The Chiemgau Waldorf School starts the school year with new ideas

Evelyn Bukowski, headmistress of the Waldorf School Chiemgau in Prien, talks in an interview about the start of the new school year, upcoming anniversary celebrations and how the school is responding to digital challenges with the introduction of a “mobile phone garage”.

Prien – There is a lot going on this school year at the Chiemgau Waldorf School in Prien. The institution’s 45th anniversary will be celebrated on October 19th. In addition to the ceremony, an open day is also planned. But the new school year also brings a lot with it. Trust and self-confidence are at the heart of the educational work. We spoke to the headmistress Dr. Evelyn Bukowski about the new school year.

Dr. Bukowski, the new school year has just started. What will that bring?

Evelyn Bukowski: Our anniversary event this year, 45 years of the Chiemgau Waldorf School and 40 years of the Prien Waldorf School, because we moved here into this former disused hospital 40 years ago, is keeping us busy in many ways. Of course in terms of content, what is on offer at the celebrations, and we also wanted to spruce up a bit for these celebrations. That means a lot of renovation work has been done in the building. For example, our floors have been sanded down and oiled. Our entrance area shines in new splendor. In the new building, the stairs are new, the eurythmy room, the floor is new, the windows here on our outside front on the south side are completely new. In the old building we now also have incredible clarity and transparency. And last but not least, and of course every Priener can see this, our tower, our tower clock, is finally working again, and our tower clock roof has been re-tiled.

Are you already well prepared for the celebrations?

Bukowski: I think so, certainly in terms of content and structure.

What other changes will this new school year bring?

Bukowski: We have an autumn run again, which is being held here. We have already won it against all the other Waldorf schools in the area for the 10th or 12th time, and that is why we are now hosting it. We are a very sporty school, and our sports department pays a lot of attention to that. That is one thing. And the other: we have introduced a cell phone garage. That means, following the example of Australia, Sweden and Denmark, we collect all cell phones in the morning in a so-called cell phone garage to guarantee that we are a cell phone-free school. Cell phones are only allowed again after school. We rely heavily on analog encounters between students and want them to play together, be in the playground and talk.

Waldorf education is known for its close school community. Has that changed in recent years? Or what is the reason for this cell phone garage?

Bukowski: I actually think that the social movement, that people are in contact with each other through digital media, is clearly reflected everywhere, including in our school. And we are willing to actually counteract this. If young people have a cell phone in their hand, it makes absolutely no difference whether they are Waldorf students or regular students. They will use it and not speak to the person they are talking to, but if things go well, they may meet on social media. And young people are no different in this respect, and unfortunately adults are no different either. We always have our school start conference on the first weekend before school starts, when the whole staff gets together, and this year we actually had the motto of trust. We have crises in the outside world that are very noticeable. We have war, we have hate tirades on the Internet, we have anti-democratic movements, racist movements in society, and here at the Waldorf school we really want to give young people trust, despite all these crises. Trust in the world, trust above all in themselves, namely self-confidence.

How is it then addressed in class?

Bukowski: It is more likely to be brought into focus again through pedagogy. For example, we want to give young people self-confidence through will training. This is a theme that runs through all lessons. When do we trust? Is there such a thing as blind trust? Is there a certain amount of trust? How much can I trust? Who can I trust? And should I perhaps trust myself first and foremost, so that I can then approach others with trust?

You have been head of the Chiemgau Waldorf School in Prien since 2016. Do you still enjoy your work?

Bukowski: Yes, I still enjoy it a lot because I think that Waldorf education often gets a bad rap from the outside. We recently had an article in the Taz newspaper or in the Spiegel magazine that revealed some strange truths. People should come here and check them out. That’s what I would like to see. That’s why I like being a school principal because I can really stand behind my education, my Waldorf education, and I still like to represent it to the outside world.

How involved are you as a head teacher in the classroom?

Bukowski: I teach German and love teaching literature. And that is perhaps what sets me apart from other head teachers. The head teachers of Waldorf schools are fully involved in the running of the school. We don’t have reduced hours or any other kind of relief, we are teachers first and foremost and I love my subject. I really enjoy teaching German literature, French literature, and German almost a little more because the students can just keep up more than in a foreign language.

Your school also regularly performs plays. How are the plays selected?

Bukowski: I like choosing plays for the 12th graders, which are then performed in the Kursaal and also in the theatre scene in Prien. I would also like to see more people go there, because they are wonderful plays by young people who really care and where you can always feel the inner concerns of a class. And it is important that you choose the right one for them or with them. What you choose is different for each class. What is going on in the class, what interests them? What temperament do they have? And then it goes to our theatre teachers, and they do the work. We have wonderful plays. But I really enjoy choosing as a German teacher. And dealing with literature in general, because literature is so, yes, timeless. The problems that are presented are always timeless. And you can always update them. And I think that is the great thing about the job. People are always up to date.