RSB-NC Annual General Meeting March 28, 2026 – Minutes
Opening Verse and the remembrance of people from our community or from the Movement who died in 2025 and mark the anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death on March 30th.
- Nancy Willson, Patricia Sankewitsch, Susan Axelrod
Summary of the activities of the Branch in 2025 and a financial summary (Robert Mays, President)
Reports from the community’s Anthroposophical initiatives
- Waldorf School initiatives:
- Emerson Waldorf School (Viorica Comaniciu)
- Raleigh Day School (Leni Covington) – also see written report
- Sun Star Farm Preschool (Kelly DiPietro, others)
- The Christian Community (Claire Jerram or Buddy Smiley)
- The School for Spiritual Science (First Class) (Ben Bingham)
- Festival Life (Celebration for the Unborn-2025 & 2026, Michaelmas, Shepherds’ Play / Christmas Festival)
- Youth Gatherings and Multigenerational Gathering (Supreet Way, Gareth Dicker, Elena Karoulina, Ben Bingham)
- Artistic, Speech, and Eurythmy work, etc. (Songs of Joan of Arc, Christina Beck, Melody Miller, Martha Kelder, others)
- Books recently published (Patricia Pfost, Ben Bingham)
- The Biodynamic Group (Jon Lyerly, Leni Covington, others)
- Individual Initiatives: (Leni Covington – mentoring Waldorf teachers program, Lynn Jericho, Jenny Bingham, others)
- Study Groups in the area (Robert Mays, Claire Jerram, Michael and Supreet Way, others)
- We also welcome reports from any individuals, especially if you have been involved in any Section work or are taking an Anthroposophical training
Elections to serve on the Branch Board. Michael Way is standing for election (see biography attached). Viorica Comaniciu and Robert Mays are standing for re-election.
Discussion about things people would like to see happen in the Branch.
Closing Verse (the American Verse) and refreshments.
Opening Verse
From the luminous heights of the Spirit
May God’s clear Light shine down
Into those human souls who are intent on seeking –
The Grace of the Spirit
The Light of the Spirit
The Life of the Spirit
May He live in the hearts, in the inmost souls
Of those of us who feel ourselves gathered together
Here in His Name
Closing Verse: the American Verse
May our feeling reach to our Heart’s inmost core,
And seek to unite in Love
With human beings of like aims,
With those Spirits who, full of grace, look down
On our earnest, heart-felt striving,
Sending Strength out of regions of Light,
Bringing Light into our Love.
2026 RSB-NC Annual Meeting: Financial Report
Financial Position December 31, 2025
The major changes in our financial position are the establishment of a Youth Fund of $624 derived from the successful Youth Gathering in October which was supported by a grant from the L.A. Anthroposophical Branch. There was a net revenue of $1,370 but this was primarily from interest on our restricted savings of $1,660. So, in effect there was a slight net loss this year which caused us to transfer $500 from our General Fund into checking at the beginning of 2026.
2025 Income and Expenses
The major events that are reflected in our income and expenses are: Festival for the Unborn-2025; Songs of Joan of Arc presentation supported jointly by EWS; assisting with the visa applications for eurythmists Helena Syrovatkova and RongRong Ji; the fund drive for Melody Miller to help her complete her Creative Speech training; the Michaelmas celebration (with $250 grant from the Anthroposophical Society in America); support for Christina Beck in sponsoring her eurythmy work; financial backing for the Youth Gathering (with a $1,000 grant from the Los Angeles Branch) and the Multigenerational Gathering; and financial backing for the Christmas Festival the day after the Shepherds’ Play.
The Branch’s work has supported individuals with a fundraising initiative (Melody Miller), sponsorships (artistic and festival grants, visa applications), and with financial backing for Festivals and artistic presentations. We were able to receive and use grants from three other Anthroposophical organizations.
2026 RSB-NC Annual Meeting: Individual Reports
The Festival for the Unborn (Eve Olive)
The Festival for the Unborn was celebrated in our community for the fourth year on Feb. 1, 2025. Christina Beck and her adult class presented eurythmy. Eve Olive offered a number of her poems with an autobiograpical theme.
The Festival for the Unborn was celebrated in our community for the fifth year on March 7, 2026. This celebration, the best attended so far at 42, was held in the Brown Wing of the EWS High School. There was a wonderful eurythmy performance by Helena Syrovatkova, the visiting eurythmist in the high school, high school science teacher Gareth Dicker, and Melody Miller as speaker. Melody recently graduated from Speech Training and it was a great pleasure to have her presence and presentation in the art of Speech Formation supporting the eurythmy.
Melody Miller, Creative Speech Artist and Teacher
Melody Miller graduated from the Anthroposophical Speech Formation training with a Goetheanum approved diploma in January of this year.
She is putting out a call to students, flyer to come soon, for students aged 13 to infinity, for speech lessons. Lessons will focus on each individual’s needs with an emphasis on strengthening the I and can focus more on an artistic or therapeutic approach. In the meantime, please contact her for more details, if you are considering it. Additionally, information to come soon for speech workshops and courses.
Raleigh Day School, report by Leni Covington
Raleigh Day School is a Waldorf-inspired school located in NW Raleigh, on the Kahn Campus of the Jewish Community Center, 12804 Norwood Ave, Raleigh. It aspires to bring Waldorf education to Wake County by becoming the county’s first AWSNA recognized Waldorf School. WECAN Associate status was granted to the EC program in June 2022. The school has requested to extend their associate membership for another school year and will request application for full membership in the 2026-2027 school year.
The school offers an afterschool program until 5 p.m., directed by Ms. Olyvia Bosier, now in her fourth year at RDS.
Teachers
Currently, RDS offers an Early Childhood program that includes a wonderful forested and stream area for outdoor play. The Lead Teacher is Bridget Leibold in her second year. There are 6 EC students.
Grade 1 currently has 4 students and is taught by Adena Sexton. Ms. Sexton is a 30 year veteran teacher. She attended a grade One Waldorf week’s orientation at High Mowing last summer. She has been mentored by Ms. Leni Covington, Ms. Rachel Caldwell, and Ms. Ingeborg Boesch this year.
Ms. Rachel Caldwell, a faculty member for 4 years, is mentored by a former colleague who is experienced in teaching combined classes from the Waldorf School of Bend, (now at Cedarwood Waldorf School in Portland, OR.) She will continue her training this summer through Sunbridge Institute and the Center for Anthroposophy. This year Ms. Caldwell taught a combined class of 4 third graders and 3 fourth graders. Two new students have joined the class this week. One of them in the third grade will continue with the class for the remainder of the year. Another student plans to join in the fall in the 5th grade and is considering transferring to be with the class for the remainder of this school term.
Ms. Joanna Hody completed her Waldorf teacher training with Waldorf Handwork Educators and is a licensed NC public school teacher. She has been teaching at RDS for 3 Years. This year, she taught handwork to all the grades and taught the grade 6 curriculum to a class of 2 students.
Ms. Jean Marie Whaley is our part-time music teacher, who joined the school in the 2023-2024 school year. Ms. Whaley teaches singing, recorder and folk dancing 2 times per week for grades 1, and 3/4/6. Grades 1 and 2 focus on singing in unison and building movement coordination. Grades 1 and 2 also play pentatonic flute. In Grade 3, students switch to diatonic flute. Singing in parts is introduced, as is reading music notation. Folk dances continue and become more complex. Ukulele is introduced in 3rd grade and continued in subsequent grades. She attended the workshop for special teachers offered by the Waldorf Handwork Educators in summer 2025.
Ms. Olyvia Bosier is the part time games teacher this year. Each class received instruction twice a week. Ms. Yuki offered Japanese twice a week as the foreign language. Ms. Leni Covington taught form drawing to the grades.
College of Teachers
The College of Teachers was established in 2020 at the founding of the school. The College of Teachers currently consists of Rachel Caldwell as College Chair. Joanna Hody, Adena Sexton, Jean Marie Whaley, Bridget Leibold, Leni Covington, and Lucy Chartier are College members and meet weekly.
Board Activities
Board members include Lucy Chartier, Board Chair; Rachel Caldwell, Bridget Leibold, Heather Power, Rachel Goodwin Dennis, and Leni Covington. Co-founder and former Board member Lydia Johnson remains as a consultant.
RDS continued to provide introductions to the school via on-campus tours, in-person meetings with the Director, open houses, puppet shows, and presentations to prospective parents via Zoom meetings. Many current parents volunteered to assist at the open houses and they were well attended. We increased our visibility on social media to attract new families.
School Sponsored Activities
The Parent and Caregiver Circle. Our PGC consists of two parent representatives. They coordinate volunteer opportunities around festivals, school photos, fundraising and open houses. They hosted a potluck dinner before our Lantern Walk. They also host 1-2 camping trips per school year.
Festivals RDS celebrated Opening Day, Michaelmas, St. Martin’s Lantern Walk, St. Nicholas Day, St. Lucia, the Spiral of Lights, Valentine’s Day, and will celebrate an upcoming May Day.
The staff and parents spent the 2025 summer packing up and storing all belongings in a trailer in June and unpacking in late August because the Jewish Community Center uses these rooms for summer camps.
History
The school began in 2020 with outdoor classrooms in Raleigh and relocated in September 2021 by renting space from St Mark’s Episcopal Church, located at 1725 New Hope Road, Raleigh 27604. In August 2024, RDS began renting rooms from the Jewish Community Center.
We will continue there for the 2026-27 school year for its 7th year. We will offer EC taught by Ms. Leibold, a combined G1/2 taught by Ms. Sexton and a combined G4/5 taught by Ms. Caldwell. We look forward to continued enrollment.
Activities are posted on our website, raleighdayschool.org, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Reviewed by Lucy Chartier, Director
