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THE LAUREL

October 2026

WELCOME, CONNECTION & BELONGING

Dear Mountain Laurel Families & Friends,

The past month has been one of transformation at Mountain Laurel. Late August’s quiet brick path turned quickly into a fresh burst of September energy as 140 children began arriving each day… children climbing off the bus with eager or wondering faces… parents hugging little ones goodbye… big kids walking the little ones in by hand… sweet morning reunions on the swings… morning assemblies full of song… hallways rich with the smell of fresh-baked bread… lessons and languages, musical notes and verses emanating from classrooms.

As I witness the small miracles that occur here at school each day, I have been calling to mind our school's mission to inspire independent and insightful thinking, empathy for all beings, and a love of meaningful work. How much our world needs all of this — always, and especially right now. I am buoyed by what we are striving to do here at Mountain Laurel, and I am so glad you are a part of it.

Thank you to our teachers and staff, who prepared every corner of this school with such care, and to all of you whose support makes our work possible.

Our beloved school is more than a place for our children to learn; it is a place of connection and belonging. I am honored to be starting a new school year with all of you, and I am excited about the possibilities for our community as we continue to grow and renew. Please reach out at ahannes@mountainlaurel.org if you'd like to talk, share ideas, go for a walk, or simply say hello.

In community,

Amy Hannes, Head Administrator

PS - On October 24th, we are hosting an Open House to share the magic of Mountain Laurel with prospective families. Please spread the word to help us broaden our circle.

WORDS FROM RUDOLF STEINER

Reverence, enthusiasm, and a sense of guardianship, these three are acutally the panacea, the magical remedy, in the soul of the educator and teacher.

AN INSIDE LOOK

A NEW YEAR TAKING SHAPE

The first days of our school year have been full of lovely moments. Buses pulled up to the gate, and children stepped off ready for what lay ahead. Inside, teachers had prepared each classroom with great care and thought: welcoming chalk drawings on the blackboards, and fresh lesson books and pencils waiting on every desk. Outside, the gardens were in full bloom, and the sound of children at play filled the air once again. Here are a few glimpses of those first joyful days together.

MICHAELMAS TIME, MICHAELMAS TIME...

Like many Waldorf schools around the world, we celebrated Michaelmas on September 29, a festival that honors courage, strength, and the triumph of light over darkness. As the season turns from summer’s warmth to the colder, darker days of autumn, Michaelmas reminds us to awaken our own inner strength and resilience.

This festival and the figure of Michael deeply resonated with Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, who saw in it an opportunity to bring the courageous qualities of Saint Michael to bear in our experience of community and of the changing seasons. While the festival is tied to the fall equinox, Steiner also felt that the festival has a deep relevance for the time in which we live, with all of its emergent opportunities and challenges.

Mr. Lundin's Second Grade class presented the traditional Michaelmas Play, about the archangel St. George taming the dragon who threatens the village. Mr. Galloway's Eighth Grade class led the grades children in the annual Games of Courage at Hasbrouck Park, bringing their creativity to a series of challenges that called forth cooperation and perseverance as well as courage. To close the festivities, the children gathered around a seasonally decorated table holding the magnificent Dragon Bread, baked by the First Grade parents.

SHAPING THE YEAR AHEAD: 8TH GRADE WOODWORKING

Led by Sculpture Teacher Tricia McCloskey, the 8th graders are channeling raw physical energy into focused determination as they begin shaping their stool tops. This is the first step in a yearlong journey that will end with their 8th grade capstone project: a stool built from found wood, using only hand tools. With each careful measurement, saw cut, and pass of the drawknife, they are proving to themselves, one step at a time, that they can shape the physical world with their own two hands.

UNDER ONE ROOF: THE THIRD GRADE SUKKAH

During the autumn season, third-grade students celebrate Sukkot, an ancient Jewish festival marking the final gathering of the agricultural harvest. This vibrant celebration beautifully aligns with the grade three curriculum, which honors diverse cultural traditions while exploring practical human shelters, ancient building techniques, and humanity's relationship with the elements. The building of the sukkah bridges these practical lessons with the Torah stories studied in third grade. As the children hear the narratives of the Israelites wandering for forty years in the desert, they gain a tangible understanding of what it meant to live in temporary structures under the stars. Throughout the week, this student-built structure serves as a living classroom and community space:

• A Cozy Reading Nook: The sukkah provides a beautiful, sheltered space for children to gather and experience the outdoors during quiet reading periods.
• Daily Meals: For one week, students will step outside to enjoy their snack and lunch inside the structure, experiencing the joy of eating together in nature.
• Community Connection: In the spirit of hospitality, the third graders have invited other grades to visit, share the space, and experience the warmth of the harvest shelter.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

7TH GRADER WINS "I VOTED" STICKER CONEST

LENDING LIBRARY

We are excited to announce that the MLWS Parent Council is creating a lending library for MLWS families! Please consider donating any Waldorf-related or Waldorf-inspired books that need a new home to our lending library, where they will be enjoyed by many and much appreciated. Please drop off books at the MLWS main office. If you have any questions or if it's not convenient for you to drop off at the school and you would like to arrange for someone to pick them up, please email parentcouncil@mountainlaurel.org. 

Here is our current list if you would like to check a book out!

HELP PLAN OUR WORLD HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION

Join us in planning a community-wide celebration of dance, music, and so much more on April 18, 2027! The planning committee will work alongside the Voices for Equity & Inclusion (VIE) Group, and everyone is welcome to take part, whether or not you are a VIE member. We can't wait to hear your ideas! Email vie@mountainlaurel.org for more information.

GIVE NEW LIFE TO LOVED ITEMS

Donate your gently-used children’s and adult clothing, shoes, outdoor gear and select toys to support the Third Grade Farm Trip.

Drop off items from October 19 through November 6 during school hours behind Jaeckel Hall.

No household items, please.

Mountain Laurel’s Annual Clothing Sale will be on Sunday, November 8th, from 9am-2pm.

SHARING GRATITUDE FOR OUR JOYFUL HOLD MUSIC

If you called Mountain Laurel over the last few weeks and had the good fortune of being placed on hold, you’ve heard some wonderfully uplifting music performed by our very own students! For those of you familiar with the ever popular “Four Seasons,” you'll likely recognize the third movement from Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring. The soloist is Sophie Danila. The recording is from a concert the Ensemble played in April 2023 at the Berkshire Waldorf School in Great Barrington, MA. Heartfelt appreciation to our Music Program Director Mark Bernstein, the students of the Mountain Laurel High School Ensemble, and Lydia Pidlusky, whose technical expertise made this rendering possible. Their consistent dedication to musical excellence is inspiring!

THE LAUREL PATCH

Get ready for crisp fall days with this month’s featured items from The Laurel Patch, our School Store. 

Cozy Mountain Laurel Hoodies are available in both youth and adult sizes.

Warm Merino Wool Socks are available in blue, green, mountain, red, and yellow.

Browse The Mountain Laurel School Store online, view featured items in the display outside the Main Office, or stop by the Administration Building at 7 Innis to see more. All sale proceeds support Mountain Laurel. Thank you for your school spirit and support!

SONG FOR AUTUMN

By Florence Hoatson

Yellow the bracken,

Golden the sheaves,

Rosy the apples,

Crimson the leaves;

Mist on the hill sides,

Clouds grey and white.

Autumn good morning!

Summer good night!

UPCOMING EVENTS

VIE - VOICES FOR INCLUSION & EQUITY GROUP

Tuesdays, October 6 & 20 (meets every other week)

7:00 - 8:00 PM via Zoom

The VIE Group is dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive, just, and welcoming school environment. Meets every other week; see School Calendar for all dates. Email vie@mountainlaurel.org for more information.

NO SCHOOL – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY

Friday, October 9

NO SCHOOL - INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

Monday, October 12

PARENT COUNCIL MEETING

Join us on the playground!

Tuesday, October 20

3:30 - 4:30 PM

6 Elting Playground

All MLWS parents and caregivers are welcome to join a meeting designed by and for parents and caregivers. Come as you are, and bring your ideas, questions, or just yourself. Questions email parentcouncil@mountainlaurel.org. If it is raining, we will meet on Zoom at 12pm.

OPEN HOUSE

Saturday, October 24

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Know anyone considering a Waldorf education for their children? Please let them know that our open houses illuminate the Waldorf philosophy, our academic offerings and our dedication to creating a lifelong love of learning. During the open house prospective families will have an opportunity to visit the classrooms and view students’ work samples, attend informational workshops and watch a puppet show. Children are welcome. Learn more and share with anyone you think might be interested in learning about our school.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Monday, November 2

Dia De Los Muertos is holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their family members that have passed. Students are invited to bring in photos to place on our school altar, decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, candles, and photos of the departed.

NO SCHOOL - PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Tuesday, November 3

ANNUAL CLOTHING SALE

Sunday, November 8

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Coordinated by the Third Grade (and supported by the entire school through our clothing donations), this event raises funds for the annual Third Grade Farm Trip to Hawthorne Valley Farm. This event is not to be missed, with great deals on gently-used clothing, outerwear and more. (Drop off donated items Oct. 19 - Nov. 6 during school hours behind Jaeckel Hall.)

NO SCHOOL - VETERANS DAY

Wednesday, November 11

LANTERN WALK

Thursday, November 12

5:30 PM

In November, as the natural world darkens, the inner light of humanity wants to shine forth. During our annual Lantern Walk, this light appears as the flame enclosed in each child’s lantern. Stay tuned for more details about this seasonal event for families with children in Nursery through Second Grade.

FALL FOOD DRIVE - HOSTED BY PARENT COUNCIL

Monday, November 16 - Friday, November 20

Please take a moment to recognize the gifts and abundance in our communities and help to support those in need by donating to our Fall Food Drive. A list of suggested items will be sent home with your child with a paper bag. Feel free to fill it and bring it back during the drive. We will be accepting donations on the porch of the administrative building November 16-20, anytime between 8am and 3:30pm.

Volunteers needed: If you are able to lend a hand, please sign up to pick up donations at the school and deliver to select locations.

VIE - VOICES FOR INCLUSION & EQUITY GROUP

Tuesday, November 17

7:00 - 8:00 PM via Zoom

The VIE Group is dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive, just, and welcoming school environment. Meets every other week; see School Calendar for all dates. Email vie@mountainlaurel.org for more information.

TEA & PLAY, A WALDORF EARLY CHILDHOOD ADMISSIONS GATHERING

Tuesday, November 17

1:30pm

Join us for a gentle afternoon of tea, play, and conversation for children ages 3–5 and their parents or caregivers. Share in the joy of childhood and experience the beauty of learning through play. Email admissions@mountainlaurel.org to register and for more information.

WORKSHARE

Tuesday, November 24

1:00 - 2:30 pm at Saint Joseph's Church, 34 S Chestnut St, New Paltz

Workshares are events that usually take place twice during each school year, just before Thanksgiving and on the last day of school in June. Parents, grandparents, and friends are welcome to come and watch the children in Grades 1 through 8 as they offer a sampling of what they have been working on.

NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK

Wednesday, November 25 - Friday, November 27

WINTER SPIRAL

Monday, November 30

Exact Times TBD

Jaeckel Hall

To the sound of soft music, and by the illumination of candles, each child walks a spiral path of evergreens, journeying toward an inner light to be brought out into the world.

CLASSIFIEDS & COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

FOR SALE Yamaha Bass Recorder - $250

Used but in new condition. Hardly played and comes with a Yamaha case. Contact Shannon Mooney at 845-332-6003

Submit your listing

To have your classifieds or community announcements listed in our next issue of The Laurel, please submit entries here by October 15th. Thank you!