mrs. Warren Nadel
Gabrielle L. Ortiz ’83 and Antonio Ortiz Marin
Pepsi Co.
James Roth
Michael and Camila Steiner
Dominic Vaz and Marilyn Wright Vaz
Rani Vaz ’83 and Michael Moebius
Jeffrey ’83 and Stacey Weber
Lawrence and Judith Weber
SMBC Global Foundation, Inc.
Sonia Raiziss Giop Charitable Foundation
T.F. Trust
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
2015 RESTRICTED GIFTS
Science Lab
Anonymous (1)
Elizabeth Goldfeder
Rama and Sara Madhu
Athletics Department
Louis Kramberg and Sheryl Jukofsky
Briston Irby-Reynolds Music Scholarship Fund
Russell Ball and Dori Evans
Dale A. Bennett
Allison Castro
Keith Kefgen
Suzanne Limozinere-Kefgen
Laura Thompson
E.E. Ford High School Faculty Development Fund
Established in May of 2000 by a matching grant from the Edward
E. Ford Foundation, this fund supports High School faculty
professional development
Endowment Fund for Faculty Compensation
Established through the Capital & Endowment Gifts Initiative, this
fund is restricted to faculty compensation to ensure the quality and
caliber of Rudolf Steiner School faculty.
Pierre and Connie Crosby
Estate of Gertrude Johanna Peter
In accordance with Mrs. Peter’s last wishes, this fund was
established to support scholarships for students who demonstrate
both financial need and strong scholastic aptitude.
Faculty Professional Development Fund
This fund is permanently restricted to support faculty professional
development.
Steiner.edu
May and Samuel Rudin Family
Foundation Fund
Since the 1980s, the May and Samuel Rudin
Family Foundation has been a generous
supporter of the Rudolf Steiner School tuition
assistance program.
Anonymous (1)
Drs. Eric and Linda Ogden-Wolgemuth
New York Rotary Foundation Fund
for Tuition Assistance
This fund was established in 1998 by a gift
from the New York Rotary Foundation to
fund scholarships for deserving students with
financial need.
Anonymous (1)
Emily Baldwin ’98
William and Susan Baldwin
Xander Bremer ’05
Stathis Gourgouris and Neni Panourgia
John Green
Lisa Gustin
Steiner.edu
Jenny Hall ’72
Isabel Hill
Martin and Margaret Heller
Lester and Dorothy Hoffman
Kanter Kallman Foundation
Tao Li and Yuan Wang
Christina McInerney ’61
Susan Pollack ’65
Noel Trachtenberg ’60
Lindsay Wasserman
COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS TO THE ANNUAL FUND
Soybel Family Fund in Honor of
Trude Haake
This fund supports the Rudolf Steiner School
Language Program.
In Honor of Stefan and Isabella Kefgen;
Keith Kefgen and Suzanne Limozinere-Kefgen
Patricia Coates ’74
Olena Horban Galanti
Sandy Siegel
Dr. Roswitha von Studnitz ’88
__
We have made every effort to be as accurate as
possible in compiling our lists of donors. If your
name has been listed incorrectly or was omitted,
please call the Development Office at
212-535-2130 ext.206 and accept our most
sincere apologies.
In Honor of the class of 1965;
Carol Williams ’65
In Honor of Amos Franceschelli;
Christiane Landowne ’63
In Honor of Alexander Douaihy ’23;
David and Carolyn Rothschild
In Honor of Sam and Beatrice Steiner;
Jim Steiner
In Honor of Diversity at the School;
Waltraude S. Woods ’48
In Honor of Ms. Cybelle Afable and Rebecca Silver;
Sasha Archer
In Honor of Lucy Schneider;
Shannon and Robert Williams: “With our deepest gratitude.”
In Honor of Madeline Latessa Ortiz;
Shirley L. Latessa
In Honor of Keith Francis;
Susan Stein ’75: “He has been an inspiration and a great friend
to me in my life.”
In Honor of Fabrice Fortin and Julia Sergeyeva;
Suzanne C. Gregoire ’74
In Honor of Dr. Eric Ogden-Wolgemuth;
Tao Li and Yuan Wang
In Honor of Luke Wan (Back Nursery);
Peter and Patricia Wanw
IN MEMORIAM GIFTS TO THE ANNUAL FUND
In Memory of Rudolf Copple;
Susan Robinson ’69
In Memory of Teddy Wilson Jr. ’64 and Colin Easton ’64;
Corinne Spingarn ’64
In Memory of Joan Flynn Dyer ’49;
Arnelle Blas, Eleonore Schonberg, Robin Machnik
In Memory of Paul F. Trunsch;
Beverly J. Sonner ’50
In Memory of Laura Nadel;
Dr. Leonard Nadel and Mrs. Rhoda Nadel, Hannelore Mani,
Paul and Renee Marchand
In Memory of Benjamin Mala;
Elie Mala ’10
In Memory of Ms. Christy Barnes;
Friederike Felber Seligman ’63, Jan Freundschu ’64
In Memory of Mr. John Root;
Kanter Kallman Foundation
In Memory of Kacey Cisyk Rakowicz;
Kathleen Mahaffey
In Memory of Laura Nadel’s 50th Birthday;
Lawrence and Judith Weber
In Memory of Stephanie Papoulis;
Jeffrey Friedman, Christina Angelides, and Rebecca Sloan; Lisa Gustin
In Memory of Louis Kramberg;
Louis Kramberg and Sheryl Jukofsky
In Memory of Chris Rouch ’02;
Martina Meijer ’02
In Memory of Thomas Soybel ’75;
Patricia Coates ’74
In Memory of Thomas Soybel ’75, Luciano Galanti,
and Chrystyna Francesca Rymarenko;
Olena Horban Galanti
In Memory of Vladimir Koziakin ’61, Masha Tumarkin ’61,
Terry Pierce ’60, Caren Jacobson ’60, Swain Pratt, John Root,
Amos Franceschelli, and Henry Barns;
Robert Lilienthal ’61
In Memory of Joseph T. Flynn ’49 and Joan A. Flynn ’49;
Virginia Flynn ’59
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
61
4 WAYS TO GIVE
The Founder’s Circle
Honoring The Past, Building A Future
Named in honor of the men and women who established the first Waldorf School in North America, The Founders Circle
welcomes all those who wish to follow in the footsteps of these great visionaries by making a planned gift to the School.
Annual Giving is the yearly appeal made by all independent schools to their constituencies to bridge the gap between tuition income
and the cost of running the school. These gifts are tax deductible. Your contribution is important to the Rudolf Steiner School.
Sir John Baring
Dale Bennett
Gerda Schmid Carmichael ’43
Robert Dandrew
Daniel and Ruth Franks
Ruth Geiger*
Frances Hershkowitz ’60
Adam LeGrant ’78
Joyce Monges
Gertrude Johanna Peter*
David Nadel ’87
Raymond Schlieben*
Lucy Schneider
Irene Stein ’61
1
Elizabeth Kovacs Washburn ’54
David and Gretchen Weir
2
Joseph and Gaile Zolot*
*Deceased
3
We would be pleased to provide donors, their attorneys, and financial advisors with additional information. Gifts and
bequests to the school are deductible under the federal income, estate and gift tax laws. Inquiries, which will be held
in the strictest confidence, may be made in writing to the Development Office.
4
If you have named the Rudolf Steiner School in your estate planning and your name does not appear
under The Founders Circle, please contact the Development Office at 212-535-2130.
62
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
GIFTS OF CASH: Checks are the most popular way to make a gift. Checks should be made payable to the
Rudolf Steiner School.
GIFTS OF SECURITIES: The school maintains a brokerage account to accept gifts of stock. If your broker or bank
holds your stock, it can be transferred directly to the Rudolf Steiner School. Instructions for transferring stocks to
the School may be obtained from the Development or Business Office.
MATCHING GIFTS: Many companies match the philanthropic contributions of their employees. Donors should
obtain Matching Gift Request forms from their company’s Human Resource Department. If you are unsure if your
company participates, ask your Human Resource Department or the Rudolf Steiner School Development Office.
BEQUESTS: Naming the School as a beneficiary in your will is a generous way to remember the Rudolf Steiner
School while reducing your estate tax. Donors can choose to leave a percentage of their estate or a fixed amount.
CONTACT DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS
Eileen Diskin, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, 212-535-2130 ext. 222
Steiner.edu
Steiner.edu
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
63
Community Education Calendar
Mondays 7:00pm-8:15pm Steiner Chorale with Jeff Spade (all faculty, parents, and alumni welcomed)
Wednesdays 7:00pm-8:15pm Parent Study with Class Teacher Tim Hoffmann (10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16)
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
Wednesday, September 30
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Jeff Spade, Lower School Chair
Wednesday, October 7
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Deb Renna, Early Childhood Chair
Wednesday, October 14
8:20am
Teaching Reading in a Waldorf school with Jenny Price & Brooke Brosenne
Wednesday, October 28
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Julia Hays, High School Chair
6pm – 8pm
Teaching Math in MS & HS
Wednesday, December 2
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Bill Macatee
Wednesday, December 9
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Deb Renna, Early Childhood Chair
Wednesday, January 6
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Jeff Spade, Lower School Chair
Wednesday, January 13
6pm – 8pm
Poetry Café (faculty, parents, alumni, and students participating)
Wednesday, January 27
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Julia Hays, High School Chair
Wednesday, February 10
6:30pm
Evening event with Bill Macatee, Administrative Director
Thursday, February 18
6pm – 8pm
Teaching Humanities in the High School with John Anderson
Wednesday, February 24
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Deb Renna, Early Childhood Chair
Wednesday, March 2
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Jeff Spade, Lower School Chair
Wednesday, March 9
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Julia Hays, High School Chair
Wednesday, April 6
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Bill Macatee, Administrative Director
Wednesday, April 6
6pm – 8pm
Monique Marshall ’86
Wednesday, April 13
8:20am
Coffee and Conversation with Deb Renna, Early Childhood Chair
Thursday, April 28
6pm – 8pm
Alumni Panel on careers
NOVEMBER 2015
Monday, November 2
DECEMBER 2015
JANUARY 2016
FEBRUARY 2016
MARCH 2016
APRIL 2016
64
THE SPIRAL THE 2015 ISSUE
Steiner.edu
Lower School
15 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10075
212.535.2130
Upper School
15 East 78th Street
New York, NY 10075
212.879.1101
Steiner.edu
ON THE COVER
Early Childhood girls enjoying
a fall day in Central Park.
ON THIS PAGE
Artwork from the Upper School.