A LOOK BACK OVER AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

What a year this has been! What chaos, suffering and loss in every country, on every continent, throughout the world. As the raging storm of the Covid pandemic flared up now here, now there  –  our teachers were charged with steering this stout little ship through the constant uncertainty, adapting to new rules and regulations at every new and unexpected turn.

The first thing we have to do is to thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their joyful creativity, for the wise steps they chose to take and for their steadfastness throughout. At the centre, the Management Group, which includes, of course, our School Administrator and virtual queen-pin – Liz –  who has been at her post almost every day this year, holding it all together. Through her,  the Newsletter came alive for us (parents and friends) with up-to-date school news, children’s class work, teachers’ inspiring descriptions and board-work, and the numerous and highly creative home activities sent in during lockdown.

For the furlough package we received, which kept us financially afloat during the worst months, we thank our Bursar Carrol and Finance Trustee Esbjorn. For their watchful eye, warm support and sage advice, we thank our Trustees. Together the above groups followed the Government’s uncertain, ever-changing guidelines keeping the school safe and open whenever it was possible, and as full of life, beauty and joy as ever.

For our children, what an upheaval! Now they could come in to school, now they couldn’t. Now they were together as a class, now in small bubbles. Now in real lessons, now in zoom lessons. Now they could be with friends, now they couldn’t. But, looking closely, (except for during the second lockdown), a rich programme continued for them:  Lucy led wide-eyed the Class One-ers through the lovely rose arch as they were welcomed into the main school at the first September assembly of the year; Class 3 performed the rousing St George Michaelmas play, the Dragon and courage games were played; the Martinmas lantern walk in Sticklebirch, the Advent Spiral, the Winter Gnome Garden and the Christmas Pageant all took place – just, very sadly, without the parent community present.

As Winter drew to a close, our festivals of Light – Candlemas, Diwali and Lucia – were enjoyed, before everything was closed down and a most trying time was had by all. Learning, in our schools, is all about teachers and pupils being and working together, learning to think and act, communicate, listen and respond, – with daily singing and reciting, story-telling and crafts, games and playful interacting carrying the life-lines between them. Now everyone seemed to withdraw into their homes and shut their doors. Learning had to be done remotely with home packs, on-line lessons and zooms. To achieve what the Waldorf curriculum offers was challenging indeed, and everyone struggled.  

The importance for parents and friends of communication during this bleak period grew, and the Newsletter was a vital link describing what we were missing. For us, all the things that usually nourish us, that hold us together and close to the school were taken away. There were no Friday Assemblies, no festivals, no plays or concerts, no parent evenings, no live School Community Meetings, no Friday Breakfast Clubs, no Fairs or Bazaars. 

There were other losses this year: the numbers of foreign students who usually join our classes fell away. The brilliant Erasmus Project, which we were so fully part of for the last few years, thanks to one of Geli’s many initiatives, came to an end (well, that was Brexit). There will be no Summer School this year – a gift from former parent and Trustee Alistair. (There will, however, be the Summer Club.) Parent Ben Drake, our Site Manager and Health and Safety Officer, who was very much involved in setting up the Covid system controls that kept us safe and the school open, has had to resign through illness. He is very very much missed, and we pray for his recovery.

The reopening of schools was a sign of renewed hope: more bubbles, yes, windows wide open, lessons outside…but Spring had truly sprung! There was the most joyous Maypole dancing which seemed to usher in new and exciting times: the Parent and Child Groups, under the loving care of Syenna and Stephanie, reopened; it was confirmed that we would have a Class 11 next year; a brand new, beautiful website, designed and built by Art Teacher Csaba, was launched. If this were on paper, it would be a veritable book – and Csaba should be knighted for this single-handed achievement for our school.  

Wonderful mothers, Michelle and Gerianke, (still enthusiastic after all these years!) were to be seen almost daily showing interested families around, and numbers began to rise again. There was energetic leaping over the St John’s Fire, Class 5 Olympics and school trips, although somewhat curtailed.  We learnt that WESTT 21 – the largest Steiner Waldorf Teacher Training Course outside London had found a new home in our school, an initiative we welcome with open arms.  

Continuing on this hopeful note, in May we were allowed to open Keir Hall again – with spaced out audiences, of course, –  and there fell, as from heaven, a spate of thoroughly delightful Class plays. ‘The Order of the Heavens’, based on the heady lives of Galileo, Kepler, Isaac Newton, Copernicus… and their discoveries, was performed with charm and humour by Class 7 with Marika. ‘Around the World in 8 Plays’, a comedy by Patrick Green & Jason Pizzarello,  was presented with flair and a great lightness by Class 8 with Marcus. In a dramatic rendering of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel, ‘Star Dust’, the ‘real’ town of Wall borders on the magical world of Faerie. This complicated and exciting story, which brings these two worlds into constant collision, was performed with relish by a lively Class 10, directed by their enthusiastic English teacher Nancy. 

And finally – Homage to Class 12! These beautiful and talented young people all joined the school in Kindergarten, therefore our school has been their second home for over 13 years. Jonathan was their teacher for 8 of them. Before going off on their last school trip – sadly not on their highly anticipated 10-day Culture Trip to Italy – but on a no-holds-barred Culture Trip to London –  they gave us first whole-school presentations, in Keir Hall, of their Projects; these we will soon be able to see, fully filmed, on the school’s website:

Rosa Iggulden: Perception & Understanding of Mental Illness & Disability throughout Art History in Western Society                                                                                                                
Nicholas Burger: Making a Guitar                                                                                                          
Finbar Coombes: Building a Tiny House                                                                                            
Megan Thompson: Learning New Skills in Preparation for Drama School
Josh Koizumi: Building a Shifter Cart 

Then, their play: ‘Eurydice’, by Sarah Ruhl. It was quite simply an outstanding performance. The acting, speech, costumes, scenery (thank you Nigel!), sound and lighting (the all-round gifted Marika), direction (Nancy, of course!) – all were hugely impressive. We learnt, through Megan’s project, that she means to go into acting, and her natural gift may have helped set a high standard. But that takes no credit from all the actors who showed unusual confidence and maturity. (And ‘Wing and a Prayer Production’  is going places too!) What a credit these young people are!

So it’s thanks to everyone for upholding the school with all the love and devotion you have given throughout this extraordinary year. We look forward to (hopefully) being fully open once again in September when we can wholeheartedly welcome our new Class 1 teacher, Paul Carter, our new families, our new visiting students and when we can meet, see each other smile – and maybe, soon, even embrace!

Have a wonderful summer.
Christine Polyblank