From Gabriele Schilz, Senior Projects Advisor

The six students who chose their projects last year in June truly worked hard! They devoted hours of extra time outside of school to support the passion and interest expressed in their senior projects. They did extensive research, conducted interviews, made videos, performed calculations, created drawings, built models, wrote poetry, and so on... Every one of them wrote a substantial research paper by February. They all grappled with many questions -- and since this is the way research works, they ended up with more questions, and found themselves in an ongoing process of forming questions.

The students began to focus on the presentations about 6 weeks before the afternoon program for the community. During that time, they were amazing classmates to each other. They showed care and attention for everybody's presentation; they were very respectful in how they gave feedback to each other, and they worked together to support each other as they overcame their worries about presenting.

Senior Projects are built into a Waldorf school curriculum so students can engage with a topic of interest and do an independent research project as they prepare for the kind of work expected in college. These projects are also intended to support the students as they reveal something of themselves to the world -- and for families and friends to witness this milestone at the end of Grade 12.

It was a wonderful program with wonderful projects! The senior project students showed us that they are ready to look into the world with a fresh perspective.

Thank you for your courage and your creativity - keep going!

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 for receiving admittance offers from a variety of competitive colleges and universities. We look forward to hearing where they will attend as decisions are made. Look for an update in May!

Bard College ◆ Dickinson College ◆ Elon University ◆ Franklin & Marshall College ◆ Goshen College ◆ Goucher College ◆ Haverford College ◆ Kenyon College ◆ Mt Holyoke College ◆ Ohio State University ◆ Rochester Institute of Technology ◆ Skidmore College ◆ St John’s College (Annapolis) ◆ St. Mary's College of Maryland ◆ St. Olaf College ◆ Union College ◆ University of Colorado (Boulder) ◆ University of Delaware ◆ University of Maryland ◆ University of Oregon ◆ University of Virginia (Wise) ◆ Virginia Tech ◆ Washington College ◆ Wilkes University ◆ William & Mary

Our Spring Gala: Light the Way is a celebration of our community’s strength and generosity. We will gather in our beautiful new John and Mary Brauer Gym to make memories where our children - and future generations of WWS children - will practice and play. Come to experience the magic of the Spring Gala, and stay to imagine all the magical moments that are to come in this amazing space.

On the evening of Saturday, April 20 from 7-11pm, our community will gather to support the school’s One Fund. Enjoy an amazing strolling supper by Foxhall catering, bid on Buy-In Parties and silent auction items, and enter the raffle for a chance to win one of our Class Baskets! Dance all night while helping to “Light the Way” for future generations of WWS students and families.

If you do not have your ticket yet, there is still time! Ticket sales have been extended through Wednesday, April 10. 

Open P/FO Gathering Tonight (online) or Tomorrow Morning (at WWS)

Your choice to attend Thursday, April 4 from 8-9pm on Zoom OR Friday, April 5 from 8:30-9:30am in the WWS Entrance Hall. 

These will be duplicate sessions, so attend whichever works best for your schedule. Come hear and share your ideas, questions, etc.!

• Updates from the Admin Faculty
• Updates from the Parent Leadership Group (PLG) on ongoing and upcoming P/FO events and initiatives
• Open dialogue about community building, and any other issues attendees would like to raise

Help Prep and Serve Lunch! 

We need your help to demonstrate we have the ability to support a full lunch program! Learn a new skill -- make a new connection -- create delicious food!

• Here is the volunteer sign up sheet for April.
• You will have the direction of a Kitchen Lead, and no experience is needed. 
• There is a morning prep shift and a late morning/early afternoon service shift.

Questions about volunteering in the kitchen?

Contact plg@washingtonwaldorf.org. Thank you for your help!

April

4/ Thursday

• Open Parent/Family Gathering (Zoom), 8pm (see above)

5/ Friday

• Open Parent/Family Gathering at WWS, 8:30am (see above)

6/ Saturday

• WiW Parent/Guardian Meeting, 9am

8/ Monday

• Sunflower Parent/Guardian Meeting, 7pm

9/ Tuesday

• G1 Parent/Guardian Meeting, 7pm

10/ Wednesday

• No School (Subject to Change)

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2023-2024 School Year

Shop Local While Supporting Washington Waldorf School

Save the Date for Sunday, April 28 when WWS will partner with local independent bookstore Politics and Prose. Your shopping will support WWS's ONE FUND, with 20% of your Politics and Prose purchase going back to the school. Shopping must be done in person to count, but you can shop at any one of the store's three locations.

At Politics and Prose, you may purchase a book for your own family's use and/or donate books to WWS. We will share a wish list from the Library and Reading Resource Room in the coming weeks.

Please present the attached flyer at checkout. You may either show the flyer on your phone or present a paper copy. If you purchase books from our school's wish list, there will be a book drop box outside or in our lobby's portico area from April 29 - May 3, with a sign that says "Politics and Prose Book Donations."

Thank you so much for your support!

Questions? Email Stephanie Hanson, Director of Development

It's time to order yearbooks!

The yearbook staff has been hard at work putting together the 2023-24 edition of our Phoenix yearbook.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/wwsyearbook to place your order today!

Anticipated delivery is early May.

Just before Spring Break, WWS Alum Brian Spitulnik ('01) visited and spoke to the High School about his life and work. Brian worked as a Broadway performer for over 15 years and is now a Psychotherapist in NYC.

Yumi Kendall ('99), Assistant Principal Cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, was recently interviewed on The Psychology Podcast. As part of the conversation, Yumi speaks fondly of her Waldorf education and particularly the importance of play and discovery in early childhood, learning with your heart in the younger grades, and the cerebral engagement of high school.

AWSNA Waldorf Alum Connection Hour "Going Green"

What can we do as individuals, communities, schools and businesses to decrease our environmental impact? Join us for an empowering and informative hour with Waldorf alum industry leaders who will show us how to build eco-friendly practices into our personal and professional lives.

Wednesday, April 10 at 7:30pm (on Zoom)

Learn More & Register

Alum Reunion Registration is Open!

Join us Saturday, June 1 as we celebrate the anniversary years for the High School classes of 1989 (35 years), 1994 (30 years), 1999 (25 years), 2004 (20 years), 2009 (15 years), 2014 (10 years), and 2019 (5 years)! Connect with classmates, current and former faculty, and WWS alums from across the decades.



This event is open to all those who identify as alums of Washington Waldorf School, whether you graduated 8th grade, 12th grade, with the class or not, and whether or not you graduated in one of the above years.

Learn More & Register

Have an alum update to share?

We love to hear from our alums and their families! Send us an update.

Have you registered for summer camp?

For Ages 3-6, A Waldorf Summer - Activities include: singing, stories, cooking, painting, plenty of playtime, and nature crafts.

For Ages 6+, camps include:

• Taste, Create, and Move! Sample crafts, cuisine, and games from Mexico, Italy, and beyond!
• Make Your Own Bow & Arrows or Wooden Handled Knife Learn wood & leather craft and complete a project in a week!
• Nature and Yoga: Adventures, art, forest baths, and yoga = a summer of tranquility.
• Stories and Stitches: Build stories around a sewing circle.
• Basketball Camp: A week of skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun.

Learn More & Register

For camp related questions, please contact camps@washingtonwaldorf.org.

If you are a current family - first, check ParentSquare for posts from your teachers, departments (Children's Garden, Lower School, High School), and the administration.

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

• Children's Garden Coordinator - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School Chair - Janet Dunwoody
• High School Administrator - Bonnie McClelland
• Operations Manager - Laur Garner

The Waldorf School of Baltimore KidSTOCK Family Concert Series

Join The Waldorf School of Baltimore for three weekends of Grammy Winning Family Artists, Children's Crafts, and Nature Activities -  April 13, 21 & 28. 

Learn More & Buy Tickets

Eastertide Talk by Frank Hall

The Branch Festivals Group, Anthroposophical Society, Greater Washington Branch

From the Round Table to the Grail – Journeying with Kondrie, Parzival, and Feirefiz ~ a talk by Frank Hall

Friday, April 5 from 7:30-9pm

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

Parzival and Feirefiz 

In this culmination of three explorations of Parzival, Frank will describe the path of Parzival and Feirefiz, led by Kondrie, from King Arthur’s community to the Grail community. We will hear how these three characters are paralleled in Rudolf Steiner’s Foundation Stone Meditation, and how we can also discover ourselves, in today’s world, in this portion of the tale. Concluding with the alchemical marriage of Feirefiz and the Grail Queen, Frank will share Rudolf Steiner’s insights into the contrast between the Round Table and Grail communities and their relationship to our present world situation. Time for conversation will follow.

For those who would like to prepare, Frank has suggested the following:

• Rudolf Steiner, Karmic Relationships Vol. VIII, Lecture 3
• Rudolf Steiner, Foundation Stone Meditation

Light refreshments will be served following the conversation.

Please let us know you plan to join us! nfoster14thst@gmail.com

 Frank Hall earned an M.A. in American literature (N.C. State) and a Teaching Diploma in Waldorf Education (Waldorf Institute, Mercy College). He taught high school humanities, including Shakespeare, Parzival, Faust, and The American Transcendentalists, at the Detroit and Washington Waldorf Schools. He is a member of the Anthroposophical Society and the School of Spiritual Science. Frank enjoys hiking, birdwatching, and stargazing.

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 members 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

German Immersion Theater Camp 2024: Die weiße Schlange" (Grimm)

Dates: June 17 – June 28, 9am-4pm, no camp on 6/19

before and after care optional, provided by Dance Exchange

Ages: 5-15, basic knowledge of German is required

Tuition: two weeks: $875 (sibling discount: $800)

Location: Dance Exchange, 7117 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912

Performance: June 28 at 3pm

In this German immersion theater camp, participants will be working with German-speaking staff to explore the Grimm’s fairy tale "Die weiße Schlange". Children will be immersed in the German language while participating in movement, acting games, singing, writing, or crafting. A "crankie" will be made by those participants who enjoy drawing and painting. Instrumentalists may bring their instruments to be included in the songs. At the end of the camp, participants will show the results of their explorations.

Skills built: Theater experience, team building, voice training, acting, speaking, live performance, listening & comprehension, reading and writing in German; making new friends within the German-American community.

For more information and reviews:

https://www.littlegermanschooltakomapark.com/german-immersion-theater-camp

Contact: E-Mail: margrit.wong@gmail.com Tel: 240-393 7173

ISO Nanny Recommendations and/or Nanny Share for New WWS Family

Greetings Waldorf families,

Our kiddo will be joining Seedlings in the fall, and we’re seeking nanny recommendations and/or a nanny share, please. 

Ideally we’d find a nanny to transport our kiddo home (or to the other family’s residence) at 12:30pm until early evening.

If you know a nanny to recommended, and/or if you’re interested in having a nanny share, please feel free to email us: sailforaday@gmail.com.

Many thanks,

The Washington Family

Appalachia Service Project (ASP) Opportunity

Is your High Schooler looking for a way to make a positive difference in people’s lives? What about learning life skills on how to use tools and build things? Do they want to knock out their required HS community service hours in one fell swoop? 

Email Eron Picus at eronpicus@me.com with questions.

Learn more on the ASP website.

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Series In Person: Unwinding Stress & Anxiety

From Alison Babil, WWS Alum Parent

In Person Classes at the Carderock Springs Clubhouse

The theme this session is Unwinding Stress & Anxiety. The body holds patterns of stress; the body is also an amazing tool for unwinding stress.  This Feldenkrais® series will focus on settling the nervous system as well as improved grounding, posture, and overall well-being.

Feldenkrais classes are a wonderful tool for gently transforming pain, tension, and movement challenges. Each class takes the student through a series of movements which create new pathways in the brain and body. The aim is greater freedom in one's body and life.

"I had hip pain before class, and now it is gone! I also feel much more balanced." -- W.L., Feldenkrais class participant

Nine Thursdays, April 4 - May 30, 10-11:15 am.

In Person, Carderock Springs Clubhouse

For more information and Registration:  

Email Alison: alison@truenorthhealing.com 

Cost: $145  

First class is free for newcomers. Discounted rate for Carderock Springs members. A limited number of discounted slots available for those who truly need it. Email Alison to inquire. No refunds or transfers after April 5, 10am EST regardless of illness or pandemic.

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Series: Online

Feldenkrais Classes for Melting Freeze with Maintain Alignment

Freeze shows up in many ways in the body, mind, and heart. These classes will gently meet and transform patterns of freeze and tension. 

Wednesdays, 12:30-1:30pm Next series begins April 3

Learn More & Register

Disclaimer: Classes are not a substitute for medical care. Alison makes no claims to healing specific health challenges.

Alison Babil, GCFP, LMT, is the owner of True North Healing. She is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®, a certified Sounder Sleep System® instructor, certified in Insight Acupressure, and has been a licensed massage therapist for nearly 20 years. She works with clients in person and virtually, helping them transform pain, movement, and sleep challenges. For more information Email Alison

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