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Dear Colleagues,
Many of you have been celebrating the arrival of spring with its abundance of new life and possibility. Plus, the fast-approaching end of the school year with the hope that our spring festivities bring moments that allow us to truly see the fruits of our hard work throughout the year and what we are building together for our students.
Each school has the task of taking “traditional Waldorf” festivals and making them their own, reflective of their school and community. May Day, an ancient European festival, has become a beloved fixture of spring celebrations in many of our schools. We are delighted to bring a report on the recent celebration at Valley Vista Public Waldorf School in Petaluma, California. As background, this is Valley Vista’s first year; it was born out of two existing schools, Valley Vista School (a neighborhood public school) and Live Oak Charter (a Public Waldorf charter school). Each of these schools had distinctive cultures and histories and, despite being only a couple of miles apart, they served different populations of students and families. They were brought together and are engaged in the exhilarating challenge of braiding two schools into one new, vibrant Public Waldorf school. Their recent festival shows how much progress they have made toward this in less than a year. Enjoy the description and images! Many thanks to Principal Kat McFee for sharing this joyful day with us, and many thanks to everyone at Valley Vista for your pioneering spirit and determination to innovate and form something new in service of children!
Liz Beaven
Executive Director
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Festival de Cena Latina y Primavera
Spring Festival & Latin Dinner
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Cena Latina is a decades-old Valley Vista tradition honoring Children's Day (Día del Niño). In Mexico, the Day of the Child is celebrated on April 30.
May Day or Spring Fair has been celebrated for thousands of years around the time we now know as May 1 to welcome in the Spring season.
With extensive collaboration and intention, we bring together the pedagogical qualities of the Spring Festival, common in Waldorf schools around the world, and the annual celebration of Cena Latina.
These two traditions share a deep reverence for childhood, community, and the rhythms of the seasons.
In the Waldorf tradition, Spring Festival welcomes the exuberance of spring. Children bring dances from around the globe: some using maypole ribbons and some without, as the students celebrate the vitality and beauty of the natural world. The festival reflects Waldorf education’s commitment to rhythm, joy, and the social task of working together to create a harmonious and artistic experience. Our students are nourished through music, movement, and community gathering.
| Across Latin American cultures, Día del Niño is a joyful and meaningful reminder that children are at the heart of community life. Celebrated through food, music, and laughter, the day reflects a shared belief that childhood should be honored with care, dignity, and delight. It also calls us, as educators and families, to ensure that every child is supported—academically, socially, and emotionally—so they can grow with confidence and a sense of belonging. In this way, Children’s Day is both a celebration of who our students are today and a commitment from the school community to support who they are becoming. | |
These two celebrations are woven together into a vibrant community event—Festival de Cena Latina y Primavera ~ Spring Festival & Latin Dinner. Our ELAC (English Learners Advisory Committee) will lead the Cena Latina, as the evening becomes a living expression of the school’s community, where cultures meet, traditions are honored, with our students joyfully at the center.
This spring festival reflects the heart of a Public Waldorf community: a circle of families coming together from many backgrounds to honor the season, nourish one another, and celebrate the children who bring life and hope into the world.
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Summer Professional Development
Our online professional development returns this summer:
Fundamentals: The Foundations and Essential Characteristics of Public Waldorf Education,
July 7-9, 2026
Early Childhood, Grades 1-8, and School Leadership, an opportunity to dive into the age-group of your students and to prepare for the upcoming school year. July 1-17
PLUS: our exciting Symposium, Acceleration and Wisdom in the Age of AI with Keynote speaker Ben Klocek, July 10.
We know that summer professional development is a vital support for teachers and school leaders. We are here to help and support you with sessions that are developed with your needs as Public Waldorf School educators in mind. Learn from colleagues with deep experience of Public Waldorf education. Meet and connect with colleagues doing the same work as you. Come away refreshed, inspired, informed, and equipped for a new year.
| | AWSNA will hold its annual conference at High Mowing School from June 22-25. They have extended a warm invitation to all of us in Public Waldorf. The conference is primarily designed for those working in independent schools, but may be of interest to you. You can access more information and the invitation here. | | |
Public Waldorf is a service mark of the Association of Waldorf Schools
of North America and is used pursuant to a license.
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