Greetings!

I've been sorting through photos from the Class of 2017's production of Twelfth Night and watching the 8th graders busily cleaning out their classroom and I'm having a hard time imagining a campus without these students around next year. Many of them have been here since they were toddlers, and some of them I still picture that way. I alternate between picturing them as young children and forgetting that they are just graduating from 8th grade and not high school. As I'm typing this I'm realizing that this combination sums up what I love about the Waldorf graduate. They manage to hold onto the enthusiasm and freedom of a young child while gaining the maturity and ease of someone much older and wiser than a teenager. I know their parents and Ms. De Grande see more of their "teenage" selves than I do--they are teenagers after all--but I experience what most of the world experiences when encountering these kids, and they just fill me with happiness.

By the same token--as happens each year--I keep being struck by all of the parents who are "graduating." More than half of the Class of 2017's parents will switch from current to alumni parents. Each time I see one of these graduating parents, I am in denial. (And each time I see a Class of 2017 parent who has younger children at HVWS I think, Thank goodness!) So, parents of the Class of 2017, I urge you, PLEASE come back to visit. You have no idea how much you have meant to us and how much we will truly miss you.

Warmly,

Christina Dixcy
Communications and Outreach Director

Submissions to News, Notes & Updates are due the 1st and the 15th of every month.
Important Links
Imbue thyself
Events
Graduation
All are invited. No RSVP required.
Saturday, June 10, 10 AM
1 Jacklin Rd., outside

Graduation is not simply a distribution of diplomas, it is our graduating class's final assembly performance. Please join us to welcome our newest alumni, witness the culmination of their years at HVWS, and wish them well on their new adventures!

Parking is available in the Taunton Hill parking lot, the 1 Jacklin Rd. parking lot, the front and rear Fire House parking lots (please do NOT park against the back of the building or block any of the spaces or bay doors), the 40 Dodgingtown Rd. parking lot, and behind the Dodgingtown Deli (not in front).

Thank you to All Seasons Tent & Party Rental for donating a significant portion of the tent rental fees.
Painting by Lily Blyn
St. John's Day Festival
All are invited. No RSVP required.
Friday, June 23, 5 PM-9 PM
1 Jacklin Rd.

Join us to celebrate summer with a (byo) picnic dinner, potluck dessert, an outdoor theatrical production, a bonfire, singing, and relaxation!

We last celebrated this festival in 2015 at the close of our 25th year and were so pleased with how many alumni families joined us. Current, former, and alumni families and friends are all invited and we hope to see you for this lovely, summery celebration.
Summer Camp
Must register online. Check availability on our website.
June 26 to August 11

HVWS Summer Camp is a day camp for children ages 3-14. Offering two groups—Group 1 for 3- to 7-year-olds and Group 2 for 8- to 14-year-olds—HVWS Summer Camp is the perfect place for natural and exciting summer fun!

Led by caring and talented educators, HVWS Summer Camp invites children to get a taste of a variety of activities that are aligned with the principles of Waldorf education. With just the right balance of activities and relaxation, children also enjoy the occasional field trip and are always inspired by the week’s activities, which feature wholesome, natural themes.

E-mail camp@waldorfct.org for more information.
News & Notes
Annual Fund
Thank you to the parents, staff, trustees, grandparents, aunts and uncles, alumni, alumni parents, current students, and friends who have already donated to our 2016-17 annual fund. We are SO CLOSE to reaching our goal of $30,000 and 100% participation by current families, staff, and trustees. There is still time to donate. Whether you can donate $20 or $2000, please make your donation before June 30. Together we can make this happen! We will compile and send out a Contributors' Report later this summer listing and thanking all of our donors by donation level.
A special thank you to the parents and grandparents who donated previously and stepped forward during this recent push to make additional donations including:  Andrew and Yanni Yu, Ann and Griff Dixcy, Rich and Lola Strilowich.
Return your books, collect your stuff...
Library Reminder
With the end of the school year here, we would like to remind you that all borrowed books are due before summer break. We have return baskets in each Library location:
  • Sundial House
  • Administration Cottage
  • Rose Garden
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found in the Administration Cottage is overflowing with REALLY GREAT STUFF! Please come collect your lost items or they will be donated.
Inside the Classroom
Sunflower Kindergarten
Isabel Gandara and Aliz Mihok
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the school year. Six of the Sunflower children will be going into 1st grade next year and we will  truly miss them. The last few weeks they have been working very hard. They finished their beautiful sailboats and now they are working on finishing their dolls. We recently had a lovely field trip together with the Rose class to Dickinson Park, where the children were able to sail their boats. Most of the parents joined us and we had a wonderful time! The last couple of weeks we had several birthday celebrations and now we have been preparing two songs to sing at the Crossing the Bridge Ceremony and playing many fun games during circle time.  
Rose Kindergarten
Carrie Reilly and Heather Hemphill
"Hop," said the grasshopper, "hop, hop, hop, the summer is coming and I just can't stop..." Oh yes, the Rose children are so excited to play with all the creatures that have awoken this Spring!  If you bump into a Rose class child, ask them "Where are all the froggies when the North winds blow, and where are they now after Lady Spring has wakened them all?" The "Sun" children have been quite busy working on all their projects that demonstrate, "We are ready for 1st grade!" (including these sweet hand-sewn dolls). Six of the Rose children are "crossing the bridge" to 1st grade and we send them with love, light, and laughter on their journey. We are so grateful to have spent these joyous years with them watching them grow!
1st Grade (Class of 2024)
Allison Washington
In looking back to the beginning of the year, the 1st graders are amazed at how much progress they've made.... it's wonderful to see how they've all grown! The 1st graders worked hard and feel proud of their very first play performance of The Nixie in the Mill Pond, which was a big success! What a wonderful start to a long journey in which the children will continue to acquire a genuine love of learning. (Scroll down for play photos.)
2nd Grade (Class of 2023)
Leslie Lew
Last week the 2nd grade presented their play, St. Jerome and the Lion. Class teachers will begin with introducing the story and reciting parts of it in class as oral work. The magic begins when the desks are pushed away and the class begins to "move the play," as I like to call it. The flow of the play begins to unfold, cues are created, and the children can begin to "see" the story appear. Casting a play is an interesting process. A student may really want one part and actually need to play another. It is always a delicate balance! As Benedicta Bertau stated at the 8th grade presentation of Twelfth Night, the performance is the culmination of weeks of work and once the play is finished, the stage once again becomes props and cloths. The magic created in that space existed for a moment in time and now lives within each one of us. (Scroll down for more play photos.)
3rd Grade (Class of 2022)
Genevieve Dagobert
The 3rd graders had an unforgettable experience at Plowshare Farm in New Hampshire. It was wonderful for the children to feel part of a fantastic farming community and also to have a chance to be a part of a community of people with special needs. Everyone at the farm--administrators, bakers, farmers, woodworkers, cooks, gardeners--made us feel welcome. The children had the privilege to do meaningful work and it was a pleasure to watch them work with joy and cooperate with each other. We often heard them say: I love to wash dishes! I love to cook! l love to clean the farm! The rules of the farm were very clear, therefore we all knew how to behave in the different settings. Ms. Isabel (our chaperone) and I observed first-hand how meaningful work, few choices, and clear rules help the children use their will. Do you know that our students broke a record? Yes, they were the first class to walk the whole Wapack Trail, the National Wildlife Refuge around Plowshare. Thank you, parents, for allowing us to share this transforming experience with your children. And thank you to Ms. Isabel (who taught many of the third graders when they were in  Kindergarten!) for sharing this adventure with us.
4th Grade (Class of 2021)
Vince Vojack-Weeks
The 4th grade is excited for the big move on the last day of school--to the upper grades building!
4th graders at work cleaning their classroom for next year's 4th graders.
5th Grade (Class of 2020)
Ken Friedman
5th grade completed the year with Botany last week. This week we have been reviewing the year and binding all our main lesson books into one book.
6th Grade (Class of 2019)
Laura Wittmer
The 6th grade had an amazing time caving in Clarksville, New York! We ended our year with an overnight at Mrs. Wittmer's house and a trip to the Creamery to celebrate finishing our Jamie York math book.
7th Grade (Class of 2018)
Emily Remensperger
The 7th grade had their tag sale on Saturday. It was a beautiful day full of bargaining with an eclectic group of treasure hunters from near and far! Thanks to everyone who donated and came out to support our fundraising efforts.
8th Grade (Class of 2017)
Marleen De Grande
On Friday, May 27, the eighth graders performed their last show of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Directed by Ms. Bertau, the class worked for 17 days (only!) to create this beautiful production. It was a wonderful highlight for this talented class! There is no rest for the weary though… as we are now preparing for our graduation celebration on Saturday June 10. We hope to see many of you there.
Here is where our graduates are headed next year:
  • Isabelle Abramson, The Harvey School
  • Ceara Ancona, Staples High School
  • May Witte Baldwin, Joel Barlow High School
  • Lily Blyn, Shepaug Valley High School
  • Sean Christiansen, The Gunnery
  • Liam Counter, Joel Barlow High School
  • Riley Hurley, The Gunnery
  • Henry James, Shepaug Valley High School
  • Lily Mikita, Wilton High School
  • Brendan Parker, Education Without Walls
  • James Reilly, Foran High School
  • Christopher Strilowich, Wooster School
The Class of 2017 model their handmade (with a sewing machine) pajamas with handwork teacher Carol Reznikoff.
Board of Trustees
We are pleased to announce the Board of Trustees for the 2017-18 school year. We also send our gratitude to departing Treasurer--and all-around lovely person--Mark Ancona.
  • President, Laura Stotz
  • Vice President, Nathalie Bennett
  • Treasurer,  Naveen Terway
  • Secretary, Robert Hudak
Members at large:
  • Charlotte Bergmans
  • Nigel Harrison
  • Jeff James
  • Linda Straub
  • Lisa Tassone
  • Rose Witte
L’Ecole du Village, Haiti
HVWS Class of 2022 teacher, Genevieve Dagobert, recently traveled to her native Haiti to visit L’Ecole du Village with the Monadnock Waldorf School. Earlier this year Ms. Dagobert and her HVWS 3rd graders worked to raise funds for the school after it was hit by Hurricane Matthew. Ms. Dagobert shared the following update with us.

When I was informed that the 12th grade of the Monadnock Waldorf High School in New Hampshire was planning a service trip to L’Ecole du Village, the first and only Waldorf-inspired school in Haiti, my partner, Milan Daler, and I decided to join them.  I am thrilled to report as follows:
  • We assisted the 12th graders as they provided services to the school. We toured the school, visited each class, had a chance to witness firsthand the incredible work the founder and principal, Ms. Myriam Silien, and her faculty of teachers are doing with the children. We partook in the school’s daily activities, saw the brand-new solar-powered well and tasted its pure, delicious water.
  • We met with parents and teachers and highlighted the value and importance of the Waldorf philosophy.
  • Two of the 12th graders joined their Circus Arts teacher in preparing the lower grades students for a circus performance.
  • We met with experienced professionals (a pediatrician, a nutritionist, an engineer, and an architect) to explore options for meeting the school’s needs in terms of energy, structural reliability, and nutrition.
  • While I observed the teacher and children in the classroom, two 12th graders and Milan joined the crew of workers building a concrete water tank, which will have a flat roof. We hope to be able to supply a battery of solar panels to cover it. These panels would provide a minimal amount of electricity for lighting and perhaps laptops.
  • The beginnings of the foundation for the new school building are already dug and practically ready for the construction to begin, and the school is close to obtaining a used pick-up truck to meet multiple transportation needs. Milan and I were able to contribute more than half of the balance from our Gofundme fundraising account.

I have always believed that in order to better serve Haiti and provide caring and sustainable support to its children and families, one needs to understand its history and what led it to where it is now. To shed light on that history, we visited iconic and historical places such as Citadelle Laferriere and the Monument of Vertieres (where the last battle against Napoleon’s army took place). Our visit to Haiti was inspiring. It was a pleasure to see the children at the Waldorf school enjoying activities such as circle time, singing, form drawing, reading, and writing. It was clear that the holistic approach of Waldorf Education has the power to heal the children and families of Haiti and renew their hope for a better future!
L’Ecole du Village Teachers
 L’Ecole du Village Students
Palace Sans Soucis
Haiti's Natural Beauty
Alumni and Former Students
Congratulations to Emma Green (HVWS student in Hannah Gale-Kelleter's class from 2001-2007) who just graduated Cum Laude from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science. Emma majored in Psychology. She plans to spend the summer working at Riverbank Farm and is applying to an accelerated nursing program at the University of Connecticut.

Graduates and former students, we love to hear what you are up to. Please send updates to cdixcy@waldorfct.org or via our alumni page . And make plans to join us at our St. John's Day Festival on June 23.
Gratitude
Thank you to the parents--and students--who cook for our faculty meals, most recently the 3rd grade. We truly appreciate it and the food is always delicious.

Thank you to all the families who donated items (and everyone who made a purchase) to the Class of 2018's tag sale! The students raised $1200 toward their class trip.

Thank you to Ken Wittmer for spending a day installing our new May Pole.

Thank you to Jeff Parker for a donation of three huge cases of Kimberly-Clark facial tissues.

Thank you to this year’s first grade, Class of 2024, for baking and providing refreshments for the Class of 2025's First Grade Tea, and thanks too to Rebecca Velasquez for organizing.

Thank you to Amy Rodriguez and Rekha Terway for preparing a targeted enrollment mailing. Thank you to Jessica Carnrick for compiling a spreadsheet of local independent high school contacts.

Thank you to Peggy McFarland for continuing her services as our Library volunteer.

Thank you to M arcella Kapsarof f for her work with the Sunflower and Rose children building a biodynamic compost system in our Early Childhood play yard.

Thank you to Nathalie Bennett and Melissa Merkling for their work on the yearbook.
Articles & Videos
Eighth Grade Class Play, Twelfth Night
More photos are available on the Gallery page of our website.
2nd Grade Class Play, St. Jerome and the Lion
First Grade Class Play, The Nixie in the Mill Pond
Spring Concert
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. Thank you!
Mission
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.
Housatonic Valley Waldorf School | 203-364-1113 | office@waldorfct.org| waldorfct.org