The Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor is a private school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It provides a Waldorf based education for students in grades preK - 12, and is one of three Waldorf Schools in the State of Michigan. The school is accredited by both the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).
Contents |
The Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor was opened on September 4, 1980 in a small building in Ann Arbor, Mich. It initially had 10 students, current enrollment exceeds 350. After moving to a leased facility in York Township, MI to meet the needs of the expanding student body, the school relocated back to Ann Arbor in 1986 when the purchase of the current Lower School campus was made. The High School was opened in fall 1997 in a leased facility, the Genesis Building on Packard Road. In 2001, a six-acre property located on Pontiac Trail was purchased for the growing High School. After extensive renovations to the building and site, the new campus opened for classes in the Fall of 2002.
"The Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor is committed to providing a comprehensive and balanced academic, artistic and practical experience for students in grades pre K through 12, consistent with the ideals and methods of Waldorf Education. Working together, our faulty, staff, Board and parents seek to create a community where childhood is honored and held in reverence. We strive to help our students develop initiative so they will have the fullest capacity to make meaningful contributions to society."[1]
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the legal and financial operation of the school. Its members include:
President Steve Coulter
Brian Vroom
Diane Black
Carolyn Hejkal
Shannon Fisher
John Schramm
Daryl Honor
Lon van Geloven
Brenda Slomovits
Jack Bernard
Diane Black
Robert Rajewski
Cynthia Wilson
The College of Teachers is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the pedagogy of the curriculum. It makes recommendations to the Board regarding the hiring and dismissal of teachers, evaluates new teachers, conducts peer review for experienced teachers, and has a hand in the future of the school. Its members include:
College Chair - Daryl Honor
Lower School Chair - Perla Schaeberle
High School Chair - Mary Emery
The administrative staff is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school, and participates in the long term planning and development. Current administrative staff include:
Administrator - Sandra Greenstone
Lower School Coordinator/Admissions - Peggy Wilson
High School Coordinator/Admissions - Sian Owen-Cruise
LS Office Manager/Facilities - Lenore Pacitto
HS Office Manager/Facilities - Blanche Price
Development Director - Katrina Klaphake
Outreach Director - Juliet Ballard
Finance Manager - Marian Bertrand
Maintenance Supervisor - Joseph Allen
The lower school is located at 2775 Newport Rd, Ann Arbor, Mich. It is for students between kindergarten and 8th grade.
| Name | Grade |
|---|---|
| Calisa Tucker | First Grade |
| Claudia Browne | Second Grade |
| Martha McDowell | Third Grade |
| Karen Sheridan | Fourth Grade |
| Caroline Freitag | Fifth Grade |
| Lawrence Mathews | Sixth Grade |
| Daryl Honor | Seventh Grade |
| Cynthia Wilson | Eighth Grade |
| Name | Special Subject |
|---|---|
| Susan Taormina | Art |
| Perla Schaeberle | Spanish |
| Margarete Walsh | German |
| Cheryl Van Duzen | Chorus (all school) |
| Linda Teaman | Movement |
| Cindy Harrington | Handwork (1st-6th Grade) |
| Janice Sanders | Orchestra, Chamber Music |
| Ron Zang | Woodwork |
The High School is located at 2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, Mich. It is for students from 9th to 12th grade.
The high School has numerous faculty and full time staff, all specialists.[2]
Following is a list of the primary subject teachers (and electives), arts faculty and tertiary faculty.
Margot Amrine
Geoff Robb
Erica Choberka
Sian Owen-Cruise, Ph.D.
Stephen Price, D.C.
Mary Emery
Alex Perrin
Gary Banks
Judith Erb, PhD
Peter Scherer
David Emery
Robert Black
Anne Marie Hohman
Cheryl Van Duzen
Janice Sanders
Elena Efimova
Ron Zang
PreK-12 academics at the school are based on Waldorf a curriculum.[3]
The Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor does not give grades. Evaluations are made by the teachers, who decide whether to give credit and give comprehensive feedback on an individual students performance in her/his block or class. Grades are not given based on the belief that an arbitrary grade cannot fully evaluate a students performance, and does nothing to help them correct areas of difficulty.
Instead of studying from traditional text books, students at RSSAA make "Main Lesson Books". (This is part of the normal Waldorf curriculum.) These books comprise the students original work to form their own handwritten text book, based on the material given in class. These books are renowned for their artistic quality and creative freedom.
The main lesson books are generally composed of comprehensive write ups of material presented orally by the teacher, as well as original research papers by students, stories, letters written by students between fictional characters of a given time period (this practice is used mainly in History classes. E.g., Roman citizen(s) discussing the assassination of Julius Caesar), and especially drawings. The students are encouraged to make their main lesson book as colorful and aesthetically pleasing as possible, as well as including comprehensive and informative write ups and extensive essays. Additional assignments include, reading material (Romeo and Juliet, The Iliad, To Kill A Mockingbird etc.), notes (from lectures), and artistic ventures not included in main lesson books, as well as specific projects.
Students and alumni have been admitted to the University of Chicago, Curtis Institute of Music, MIT, University of Michigan, Boston University and Oberlin College, among many others.
The graduation requirements for RSHSAA are higher than that of Michigan public schools. More credits, in addition to the ones required for graduation are available.
| Rudolf Steiner High School | Credits Required | Michigan Public School | Credits Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | English | 4 |
| Mathematics | 3 | Mathematics | 3.5 |
| Science | 3 | Science | 3 |
| History* | 2 | Social Studies (Including Civics and economics)* | 3 |
| Health and Movement | 1.3 | Health and Physical Education | 1 |
| Foreign Language | 2 | Foreign Language | 0 |
| Computers | 0.5 | On-line Learning Experience | 1 |
| Music/Art | 2 | Visual, Performing, Applied Arts | 1 |
| Other (Economics, Civics etc.) | 7.2 | ||
| Total Required for Graduation | 25 | Total Required for Graduation | 16[1] |
Note: "History" is given as the academic equivalent to "Social Studies", however in the public school system this includes economics and civics, however "history" at RSSAA refers only to history classes e.g. Ancient History etc.
The school requires every student to take four years of math (unless the student has completed algebra II by the end of 11th grade). plus special subject courses in math. There are science courses covering a wide array of sciences, from Astronomy to Biology (all required). In the humanities, courses range from the Bible as literature to history of Greece and the History of Music (all required).
RSSAA is a member of the Mid-Michigan Independent Athletic Association (MMIAA). The Lower School sports teams are known as the Steiner Stars. Starting in 6th grade, Co-ed Soccer and Girl's Volleyball are offered in the Fall, Boy's and Girl's Basketball are offered in the Winter and Co-ed Track is offered in the Spring.
Rudolf Steiner High School is a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and competes in the Mid-South Conference. The High School offers Women's Volleyball, Co-ed Cross Country and Men's Soccer in the fall, Men's and Women's Basketball in the winter and Women's Soccer in the spring as Varsity Sports. The High School teams are known as the Steiner Storm.
In 2010, a science club was founded under the tutorship of biochemist Dr. Judith Erb.
The Hiking Club was founded in the 2001-02 school year by then juniors Logan Willoughby and Adam Nemon with the help of faculty mentor Erica Choberka. Its trips have included day hikes through wilderness areas in Michigan, and week-long trips in the Appalachians.
The yearbook committee is responsible for designing and budgeting for the High School's annual yearbook. In 2003 the yearbook was published in hardcover for the first time.
The Drama club puts on two annual performances with the help of a faculty mentor, Ms. Emery, who usually also acts as director and producer of the play. The Drama Club is one of the school's largest organizations, and attracts large crowds to their productions. In November 2008, the high school put on its first full-scale musical production, The Music Man, which sold out all performances. The current schedule calls for alternating between a musical and original dramatic (usually comedic) productions every other year. Additionally, each year the senior class puts on a production — a Shakespeare play — during the final week before graduation.
The Community Service Club is a student initiated group dedicated to researching and performing community service in Ann Arbor and surrounding areas.
The Model UN is a student group which participates in the Mid-American Model United Nation.
Notable alumni of the school include:
http://www.steinerschool.org/downloads/Curriculum%20Overview%20chart.pdf