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We have no school next week to allow time for our Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please note: we have no drop-in holiday care available.
Exciting UNICEF News to Share!
A big thank you to all of the DWS students who collected funds in their UNICEF boxes this Halloween. Our school's collection totaled about $500. Thanks to Kristie and Landon Dunbarr for sorting, counting and getting our collection to the group in Davis who organized this city's efforts. A letter was sent to Caryl Stern, CEO of UNICEF, with a check from Davis for $14,310. UNICEF then communicated with Davis that a 5 times matching grant will be applied to this donation! If all goes as planned, then the donation amount will be $71,550.00 from the Davis, California kids ($2500 from the DWS kids) who collected this money. Congratulations on a job well done!
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.
Middle School Before-School Study Hall
All grade 6-8 students who arrive at school between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. will be going to the seventh grade room with Mr. Brannon after Thanksgiving break.
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.
Or, you can support DWS through the eScrip online shopping mall. eScrip is the longest running, most successful shop-to-fundraise "electronic scrip" program in the United States. They have helped schools and non-profits in our communities to raise over $400 million and counting. Go to https://shopping.escrip.com/
Renewal - now in an electronic format!
 For many years, our school has provided each of our families with a copy of
Renewal:
A Journal for Waldorf Education
. We receive a bulk subscription and distribute them through the classrooms. We hope that you enjoy the insightful and educational articles that are included in each issue.
We are now pleased to take advantage of a new
eJournal offer. Articles can now be enjoyed in a digital format on your electronic device, and articles can be shared and printed electronically. We hope that you are pleased with this option and look forward to hearing from you regarding its value.
The
eJournal code for our Davis Waldorf community
is:
DWS153
Annual Giving Campaign well on its way!
Thank you to all who have already given! Many classes are getting close to our goal of 100% participation. Our goal is to reach this important participation milestone for the 11th year in a row!
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. Congratulations to the 1st grade for reaching this goal!
Three families have provided a company match for their donations, and that helps their donation go even further toward helping our school! If this is an option with your company, please let us know that you will be requesting a match.
Our overall financial goal is $60,000. We have collected $28,950 plus the challenge of $5,000 for a total of $33,950. Gifts that have been logged as of 11/15/16 are:
- Lavender: $425 in gifts; goal of $3195. Participation is at 13%
- Golden Poppy: $778 in gifts; goal of $3195. Participation is at 14%
- Morning Glory: $2562 in gifts; goal of $5232. Participation is at 37%
- Climbing Rose: $2238 in gifts; goal of $5232. Participation is at 63%
- 1st Grade: $3505 in gifts; goal of $2505. Participation is at 100%!!!
- 2nd Grade: $2038 in gifts; goal of $2637. Participation is at 90%
- 3rd Grade: $2468 in gifts; goal of $4506 Participation is at 69%
- 4th Grade: $2484 in gifts; goal of $4591. Participation is at 56%
- 5th Grade: $3734 in gifts; goal of $5960. Participation is at 68%
- 6th Grade: $1900 in gifts; goal of $3042. Participation is at 69%
- 7th Grade: $1229 in gifts; goal of $2112. Participation is at 75%
- 8th Grade: $2389 in gifts; goal of $3793. Participation is at 100%!!!
Overall participation rate for K - 8 is 69%. Help us get to 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.
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.
Our Season of Advent
We will be holding Advent assemblies in the MPR with all of the grades students, each Monday morning at 8:45, starting December 4th.
 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, December 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
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 (other than grade 6-8 parents, who are already needed for their crafts/cafe) can contact Jenn Short, event volunteer coordinator,
jennifer.short@sen.ca.gov. We would love to have your help!
We have a new gate on campus
The gate that was installed at the south end of the campus this week, near the Kindergarten yard, was done to support the 5th-8th grades playground and ropes course project. Our architectural consultant that specializes in playground design recommended we install this gate due to liability concerns and the risk of having a playground that is open to the public.
We are aware that the gate hinges have failed, and we understand that the gate was difficult to operate this week. The gate has been temporarily removed. The Site Committee will reconsider the recommendation after gathering more information from additional sources.
If the gate is reinstalled, we will ensure that it will be done so with improved quality, safety, and ease of operation to meet your concerns. Once the gate matter has been resolved, we look forward to opening part of the 5-8th playground. That will be an exciting day! We're currently working with our contractor's schedule for completion of the rest of the ropes course.
Please feel free to contact the Site Committee to join, volunteer for projects, or to voice a concern.
Michelle Byars
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.
Reserve your spot now for Winter Break Holiday Care
We are offering care on January 2 - 5. Contracts are due back by December 19th. No drop in care is available. Call the office for details. Click
here for a June Bug holiday care contract or
Sunflower holiday care contract.
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!
Substitutes are Needed!
We are looking for qualified substitute teachers for grades classes, our Early Childhood program, our nap program and our Sunflower aftercare. If you are interested, please submit a resume and three professional references to office@daviswaldorf.org.
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.
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.
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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