As we reflect on the 2018-2019 school year, we would like to thank our community for their continued support and trust in Rudolf Steiner School.

Last year, we celebrated our School’s 90th anniversary, and this year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Waldorf education. Throughout this rich and storied history, the principles of Waldorf education have remained firmly in place, while the movement and our School have continually evolved.

Looking back on last year, certain high points stand out. The revamped parent-child program enabled new families to experience the wonder of our early childhood program, resulting in a fully enrolled nursery. The Board approved a budget for the 2019-2020 year, which included largely holding tuition flat. We held wonderful events, highlighting the giving nature of our community. The new Leadership Council of Jeff Spade, Deb Renna, and Gabriela Cordo came together to bring new energy and excitement to the School. The Board of Trustees established a strategic review committee, which produced three clear goals for the 2019-2020 academic year:

1. Streamlining and improving productivity of the administrative functions of the School.
2. Establishing and enhancing our teacher development and recruiting functions.
3. Developing a strategic plan for the High School to increase enrollment and bolster curriculum.

The Board believes that these initiatives will further the goals of having a strong and solid foundation upon which Waldorf education can continue to serve the community.

As we take stock of our history and look to the future, we would like to present a challenge—and that challenge is to ask yourself “why?” Your “why” challenge may be different than your partner’s, it may be different than your friends’, but it is your “why.” If you are a parent, why did you choose this school? Why do you volunteer to build crystal caves or to make dolls or attend plays of classes in which you do not have a child? If you are a teacher, why are you standing in Central Park in the pouring rain rather than sitting in your classroom in comfort? If you are an alumnus, why do you volunteer to speak to current parents years after you have graduated? We suspect the answer will resonate with the same chord—this School, and this education, is something special. It is an education that can serve as the basis for the human beings we want to be part of our world—intellectually curious, funny, challenging, brave, and bold humans who can face the world and change the world, bit by bit and person by person. We desire and cherish an education that challenges not just our students, but our teachers and our parents to be better.

This education affords that chance—and it should be challenged to meet the times even as we reflect on its history. But we should also cherish it for what it brings to our children and to ourselves.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not thank Stacey Kelly, Jean-Hugues Monier, and Mitchel Friedman for their many years of service on the Board. Their dedication, passion, and commitment to our School through the years have been inspiring and humbling for those around you.

With warmest regards,

Terri Adler & Tushar Shah