You are invited!

Join the Gala Committee for a Pre-Gala Kickoff Coffee on Tuesday, March 28 after drop-off.

Enjoy coffee and morning snacks and a time to socialize. We will have gala tickets for sale, FIRST DIBS on signing up for Buy-In Parties, and raffle tickets for sale.

There is still time to purchase gala tickets. The deadline comes just after Spring Break on Tuesday, April 11. Tickets are on sale to the community - and your friends outside WWS.

“Views of Splendor: Washington Waldorf Spring Gala” will take place in the evening on Saturday, April 15. This year, the Gala is located at Top of the Town in Arlington, Virginia boasting spectacular views of DC’s monuments. Don’t miss out on this evening of fun, great food, dancing and raising money for our beloved school!

Purchase a ticket to this year’s Gala

From Kate Knuth, MS English Teacher

Twenty-eight of our faculty, primarily from the lower school but also from the Children’s Garden and Administration, took part in a two-day professional development workshop about literacy this past weekend. Janet Langley, co-author of The Roadmap to Literacy, enthusiastically led the group through six successive sessions, addressing literacy teaching in the Waldorf classroom. Roadmap, written with Jennifer Militzer-Koppler, is a great resource for Waldorf teachers as they work with phonemic awareness and other important building blocks of reading and writing. Workshop participants were treated to mini-lesson demonstrations and many nuggets of wisdom from this wise Waldorf expert. 

Langley and Patty Conolly offer countless resources for K-8 on their Waldorf Inspirations website. Their insights throughout the grades are invaluable.

We are inspired as a faculty to be delving more deeply into their methodologies, and so grateful to have them as ongoing resources! As a follow-up to this past weekend’s workshop, the faculty will have a half-day seminar with Patty Conolly in the coming months, to continue our work with assessment tools for literacy, as well as the important underpinnings of Waldorf Education that make our approach to literacy so unique and lively.

Thanks to Chef Kenneth Clay for the delicious catering for the Literacy Workshop as well as the recent Undoing Racism Workshop.

March

23/ Thursday

• Grade 8 Play, 7pm
• G5 Parent/Guardian Evening, 7pm

24/ Friday

• Grade 8 Play, 4pm

27/ Monday

• Craft & Conversation, 8:45-10am (see below)

29/ Wednesday

• College Connections Fair, 12pm

30/ Thursday

• Grade 4 Play, 4pm

31/ Friday

• 12:30 Dismissal - Spring Break

April 3-7/ Monday - Friday

• NO CLASSES - Spring Break

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2022-2023 School Year

Grade 8 Play

Alice@Wonderland

Thursday, March 23 at 7 PM

Friday, March 24 at 4 PM

What would happen if a 21st-century Alice collided with Lewis Carroll’s legendary Wonderland? This modern retelling of the classic children’s story has all the characters you know and love, including the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts. The story is laid out in traditional style, except that Alice is distinctly contemporary, complete with a cell phone in hand. The play imagines a present-day Alice encountering the Wonderland that many of us treasure. A sharply told, crisply paced ride, this adaptation has been praised for its humor, modern style, and appeal to both children and adults.

Here's a preview....

Craft & Conversation

Monday, March 27 after drop-off

Come to the foyer after drop-off to socialize and work together on handwork projects. All are welcome, regardless of skill level. Craft & Conversation will meet every other monday starting next week.

Subscribe to the list for updates.

Lunch Music

Wednesday, Apr 12 from 12:05-1:15pm (12:05 for HS, 12:40 for LS)

Parents and guardians are invited to join us in the auditorium for performances by the High School Choir and the Lower School Choir.

Class of 2023 Senior Project Presentations

Thursday, April 13 from 3:30–6pm.

Every year, Seniors may elect to do an independent project delving into a topic that particularly interests or inspires them. The process begins with a proposal toward the end of Grade 11. Following approval, they work independently for about a year. Students also have a class in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters of Grade 12 to further develop and discuss their projects. Each student has a mentor for their senior project. This process culminates in a public presentation for the community.

This year, 8 Seniors will present their projects on Thursday, April 13 from 3:30–6pm. Presentations will be followed by Q & A.

The following students will present on April 13 (order TBD):

• Catalina and Ayan -- on an independent student film, The Sweet Manifesto
• Douglas -- From Soldier's Joy to "Pillbillies": The Common Causes Underlying the United States' Civil War and Modern Opioid Epidemics
• Magdalena -- on Songwriting and the Music Industry
• Pritam -- on the History of Photography through Taking Pictures
• Seychelle -- on Understanding Dyslexia
• Sophia -- on Violence towards Women during Africa's "World War" (in the DRC)
• William -- The Impact of Air Power on the Current War in Ukraine

Please join us for the presentations!

Due to the topics being presented, we recommend this for audience members in Grade 7 and above. Students, parents, and friends are invited to join us in the auditorium!

4 Week Simplicity Parenting Class at WWS

April 26 - May 17

Wednesday Evenings from 6-8pm at WWS

Facilitator: Drew Sample (WWS Parent)

Cost: $100 per family (one or two parents/caregivers can attend per family)

Additional $30 fee for materials will be subsidized by WWS

Simplicity Parenting provides the resources and tools needed to create a simpler and more fulfilling home life for children and caregivers so that they can worry less, feel more confident, have better relationships, and raise thriving, happy kids. Developed by renowned family counselor Kim John Payne, the Simplicity Parenting methods recognize how today's "too much, too soon" culture is overwhelming and stressful for children and makes it very difficult for parents to create the balanced home life they dream of for their family. 

As an antidote to this unbalanced frenzy, WWS parent and certified Simplicity Parenting group facilitator Drew Sample will offer a series of group courses for WWS families to learn about the small, doable, and effective steps Simplicity Parenting offers for reducing stressors and enjoying a simpler, more connected home life. The group offers opportunities to deeply explore the Simplicity Parenting material, discuss with peers how to practically apply these powerful tools, and build a community of support to help them stick. 

Register

More history of how we came to where we are today...

Last week, we highlighted some of the early history of our school when the possibility of a Gym for WWS was initially envisioned. This week, we move forward in history to the late 1990s and 2000s, another pivotal moment in our school's evolution. 

As you may know, WWS operates out of a former Montgomery County school building on Sangamore Road in what is now a long-term lease arrangement. What many don't know is the story of how that lease came about. By 1997, the building needed a lot of work. There were leaks every time it rained, the heating system was no longer functional, the electrical system was obsolete, and the building lacked a now required fire suppression system, security entrance architecture, ventilation, and insulation. Many alums who attended WWS in those years can remember positioning buckets in classrooms to catch leaks during rains and wearing their heavy coats in class during the winter. 

The feeling at the time was that WWS needed a home of its own. Funds were raised, and in 2000, a property containing several old buildings was purchased in Rockville called Chestnut Lodge. However, the constraints and difficulty in getting approvals to develop Chestnut Lodge as a school, combined with the costs of carrying the property while also continuing to operate at Sangamore, drove a decision to sell the property in 2003.

There were many individuals in the community at the time who helped to shepherd the school through this difficult time, including Trustee Council members, parents, and faculty. One of those individuals, who is still a part of our school today, is former Trustee Council Chair and Alum Parent, Dan Wacker. After the sale of Chestnut Lodge, it was decided to stay at Sangamore, and work to make this property Washington Waldorf's home. The County ordinarily leased former schools like ours on five-year terms, and the substantial investments required to fix Sangamore required a much longer lease term in order to make the investment worthwhile.

Dan and the Trustees Council at the time negotiated with the County to obtain a 30-year lease. This lease was signed in 2012 and required the School to undertake two major projects at its own expense:

1. Renovation of the existing building including new roofing, heating and air conditioning systems, insulation, windows, fire suppression sprinkler system, facade, and lighting; upgrading the electrical, water, and gas supply; and construction of an enlarged front entrance, offices and ADA compliant restrooms. This work was substantially completed during the summer of 2016.
2. Building a Gym.

Dan has continued to maintain WWS's positive relationship with Montgomery County, and he currently serves on the Gym's Site Committee. We are grateful for his tireless leadership, advocacy, and negotiation skills. There is a lot more to this story than we could tell here, including the work and volunteer leadership of many others, particularly in regard to fundraising and financing. Their collective work has made it possible for this next stage in our school's history - the building of a Gym. 

Learn more about the Gym and Room to Move campaign.

From left to right: Brad Clark, Jennifer Page, Allison Fultz, Eric Holdsworth, Dan Wacker, Caitlin MacKenzie, Architect MJ Wojewodzki at the groundbreaking celebration in September of 2022.

Families will be looking for sitters for the April 15 Gala! 

If you are - or know of a person interested in - childsitting, please join the group email list to receive requests by visiting https://groups.io/g/WWSsitters and clicking "Join this Group" at the bottom of the page. WWS students may participate only with their parents'/guardians' permission.

Save the Date!

Open Parent/Family Organization Gathering, Wednesday, April 12 from 8:45-9:45am in the foyer and 7:30-8:30 pm on Zoom

Student Recipe Takeover Update - Thank you to all of the students who entered a recipe for the Student Recipe Takeover. We’re so excited to incorporate 3 recipes over the next 3 months in our kitchen during lunch. Please see below for our student recipe feature dates. We hope you’ll join us for lunch on these days, and any other you'd like to come by and check out what’s new in the kitchen. 

Student Recipe Takeover Meal Schedule

• Thursday, March 30 - Mama’s Food Old Homemade Bechamel Macaroni & Cheese, offered by Maria (Grade 6)
• Thursday April 20 - Char Sui Fried Rice, offered by Linden (Grade 6)
• Thursday May 4 - Hungarian Goulash, offered by Grade 7

• BigSis Portal - keep your contact information up to date!
• Current Health Policy - updated Aug 29, 2022.
• Lunch program info for current families in ParentSquare.
• Map of the pickup and drop-off flow.
• Magnus Portal for student forms.
• Bulletin newsletters.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on ParentSquare, please email your department coordinator/administrator:

• Children's Garden - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School - Christen Leonard 
• High School - Bonnie McClelland

Building Bridges is an effort to make Waldorf teacher training more accessible in our area. There are three upcoming information sessions:

• April 30 - Info session at Baltimore Waldorf School from 2-3:30pm  With Torin Finser and David Barham 
• April 30 - Info session at Acorn Hill, 7pm. With Torin and David.
• May 1 - Info session at WWS from 3:30-5:00. With Torin and Debbie Spitulnik.

This is the course for you, if you have completed Explorations (or an equivalent training). If you have not completed Explorations, it is not too late to join the Spring session that just started.

Learn More About the Building Bridges Program

Adventure Camps

Adventure Camps has provided Waldorf students with unique camp experiences in the US for over fifty years. The camps are organized, led, and run by Waldorf alums, students, teachers, and outdoor enthusiasts. The Adventure Camps staff are dedicated to creating fun, safe, and meaningful camps for all youth. 

Adventure Camps share many of Waldorf education’s values such as: disconnecting from our devices and busy lives in order to connect with one another, developing strong daily rhythms, cultivating respect for all living things, preparing and sharing nourishing meals, and living into the idea that each individual holds tremendous value as a soul at every given moment. All of these, and many more, are integral aspects of our camp experience. 

Learn More

Doctors on Wireless and Environmental Heath 

From Theodora Scarato (WWS Family)

Dr. Hugh Taylor MD, Chair of Obstetrics at Yale School of Medicine and president of American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Dr. Baldwin, and WWS parent Theodora Scarato present the latest research on environmental health and wireless.

The video is now online.

Learn more at EHT’s HealthyTech at Home.

Appalachia Service Project (Agers 13+)

From CJ Leonard, WWS Faculty & Family

This is a service opportunity for ages 13 and up, making homes warmer, safer, and drier for Appalachian families. Sleep-away, open to everyone regardless of faith.

Please contact:

John Parker, johnparkers@me.com,

Eron Picus, eronpicus@mac.com, or

Christen Leonard, cjsleonard23@gmail.com

Learn more about the program.

Anthroposophical Society, Greater Washington Branch Easter Talk by Frank Hall

From Nancy Foster, WWS Family

Parzival's Teachers: On the Way to the Grail a talk by Frank Hall

Thursday, April 6 7:30-9:00 pm

At the home of the Fosters: 7717 14th St. NW, Washington, DC

View flyer to learn more.

Household Items & Clothing Donations

Regular Collection Continuing Bi-Weekly

From Robin Leake, WWS Family

Update: Year-to-Date Donation Amounts: 272 lbs and 1 computer for refurbishing.

The next drive will take place on Sunday, Arpil 2 from 1-3pm in the WWS parking lot. I hope to see you there!

The goal of the Hearts and Homes project is to collect a wide variety of unneeded household items and clothing to help under-resourced families and keep useful items out of the landfill. Read a welcome letter from Robin and see donation guidelines.

We are also accepting the following technology donations for use in a separate local project called "Computers for Good Causes, Not Landfills"

• All Laptops (Macbooks, Windows) – even if the battery is dead or the power cord/adapter is missing
• iMacs (Apple desktops)
• laptop bags, USB (wired) keyboards, USB (wired) mice, webcams, and headsets

These items are refurbished by a local good samaritan and then donated to community non-profit organizations like Community Bridges and React DC. 

Please help me spread the word by sharing this information with your neighborhood listservs. 

Have questions? I’d be happy to help!

robinrleake@gmail.com

Special Request: I am currently working with a refugee family expecting twins this Summer. If you, or someone you know, has any maternity clothing, baby or nursery items to donate, I would love to offer them to this couple. If you can't make the collection events, please email me to schedule a pickup at the meeting point of your choice. Currently, Mom has very few clothing items to wear and her tummy is growing by the day! Thank you to everyone who donates.

Eurythmy Spring Cleaning

From Susan Walsh, WWS Faculty

Friday, March 24 from 7-9pm

Saturday, March 25 from 10am-12:30pm and 3-5pm

At the Christian Community Church, 4221 Metzerott Rd, College Park, MD 20740

To register, email Carol Petrash

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

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