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Newsletter Waldorf School Windhoek · www.waldorf-namibia.org
2nd Trimester 2016
Hit the Beat 2016: On stage at
Warehouse Theatre 3 + 4 June //
Tour Germany // Museum Würth
// GDR-Kids Musical // Vocational
Training News // Team portraits
First drumming lessons for grade 8 with Simone de Picciotto
Hit the Beat 2016
These 25 learners will perform in Germany in September
Development
Studies – A new
NSSC subject
Development Studies is one of
the latest additions to the everexpanding range of subjects at
Waldorf School Windhoek. Learners are going to benefit a lot,
as it gives them a wider range
of options in their NSSC subject
selection. Why Development Studies? Development Studies fits
well into the Waldorf pedagogy
as it places the learner the centre
of the development process.
By following the Development
Studies course, learners become
more complete and well-rounded
in their outlook on the world and
their personal development.
What is it? Development Studies
is a subject that looks into the
process of change and growth
that takes place in societies
with the focus being on the
individual. It involves raising
peoples’ living standards and
creating conditions conductive
to the establishment of social,
political and economic systems
and institutions which promote
human dignity and respect. The
subject also covers the concept
of expanding peoples’ freedom
to choose through enlarging the
range of their options and exposing them to alternative ways of
living, while maintaining positive
outlooks on all of their choices.
The subject has been welcomed with lots of enthusiasm and
the first group will take up their
examination in 2017.
In February, Hit the Beat started
its new project 2016 at Waldorf
School Windhoek. During this
time we focused on various
areas: Life Skill lessons concerned with drug prevention took
place throughout the entire high
school – this was connected
to confidence building skills
and was a one time project not
linked to the artistic project in
June. All learners showed great
interest and concern in connection to drug misuse – I hope that
these two weeks helped learners to gain more insight and
take precautions. During these
weeks we had quite a few choir
rehearsals that led towards the
actual Hit the Beat Project 2016
as well as choosing a smaller
choir of 25 learners from grades
11 and 12 that will be traveling
to Germany in September 2016
as a choir representing Waldorf
School Windhoek/Namibia.
In addition, Markus Sprengler, a musician from Germany
who joined Hit the Beat last
year, started vocal coaching for
individual learners that want to
work more in this area. Markus
also started a learners firm with
grade 11 aiming at helping to
prepare for Hit the Beat 2016.
The learners from grade 11 were
very motivated to go into PR
and technical organisation and
have been working on this ever
since. The theme of Hit the Beat
2016 is the following:
In Rhythm we meet.
Unity through Rhythmic
and Cultural Diversity.
Performing Arts Project
More than ever globalisation is
an issue worldwide – in Europe
Refugees have initiated a huge
discussion on how to deal with
multicultural issues in many
countries. In Namibia this has
been daily life for more than a
century. How can we deal with
discrimination and prejudice?
How can we make sure we don’t
lose our own cultural identity
when cultures are mixing with
such speed. One possibility
is non-verbal communication
through music, art and dance.
Hit the Beat 2016 has as its
aim for all cultures to meet in
music, dance, percussion and
art, trying to put cultural identity
in connection with cultural diversity. 80 learners from grades 10–
12 of Waldorf School Windhoek
will be working together with
musicians, artists and teachers
from Germany and Namibia. This
year we have found even more
Namibian artists that will participate with various classes.
Save the Date: Warehouse
Theatre 3+4 June 2016, 19h00
Concert Tour Hit the
Beat 2016 in Germany
11–16 September
We are very happy to announce our Hit the
Beat 2016 Germany Concert Tour with 25
amazing Waldorf School Windhoek learners
of grades 11 and 12. Concerts will be at the
following places: 11 September Concert Würth
Museum, Künzelsau; 14 September Concert
Waldorfschule Uhlandshöhe Stuttgart;
15 September Concert Gaussgymnasium
Worms and 16 September Waldorf Schule
Heidelberg in Heidelberg. Exact times and
more information will be added as soon as
possible on our website & Facebook page.
Preparation
In February we worked very hard to prepare
for the concert tour and are now using the
Namibia – Art of a
young Generation:
Exhibition at Museum
Würth, Künzelsau
Hercules Viljoen, Director National Art Gallery of
Namibia (NAGN), during the official opening with
curators of the NAGN and Museum Würth.
fruits of this work as part of Hit the Beat project, Windhoek 2016. 25 learners were chosen
from 35 applicants, who have since come to
school every afternoon to rehearse. Since
March they have been performing various
concerts in Windhoek with our Namibian music colleague Sarah Situde (former learner at
WSW) to collect donations for the trip as well.
During the tour, the learners will be staying
with guest families in different cities where
they will enjoy various outings. In addition
they will team up with learners from our partner schools in Germany as well as children
from the ALISA center in Worms and a group
of young unaccompanied refugees from
Parzival Centre in Karlsruhe. We hope to build
networks among the young people and to let
the learners expand their horizons through
learning about other young people their own
age from various cultures.
The trip is mainly possible through a donation by the Museum Würth that is paying
for the flights, as well as other donors in
Germany who are helping with transportation
to the various cities, and of course the guest
parents and schools that are organising the
events at their school.
We are looking forward to welcoming all our
partners, friends and supporters. Support us
and share this event in your social networks.
Simone de Picciotto
Save the date:
Künzelsau 11 Sept.
Stuttgart 14 Sept.
Worms 15 Sept.
Heidelberg 16 Sept.
www.hitthebeat.org
From 28 April to 9 October 2016 Museum
Würth offers some insight into Namibia’s
art landscape with a selection of around
150 works by contemporary artists living
and working in Namibia in cooperation
with the NAGN. We highly recommend
this outstanding art exhibition outside
Namibia. Christian Bosse, Ulrich Kleber,
Frieder Münz, Hans-Peter Seeger, Simone
de Picciotto and Katharina Wyss came
together for the opening.
News
Vocational
Training
Adam and Mbitjita are attending a theatre program in Germany for three months
The Homecoming – GDR Kids Story 1990–1993
Two of our learners, Adam Eiseb Aloysius
and Mbitjita Ndjambi Tjozongoro, joining the
German-Namibian theatre project “OshiDeutsche – die DDR-Kinder von Namibia –
‘Now go home, they told me and I went home
to my unfamiliar homeland”. The whole crew
left Namibia on 10 April 2016 for rehearsals
and the show in Osnabrück on 27 May 2016
in Germany.
The project is a theatre production in two
acts, written and directed by Sandy Rudd:
Act I, In Germany 1978–1989, Act II, The
Return to Namibia 1989–2016. The play is
a collaboration with the College of the Arts
Namibia & Osnabrück Theatre Germany. The
performances will take place: 1. in Germany
in Osnabrück, 27 May–27 June 2016, opening
night (Emma Theatre Osnabrück); 2. in
Namibia: in Oshakati, 1–3 September 2016
(Oshakati Multi-Purpose Youth Centre) and
in Windhoek, 8–11 September 2016 (NTN).
The theatre project will be part of the Afrikafestival 2016 in Osnabrück. There will be
youth theatre productions running concurrently with the main theatre production in
both countries.
Read more about the history here: www.
waldorf-namibia.org & wsw-connect.org
Magic Flute by Mozart
The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) being
successfully performed by learners in
grades 6, 7 and 11 in March 2016. Written by
the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart (1756–1791). On stage at Stephanus Church in Klein Windhoek and Waldorf
School Windhoek. Directed by Barbara
Stauffer Meier.
Award-winning Teachers
Gerrit von Schouwenburg
and Peter Tantius
Gerrit von Schouwenburg
Peter Tantius
In April, Art teacher Gerrit von Schouwenburg
and German teacher Peter Tantius won awards
for excellence in academic performance in
Namibia. After Waldorf learners performed
among the best in the country in their German
matriculate exams, Mr. Tantius received recognition of his teaching excellence based on the
performance of his learners.
The addition of Gerrit von Schouwenburg
to the teaching staff has been received very
well, especially as his teaching excellence at
Welwitscha School was demonstrated with
three of his learners there receiving marks of
distinction, and the rest passed with at least
C symbols. Waldorf School Windhoek is very
blessed to have such a highly dedicated staff,
and are very thankful that our teachers are
recognised for their hard work. He has taught
NSSC Art in Namibia for many years, and is
an active member of the artist community
in Windhoek. After learning about Waldorf
Education in Cape Town, he eagerly joined the
Waldorf staff this year to pioneer the NSSC
program for Arts education.
Collaboration with
Berufskolleg Bonn
Robert-Wetzlar-Berufskolleg Bonn is an
institution with 2600 students (Fachoberschule für Sozial- und Gesundheitswesen).
One of the main areas of our collaboration
will be the exchange of students for job
attachments. Its the 2nd year that German
students from Bonn are in Namibia to
gain work experience in our Kindergarten.
www.fos-rwb.de
Moving into the new
Craft Building
Max Titus, Johny Nanghonda, Elrisha
Ochurus, and Una Kandjiriomuini from
grade 7, the class of Erich Kunderer who
runs the woodworking program, and
Elivas Bekeer in grade 11, all spent many
days over the mid-term break finishing
the workshop. Thanks for the hard work
everyone. It looks great!
Sarah Situde
Susanne Hampf
Ida Erasmus
I am Sarah Situde, a former Waldorf School
Windhoek learner and now a teacher at WSW.
It brings me so much joy to give to the school
from what I have learned. Bringing my experience with music to WSW is really rewarding.
Although it feels very weird having my former
teachers as my colleagues, I enjoy working
with our team very much. I have a passion for
music, teaching and languages. I love it to the
moon and back!
My name is Susanne Hampf, I am almost 50
years old and I come from Frankfurt, Germany. I always wanted to experience working,
teaching and living in a foreign country. I
waited until my twin daughters had grown up,
and here I am. The chance to work as a class
teacher in WSW came at the right moment.
After 8 months of teaching the current grade
3 class, I feel almost at home and I am
looking forward to learning and teaching
here for the next couple of years.
After reading an ad in the newspaper for
BVET teachers for Food & Beverages starting
in February 2016, my interest led me to reach
out and join WSW. I am Namibian-born and
love my country, and want to help share my
knowledge of Catering and Hospitality, the
field in which I have worked extensively and
have conducted training courses for adults.
My hobbies are traveling and hiking. Working
with the grade 8, 9 and 10 learners to expand
their knowledge of the hospitality industry is
a pleasure.
Join our Waldorf
Pedagogy Training
Order calendar:
Namibia Into Infinity
Are you interested in joining our team?
Internal Waldorf Pedagogy Seminars:
The aim of these monthly seminars and
lectures is not only to train our new Waldorf
teachers at the school but also to invite all
those interested to participate. Contact:
[email protected]
Events May–August 2016
25 May Africa Day
1 June
Parents Association Meeting
3-4 June
Hit the Beat Show, Warehouse
4 June
Green Market grades 3 + 4
16 June
Day of the African Child
18 June
Sports Festival
23 June
St John’s Festival
6 July
Parents Association Meeting
14–16 July Grade 8 Class Play
16 July
Trimester Festival
30 July
Green Market
3 August
Parents Association Meeting
August
Grade 12 Year Projects
6 August
Big Walk
11 August Black Light Theatre
Holidays: Midterm Break Mon 27.06.–
Sun 03.07.16; 2nd Trimester
Holidays Fri 12.08.–Sun 04.09.16; Midterm Break Mon 17.10.–
Sun 23.10.16
Gabriele Rühl
After having been introduced to Waldorf
Education and Anthroposophy about 30 years
ago in South Africa, I have worked ever since
in the holistic field of Waldorf education, art
and therapy. My joy in teaching, my interest
in different cultures, and my never-ending
striving to deepen my understanding of the
human being have allowed me to live and
work in various countries around the world.
I was born in Germany and have two daughters (13 and 20). I am very happy to now take
these lively and fresh children of class one at
the Waldorf School Windhoek and guide them
on their path through school life. For me, to
be able to work with the Waldorf curriculum
as an art of education towards freedom is
a very special and unique possibility within
this big world of teaching methods, where a
holistic approach and a healthy mindset allow
heart and head to work together.
W-mail team: Rachel Mayer, Katharina Wyss,
Christian Bosse
Support our school by ordering a unique wall
calendar in panorama format. The “Namibia
Into Infinity” 2017 calendar with its breathtaking beautiful pictures of the stunning
landscapes of Namibia can be ordered up
until 31 May 2016.
Thanks to Peter Calegari, the father of one
of our former students, the proceeds from
this project will help us give children from
socially disadvantaged families access to
a sound education. Each calender costs EUR
28, shipping costs within the EU are included
in the price. The smallest quantity for a
private order is 5 calendars. www.waldorfnamibia.org/fundraising/kalenderbestellung
Keep in Contact:
Waldorf School Windhoek
P.O. Box 90326, Windhoek, Namibia
Andries de Wet Street/Avis
Tel. +264 (0)61 41 52-50
Fax +264 (0)61 41 52-99
[email protected]
Donations Namibia
Waldorf School Windhoek
Nedbank Namibia, Hidas Windhoek
Branch Code 461696,
Account: 110 000 826 88
Swift-Code: NEDS NANX
www.waldorf-namibia.org
www.wsw-connect.org