21 May 2008 Dear Parents I am writing to ask for your support in earthquake relief efforts for the Waldorf School in Chengdu, China, in the heart of the Sichuan Province. On May 12, the school suffered major structural damage from an earthquake that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. While thankfully no adult or child in the Waldorf community was hurt by the earthquake, the school is now closed indefinitely and any residents of the school are now living in tents. Part of the school will need to be rebuilt. Presently, members of the community are reaching out to neighboring cities to help. Through all the devastation, there is a great wave of hope and optimism. Of her work in relief efforts, the co-founder of the school, Li Zhang, writes: I believe that the beautiful, goodness [and] truthful part of human beings have been brought out through this natural disaster, though it has been a result of many lives lost. I hope that those who are in the spiritual world can witness this moment, a moment that is filled with true love among us. They would feel a kind of peace if they saw the wonderful souls who are alive. Any monetary donation, however small, would go a very long way in helping the school recover, rebuild and continue on the exponential path of growth in this part of the world. How you can help: · There will be collection boxes in the Café and in the Adams Office for cash donations. · Checks can be made payable to Rudolf Steiner Foundation (earmarked Chengdu) and deposited into collection boxes · or mailed directly to: PO Box 29915 San Francisco CA 94129-0915 · Paypal account: waldorfcd@gmail.com For more information please visit the website at www.waldorfchina.org or contact me at 781.646.0782 . Many thanks in advance, for your generous support. Lilly Siu Parent of Helena (5th) Jacob (2nd) and Isabel (K)