Tag Archive for: education

Early Years Teacher required immediately

Early Years Teacher Posting – January 16, 2020

The Whistler Waldorf School is seeking an experienced Early Years Teacher to start immediately. Full time, part time positions and teachers on call are available.

The Early Years Teacher upholds a beautiful, warm environment where the children feel safe and nurtured, creating opportunities for children to experience the world around them through artistic activities, tasks of the household, oral storytelling, singing, movement, and organizing festivals following seasonal rhythms of nature.

In addition to the above, the perfect candidate will have:

• Training in Waldorf Early Childhood Education or a willingness to be trained as we offer free training for those who are interested in committing to becoming Waldorf ECE trained.
• An ability to foster professional relationships between teacher and parents as a mutual working together to support students’ best interest.
• A desire to work collaboratively with other Faculty and Administrative Staff colleagues.
• A commitment to self-development and a self-reflective practice to ensure personal development to meet the age of the children that are being taught.

Applicants must have or be eligible for a licence to practice ECE with B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development and, ideally, also have a BC teaching Certificate with the teacher regulation branch.

Whistler Waldorf offers a:
• Full compensation package including medical and dental benefits, life and disability insurance and pension support.

• Competitive salary based on relevant education and years of relevant work experience.

• Professional development for ongoing teacher education experience.

• Partial tuition remission for those with children may attend the school.

Please submit your cover letter, resume and three reference letters to the Head of School 
Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

Thank you for your interest! Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Posting timeframe: Jan. 16 – Jan 30, 2019

Establishing healthy social skills at an Early Age

Children are encouraged to share, to work together, to care for each other and to respect the needs of others.

Children help perform a myriad of tasks including preparing snacks, setting the table, sweeping, and washing up after meals. An emphasis on gratitude, intention of preparation, and table manners helps develop lifelong social skills and a sense of responsibility.

Learn more about the Early Years program or contact Admissions to arrange a private tour of the Early Years Centre.

Restorative Justice & Waldorf Education

“We can say ‘Peace on Earth.’ We can sing about it, preach about it or pray about it, but if we have not internalized the mythology to make it happen inside us, then it will not be.”

Betty Shabazz – American Civil Rights Educator

All human beings are valued and relational.  This is a tenet of Restorative Justice and a place where Waldorf Education and Restorative Justice principles completely align.  In Waldorf Education a meaningful bond between teachers and students is essential to both academic success and personal growth.  In Restorative Justice respect, dignity and mutual concerns form the three pillars of creating a cohesive and connected community.

This week the North Shore Restorative Justice Society worked with teachers to help us hold community building circles in an intentional way. Circles are a way people in many cultures have come together as a community to talk about important issues and resolve problems.  Circle process is facilitated through a talking piece, allowing for thoughtful reflection, attentive listening and an unhurried pace.

The objective for circles is that students will feel they have been seen, heard, understood and that they have given and received respect.

Rubeena Sandhu – Head of School

Drama – an example of integration in Waldorf education

” Speech and drama achieve one of the essential goals of Waldorf Education; to integrate thinking, feeling and willing. With this in mind, it is not surprising that this art form is present in every stage of our curriculum.”

Rubeena, Head of School

In our Early Years programs, creative free play makes use of drama and children become kings, queens, animals and more to complete their imaginative play. In our grades and high school classes teachers deepen main lesson learning with thematically linked performances. Every child in the class participates, uniting the class artistically and socially. Students gain self-confidence, appreciation and acceptance among their peers and completion of performances leads to a shared experience of pride.

Many students will likely never occupy a stage space again after school, but they will undoubtedly have gained a deeper understanding of themselves and human development along with a healthy dose of self-confidence.

Grade 8’s upcoming performance of Much Ado About Nothing marks the first class play of the year and I hope that you join us in celebrating these students’ efforts.

Rubeena Sandhu –  Head of School

Honoring the strength of human will, courage & initiative at Michaelmas –

“Each student must face their own difficulties in life… and Michaelmas both educates and empowers the children to find the courage to take on and defeat their personal ‘dragons’ and let hope prevail.”                                Rubeena Sandhu – Head of School
There is no mistaking that the time for our annual Festival of Courage or Michaelmas is drawing near!  The weather has changed abruptly, and autumn is upon us. In our school, two different pictures are brought before the children at this time. One is the image of the fall harvest and the other is the image of the hero who tames the dragon.

In common with Waldorf schools around the world we celebrate Michaelmas to find hope and honor the strength of human will, courage and initiative. The festival coincides with equinox, a turning point in relation to light and darkness in the world. Each student must face their own difficulties in life, both internal and external, and Michaelmas both educates and empowers the children to find the courage to take on and defeat their personal “dragons” and let hope prevail.

The students have been busy this week preparing – our youngest students have dyed and sewn capes and crowns; Grade 1 & 2 will bake our bread; Grade 3 & 4 will prepare our soup, Grades 5 & 6 will bake cookies and Grades 7 and up will help set up and serve.

We look forward to having you join us tomorrow – Friday, October 4 at 12:00 to participate and enjoy a bowl of harvest soup!

Rubeena Sandhu –  Head of School

Early Childhood Teacher & Asst. required

The Whistler Waldorf School is seeking full-time and part-time experienced Early Years Teacher and/or Assistant (s). The Early Years Teacher & Assistant upholds a beautiful, warm environment where the children feel safe and nurtured, creating opportunities for children to experience the world around them through artistic activities, tasks of the household, oral storytelling, singing, movement, and organizing festivals following seasonal rhythms of nature. The posting summaries are below:

Early Years Teacher

Applicants must have an B.C. ECE Teacher Certificate with a licence to practice with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and, ideally, also have a BC teaching Certificate with the Teacher Regulation Branch.

Early Years Assistant

Applicants must have a valid B.C. ECE Asst. Certificate or the ability to qualify for one. 

Further Info. & How To Apply

  • In addition to the above, successful applicants must have: 
    • Training in Waldorf Early Childhood Education or a willingness to be trained.
    • An ability to foster professional relationships between teacher and parents as a mutual working together to support students’ best interest.
    • A desire to work collaboratively with other Faculty and Administrative Staff colleagues
    • A commitment to self-development and a self-reflective practice to ensure personal development to meet the age of the children that are being taught.

Whistler Waldorf School offers a flexible working environment and competitive salary based on relevant education and work experience. For full-time positions, we provide a thorough compensation package including health benefits and insurance, pension, professional development and partial tuition remission for children attending the school.

Please submit your cover letter, resume and three reference letters to principal@whistlerwaldorf.com

Application deadline: Applications accepted until positions are filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Elementary & HS Teacher Asst. required

Whistler Waldorf is currently recruiting for full-time or part time Teacher Assistants to work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.

Duties expected:

Teacher assistants typically do the following:

  • Reinforce lessons presented by teachers by reviewing material with students one-on-one or in small groups
  • Enforce school and class rules to help teach students proper behavior
  • Help teachers with record keeping, such as tracking attendance and calculating grades
  • Help teachers prepare for lessons by getting materials ready or setting up equipment, such as computers
  • Help supervise students in class, between classes, during lunch and recess, and on field trips

 Qualifications requested: 

  • Completion of Grade 12
  • A recognized Post-Secondary Special Education Assistant Certificate or the ability to qualify for one.
  • Preference given to a Degree/Diploma in a related field, and/or extensive experience in an equivalent field.
  • Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written
  • Any experience using techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training (e.g., CPI or MANDT), Completion of POPARD coursework, the ability to speak a second language and a Workplace First Aid Certificate are considered to be an asset.

Whistler Waldorf School offers a flexible working environment and competitive salary based on relevant education and work experience. For full-time positions, we provide a thorough compensation package including health benefits and insurance, pension, professional development and partial tuition remission for children attending the school.

Please submit your cover letter and resume to principal@whistlerwaldorf.com

Application deadline: Applications accepted until positions are filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Three Fundamental Forces in Education: Balance in Teaching

Dear Parents and Guardians,

100 years ago, society and education had moved towards a more differentiated system, separating sciences from the arts, the arts from morality, and athletics from academics. Today, finally, educational systems all over the world are “catching up” to Steiner’s observations that separating these fundamental spheres of activity for children could be detrimental to their healthy development, and in fact, advocated that it is in their union that learning becomes an art, and education becomes a vital healing force in a young person’s life.

Rudolf Steiner mentored teachers, and called teachers to task, ensuring that their teaching incorporated a balance and integration of the arts, and sciences. This was, and still is, a fundamental basis for Waldorf Schools.

100 years ago Rudolf Steiner emphasized that the Waldorf approach was a great deal more than simply the application of a teaching method. His new art of education was born out of a knowledge of the growing child as a holistic being – embodying body, soul, and spirit.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Waldorf Education and we believe that one hundred years is only the beginning. In celebration, we will be highlighting the breadth of our curriculum over the course of the year and warmly invite you to join!

Rubeena Sandhu, Head of School

Changing seasons; Back to School rhythms

The return of the school year brings us all together again while the summer days are coming to a close.  As the sun rays diminish we now begin to turn inward, and can be excited and challenged to turn also, to the fiery warmth of our school community in the fall.  The turning of the leaves are a beautiful vision, yet can be a symbol of a cyclic transitions within a familiar environment: the returning rhythms of school, the bustle of after school programs, homework and packed lunches, the complexity of old relationships and the challenges of new ones.

As the leaves turn, let us honour our students, our children, our colleagues and ourselves. As we adjust to the changing season, let us turn to each other as partners, and enjoy each other in another school year of growth and development for all.

Rubeena Sandhu, Head of School