2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT

2013–2014 ANNUAL REPORT
3201 Hillsboro Pike • Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 354-0270 Ext. 21 • www.lindencorner.org
FROM THE FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHAIRS
We measure our children’s growth not only
in inches and pounds, but also in skills
and maturing understanding. How do we
measure the growth of our school?
▲
OUR MISSION First, we affirmed
that our mission still holds, but
we added a word for emphasis.
Developmental was inserted
to reinforce that a Waldorf
curriculum offers age-appropriate
experiences designed to actively
engage students while preparing
them to meet the challenges of
our world. The Waldorf emphasis
on building capacity is about
broadening and deepening a
person’s range of responses to
the unknown that lies ahead and
about helping build resilience and
courage to try something new.
This developed sense of one’s own
efficacy is evident in our alumni.
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OUR VALUES Our core values
changed the most through the
scrutiny of this process. The
members of the Inclusion and
Diversity group drafted their
own statement of values for
that committee, which were
subsequently deemed to be
core values of the whole school.
At the meeting, we also heard
ideas about stewardship and
sustainability that needed to find a
place in our language. As a result,
our once-separate Environmental
Policy Statement has been
incorporated and expanded as a
core value.
▲
At last year’s State of the School
meeting we explored our
collective vision for the school
and our values. As a community
we considered questions such
as, “Why must Linden Waldorf
School exist?” and brainstormed
to imagine our future. The faculty
worked with the ideas revealed
and dreams expressed to tweak
our mission, vision, and values
statements.
OUR VISION Next, we
recognized that the vision for
our community is to be more
diverse, a word to be interpreted
in all its dimensions, in addition
to our stated vision of an
“intergenerational” community.
A dedicated group of parents,
faculty, and members of the
greater community have been
working for years to ensure that
inclusion and diversity are givens
at Linden.
▲
Square footage? Number of
students? More importantly,
perhaps, in the enhanced mission,
vision, and values statements we
adopted; the accomplishment of
recent strategic plan goals; the
commitment of our volunteers; and
the rich lives led by our alumni as
they progress through high school
and college.
Read next our Board Chair’s
measure of this phase of the
school’s development, the
Treasurer’s measure of the
school’s finances, and the
immeasurable appreciation owed
our donors and our families.
—Margaret Bean, Administrative Chair,
and Camille McNutt, Faculty Chair
OUR MISSION:
Linden Waldorf School’s mission is to provide education that honors the developmental
stages of childhood, cultivates a love of learning, and addresses the whole child through the
head, hands, and heart.
OUR VISION:
We envision a thriving intergenerational and diverse community of lifelong learners
dedicated to fostering the ideals of Waldorf education with the intention of cultivating
the intellectual curiosity, moral consciousness, and physical well-being of our students,
families, and the greater community.
WE VALUE:
•Waldorf education and participating in its evolution, building on the foundation of Rudolf
Steiner’s insights into child development and actively working to keep the education relevant
to our time and place;
•Education that is developmentally appropriate, addresses the whole child, is academically
challenging, and fosters a lifelong love of learning;
•A thriving community built on the ideals of peace, joy, cooperation, collegiality, financial
responsibility, diversity, integrity, and respect;
•A deep connection with nature that nurtures wonder and reverence for the world around us.
We value biodynamic agriculture and other forms of environmental stewardship that create a
sustainable path into the future; and
•A welcoming learning environment where faculty and staff strive to bring students to
an understanding and experience of the common humanity of all the world’s people —
transcending stereotypes, prejudices, and divisive barriers.
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FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
First of all, on behalf of the Board,
I would like to thank the people
who have finished their term on
the Board for their commitment
to the school, their time, and
their willingness to engage in
discussion and make complex
decisions. These people are Tom
O’Neill, Will Wright, Lynn Harroff,
Newell Anderson, Anne Nicholson,
and Louise Merritt.
I would also like to welcome and
thank our new Board members:
John Bass, Kim Gardner, Kathryn
Koehler, Cindy Turner, Liz Tipping,
and Rebecca Peterson.
Most of the goals delineated on
the 2011-2014 Strategic Plan have
been accomplished:
•Enriching our educational
programming with Mandarin,
gardening, educational support,
the social inclusion approach
(student support program), and
Eurythmy;
•Delineating our requirements and
wishes for a permanent home via
a process of writing ideal learningenvironment standards;
•Hiring the Faculty Chair to
enhance collaborative leadership;
•Increasing our operating reserve
to achieve the recommended level
that correlates with stability in
independent schools and assuring
our excellence in financial
management through our first full
independent audit; and
•Achieving “candidate for full
membership” status through the
Association of Waldorf Schools of
North America.
The 2014–2019 Strategic Plan,
currently being developed,
continues an emphasis on
educational programming,
governance, and accreditation.
It will also focus on our facilities
and resources, closely intertwined
as they are, with a new degree
of purpose and intensity. The
school’s administration will work
with the Board to develop a longterm strategy for both year-toyear and capital fundraising, then
implement it.
What all of this indicates about
our school is that we are moving
into a phase of actualization of
the hopes and values that this
community has put into words and
images over the years.
Thank you all for participating
in this wonderfully vibrant,
committed, and warm community.
—Alex von Hoffmann, Board Chair
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2013–2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The members of the Board of Directors
are committed to ensuring the financial
stability and physical well-being of
the school, as well as protecting its
legal interests. The Board is made
up of faculty, parent (including the
Parent Council Chair), and community
representatives serving a three-year
term. We are grateful to the Board
members, all of whom volunteer their
time and expertise to the benefit of our
school.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Alex von Hoffmann
Chair
Will Beard
Vice Chair
Anne Nicholson
Secretary
Eric Patrick
Treasurer
MEMBERS
Melanie Adams
Governance Chair and Parent Representative
Newell Anderson
Strategic Planning Chair and Parent
Representative
Anna Bridgers
Faculty Representative
Lynn Harroff
Faculty Representative
Susanne Frensley
Community Representative
Thomas O’Neill
Parent Representative
Holly Settle
Faculty Representative
We are moving into a phase of
actualization of the hopes and
values that this community
has put into words and
images over the years.
Will Wright
Community Representative
EX-OFFICIO
Margaret Bean
Administrative Chair
Camille McNutt
Faculty Chair
Louise Merritt
Parent Council Co-Chair
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FROM THE TREASURER
The Linden Waldorf School Board is pleased
to report that the overall financial health of
the School continues to be strong.
Through careful planning, we
have been able to reserve cash to
comfortably cover the occasional
financial setback. In 2013–2014,
the Board of Directors enacted
a new investment policy and
invested $150,000 in more socially
responsible financial vehicles. We
plan to slowly increase the amount
of excess cash invested up to
$750,000 over the next year.
In comparison to the growth we’ve
seen over the past seven years,
we did experience a slight loss of
3% of revenue for this fiscal year.
This is due, in large part, to a
philosophical decision to increase
faculty compensation. In addition,
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enrollment and fundraising
income was lower than projected.
This loss was a book loss though,
and not a cash loss, as our
depreciation expense is roughly
equal to our shortfall.
As of early 2014-2015, we
anticipate healthy enrollment
figures. Fundraising efforts,
such as the Elves’ Faire, gala,
and annual fund, make up the
difference between tuition and
yearly operating expenses. To
meet budgeted expenses and fund
future expansion, Linden must
continue to build on fundraising
successes of the past.
—Eric Patrick, Treasurer
FINANCIAL REPORT
INCOME
88%
n Net Tuition & Fees
0%
1% 2%
2%
3%
4%
$1,733,514
n Extended Care & Other Programs
$81,262
n Annual Fund & Other Contributions
$47,309
n Spring Gala & Auction
$41,024
n Other Fundraising Activities (Elves’ Faire, Scrip)
$40,138
n Seeds Store Income
$24,487
n Interest and Misc. Income
TOTAL
$2,022
$1,969,756
69%
EXPENSES
n Salaries and Benefits
1%
1%
1%
3%
4%
10%
4%
7%
$1,414,172
n Facilities Costs
$200,114
n General & Operational
$141,123
n Instructional Materials & Activities
$86,418
n Depreciation & Other
$72,048
n Professional Development
$71,451
n Other Fundraising Activities (Elves’ Faire, Scrip)
$19,973 n Seeds Store Expense
$18,035
n Gala Expense $11,591
TOTAL$2,034,925
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2013–2014 ANNUAL GIVING
As the only Waldorf school in Tennessee,
we are committed to providing our
students with as rich a Waldorf educational
experience as possible. Our school relies on
gifts to the Annual Fund to ensure that we
meet that goal.
Your generous contributions to the
Annual Fund are put to use in many
ways and no gift is ever too small.
In the 2013–2014 fiscal year
we broadened our curriculum
with Mandarin, Gardening,
and Eurythmy. Professional
development resources allocated
from the Annual Fund helped
our faculty and administrators
attend conferences where they
worked with, learned from, and
shared ideas with other Waldorf
teachers and leaders from all over
the United States. Last summer
alone, your gifts to the Annual
Fund provided for 18 faculty
and administrative members to
attend several training events,
including renewal courses at
the Center for Anthroposophy,
week-long grade intensives to
help teachers prepare for the
coming year, early childhood
continuing education workshops
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on nurturing the young child and
farm and forest kindergartens,
and an administrative course
on collaborative leadership.
Additionally, your gifts helped us
pay for mentoring from master
teachers, including their stays at
Linden to work directly with our
new teachers or teachers in new
positions. Annual Fund dollars
also helped to further our social
inclusion program and enhance
our student support initiatives.
Thank you to each of our Annual
Fund donors for enriching the
Linden Waldorf experience and
enabling our students to reach
their full potential as lifelong
learners.
—Tricia Drake, Development Coordinator
No gift is ever too small.
2013–2014 ANNUAL GIVING
It is with heartfelt gratitude that we recognize the
individuals and businesses that have contributed
to Linden Waldorf School.
Linden Golden Orchard
$5,000 and above
Bob Doyle and Alex von Hoffmann
Linden Orchard
$2,500-$4,999
Community Foundation of Middle
Tennessee
David and Anna Bridgers
Linden Grove
$1,000 -$2,499
Will and Marci Beard
Peter Goodwin and Margaret Bean
Lee and Joan Gorden
The HCA Foundation
Paula McCord
David and Alyson Spence
John and Anna Tettleton
Don and Camille Turner
Felix and Linda Woods
Linden Tree
$500 -$999
Newell and Tasha Anderson
Warner and Madge Bass
Katrin Bean
Sylvia Hurdle and Chand Desai
Jim and Jessica Folger
John and Midge Folger
Julia McAninch and Paige
Holliman
Jim and Catie Johnson
Bill and Char Kennedy
Edward and Antje Kolodziej
Betty Legum
Lifestyle Staffing Solutions
Bob and Wendi Mahoney
Jennifer McCord
Becky Bowman and Mark
McMahan
Ron and Camille McNutt
Nipun and Sonia Merchant
Louise Merritt
Tim Moses and Tricia Drake
James and Pamela Roller
Sherri Scott
Melanie Adams and Todd Smith
Richard Smith
Sandy and Elizabeth Tipping
Les and Sara Wilkinson
Andries and Rachel Zijlstra
Linden Sapling
$250-$499
Elden and Cathy Bale
Amanda Garcia and Travis Brandon
Bob and Mary Bryan
Jay and Michelle Fowke
Chip and Susanne Frensley
Chuck and Kim Gardner
Larry Gottlieb
Russ and Cindy Guier
Josh and Carly Kear
Tony and Rachel Lucca
Dan and Maria Maggipinto
Wayne Mayo
McCloud and Associates
Irene Phelps
Sarah Cannon Cancer Center
John and Stacey Schorr
Betty Settle
Greg and Cynthia Wiel
Linden Seedling
up to $249
Anonymous
Dance in Bloom
Kelly Hill and David Aronoff
Joel and Rhonda Atkins
John and Felicia Bass
Baby Bear Shop
Bill and Mary Bailey
Martha Bartles
Van and Cindy Bates
Fred and Kristen Beahm
Brandon and Erin Bell
Stacey Bentley
Barbara Bittles
Claire Brannon
Emily Osborn and Walter Campbell
Jean Carter
Grant and Jennifer Castle
Helen Chamberlain
Anne Chenoweth
Hilary Craiglow
Angus and Nancy Crook
Nathan and Dana Croy
Rob and Alison DeHart
Delek Fund for Hope
Raj and Helen Desai
Laura Duke
Don and Janet Duke
Steve and Ellen Eagon
Mr. and Mrs. Ran Edwards
Kathi Padgett and Philip Elbert
Steve and Julia Emahiser
Peter and Audrey Fleming
Fernanda Fontela
Michael and Sally Eyles-Goldfarb
Stan and Sally Graham
Michael and Becky Grando
Chris and Sharon Harmon
Lynn Harroff
Lee Horrocks
Jane and Richard Eskind and
Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Milnor Jones
Ryan and Jessica Kennedy
Raymond and Siobhan Kennedy
Jim and Kim Kingsbury
Ruthanne Tomanica and Robb
Kinsey
(continued on next page)
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Linden Seedling
(continued)
Natalie Campo and Peter Kleuser
David and Camille Lashlee
Deborah Lederman
Jim and Martha Lowe
Kenneth Lyon
Elaine Mears
Christine Morrill
Derek and Leslie Mueller
Daniel Nemes and Anna Calhoun
Anne Nicholson
Shanti Odell
David and Regine Olney
Catherine Virostko and Stephen
Ornes
Brydget Carrillo and Gwil Owen
Deborah Drew and David Paschal
Shannon Paty
David and Kathryn Potter
Mia and Jimmy Rankin
Ellen Rodrigues
Helen Musial and Gordie
Sampson
Mari Beth Sartain
Alex Schneider
Judith Scoville
Mindy White and Bill Serafin
Bailey and Holly Settle
Joel Simpler
Brent and Diana Stewart
Landis and Janet Turner
Kurt Wagner
Ching Li Wang
W.D. Wright
Kathryn Koehler and Jim Yockey
Gifts of Professional
Services and Gifts-in-Kind
Bates Nursery
Beahm Design
Ricardo Beron
Caffe Nonna
Fido
Jive!
Poplar Springs Greenscape
Silly Goose
Sitemason
Upasana Dance Company
Vicky Vaughn Band
Jim Yockey
Special thanks to Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins, and Tony Lucca for
performing at our Heads, Hands, and Heart Gala in April.
What a gift your talents are to
our school!
Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate and complete. Call our Development
Coordinator, Tricia Drake, at 615-354-0270, ext. 26, if there are any errors or omissions, and please accept our
apologies.
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Many of the images seen in this report are courtesy of Ricardo Beron, Dana Croy, and Jennifer McCord.
IN APPRECIATION
We dedicate this annual report to
Ladislaus von Hoffmann, financier
and philanthropist, who died
on July 29, 2014. Anonymously,
Mr. von Hoffmann and his wife,
Beatrix, were early generous
supporters of what was then Linden
Corner School as it grew from
its origins as an Early Childhood
program into the full eight
elementary grades.
Mr. von Hoffmann collected art of
the Northern European Renaissance,
and was indeed a Renaissance man
himself. He had a universal range of
interests, extending from the Sunday
comics to science, mathematics,
history, political science, and poetry.
He also traveled throughout the
developing world during most of
his professional career, consistently
absorbing knowledge at the human,
technological, economic, and
cultural levels.
As a young man, Mr. von Hoffmann
had developed a deep respect
for anthroposophy based on the
personal qualities of Waldorfeducated friends and colleagues
in post-war Germany. When the
opportunity arose for him to
contribute to such an education
for new generations in a new
country, he committed himself
wholeheartedly. Mr. von Hoffmann’s
gifts were typically accompanied
by sage advice. He asked that the
school use his donations to make
itself as independent as possible of
single benefactors such as himself,
that is, become self-sufficient early
in its development. This encouraged
the tradition of sound financial
management and careful planning
that characterizes the school now.
His daughter, Alex, spoke at
her father’s memorial service,
Ladislaus von Hoffmann
encouraged the tradition of
sound financial management
and careful planning that
characterizes the school now.
and in these glimpses of
Mr. von Hoffmann, we see
some reasons why the ideals
and ultimate fate of this school
resonated with him:
“But oh, what a trove of wisdom,
morality, curiosity, and humor he
bestowed on my sister and me, gifts
which we are still internalizing in
their richness and complexity. I won’t
belabor all of my father’s virtues,
of which there were many…but
one virtue was his lovely ability to
inhabit the mind of a child. He loved
toys and circuses and wise cartoons,
with their resonance of innocence
and curiosity and honesty.”
His granddaughter, Oona Doyle,
was among those first graduates
in the Class of 2007, and her two
siblings followed: Hannah, Class of
2009, and Josef, Class of 2012. We
are grateful to Mr. von Hoffman for
his cornerstone role in creating
Linden Waldorf School.
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PARENTS AND COMMUNITY
We are so fortunate to have such
active and engaged parents at
Linden Waldorf School, and
this past year they continued to
shine. Our school parents served
as energetic volunteers for a whole
host of external and internal events
and activities throughout the
school year, including our alwaysanticipated Elves’ Faire in the fall
and our Head, Hands, and Heart
Gala in the spring. In addition,
parents provided thousands
of hours of invaluable service
to our school in such ways as
serving on our Board and various committees, operating the Seeds
Store, baking for committee
meetings, leading parent crafting
sessions to create projects and
décor for various festivals, driving
and chaperoning students traveling
to the Pentathlon and other
overnight field trips, providing
musical talent for festivals and
gatherings, building and painting
sets for class plays, organizing the
boot/clothing swap, attending and
donating items for our campus
beautification days, and preparing
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delicious meals for those in need of
extra community support.
In light of the enormous gift
of their time that our parent
volunteers generously provide
every year, it is all the more
inspiring that we also have
within our community a
Parent Council (PC) committed
to presenting programs that
serve parents seeking to enrich
their understanding of Waldorf
education. The 2013–2014 PC continued
to expand its role in providing
parent education by broadening
its offerings to include external
speakers on an interesting array
of topics and weekly book study
groups. The PC is made possible
only by the volunteer efforts of its
member delegates, and we thank
all of them, past and present, for
donating their time and energy to
our community.
2013–2014 PARENT COUNCIL
Louise Merritt* and Kim Gardner
Co-Chairs
Mari Beth Sartain
Administrative Representative
Maria Case
Faculty Representative
Stacey Bentley
Faculty Representative
Camille McNutt*
Faculty Chair
Class Representatives:
Daisy
Rebecca Edwards
Rose
Kelly Whitfield
and Natalie Campo
Sunflower Jen Castle
1st grade Jessica Kennedy
2nd grade Leslie Mueller
3rd grade Kim Gardner
4th grade Cynthia Grimson
and Helen Musial
5th grade Sara Wilkinson
6th grade Henry Higginbotham
7th grade Jim Folger
8th grade Harriet Forbes
*
Denotes Board member
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THE MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS
LWS graduates have attended:
Academe of the Oaks – Waldorf
High School, Atlanta, GA
Battle Ground Academy
Big Picture High School*
Brentwood High School
Chatham Hall – Chatham, VA
Emerson Waldorf School
– Chapel Hill, NC
Ensworth High School*
Franklin High School
Franklin Road Academy
Harpeth Hall School*
Harpeth High School*
Hillsboro High School*
Hillwood High School
Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet
Montgomery Bell Academy*
Nashville School of the Arts*
Ravenwood High School*
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School
– Sewanee, TN
St. Cecilia Academy*
Station Camp High School
University School of Nashville*
*Denotes the Class of 2014
acceptances and choices.
“During my time at Linden Waldorf School, I’ve
always felt like I was learning – not being taught.”
— Class of 2014 graduate
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ALUMNI HOMECOMING
Linden Waldorf School hosted our annual Alumni
Homecoming this summer, honoring the Class of 2010
as they graduated from high school. Everyone enjoyed
this festive outdoor event, which featured LWS alumni
Addie and Gus Carroll, aka “Gus and the Fuss,” as the
entertainment.
“Linden taught me that instead of
just looking for the answer, find a
way to get to the answer.”
— Emma Kingsbury, Class of 2010 graduate
Valedictorian, Hillsboro High School, Class of 2014
Addie and Gus Carroll perform (above) while alumni Zeke
Starr and Rachel Fowke (top left) enjoy the music.
David Bridgers with daughter Emily, Class of 2012 (center
left).
Class of 2010 graduates Emily Stewart, Emma Kingsbury,
and Johanna Burr (bottom left).
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Save the Dates!
Benefit Concert
SATURDAY, MARCH 28 • 3RD & LINDSLEY
Featuring Jewel, Alison Krauss &
Dan Tyminski, Josh Kear, Tony Lane,
and Tony Lucca
SATURDAY, APRIL 11 • THE BALLROOM IN GREEN HILLS
Spring Auction
Fundraiser
The Linden Getdown, featuring
Viktor Krauss
More details on these exciting events to follow!
Stay connected to Linden Waldorf School
on Facebook and Twitter
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