Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor

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 K - 12, and is the only school of its kind in the State of Michigan. Though the school claims to have no religious affiliation, "festivals of Christianity" are observed in the classroom. It is a member of the Mid-Michigan Independent Athletic Association (MMIAA).

History

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, though now enrolling more than 300. The Lower School is currently based out of a building on Newport Rd, in Ann Arbor. The High School recently renovated and moved into a building on Pontiac Trail in Ann Arbor, after renting locations at both Genesis of Ann Arbor [http://www.genesisa2.org/] and Cleary University.

Current administration

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for "the legal and financial operation of the school". Its members include:

President - Jack Bernard
Vice-President - Howard White
Secretary - Steve Coulter
Treasurer - Brian Vroom
Margot Amrine
Lori Belanger
Shannon Fisher
Robin Grossheusch
Kevin Suboski
Tom VanderMeulen
Donica Varner
Cynthia Wilson

College of Teachers

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 - Cindy Harrington
Lower School Chair - Lawrence Mathews
High School Chair - Mary Emery

Administrative staff

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/Counselor - Kirk Williams
LS Office Manager/Facilities - Lenore Pacitto
HS Office Manager/Facilities - Blanche Price
Development Director - Diana Piper
Finance Manager - Marian Bertrand
Maintenance Supervisor - Joseph Allen

Newport campus (K - 8)

The lower school is located at 2775 Newport Rd, Ann Arbor, Mich. It is for students between kindergarten and 8th grade.

Athletics

Team sports are not supported or provided by the school for students below 6th grade. Starting in 6th grade, Co-ed Soccer and Women's basketball are offered in the Fall, and Men's basketball and Women's volleyball are offered in the Spring.

Pontiac Trail campus (9 - 12)

The High School is located at 2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, Mich. It is for students from 9th to 12th grade.

Academics

Art

Students receive six hours of studio art instruction weekly. Topics include various styles of black and white drawing, watercolor painting, oil painting, silk painting, clay modeling, pottery, photography, bookbinding, and metalworking. Students in the 9th grade also take Art History, and the senior-year trip to Italy is a week-long immersion in the arts of the Italian Renaissance, including visits to the San Marco Basilica in Venice and the Uffizi Museum in Florence.

Mathematics

Music

Students spend two hours a week working as a large choir, and an additional two hours a week in other musical pursuits, including orchestra, chamber music, guitar class, small choral groups, jazz combos, and steel drum bands. Alumni have gone on to study at Lawrence Conservatory (Appleton, Wisconsin), The New School (New York City), Oberlin Conservatory (Oberlin, Ohio), Roosevelt University (Chicago), and other renowned music schools. Bella Hristova, a widely regarded violinist who attended through the 11th grade before moving on to the Curtis Institute of Music, was a 2006 finalist at the prestigious International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.

Natural Sciences

Clubs and organizations

Biology Club

The Hiking Club was founded in the 2002-03 school year by seniors 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.

Yearbook Committee

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.

Drama Club

The Drama club puts on two annual performances with the help of a faculty mentor, 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. Additionally, each year the senior class puts on a production--often a Shakespeare play--during the final week before graduation.

Athletics

Rudolf Steiner High School offers Men's and Women's Basketball, and Women's Volleyball as Varsity Sports. A golf team has previously been fielded at the Varsity level, though now it a club sport along with Softball, Soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Notable alumni

Notable graduates of the school include:

*Bryan Thao Worra - poet, writer, and journalist.
*Aaron Black - co-founder of [http://www.myspace.com/ossodesign OSSO Design] .
*Bella Hristova - violinist.

External links

Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor [http://www.steinerschool.org/index.html]
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America [http://www.awsna.org/]