Example Image
Welcome to the new Midweek Messenger.
This weekly email contains need-to-know information for all parents. Please read carefully and make a note of any relevant details.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN


Dear KWS Parents, Faculty, Staff, and Board,

Welcome to the new Midweek Messenger! We are launching a new communications format this year that we hope will bring you and our school community information and news in an easily usable manner. Here are the changes that we are making: all current parents, faculty, staff, and Board members will receive the weekly Midweek Messenger via email. The purpose of the Midweek Messenger is to provide the information that you need to know (upcoming events, reminders, announcements, etc.). The Messenger is formatted so that you can view the information that is relevant for all parents first, and then scroll down to access information specific to your child's section of the school (Early Childhood: Rosebud Garden and Kindergarten; Lower School: Grades 1-8; High School: Grades 9-12). Parents will continue to receive a monthly paper calendar of school activities. These will be sent home with your child at the beginning of each month. You can also view the school calendar on the KWS website at any time. Just go to www.kimberton.org and click on Events, or click on one of the "View all events" links embedded within this newsletter.

A new addition to our communications will be a monthly newsletter called the Kimberton Star (this is the name we used previously for our alumni newsletter). The Kimberton Star will be for our whole school community: current parents, alumni and alumni parents, faculty and staff, Board members, and friends of the school. It will focus on news about the school, what's happening in classes, and alumni news. It will also come to you via email.�

Both the Midweek Messenger and the Kimberton Star will be available on the website.

I will be sharing more with you in the upcoming Kimberton Star, but there are a few thoughts that I would like to leave with you now. On Labor Day, I spent part of the day here at school walking the campus and visiting classrooms from the Rosebud Garden through the High School. It was heartwarming and inspiring for me to see the dedication our teachers give towards creating a nurturing and wholesome educational experience for the children and young people in their care.�

The next day was the first day of school and it was a pleasure to see familiar faces as parents and children arrived at school, and exciting to see so many new faces. We had 44 new admissions over the summer. Our Rosebud Garden program is full, and the Kindergarten is nearly full. Do we still need to increase enrollment? We sure do, but we are redoubling our outreach and marketing efforts this year, and our Change and Renewal Task Force has worked actively over the summer to identify the goals and actions to help us become more sustainable. The Task Force will be sharing that work with the community soon. After the Board of Trustees meeting in September we will also be sharing more with you about enrollment and our finances.

On Wednesday, the second day of school, students in Kindergarten through the Twelfth Grade, teachers and staff, and a number of parents gathered together on the lawn in front of the Lower School building to honor together the start of a new school year. We sang together, heard the morning verses that the students speak each morning, and experienced ourselves as a whole school (the Rosebud Garden program was there in our hearts). I have been pleased with the work that I have seen over the past few months as people come together to create new and positive actions and energy in the school, whether that is the High School faculty working over the summer to create new programs for the High School students (which includes some of the parents in our community lending their expertise to a couple of courses), or staff and parents coming together to create a new space for parents in the entranceway to the gym (by the way, the bulletin boards are coming), or current parents, past parents, faculty, and staff working together on the Change and Renewal Task Force. The energy feels good, and it is my hope that we can consciously keep that positive energy going. My theme for this year, both in my own work, and for the school is "
doing better." Each positive step we take, even small steps, leads to larger positive change over time.�

At the end of this week you have the opportunity to join the school community at a special event, the Rose Ceremony, at which the Seniors welcome the new First Grade students. Even if you are not a First or Twelfth Grade parent, this is a wonderful event and we would love to see you there. The Rose Ceremony starts at 11:30 am in the Gymnasium. A Community Tea precedes the Rose Ceremony at 10:30 am (also in the Gym). Please join us!

Warmly,

Kevin Hughes
Dean of School

INFORMATION FOR ALL PARENTS

Upcoming Events

Friday, September 6
10:30 - 11:30 AM

Friday, September 6
11:30 - 12:10 PM


Reminders and Announcements

School Directory
Your help is needed in making sure that the 2013-14 School Directory is accurate and up to date. If your address or phone number or email address changed over the summer, please let Kay Alexander know as soon as possible. Email addresses are only printed in the school directory by request. If your email address was not in last year's directory but you would like it to be, please contact Kay at admin@kimberton.org or 610.933.3635 ext. 1. The directories will be distributed by the last week of September.

New Families
We request that all new families plan to attend the New Parent Welcome Event on Thursday, September 19. The event will begin at 5:00 pm in the HS Gym.�Returning families are also encouraged to attend to help us welcome our new families.�An All-Community Dinner will follow at 6:00 pm.�

Admissions Openings
We still have select openings in some of our classes and welcome you to make referrals to friends and neighbors if you know of families who might be inspired by what we are doing. Please contact Lael at admissions@kimberton.org or 610.933.3635 ext. 108 with questions.

Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for a new Outreach Committee. The primary goal of this committee is to help increase Kimberton Waldorf School's visibility in the community. Possible tasks include brainstorming, attending events on behalf of the school, writing and posting reviews of the school, etc. If you think you might have any time to help with this effort, please contact Emily at eshaker@kimberton.org or 610.933.3635 ext. 107.

Volunteers Needed
Live music has always been an intrinsic part of the Waldorf curriculum. Unfortunately, all three pianos are in need of repair and restoration. To address this, there will be a benefit keyboard concert for the public at the Colonial Theatre on November 14 to raise money for the KWS Steinway Restoration Fund. The concert features a diverse roster of professional performers, covering classical, jazz, pop, and more. Our own Mike Ruhl will be performing as well. We're forming a Parent Committee to support the event and make it a success, and we need your participation. It will be lots of fun and a chance for you to really make a difference for the school!�

INFORMATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD PARENTS

Upcoming Events

Thursday, September 5
8:30 - 10:30 AM�

Saturday, September 7
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Monday, September 9

Friday, September 13


INFORMATION FOR LOWER SCHOOL PARENTS

Upcoming Events

Monday, September 9
7:30 PM

Tuesday, September 10
7:15 PM

Tuesday, September 10
7:30 PM

Wednesday, September 11
7:30 PM

Thursday, September 12
7:30 PM


INFORMATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS

Upcoming Events

Thursday, September 12
7:30 PM
[View all events]

Reminders and Announcements

Counseling Available
Counseling services are available weekly for High School students beginning this Friday, September 6 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, and continuing with this schedule unless otherwise noted. Students or staff can email Karen Thompson at kthompson@kimberton.org to schedule an appointment or to touch base about concerns.

International Students
Please welcome our international students! In 11th grade, coming to us from Germany are Jonas Matthes (staying with the Martin Family), Julian Schoen (staying with the Janisch Family), Yannick Taenzer (staying with the Youngs Family), and Noelle Becker (staying with the Clee Family). Coming to us from China is Xing Yue, who is still looking for a permanent home. In 10th grade, coming to us from Germany are Celia Gomez Zapata (staying with the Wolfram Family), Clara Hoheisel (staying with the Cownap Family), and Meret Fuhr (staying with the McKay-Simons Family). If you have any questions, please contact Elisabeth Burgess at eburgess@kimberton.org.

OUR MISSION

Kimberton Waldorf School is dedicated to nurturing the developing child in accordance with the�educational principles of Rudolf Steiner. The school supports the unfolding individuality of each child by awakening the child's capacity to meet the world, others, and the self with warmth of heart, clarity of thought, and strength of purpose. It is also our mission to build a diverse community where the spiritual in each human being is recognized and to create social forms that ennoble human striving.
Example Image
STAY CONNECTED:
Kimberton Waldorf School | 410 West Seven Stars Road | PO Box 350 | Kimberton | PA | 19442 | 610.933.3635 www.kimberton.org