Most Friday mornings, beginning at 8:40, all grade-school classes gather in the community room in the grade school building for a brief assembly, or outdoors for all-school games. During the assemblies, classes share highlights of their work: songs, dances, poetry, plays, exhibits, etc.

Parents are welcome and encouraged to come to these assemblies, and early-childhood classes often attend as well. A calendar of these assemblies (through January 12) is available on Ashwood's website calendar, or click this link for a handy list. 

"The math block swap was very exciting. My class, the fifth grade, was paired with the fourth grade and taught by Mr. Kaczor. Every morning we went down to the basketball court and counted up to three hundred by starting at zero and adding one, then adding two, then adding three, four, five, etc. If our math was correct, the final total was in the three hundreds! The next day we counted down from that total by subtracting twenty-four, then twenty-three, then twenty-two, etc. Finally, we would get back to zero."

- Sanbate Doshi, grade 5
 
"I had an awesome time during the math block swap! Grades 4 and 5 were together with Mr. Kaczor. Every day we would pretend to be Vikings ransacking a castle or monastery. We made times-table shields, (I chose the threes) and made up our own 'ancient runes.' It was awesome."

- Cooper, grade 5

Last week, grades 5-8 had their first day of Upper School Trip activities. While two other groups went canoeing and caving, I stayed on campus with 11 students to help Mr. Squire, our woodworking teacher, with the community service project he had planned for us: making log benches for the school.

We began by using froes, mallets, and wedges to split several large cedar logs. Watching the students at this backbreaking task gave me a new appreciation for what it took to build log homes in the days before power tools.

The log-splitting underway, Mr. Squire had another group of students saw the branches off smaller cedar logs, cut them into 24-inch lengths, and shave the bark off with draw knives. These would be the legs of our benches.

Lunch, a campfire, and s'mores at the lean-to gave us a much-needed noon break. Then the students were back to work for the afternoon with unflagging enthusiasm.

I have never seen a more hardworking and joyful group of students! I look forward to helping Mr. Squire bring this activity to the rest of the upper school students in the coming weeks.

- Laura Purdom, Grade 5-6 Assistant

The excitement is mounting! Ashwood Waldorf School offers a festive All Hallows' Eve celebration each year for all families with school age children. The event is an imaginative, protected alternative to traditional trick-or-treat activities. For one magical evening, our campus and woodlands are transformed into a place of enchantment.  
This year's walk will be on Friday, October 27, from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Please contact me with questions, and if you'd like to help make this annual gift to our community a very special one!

- Judith Soleil
Enrollment and Outreach

Please join us for a parent potluck at the home of Jessica and Adam Wheeler, 6 Victoria Rd., Camden, on November 7 from 5:30 to 7:30. Bring your choice of appetizer, main dish, side dish, dessert and/or drinks. Meet new parents, reconnect with old friends, and help us enrich the fabric of the whole school community! School faculty are welcome as well. Because this is meant to be a chance for parents to unwind and connect, it will be adults only. We hope to see you there!

- Rebekah Smith and Jessica Wheeler for the Ashwood Parent Community

  

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