Greetings!
We are so happy that Anna Silber, Director of Education at Sunbridge Institute, will be bringing her
Foundations of Waldorf Education presentation to HVWS at the end of the month. Some of you may remember Anna from the Waldorf Weekend we hosted during our 25
th anniversary year. Anna is an engaging speaker and incredibly knowledgeable about the fundamentals of Waldorf education from early childhood through high school. Anyone interested in learning more about Waldorf education should plan to attend this event on February 28—and bring your questions!
Waldorf education is approaching its 100
th anniversary and as part of the celebration, students in Waldorf schools all over the world have been sending postcards to all the Waldorf schools and institutions worldwide. (Our students will be working on the same project.) Postcards are already arriving at HVWS. Feel free to stop by the Administration Cottage to take a look at our collection. We've already received postcards from Austria, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Moldova, Nepal, Norway, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the U.K., and the U.S. (California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin)! I’ve scanned a few of my favorites to share with you below. Enjoy!
Warmly,
Christina Dixcy
Communications and Outreach Director
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Please note:
- While Friday, February 9 is a full school day, there will be no Aftercare or Late Care on that day.
- School will be closed for Winter Break February 19-23.
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Spring Benefit Committee Meeting
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Friday, February 9, 8:30 AM
Administration Cottage
Our Spring Benefit Committee has begun to meet and we need
your help to make this event a success! We will have a quick meeting next Friday, after drop-off, in the Administration Cottage--please join us! Thank you to the many volunteers who have already offered to help, and thank you to Lisa Buckley for chairing the event. If you have any Spring Benefit questions, please e-mail Lisa at
janerichter@msn.com.
Online Auction: April 2-11
If you would like to donate an item to our online auction please submit an
Auction Donation Form. Please consider soliciting donations from businesses you frequent.
Spring Benefit: April 7, Weston, CT
Sponsorships are critical to covering the cost of this important fundraiser and social event. If you would like to become a sponsor, or could help us secure these all-important donations, please contact Chris Howard at
cjhoward175@gmail.com.
Food & Drinks
We are thrilled that
La Zingara Ristorante will once again provide food for the Spring Benefit on April 7 and also that new Bethel-based
Broken Symmetry Gastro Brewery will provide the beer! (Broken Symmetry is also donating "Be a Brewer's Assistant for a Day" to our online auction. Look out for it!) Thank you, La Zingara, Broken Symmetry, and HVWS parent Lisa Tassone!
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8th Grade Café and Talent Show
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Friday, February 9, 6-9 PM
Upper Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
Come one come all, to the HVWS Talent Night !!!
This fun-filled evening will showcase the talent of our students and our community. HVWS students from grades 4-8 are participating, and parents and teachers are also welcome to take to the stage! From poetry, to song, to improv theater, don't miss it! The 8th grade will be serving homemade treats, both savory and sweet, as well as coffee and tea.
Tickets available at the door: 14 and under, $5; adults, $8.
Cash or checks payable to HVWS ("8th Grade Talent Show" in memo).
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5th Grade Class Play,
The Ramayana
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Thursday, February 15, 6:30 PM
Lower Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
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Early Childhood Book Group
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Tuesday, February 27, 8:30 AM
Star Meadow Cottage, 40 Dodgingtown Rd.
Our early childhood book group is reading
Simplicity Parenting, using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids by Kim John Payne with Lisa Ross. Please come to our next meeting or e-mail Sunflower parent Rebecca Page,
rebeccaeugenie@gmail.com, if you are interested in joining (all are welcome).
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Foundations of Waldorf Education
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Wednesday, February 28, 7:00-9:00 PM
Upper Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
Learn more about the foundations and fundamentals of Waldorf Education from early childhood through high school, with Sunbridge Institute Director of Education Anna Silber.
Open to all, but especially relevant for new and prospective Waldorf community members (teachers, parents, grandparents, staff, board members) and lovers of education, this talk is designed to provide a survey of the basis and the basics of Waldorf Education.
Donations gratefully accepted; Snow Date, March 7
Anna joined Sunbridge Institute as Director of Education in 2012. Previously, she taught as a class teacher at Green Meadow Waldorf School for five years and served there as a mentor on the Teacher Development Committee; she also worked with that school’s administrator on curriculum-related projects and offered teacher support. A student of anthroposophy for many years, Anna lectures about Waldorf Education throughout the country and is the lead instructor for Sunbridge’s “Waldorf Weekend” workshops. Prior to her work in Waldorf Education, Anna had a career in commercial real estate finance at JP Morgan Investment Management. She has a bachelor’s degree in Geography from UC Berkeley and a master’s in Elementary Education from Sunbridge College. Anna and her husband are parents of two young daughters, both of whom are Waldorf school students.
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8th Grade Eurythmy Performance
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Friday, March 2, 2 PM
Eurythmy Room, Lower Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
This is an in-school performance for students and parents. Guest space is limited.
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Saturday, March 3, 10 AM
Lower Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
THE THREE FEATHERS is a Grimm Fairy tale about a king and his three sons. Two are very clever but the third is a bit simpler. The king falls ill and is concerned about the future of his kingdom. He decides he has to pick which of his sons will be the heir to his throne. In order to decide that, he sets his three sons to various tasks: bring the loveliest carpet, the finest ring, and the most beautiful woman in the world. He blows three feathers into the air to determine which direction each son should go in.
The puppet show in the Waldorf tradition features hand-sewn puppets, sumptuous plant-dyed silks, and a simple, age-appropriate performance style suited to young children's attention spans and level of awareness. A peaceful and enchanted mood prevails. Our puppet shows are appropriate for 3-8 year-olds.
All performances begin at 10 AM and are presented in the Lower Level of Compass Hall at 1 Jacklin Rd. in Newtown. Puppet shows are free, however The Puppetry Committee will happily accept a goodwill offering to support Women for Women International, an organization helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives:
www.WomenforWomen.org.
Families interested in touring our Early Childhood campus immediately following the performance should call Therese Lederer at 203-364-1113 or register
online.
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Back by popular demand!
8th Grade Yoga Fundraiser
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Sunday, March 4, 10 AM
Lower Level, Compass Hall, 1 Jacklin Rd.
Come send off the 8th Grade at their
LAST EVER FUNDRAISER before they leave for Costa Rica!
Pura Vida
: A Celebration of Living Fully in Supportive Community! Taught by Cathy Whelehan from Open Sky Yoga Barn.
- Fresh baked goods and smoothies for sale after yoga
- All levels welcome (Beginner to Experienced)
- Wear comfortable clothes, bring a yoga mat and any other props (block, strap, blanket) you may want to use.
- Children 11 and older must be accompanied by an adult taking the class
Space is limited so please pre-register by contacting Cathy Whelehan at
cwheels33@mac.com or 203.648-8023. Walk-ins will be taken based on availability.
Deadline for registering is: Friday, March 2nd, 2018
Donation: $20 (Alumni and Children, $10)
Checks payable to HVWS (8th Grade Yoga Fundraiser in memo).
Thank you for your support!
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Thursday Mornings
Star Meadow Cottage, 40 Dodgingtown Rd.
The group will continue to meet on Thursday mornings after drop-off in the Star Meadow Building. No experience necessary! If you are unable to join us on Thursday mornings but would like to create something with us, please read on -- we would love your involvement with the following projects!
COMMUNITY BLANKET
We would love to create a blanket made by members of our school -- students, parents, staff, alumni, and friends -- to donate to the school to auction or raffle. Please knit or crochet squares that are as close to 5x5 inches as possible -- all patterns and colors welcome! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Natasha de Castro at (203)263-5308 or tashebe79@yahoo.com
AUCTION BIRD MOBILE
The handwork group has been sewing little birds to hang from branches and would like to open the project to others who may not be able to come to our meetings on Thursday mornings. We will be creating little bags with the felt cut out and a ready-made bird for you to see what we are doing, and then you just sew up the pieces! It is simple and fun (if you enjoy sewing) and again, will be a project done by the many hands of our community that will go to the auction in the Spring. The resulting mobile(s) will also be donated to the annual school auction in the Spring.
Pick up your bird kit in the Administration Cottage!
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Over the holidays, six members of the HVWS Class of 2010, currently college seniors, got together with their HVWS teacher, Melissa Merkling.
From left to right: Benjamin Bratter, Lizzie Knudsen, Isaiah Tsangaris, Maggie Disbrow, Ian Lew, Percy Kelleter.
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing the photo!
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Thank you to
Robin Van Riper for providing delicious treats from
EHSTO for our Windows into Waldorf morning tour.
Thank you to
Lina Pradeep for supporting the outreach effort and posting over 500 Admissions event postcards.
Thank you to
Rachael Lior for donating a wooden play kitchen and baby care center to our EC program.
Thank you all of the parents who cook for faculty meals, most recently the
4th Grade parents
and
Rose parents
! We truly appreciate your delicious and generous offerings.
Thank you to
Rebecca Page
for organizing the Early Childhood book group!
This past summer we had two individuals who helped tremendously with our drama department ...
Two new stands for our backdrops were built to join the set of four that we have. Many thanks to Jesse Goode (Mr. Maestra Marcela), who added the last two to the set he built for the school.
Another helper -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- helped organize and label boxes and catalog backdrops and costumes in the costume room over the summer. She catalogued all of our backdrops, which will be a huge help to teachers. (If you would like a hint as to who she might be, our Michaelmas dragon -- who will be rebuilt over the course of this year -- went home in her car in September!) Thank you,
anonymous helper! Your work is very appreciated!
Thank you to the
Puppetry Committee for their recent production of
Akimba and the Magic Cow.
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3rd Grade Play,
Joseph and His Brothers
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Support HVWS While You Shop
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Amazon Smile
If you shop through Amazon you may designate Housatonic Valley Waldorf School to receive .5% from your purchase. Please designate HVWS as your chosen charity and make your Amazon purchases at the Amazon Smile website.
Amazon Smile
Nova Natural Toys + Crafts
When shopping for natural toys, crafts, and clothing at
Nova Natural, use the code
HOUSATONIC10. You'll receive free shipping and HVWS will receive 10% back from your order -- win-win!
Box Tops
Please clip and save your box tops and send them into the office so 4th Grader Oliver Exley-Seidel can process them for the school.
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The New York Times
TIME
Loving Learning (The Waldorf School of Philadelphia's Blog)
HuffPost
NewsTimes
Bloomberg
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The mission of the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School is to develop each child's unique capacity to engage meaningfully in the world.
Guided by the principles of Waldorf education, the faculty inspires in our students creative thinking, moral sensibility, and a passion for learning.
We offer a classical education that integrates experiential and artistic learning, in an environment emphasizing academic excellence, respect for diversity, and reverence for the natural world.
Our faculty, board of trustees, and parents work together, with dedication and warmth, to support our school community.
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Housatonic Valley Waldorf School | 203-364-1113 | office@waldorfct.org|
waldorfct.org
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