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Celebrating 100 years of
Waldorf education
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Greetings!
In the
Leaflet this week we're all aglow! First, we're glowing with alumni pride; see our profile of a member of the Class of 2017. We're also looking back to last week's lantern walk with a few pictures from the trail. And, of course, we have a host of radiant holiday happenings for you.
Photo above: EC lanterns share their light at this year's Martinmas celebration.
The next edition of the
Leaflet
will be published on Wednesday, December 4. We welcome your comments, questions, and submissions.
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Maine DOE Selects Isaiah Doble '17 for Statewide Student Cabinet Position
Isaiah Doble ('17) has been been selected as one of 33 students from across Maine to serve on the newly-formed Student Cabinet for the Maine Department of Education. The cabinet will represent Maine students who will have the opportunity to collaborate with each other and adult leaders in supporting and improving Maine's education system.
Isaiah is very excited about this new undertaking, "I cannot wait for our first meeting in Augusta!" he writes. "
I was not expecting to get accepted. They had around 300 applicants, and they were searching for a team of 33 students, diverse in age, identity, and geography. When I received a phone call regarding my acceptance, I was ecstatic."
The cabinet will meet quarterly with Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. The purpose of the Student Cabinet is to provide a forum for Maine student voices to be heard, MDOE said in a press release. Isaiah and his cohorts will serve for at least a year.
Isaiah writes, "I am looking forward to working on this cabinet of 32 other Maine students, all with entirely different experiences and perspectives as students, united under the effort of bettering our education system."
We are so proud of Isaiah, and we wish him well in this new adventure. Maine schools can only benefit from the attention of this caring, talented, and thoughtful young man.
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Class 7-8 Grateful for Their Guest Teacher
Madrona Wienges, Ashwood parent and midwife, visited Class 7–8 during our anatomy and physiology block. She spent a week with us presenting fabulous lectures and answering questions on birth and the human reproductive systems. The class and I deeply appreciated Madrona's knowledge, experience, and warmth. Thank you Madrona!
Jeremy Clough, Class 7–8 Teacher
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After-School Theatre Production Workshop
This is the final week of our after-school theatre production workshop, and it's been… productive! For three Wednesdays, a group of 20 enthusiastic 5th-8th graders have shown up to build and paint props, design makeup and costumes, and create set elements for the Class 5-6 play,
The Oddity (see below) and the Class 7-8 winter production of
The Tempest. Our goal has been to practice theatre production skills while having fun (check!), make new friends (hope so!), and contribute to the production of
The Tempest and
The Oddity (definitely!) I am hugely grateful for the time and talents of Tabatha Tucker and Madrona Wienges, without whom this workshop would not have been possible.
More pictures.
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Along the Trail at Martinmas
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Lantern Walk
: A crisp evening greeted parents and children from the parent & child playgroup, early childhood, Class 1-2, and guests for last week's Martinmas lantern walk. The path was lit with glowing lanterns, the mood was reverent and joyful, and all through the woods the jack-o-lanterns perked their ears to hear the children singing, "Glimmer, lantern. Glimmer."
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Class 5-6 to Perform "The Oddity"
Class 5-6 play performances of
The Oddity will take place on November 21 at 9:00 a.m. and November 22 at 9:00 a.m. and 4:oo p.m. in the community room. The final performance will be followed by a class potluck at 5:30 p.m.
The Oddity
is a timeless, fantastical tale, complete with song and dance, of a quirky Professor Odessa, his companion, Abeena, a honeybee that only he can talk to, and their creation, Penelopea, a pea plant with magical powers.
Robert Kaczor, Class 5-6 Teacher
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Parent & Child Playgroup: New 6-Week Session Begins December 3
If you would like to sign up for the next six-week session of Parent & Child Playgroup, now is the time! The next session will begin on Tuesday, December 3. We will meet on December 10 and 17, after which we'll take a break for the holidays and follow on with three more meetings.
Additional information is available here. Contact
Jody Spanglet if you have any questions or would like to register.
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Adults and Alumni!
Join Us for the Spiral of Light, Wednesday December 4 at 4:30 p.m.
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Adults and alumni are warmly invited to walk the Winter Spiral of Light on
Wednesday, December 4 at 4:30 p.m.
in the early-childhood building. Please arrive by 4:20 p.m. This event is only for adults and high-school-aged teens.
Be sure to R.S.V.P., so we'll know how many candleholders to have on hand.
The Winter Spiral is a tradition celebrated in Waldorf schools around the world. The theme is nonsectarian and embraces all beliefs; we honor simply the light that each of us brings to the world, particularly when we share that light with others. We especially need this as the days grow shorter and the light wanes earlier and earlier each day.
Laura Purdom, Director of Outreach & Marketing
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Holiday Sing-Along
Join us on
December 6 at 8:40 a.m. in the upper hallway of the grade school building for a holiday sing-along! Holiday nosh sponsored by the APC. Please let
Ms. Purdom know by December 2 if there is a favorite song you'd like her to include. Simple, teachable songs from all cultures especially welcome.
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APC Winter Warmer Welcomes One and All
Join the APC for the Winter Warmer gathering, Saturday December 7, 5:00-7:00 p.m. An evening of festivity and merriment with good food and friends. Graciously hosted by Julia Dodge and Barney Hildreth, 41 Beauchamp Point Road, Rockport ; (207) 236-0266. Please bring food and/or beverages to share. Hope you can join us! This holiday gathering is for all of the Ashwood adult community. (No children. We love them but this party is for us.)
Kari Luehman, APC Coordinator
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Winter Revels
On Tuesday, December 17, at 4:00 p.m., Ashwood students will present "Winter Revels: Here We Come A-wandering" at the Camden Opera House. Students, aged 7-13, will romp the stage for a brief and energetic program of sketches, inspiring poetry, and music and dance from around the world. Come revel merrily with us, and bring your friends! Family fun for all. Free of charge.
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Shepherds Play
On Wednesday, December 18 at 9:30 a.m., the faculty will present the
Oberufer Shepherds Play
. This medieval pageant tells the story of the first Christmas and is intended as a gift from the faculty to the children. Parents are warmly invited to attend; however, seating is limited. If you wish to attend, please pick up a ticket (no charge) in the office.
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Early Dismissal (& Cocoa!) on Wednesday, December 18
Parents, please take note that our final day of school before the winter break is a half day. On Wednesday, December 18, pick up time will be
12:30 p.m.
The administrative staff invites parents to arrive at
noon for cocoa and cookies in the community room before early dismissal. We hope to see you there!
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The Annual Citrus Sale Has Begun!
For the next 4 weeks (
until Dec. 14
), 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-grade students will be taking orders for delicious California citrus to help fund Ashwood’s grade school class field trips.
The fruit will arrive at Ashwood’s campus in the third week of January. The specific delivery date will be announced closer to delivery time.
We will be selling: 20-lb. box navel oranges (40–44/box), $30 each; 20-lb. box of ruby red grapefruit (20–24/box), $30; 20-lb. California clementines (~80/box), $36; and 20-lb. mixed (a selection of all three options), $32.
Please help these students reach their goal of $2000 by ordering citrus from them. It is best for the fundraiser to order directly from the students, but there is also an
online ordering option
.
The students will set up a sales table two or three times a week at pickup time for you to place your orders with them. If you miss the pickup time sales, feel free to approach any 6th, 7th, or 8th grader. They will be happy to take your order! Please be ready to pay at the time of ordering. We can accept cash or a check made out to Ashwood Waldorf School.
January will be a wonderful time of year to have some sunny, delicious California citrus close at hand. Order soon, you’ll be glad you did.
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Call for Marketplace Listings
Be creative! You can offer:
- Items that you already own (sports equipment, gently used clothing, furniture, etc.)
- Items that you make (farm produce and value-added food items, hand-made items, etc.)
- Services you provide (tutoring, consultation, babysitting, private lesson, etc.)
- Events you can coordinate or host (classes, dinner parties, boat trips, or rentals)
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Front Desk Subs Needed
From time to time we need a substitute at the front desk in the school office. Do you enjoy greeting visitors, answering the phone, and putting bandaids on scraped shins? Then you may be the perfect candidate. Hours vary. Please contact
Sarah Ewing if you are interested in putting your name on the sub list for office duty.
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School Photos Ready to Order
Class and individual photos by Doug Mott may now be viewed and ordered
here
. Please contact
Doug
with any questions.
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Children's Winter Spiral of Light
During the school day on Wednesday, December 4,
grade school
children
will walk the Winter Spiral of Light.
Early-childhood
students will walk at 3:30 p.m. in the Buttercup Room. EC parents are invited to attend and should arrive no later than 3:20.
For your children's safety, it's important that they wear well-fitting shoes, have long hair tied back, and avoid flowing skirts or loose sleeves.
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Boughs Needed
We need donations of evergreen boughs to form the Winter Spiral. Please deliver boughs to the front door of the early-childhood building anytime on Monday, December 2 or on Tuesday, December 3, until 3:30 p.m. Thanks!
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Do you shop online at Amazon? Consider making your purchases through AmazonSmile and choosing Ashwood as your charity. A percentage of what you spend goes to Ashwood, with no extra cost to you.
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A Warm Welcome to New Ashwood Students!
Please join me in warmly welcoming two new students to the grade school: Santino Porco-Burman and
Ara Bravesnow
have joined a very happy Class 1-2. We are so pleased that each of these students and families is now part of the Ashwood community. If you would like a sticker with contact information to add to your directory, please stop by the school office.
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Thursday Ski Program at the Camden Snow Bowl Is Back
I am delighted to announce that the Ashwood ski program will commence on January 9, weather permitting. On Thursday afternoons after dismissal at 1:00 p.m., Ashwood students have a wonderful opportunity to ski with their family and friends on the beautiful Snow Bowl slopes. Our group rates remain the same and offer great prices at $15 lift ticket, $15 equipment rental and $15 group lesson! Please note group lessons for skiing and snowboarding are for ages seven and up. However, for children under age seven , private one-on-one lessons can be booked through the ski school/ticket desk (236-3438, ext. 106 ) at the rate of $25 per half hour. The younger children can still use the discount rate for lift ticket and equipment rental on Thursdays if they sign up for those through the Ashwood program.
There will be weekly sign-up sheets in the Ashwood school office after the holiday break. I need sign ups for rentals and lessons by
Tuesday afternoons
and for lift tickets by
8:30 a.m. Thursdays
. This year there will also be an option for people who plan to participate each week and want to pay ahead , if that is easier for them.
For families new to Ashwood or interested in this program for the first time, I will be at the 8:30 a.m. APC meeting on December 2 to discuss the program in more detail and answer questions . I will also have lesson registration and rental forms available at the meeting. Alternatively, please contact me by
email
or by telephone (763-2845), and I will be happy to answer any questions.
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Thursday
November
21
Class 5-6 Play
9:00–10:30 a.m.
Board Meeting
5:30–8:00 p.m.
Friday
November
22
APC Coffee Time
8:30 a.m.
Class 5-6 Play
9:00–10:30 a.m.
4:00–5:30 p.m.
Class 5-6 Potluck
5:30 p.m
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Monday
November
25
Student Hearing Screenings
Throughout the day
Wednesday–Friday
November
27–29
Thanksgiving Holiday
No school
Monday
December
2
APC Meeting
8:30-10:00 a.m.
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Tuesday
December
3
Parent & Child Playgroup, Session III
8:45–10:45 a.m.
Wednesday
December
4
Winter Spiral of Light
4:30–5:30 p.m.
Friday
December
6
Holiday Sing-along
8:40-9:00 a.m.
Upper Hallway, Grade School Building
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APC November Meeting Hosts Board Members
The October meeting of the Ashwood Parent Community was attended by parents, faculty, and board members. At the meeting, board chair Betsy Morrell announced the appointment of Jeremy Clough as school director, effective July 1, 2020. She also talked about other leadership changes, including Jody Spanglet's appointment to the position of finance director, effective July 1, 2020. Following a Q&A, board member Nancy Frohlich introduced the 5-Year Strategic Plan to the audience. A discussion followed.
The next APC meeting will be on Monday, December 2, 8:30-10:00 a.m. in the buttercup room of the early childhood building.
Click here for the agenda. We hope to see you there!
Mark your calendar for future meetings:
Tuesday, January 7, 6:00-7:30 p.m.; Monday, February 3, 8:30–10:00 a.m.; Tuesday, March 3, 6:00-7:30 p.m.; Monday, April 6, 8:30-10:00 a.m.; Tuesday, May 5, 6:00-7:30 p.m.; Monday, June 1, 8:30–10:00 a.m.
APC gathering: The APC is hosting a Winter Warmer! See article, above, for details.
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Class 5-6 has enjoyed reading Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt. In this writing assignment, they were asked to describe a scene from the book. Here's a 6th grader's description of the moment when Tuck tells young Winnie his family's secret:
The smell of dew and fresh flowers just having opened for the day—and milkweed and honey and apple blossoms—fill the early morning air. The sun, just peeking up from its place among the trees casts shadows down on the face of the water. Bright reds, pinks, purples, organges, gold, yellow, and fuchsia bleed out on the still pond as translucent as glass. A toad rests on a nearby lily pad, so still it is as if he is in contemplation. Dozens of different-sized and colored dragonflies zig by, while trout and salmon jump to the surface of the water, attempting to catch the bugs and flies. Two voices talk softly, the sounds echoing across the water. The shadows of a man and a girl reflect down onto the clear pond. As the sun begins to rise higher into what will soon be the blue sky, a new day begins. — Osa, 6th grade
Left: Views of the pond in
Tuck Everlasting
, by Daisy and Theo
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Ashwood Waldorf School
180 Park Street Rockport, ME 04856
207-236-8021
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