Message from the Director

November 25, 2012

Dear friends of the Waldorf Institute of Southeastern Michigan,

With gratitude and joy we write to all of you at the close of our 21st birthday year!  Thank you so much for your generous gifts, kind thoughts and eloquent words.  It was a pleasure to see so many of you at our birthday party on September 8th.  We also felt the presence of many individuals not in the room with us.  A host of strong and compassionate individuals have been a part of WISM for 21 years.  Our current strengths make us very confident as we look toward the future.

We celebrated the year with three new events: the Literacy Conference, the Istanbul journey and Nancy Mellon’s storytelling seminar.  “Opening the Book: Chapter I – Rhythm and Rhyme” focused on the significance of oral language skills, rhythm and music as the basis for reading.  In 2013, we look forward to “Opening the Book: Chapter II – Many Keys,” which will explore diverse ways to help struggling readers.  A new study tour to Istanbul last July was termed “a truly life-changing experience” by one class teacher who participated.  Sailing the Bosphorus, exploring the stunning mosques and savoring the vibrancy of the bazaars prompted fascinating discussions about Waldorf education and global culture.  In late August, we welcomed Nancy Mellon to WISM.  With grace and humor, she called forth the inner storyteller in all 35 participants.

We look forward to new projects in the coming year: an increased emphasis on remedial education, puppetry with Suzanne Down, outreach to Ohio Waldorf schools and a visit by a master teacher from Rome.  You can sign up for e-mail updates on our website, WISM.org.  Above all, we remain committed to our primary missions: preparing more teachers to work in Waldorf classrooms, and supporting regional Waldorf schools.  Weekend after weekend, our hard-working students and experienced faculty meet to study Waldorf education and anthroposophy in classes that foster honest inquiry, personal growth and joy.  The relationship between WISM and area Waldorf schools continues to deepen.  We work constantly to ensure that our resources are well used and that our budget is balanced.

At this time of year, we ask our friends to help support new and existing programs.  Has a child in your life benefited from a Waldorf education?  Did you prepare for your own career by receiving a Waldorf Institute certificate?  Has a WISM teacher emboldened you to sing or paint, to see a child with new eyes, or to understand Rudolf Steiner’s thought?  Have you journeyed to Istanbul or Italy with WISM?  Have you attended a weekend workshop or a summer seminar?  If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, please consider making a gift to WISM. Every gift of any size is helpful and deeply appreciated.

With warmest wishes to you and your family for the year ahead,
Margot Amrine,
Director