A sincere
thank you is extended to all of the veterans in our community. This is a day set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. We, as a school community, are thankful for your service and your sacrifice. We also acknowledge and thank all of our active duty service members. We are blessed with the privilege to live in freedom in this great nation for which you serve(d).
Remember that there is
no school on Friday, November 10th, the federal observed holiday.
Reserve your spot now for Holiday Care
No drop in care is available in Sunflower or June Bug holiday care. We have limited openings in our Sunflower program which is offered from 8:00 - 4:00 on November 20-22. The Sunflower contract can be found
here. Call the office for details.
School Portraits Online
The 2017 individual school portraits are now ready to view and order online for those who didn't turn in an envelope or who want to order more prints. Please remember that the Class Composites must be ordered at 8x10 size. Please go to
www.
wendybakerphoto.PhotoReflect.com. The password is DWS (all caps). If you have any questions please contact Wendy Baker
wendy@wendybaker.com.
Yearbooks
DWS orders a yearbook for each student. If you
do not want a yearbook for your child, you must opt-out by Friday, December 15th. You can opt-out by letting the office know or emailing Debbie at
office@daviswaldorf.org.
Please support Davis Waldorf while doing your holiday shopping
We have a new scrip vendor that will give the school a 10% donation for all orders placed with their company. They have beautiful Waldorf-appropriate toys and crafts! Check out Nova Natural at their website https://www.novanatural.com/ or
we have a catalog in the office. Use the following code when ordering to get free shipping and to ensure the school gets their generous donation - DAVISWALD10.
Halloween
Heartfelt thanks to the many parents who helped with our Halloween Celebration this year! Halloween is always a special time of year at Davis Waldorf School and this year we saw gnomes digging in their cave, an Autumn witch with her magic pot, laughed at Goldilocks trying to get into a tiny bed, watched villagers sing part of the Kalevala around a campfire and many other wonderful vignettes on our magical Protected Path. Older children were challenged to "walk the plank" in the dark of night and many other fun feats of courage on the Perilous Path. We were serenaded by wonderful musicians, sat around the fire and ate delicious chili and treats in the Seventh Grade Cafe.
It takes a village to pull off a large celebration and thanks go to each and every parent who helped to create this lovely celebration for our families and friends. Many thanks to our Halloween Chair, Jenny Tom and those who stepped up to help to coordinate different parts of the festival.
We'd like to add a few more people to our Halloween team for the coming year, so if you are interested, please email Bessie Oakley at enrollment@daviswaldor.f.org s
o we can hit the ground running next year.
Flag Football
Thank you to Coach Steve Öltjenbruns and his assistant, Mrs. Öltjenbruns for a wonderful football season. Please enjoy these photos (from Daniel Ng) from their last game against Camellia Waldorf School.
Pre-Order Your Holiday Tree!
The Sixth Grade is off to a running start on its fundraising efforts for the year and will be taking pre-orders for Christmas Trees, wreaths or cedar garlands/swags through November 14. Please contact Ann Wells or any parent of a Sixth Grader if you are interested in purchasing a Christmas Tree to support the Sixth Grade. The trees will be delivered here to DWS, farm-fresh from Oregon, on Saturday, December 2 from 9 - noon. Sales will be made individually off campus or on some afternoons in the breezeway. Thank you in advance for your support! If you don't need a tree, but would still like to support the 6th grade, please consider donating to Trees For Troops. $66.00 buys a tree that will be donated to military families on installations nationwide! What a great way to thank our military families while also earning funds for our 6th grade!
All parents are invited!
Please join us for our Parent Council meeting on
Thursday, November 16, from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Ceri and Ezra Beeman's house, 334 I Street in Davis - all parents/guardians are welcome, so please come! Parent Council meetings are held on the third
Thursday of each month
. We include some light food/refreshments and a short time to meet new parents and get acquainted.
Our November meeting will include the following:
- Different approach to class project contributions for this year's auction
- Annual Giving Update
- Overview of upcoming events in December
- Forum for feedback on the Halloween Festival
Each grade at
DWS needs at least one Parent Council class representative, but there can be more than one. In fact, this is encouraged, to allow busy parents to share the tasks. While the PC class representatives are obligated to attend the monthly meetings, every single parent at
DWS is a Parent Council member and is welcome and encouraged to attend. In addition to attending monthly meetings, the class PC representative communicates PC news to their class and helps organize parent volunteers for events and activities.
Dia de los Muertos
Thank you to Gloria Rooks, Elia Gallardo and Jennifer Slater for setting up the beautiful ofrenda (offering/altar) for Dia de los Muertos, and for all of the children and staff that brought photos and momentos to add to the environment for remembering those who have passed.
Parking Reminders
Please do not park on the freeway side of Sycamore Ln. at any time. We have been reminded by the Davis Police Department, as they are responding to complaints from our neighborhood to the south. We must be vigilant in following our parking protocols.
Preschool families - remember that you are allowed to park for about 10 minutes in the front parking circle AND the back parking circle during morning drop-off times. We request that you use those options rather than parking on the street or parking in the Kinder lot.
Please
do not park in any Faculty spot that is marked Reserved unless it is after 2:05.
Annual Giving Campaign well on its way!
Congratulations to the 1st and the 8th grades who rose to the occasion to be the first to reach 100% participation! Those two classes will receive a $250 gift to their class fund. Congratulations to the 1st grade who will receive an additional $500 because they have reached their financial goal! These additional class funds can be used by the teacher for field trip expenses, supplies, or other special class needs.
Remember - we have been offered a very generous $5,000 "Challenge Grant" from one of our school's alumni parents, which we will earn when we reach 100% participation in this year's Annual Giving campaign by all families in K - 8th grade.
Classes who reach 100% and also reach their class financial goal will receive $500 to their class fund. Our intention is to reach this important participation milestone for the 11th year in a row!
Our overall financial goal is $60,000. We have collected $25,535 plus the challenge of $5,000 for a total of $30,535. Gifts that have been logged as of 11/8/16 are:
- Lavender: $425 in gifts; goal of $3195. Participation is at 13%
- Golden Poppy: $707 in gifts; goal of $3195. Participation is at 10%
- Morning Glory: $2185 in gifts; goal of $5232. Participation is at 37%
- Climbing Rose: $2238 in gifts; goal of $5232. Participation is at 63%
- 1st Grade: $3405 in gifts; goal of $2505. Participation is at 100%!!!
- 2nd Grade: $1963 in gifts; goal of $2637. Participation is at 80%
- 3rd Grade: $2216 in gifts; goal of $4506. Participation is at 56%
- 4th Grade: $2255 in gifts; goal of $4591. Participation is at 44%
- 5th Grade: $2462 in gifts; goal of $5960. Participation is at 50%
- 6th Grade: $1380 in gifts; goal of $3042. Participation is at 54%
- 7th Grade: $1027 in gifts; goal of $2112. Participation is at 63%
- 8th Grade: $2369 in gifts; goal of $3793. Participation is at 100%!!!
It is easy and secure to give online at
www.daviswaldorf.org/support-dws
. Your gift will be divided between each class if you have multiple children in the school.
Hola from Maestra Marta!
The eighth grade students are doing a project about an original family tree of 12 members. Some of the projects are very creative and some students decided to do a family tree composed of appliances, with the older appliances being the great grandparents of the newer ones. Others decided that their family tree was made up of their classmates, others did toys and how they are related. They are having a good time describing them, telling their age, their occupation, etc. They will be doing an oral presentation about it very soon. Their posters will be on display in the eighth grade classroom.
DWS Class of 2018 Hosts Family Craft Day!
On Saturday December 2, from noon - 4:00 p.m., come and celebrate the winter season with us through Waldorf-inspired craft making for children and adults. A tradition in our school for the last 17 years! Crafts this year include candle making, wreathmaking by the 6th grade, gnome houses by the 7th grade, folded stars, pomanders, wooden string ornaments, a kid's only craft and much more. We will also have the fabulous 8th grade café and music. Family Craft Day offers our community an opportunity to celebrate, connect and create as well as support our 8th grade trip fundraising efforts.
Community members interested in assisting with crafts or preparations can contact Jenn Short, event volunteer coordinator,
jennifer.short@sen.ca.gov.
Winter Concert - Saturday, December 9th, 3:30 - 5:00 at Brunelle Hall
All community members, from preschool through alumni, relatives and friends are warmly invited to attend this magical annual celebration. We feature a selection of strings and concert band pieces as well as a variety of performances from second through eighth grade students. There is no charge to attend this concert. There will be rehearsals earlier in the day. Class teachers will provide details about times to arrive and what to wear for the class presentations.
The concert attire for Strings and Band students (4th-8th) is: solid black on the bottom and solid white on top and dark shoes. Girls can wear pants or long skirts. If girls have knee-length skirts, they need to wear black leggings.
Our Season of Advent
December celebrates a turning point when darker and shorter days become even more illuminated by candlelight. We experience a mood of anticipation, preparation, and waiting. The Winter Spiral is a lovely event with fresh evergreen boughs in a room darkened and filled with a mood of wonder and quiet anticipation. As each child takes a turn to slowly walk the spiral and light a candle, the garden path illumines. Your class teacher will provide more specific details to prepare for the event. Please join us for one of our celebrations:
For the lower grades, Friday, Dec. 1st in the MPR starting at 5:00 pm. Your teacher will provide details in the near future for your time of arrival.
For Kindergarten: Saturday, Dec. 2nd at 5:30 p.m. (Climbing Rose) and 6:30 p.m. (Morning Glory)
With the community (adults and Grades 5 and up): Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 on the field - weather permitting.
Calling for help from the community: If you have evergreen boughs (cedar, pine, holly, olive, etc.) please deliver them to the back side of the MPR on Friday morning, Dec. 1st.
Spiral Etiquette and Safety Rules
- No photography of any kind!
- No cell phones or electronic devices (please turn them off).
- We ask that no long skirts or coats are worn (there will be candles on the floor).
- Long hair should be pulled back and secured.
- Do not allow your child to eat the apples during or after the ceremony.
- Please arrive at the classroom 10 minutes before the time listed for your class. Spirals begin promptly at the stated time. Please do not be late as disruptions affect the quiet, reverential mood.
- Strive to be quiet - coming, during, and going. That is part of the gift of this time together. At the end of the spiral walk, please depart in silence.
- Please note that only the child of the class scheduled for the class spiral time will walk the path, not older or younger siblings.
- Dress warmly for the event on the field
Anthroposophical Study Group
Our weekly study of Rudolf Steiner's "The Study of Man' is scheduled for Mondays,
3:30 to 4:45 in the MPR. It is facilitated by Faculty member, Steve Brannon. Feel free to come and socialize beforehand at 3:15 - study will begin promptly at 3:30. Please note: the wider community is warmly invited! Feel free to invite others who may have an interest in this book.
Reminder for Sunflower Aftercare parents
If you need drop-in care, please sign-up on the clipboard in the office, or call/email Debbie. Also, if your child is contracted for care and something comes up and you won't be coming, please call/email Debbie. Otherwise, we will be searching for your child after dismissal and calling for information. Additionally, if you let us know, we may be able to accommodate another child who needs drop-in care. Thank you for your help!
Get a $500 Tuition Credit
We have openings in some of our grades classes this year. We are offering a $500 referral credit to this year's tuition to any family who refers a friend that completes the enrollment process, specifically for our first and second grades.
Uncovering the Voice Class Forming!
Sheryl Adler, Uncovering the Voice teacher, Holistic Health Practitioner and Waldorf teacher, will be leading a weekly adult singing class
on Sunday mornings at DWS.
Uncovering the Voice has been described as 'yoga for the voice'. It is a holistic, dynamic, joyful and transformational approach to freeing one's natural and healthy singing potential.
All levels of singers are invited, from complete beginners to advanced musicians. Everyone's abilities will grow together in this community experience.
Preregistration for the classes will be required. For more information, including dates and tuition, contact Sheryl at: healing.round@gmail.com, 530-210-3208.
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