March 18, 2022 E-Newsletter
March 2022 Newsletter
SPRING IS IN THE AIR!
Dear Lakota Waldorf School Friends and Supporters,

Here at the Lakota Waldorf School, we started the new year in good spirits and with high hopes. Spring is finally arriving!

We are excited to share some of our school updates and news with you, including changing COVID-19 policies, new babies in the classroom, and an update to our on-going campus construction.
Updates to COVID-19 Policies
Despite the ongoing struggle with COVID-19, our teachers and staff are working tirelessly to create an exciting and interesting school year for students here at the Lakota Waldorf School.

We had to suspend in-person learning several times during the fall semester due to the Oglala Sioux tribal ordinance to control the spread of COVID-19, but this year is off to a better start.
Until the first week of March, the school continued to operate on level red of the tribe’s COVID Chart. This status is the highest and most alarming level. We could only have ten people in one room while maintaining six feet of social distancing and enforcing proper masking.

Luckily, we have now returned to the orange level, which is less severe, and our students and staff can finally take a deep breath.
Our On-Campus Construction is Finally Nearing Completion!
The Lakota Waldorf School’s most important project at the moment is our ongoing construction.

After a cold winter, during which construction sometimes had to be paused, we are excited to be making good progress on Phase 2 of our Campaign for Campus Expansion. This phase includes a basement, which will also serve as a tornado shelter, offices, a faculty room, and, most importantly, a student cafeteria and a school kitchen. 

So far, the foundation of the building has been completed. Work is now beginning on framing and roof trusses. It is exciting to see the building growing so quickly! We hope to move into the space at the beginning of the new school year. 

We are proud to announce that we have raised 78% of the funds necessary for Phase 2 of our Campaign for Campus Expansion. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed!

To complete Phase 2, we still need to raise $268,278. Phase 2 is the last and final phase, and we would be very grateful for your continued support.

Your contribution will help us realize our dream of a permanent home for the Lakota Waldorf School. This goal will allow us to better serve our current students and further expand our capacity to support our community.
The Classroom as an Extended Family Environment
We are excited to share that the Lakota Waldorf School has two teachers who have become mothers since last summer!

Fallen Sorbel, our kindergarten teacher, and Caroline Stadnick, our 6-8 grade teacher and school counselor, now bring their babies to work with them. With the support of all teachers and staff, this new addition is working out very well.

The classroom has become like an extended family environment for our students. While they are participating in class, students can check on the babies and make sure that they are content.
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Archery Practice

At the Lakota Waldorf School, our students in grades 4-8 have been practicing archery twice a week.

The instructor is our longtime bus driver Robin Janis, who is an excellent archer himself.

The students love this sport and are making fast progress!
In-kind Donations: Thank You!

Before Christmas, we received wonderful donations of winter clothing, sewing machines, and assorted fabrics. Our students love to sew! They have begun to practice on a few simple projects. Later, they are looking forward to sewing their own Pow Wow outfits.

Pilanunyayapi!

A big thank you to all our donors for the gifts, especially the warm winter outfits and the toys and school supplies from Bella Luna. We very much appreciated the generosity and kindness of our friends!

The work we do here at the Lakota Waldorf School would not be possible without the support of our generous donors. We appreciate each and every one of you!
Spring Fundraising Campaign
The Lakota Waldorf School is excited to be planning a Spring Fundraising Campaign! Keep an eye out for an upcoming announcement in the near future with more details.

We proudly offer high-quality, tuition-free education to some of the most disadvantaged children in the United States, a mission that would not be possible without the generous support of our donors.

Your gift enables us to continue supporting our students by honoring their culture and heritage while preparing them academically for the demands of the 21st century.
Here are three ways to make a gift:

1. Use our website’s DONATE page (with PayPal Option)
2. Visit our GO FUND ME page.
3. Send a CHECK made to “Lakota Waldorf School” at the address in the
footer below.
Please know that your gift – big or small – will help us to transform the lives and future of Lakota students living on one of the poorest Indian reservations in the United States.

Pilauŋyayapi!
We thank you all!
Questions??
Visit our website at: https://lakotawaldorfschool.org
Or feel free to contact us at:
(605) 455-2487 or