News from the Parent Council
April 29, 2018
Hello MLWS Families!

At last, it truly feels like Spring has arrived! Please read on to learn more about what is blossoming within our school community! We are pleased to share this issue of the newsletter with the community, which includes a Parent Council update, highlights activities of various classes and other school-related topics, offers Classified listings and provides information about upcoming events in the community.


PARENT COUNCIL UPDATE
Highlights of current projects in the works are as follows: 

  • The Welcome Committee has been established and held its first open Q&A forum geared towards supporting new families in their first year at MLWS; 

  • How-To Guide to inform parents about the various events and activities that occur as they move through the grades (such as Work Shares, Music Shares, Michaelmas, Clothing Sale, etc.), and their roles and responsibilities in relation to these events and activities, is in development.If you have any information you’d like to share in this effort, please contact Amy at amyideleon@gmail.com;

  • Welcome to MLWS Packet for new families is also in development and will be ready for new families in the upcoming 2018/19 school year.

Parent Council will hold our May meeting  Wednesday, May 9, 3:15-4:15pm
Please consider attending the May meeting, which will be our last meeting of the school year, to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns, and to learn more about the various Parent Council initiatives in the works. Help our community thrive. Many hands make light work!

**Please note that contrary to the schedule announced at the start of the school year (which indicated meetings would alternate between 3:15pm and 5:15pm start times), for the rest of the 2017/2018 school year, Parent Council meetings will be held from 3:15pm until 4:15pm, based on attendance during the first four meetings. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

In this issue:
Upcoming Events
School Portraits / Yearbook
A Peek Into the Classroom
Community
Development Corner
Classifieds

Calendar of School Events

Tuesday, May 1, 1:00pm
All School May Day Celebration
Please join us for our May Day celebration on the Deyo House lawn on Historic Huguenot Street! (Please note that the rain date is May 4.)

Wednesday, May 2, 8:30am-9:30am
MLWS Coffee Hour 
Come join us in the Handwork Room in the main school building! Please bring your own cup, and email  steinhardt.anna@gmail.com if you can bake something to share. 

Wednesday, May 2, 8:30-10:30am
Community Craft Circle 
Led by Amy DeLeon, meeting in the Handwork classroom. For more information, please contact Amy at  amyideleon@gmail.com .

Sunday, May 6, 3:00pm
Happy Spring! Concert 
Performances by the MLWS Recorder Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble at the Redeemer Lutheran Church on Rt. 32 across from SUNY New Paltz

Wednesday, May 9, 8:30-10:30am
Community Craft Circle 
Led by Amy DeLeon, meeting in the Handwork classroom. For more information, please contact Amy at  amyideleon@gmail.com .

Wednesday, May 9, 3:15-4:15pm
Parent Council monthly meeting   in the Fifth Grade classroom.

Tuesday, May 15, Time TBA
Temperaments Workshop with Patrice Maynard 
Stay tuned for details!

Friday, May 18, 7:00pm  
MLWS Spring Music Share
New Paltz High School


MLWS RECORDER AND CHAMBER ENSEMBLES 
SPRING CONCERT SCHEDULE
 
Waldorf School Tour
Thursday, April 26, 12:15pm @ The Waldorf School of Philadelphia, Phil., PA
Friday April 27, 11:00am @ River Valley Waldorf School, Upper Black Eddy, PA

Happy Spring! Concert
Sunday, May 6, 3:00pm
Redeemer Lutheran Church on Rt. 32 across from SUNY New Paltz
 
MLWS Spring Music Share
Friday, May 18, 7:00pm  
New Paltz High School


School Portraits / Yearbook
SCHOOL PORTRAITS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!
This is a reminder that you can view your child's portrait on Roy Gumpel's website. Here is the link: https://roygumpelphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/6265523

5”x7” portraits and class photos for all students (regardless whether you pre-ordered) are also available in the MLWS Office, 9:00am to 3:00pm for “cash and carry.”
YEARBOOK ADVERTISING DEADLINE IS MAY 1st!
Yearbook ads are due Friday, May 4.  Forms are available in the MLWS entryway and here:

YEARBOOK PRE-ORDER OPPORTUNITY
MLWS Yearbooks are on sale! $30 for one yearbook, $25 for two or more yearbooks. Early bird special: Order by May 10 and any quantity is $25 per yearbook ! Please make checks payable to “MLWS.” 

Order forms are available in the MLWS entryway and below. Please submit completed forms and payment in the Yearbook Drop Box, which is also in the MLWS entryway.
A Peek Into the Classroom
From Mrs. Loshak :

The Second Grade has been living with saints – Jerome, Odelia and Christopher – over recent weeks, as we come together to recognize human traits of humility, kindness, gratitude and love. We are in the last of our math blocks, in which we are introducing time through the day, the sun, the moon, and the sky, as we come towards the clock. The class will be making daytime/nighttime circles, paper clocks and sundials, as we begin to orient ourselves within our day. Our final language arts block will return to animal fables to end a wonderful year in Second Grade. 
Community
MLWS PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 7:00pm-9:00pm:
Attention and Distraction: Digital Technologies and Us
Samrat Pathania, Sixth Grade MLWS parent and former software programmer, is hosting a talk and conversation as part of the Elting Memorial Library’s Science Series. ‬ ‬‬

Attention and Distraction: Digital Technologies and Us: In our global, interconnected world, it is critical that students have the skills to harness the incredible power of digital technologies to enhance human potential for creativity and communication. However, this requires us to be aware of obstacles to learning that they may encounter as a consequence of their use of digital technologies. This presentation looks at some of the deleterious effects of digital tools on cognition, memory, and attention and thus challenges the assumption that Technological Progress = Human Progress.

Sunday, May 20, 9:30am-1:00pm
Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop
Workshop for adults and kids with Poliana Danila. Learn the basic technique to make your unique piece. All supplies are included! Cost $40/person. Location: 8 Bridge Creek Road, New Paltz, 12561, NY.  To register or for more information, email  polianthestuberosa@gmail.com.


MLWS MUSIC TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY

Saturday May 5, 7:30pm  (6:30pm: Shacklett concert preview) :
Restive Reverie

Aaron Bernstein and Donna Kushner , two of our MLWS private music lesson teachers, will be performing with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, Russell Ger, Music Director.

Restive Reverie will feature  Rachmaninoff – Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor with soloist: Kariné Poghosyan and  Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 6, ‘Pathétique’.  Aquinas Hall, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY. Youth and students with college ID are admitted free of charge to our Open Seating area only.   To purchase tickets, click here.


*** Seeking Help Completing MLWS Song & Verse Book***
With the help of Judy Jaeckel and Steve Bernstein, Third Grade parent Lisa Hansen has been gathering songs and verses of the MLWS community. These songs and verses, along with brief descriptions of the celebrations and festivals at which they are shared, are being compiled into a book. The volume will be illustrated with student artwork. Lisa is looking for a parent with an artistic eye to assist with the layout and completion of this project. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Lisa at  sunsnake@optonline.net
Development Corner

SPRING GALA and PLAYGROUND BEAUTIFICATION
  • You all deserve a round of applause for helping to raise $9,000 for playground beautification. THANK YOU! And now the REAL fun begins...  If you would like to be involved in visioning for the playground please e-mail pattyjacobson@gmail.com by Thursday, May 3.


ANNUAL REPORT


GRANTS UPDATE
  • The landscaping in the front left corner of the school is nearly complete. We are grateful to the Waldorf Schools Fund for awarding us the grant that allowed for this work to happen. And a special thank you to parent and owner of R. Rose Landscaping, Richie Rose, for doing the work. 
BEFORE...
AFTER!!!

  • The Safety Grant we received from New York State Department of Education has been used to install an entry door security system. This summer a closed circuit surveillance system will be installed that can be monitored from the main office. 

If you would like to help identify and/or write grants for MLWS,
please email  pattyjacobson@gmail.com .


ANNUAL GIVING CAMPAIGN
  • We are just about half way to reaching our goal for Annual Giving at $12,685. Thank you for your generosity and support!
Classifieds
REQUESTS
We are the village. This is a listing of Mountain Laurel families navigating difficult times who need our community’s support and practical help with meals, rides, and more. To make additions to the list for future newsletters, please submit details to Meredith at verderosa@gmail.com

STUFF (For Rent, For Sale, For Free, ISO…)
For Sale: UPPAbaby stroller
Stroller comes with everything, plus 2 piggybacks. In good condition. Original cost was $1100. Asking $180. If interested, please contact  polianthestuberosa@gmail.com

For Rent: House in New Paltz 
Small three bedroom house for rent on beautiful Hasbrouck Rd. House abuts 50 acres of land. $1350 per month (negotiable). If interested, please contact Carol at (917) 587-4252.

For Rent: House in the Hamlet of High Falls
A cozy Cape-style house with great light, just fifteen minutes from Mountain Laurel Waldorf School, and within walking distance to the hamlet, where there is a cafe, post office, restaurants, walking trails, and a health food co-op nearby. The house has three-and-a-half bedrooms with lots of closet space, one full bath, separate dining and living areas, laundry on the main floor, organic garden boxes in the yard, and a fully renovated separate studio space out back. Available June 1st. Please contact Linda at  highfalls49@gmail.com

For Rent: House in Kingston near Uptown Historic District 
Seeking long-term renters for our two-story, four bedroom home with good natural light and wood floors throughout on Linderman Avenue. All four bedrooms are on the second floor; you must pass through another bedroom to reach the fourth bedroom. The two living rooms and dining room have built-in cabinets, and have been great for our family and lots of entertaining. There is a full dry basement and up-to-date systems, including natural gas heat and hot water, washer and electric dryer. The backyard has a small stream, beautiful trees and nice space for enjoying the outdoors. The front and side yards are sunny with a screened-in porch. There's a detached one-car garage with off-street parking for at least three cars. Pets negotiable. $1550/month plus utilities, with minimum one-year lease. If you or others you know are looking for a lovely home to live in, please contact Emanuel Hemsi and Danielle Walters at  ehemsi@gmail.com or (845) 544-8834.

For Sale: Land in Stone Ridge, NY Three Individual sites, each with B.O.H approval for a 3-bedroom single family home. Underground electric to each lot already in place. Great location -- private but close to Stone Ridge amenities. Please see link below and email us directly if you need more information - email: land4salestoneridge@gmail.com


LEARN
Tutoring: Ms. Greta Jee, M.Ed is available for tutoring this summer and next school year. If your child could benefit from individualized instruction, support in gaining literacy skills or assistance completing school work, Ms. Jee would love to help. With sliding-scale rates, she aims to make tutoring accessible to all who are interested. Contact her at (610) 420-3856 or  gretajeemail@gmail.com .

Tutoring Ashley Sapir Lathrop is offering tutoring for children in reading and literacy skills. She holds dual master’s degrees in elementary education and literacy, with certification in both areas. Whether it is decoding, phonics, comprehension, fluency, or simply finding more comfort with literacy skills, Ashley finds fun and meaningful ways to help children shine. Ashley is available year round for tutoring, at an hourly rate of $60, and can be reached at (845)519-5067 or ashley.sapir@gmail.com

Traditional Figure Drawing for Teens Offering 14 to 19 year olds an opportunity to hone their figure drawing skills at the 10 Horse Art Center (five minutes outside of New Paltz). The 12-week class covers anatomy, proportion, composition and perspective, with the goal of creating accurate drawings of the clothed human figure from direct observation. Contact Alex Canelos at 845 255-7612 or  alex@thesevenfoldstudio.com . For details, visit www.sevenfold.school/figure-drawing-for-teens/  . Adult classes also available. ( www.sevenfold.school/figure-drawing-1/ )

Traditional landscape paintings in oil – Tim Smith
Offering private tuition for adults and 8th grade students in classical oil painting method. To organize a session around your or your child's specific schedule and needs, 

Guitar and mandolin lessons  with Mr. Steve Bernstein at his home in Gardiner, NY. Children, teens and adults are all welcome. Please call: 845 255 0822 or drop a note in his mailbox (2nd floor) at school.

Private Drum-Set Lessons Amir Ziv (Head of the Drum Department at the New School University's Jazz & Contemporary Music Program) is now offering students of all ages private lessons from his home studio in Kerhonkson. Serious students only. For more details and to set up a time to speak on the phone or in person, please email:  az_prod@yahoo.com To view Amir’s bio: http://www.newschool.edu/jazz/faculty-az/?id=4e6a-417a-4f51-3d3d

Music Composition with ‘Famous Waldorf Alumna’
Have you ever wanted to write a piece for recorder? Maybe a piano sonata? Or even a symphony? My name is Stephanie Ann Boyd, I’m a symphonic composer in New York City, and I went to the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor. You can find me on the list of Famous Waldorf Alumni, and my music is being played all over the world. I teach music composition lessons via Skype and I have helped over 100 people write their first pieces. I charge $100 an hour, and I have financial scholarships for those who need them. You can read more here: http://stephanieannboyd.com/teaching and you can contact me at: stephanie@stephanieannboyd.com

SERVICES
Valentine and Wilder's Pet-Sitting Service
Experience with cats, fish and guinea pigs, but open to other pets as well! (917) 309-7790 or seanaskye@me.com

Photography for All Occasions Roy Gumpel has been a photographer for more than 40 years. He has done assignments in many different areas, including travel, corporate, environmental portraits, cd covers, studio portraiture, still life, fashion, architecture, documentary projects and film stills. He also shoots video. Roy and his camera were featured in a National Geographic Explorer film about Rt.66. He has traveled extensively and is open to assignments of all kinds. Contact: roygump@gmail.com , 845.544.5373 

Children’s Haircuts Jodie Naccarato-Fanning is a MLWS parent and a hairdresser specializing in children’s haircuts. If you are interested in her services, please contact her at 845-380-8488.

FREE Sustainable Living Consultations Would you like to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Do you need help determining what personal actions have the biggest impact? We offer consulting to help you tread lightly on the Earth and mitigate climate change. This is a free service because we truly believe in building a viable future for all of our children. Samrat Pathania (Waldorf parent) and Dan Guenther are the Climate Consultants. For more informarion, email samratpathania@gmail.com or call/text 631-848-1599.

Jason Boyd Contracting   Quality craftsmanship with an artistic edge, 25 years experience, Free Estimates, www.jasonboydcontracting.com , 845-616-6365

Newburgh Seamless Gutter Owner Jason Fanning is a MLWS parent. Please give him a call if you need any gutter installation or service. (845) 236-7873.  http://newburghseamlessgutters.com

Home Inspections : emfs, dirty electricity, radio frequency
Concerned about children’s cell p hone or lap top use? Get protection from new electric meters. Get emf readings on prospective new homes. Learn about router signals. Create an emf free sleeping environment. Teach children about safe wireless use. Decrease overall field exposure. Measure offices, cars, dorms. Learn about resources. Public talks. Harrison Barritt, selfkindness@yahoo.com , 256-0446

Permaculture Home and Property Designs : installed and maintained by Andrew Faust and Adriana Magaña. We help you to adapt your vision to the ecological and geological realities of your site. We have more than twenty years of experience in the region offering the following services: Real Estate Assessment and Land Selection, Installing and Maintaining Ponds and Solving Water Problems, Creating Biodynamic Orchards and Farms, Organic Vegetable Gardens, Off-grid Natural homes and communities, Native Landscapes, Permaculture Forest Gardens, Contact us at 917-584-4588 or see our portfolio and get a quote here: http://www.permaculturenewyork.com/design-consultation

HEALTH & WELLNESS
Wellness: Holistic, Drug-Free Asthma and Allergy Relief. Buteyko Breathing Method is the most effective drug-free approach for the management of asthma, other breathing related problems, anxiety and panic attacks. Technique can be practiced by children and adults. Anna Yashayeva, RN, Dip BBM. yaanna1@gmail.com . 917-750-2652 

Make Shift Happen! Naam Yoga Classes with Renée at The Living Seed in NP: 10:00-11:30am All levels welcome! Call 917-655-2540 for more information.

Welcome Wellness MLWS parents Liz Duncan-Gilmour, Callie Hershey and Nancy Hoose invite you to experience Ondamed® PEMF therapy. Liz and Callie founded Welcome Wellness after our children achieved remission from neurological Lyme Disease with the help of Ondamed® therapy. Our team has seen the benefits from Ondamed® therapy with issues including stress management, sleep disorders, sports injuries and surgical rehab, Lyme disease and other chronic and degenerative issues. A one-hour session generally costs $75, but MLWS families will receive a special “friends and family” discount. We are located across the street from MLWS at 29 South Chestnut St., Suite 201. Please call to learn more. Liz: 845-616-2709, Callie: 914-456-5406, Nancy: 518-269-6357.