Greetings!
As the end of the school year approaches the events are piling on, from class trips to class plays! Just as our 7th and 8th graders finished their magnificent production of Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream, our 1st graders have begun work on their very first class play, the Swazi tale of
The Moss Princess. I have heard from a reliable source that along with the excitement surrounding this endeavor there is some anticipated stage fright! The youngest performers needn't worry because the class plays are designed to provide group support. Unlike our upper school thespians, 1st graders perform their play in unison, each student playing an individual part but reciting all of the lines. Individualized lines appear in older grades. Waldorf classrooms naturally involve much public speaking and performing, from the reciting of poems to playing the recorder, and I have watched students who are naturally paralyzed by stage fright move from a timid presence onstage as a youngster to accomplished and eager performers in older grades. It is a beautiful process to watch unfold, both the striving and the end result.
We have various circuses in town as well. Laura Geilen is offering another beloved
after-school Circus Arts class (open to grades 3-8, two spaces left!) and the 5th grade is preparing a circus as part of their own class play later this month.
On Friday, grades 6-8 visited the Bethel Senior Center for traditional dance with Patricia Campbell, and the dancing continues as all of our students prepare for May Fair on Friday, May 3. We will celebrate May Fair with music, Maypole dances, and the 7th grade's first sweet & savory bake sale and all-school picnic!
And of course, immediately following the May Fair this year is our annual Spring Benefit on May 4. You can still
purchase tickets for the benefit this weekend. Miss Carrie is cooking, the class projects look amazing, and yes there will be drinks and a DJ. Don't miss it! Our
Spring Benefit Online Auction opens this coming Monday and you don't need to attend the Benefit to bid in the Online Auction. A preview is available now.
Warmly,
Christina Dixcy
Communications Director and Office Manager
|
|
We're hiring for the 2019-20 school year!
|
|
|
 |
Annual Fund Giving Levels
Red Leaf ($5,000 or More)
Red Leaf ($1,989 - $4,999)
Red Leaf ($1,000 - $1,989)
Red Leaf ($500 - $999)
Yellow Leaf ($250 - $499)
Green Leaf ($100 - $249)
Green Leaf ($1 - $99)
Thank you for your support! Housatonic Valley Waldorf School is a non-profit 501c3.
Your contribution is potentially tax- deductible.
Tax ID # 061310057
|
|
|
|
It Takes A Village Community Painting
|
Thank you to everyone who donated "time, talent, or treasure" to have their name included on this incredible work of art by Ms. Remensperger. The finished piece will be included in our Spring Benefit Live Auction. If you cannot attend but would like to bid, contact
Carrie Donat to secure a proxy bidder on your behalf. If it does not already appear on the painting, the winner's name will be added before framing!
|
|
|
|
As part of the worldwide Waldorf 100 celebrations we are recording our voices and sharing our stories through The Waldorf Chronicles, an archive project. Waldorf schools and teacher training institutes in North America are adding interviews to the StoryCorps Archive, the largest collection of human voices ever gathered.
If you would like to be interviewed for the Waldorf Chronicles please e-mail Christina Dixcy at cdixcy@waldorfct.org. You can read sample questions on
The Waldorf Chronicles' page.
|
|
Friday, May 3
1 Jacklin Rd. Newtown, CT
Music, Singing, Dancing, All-school Picnic, and Sweet & Savory Bake Sale
12:00 PM
Early Childhood parents meet at the Early Childhood campus to decorate May crowns. Please send flowers with your children in the morning.
12:35 PM
Early Childhood families cross the street to join the Grade School families for the all-school picnic lunch. Bring blankets and/or lawn chairs. The Class of 2020 will host a Sweet & Savory bake sale.
1:30-2:45 PM
Maypole, Morris, and Sword Dances (the program will begin promptly at 1:30).
Parking is available in the following locations:
- Taunton Hill parking lot; Early Childhood horseshoe;
- South Campus (Grade School) parking lot;
- Dodgingtown Firehouse (front and rear lots);
- Behind the Dodgingtown Deli.
Our neighbors kindly ask the following: In the rear Firehouse lot, please do not park in the spaces against the Firehouse or blocking the Firehouse bay doors. Do not park in any location that blocks the parking spaces against the Firehouse. Do not park in the lot in the front of the Dodgingtown Deli, liquor store, etc…
Pet Policy:
We love animals! However, the HVWS campus is a dog/pet-free campus for health and safety reasons, with exceptions made only for approved classroom projects. Please do not bring any pets to drop-off, pick-up, festivals or other school events. Thank you for showing your consideration to others, and for not putting us in the position of turning away your adorable furry friends.
Rain Date is Tuesday, May 7th (same schedule).
|
|
Dinner and Live Auction: Saturday, May 4
|
|
If you would like to purchase a raffle ticket, please stop by the office or contact Carrie Donat at
cdonat@waldorfct.org or 203-364-1113 x106.
|
|
Thank you to our Sponsors!
|
|
Gold
Silver
Nanavaty, Nanavaty & Davenport, LLP
Mabbott Seidel Architecture
Bronze
Newtown Savings Bank
Beverages Provided by:
LaZingara Ristorante
Fountainhead Wines
|
|
Health and Sexuality in Waldorf Education with Lisa Romero
|
Monday, May 20, 6:30 PM
Compass Hall
1 Jacklin Rd., Newtown, CT
Presented by the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School College of Teachers
This parent lecture will help to recognize the depth and progressive understanding Waldorf Education brings to this important aspect of life, and the responsibility of community in raising children and working together to promote individual well-being.
|
|
Thursday, May 30, 6:30 PM
Newtown Middle School
11 Queen St., Newtown, CT
Performances from 4th-8th grade Music and Strings classes as well as the 6th-8th Grade Chorus and Orchestra. Come see and hear the great progress all of our 4th through 8th graders have made this year!
|
|
April 29-May 4
The Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America is an enthusiastic supporter of Screen-Free Week. We know that children need to develop un-“mediated” relationships with the real world through exploration and creative play before engaging with the virtual world. We are grateful to Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood for its leadership and for providing so many excellent resources to families and educators!
|
|
If you would be interested in joining a revived Handwork Group and working on a project for the Spring Benefit, please contact Natasha deCastro at
tashebe79@yahoo.com or (203)263-5308.
|
|
|
Circus Arts After-School Classes
|
With Laura Geilen
Who: For students in grades 3-8 (minimum 8, maximum 10 students)
When: 6 Wednesdays, 3-5 PM, April 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Where: Eurythmy Room, Compass Hall
Cost: $175, payable through TADS
|
|
|
|
Place Your Yearbook Orders by April 30
|
It is now time to place your yearbook ads and order your HVWS 2018-2019 Community Yearbook!
RESERVE YOUR YEARBOOK(S) @ $25 each. AFTER APRIL 30, AVAILABILITY IS NOT GUARANTEED.
Yearbooks will be available for pickup at the end-of-school picnic on the last day of school. If there are extra copies, they will be sold for $30 each.
Ad sizes and prices are listed below. Submit your message(s) with your order or send your message via email to Nathalie Bennett at
nathalie@ninedesignct.com and it will be formatted for you. Or, finished ads may be sent as a “Press-Ready” PDF document to Nathalie.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dates and themes are now up on our
Summer Camp page and registration is open!
If you have questions about the upcoming Summer Camp season, please e-mail
camp@waldorfct.org.
|
|
Summer Intensive with Janet Langley and Patti Connolly
August 5-7, 2019; 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Housatonic Valley Waldorf School
Creating an Artistic and Effective Language Arts Curriculum in Grades 1-3
One of the most important tasks lower grades teachers face in the early grades is teaching students the fundamental language skills that underlie all future learning. Over the three days of this intensive, Janet and Patti will offer teachers a comprehensive, well-organized roadmap through the five key phases their students must master to become literate. Specifically it will delve into the reasons why teaching students how to read and spell in English is such a challenge and will provide clear guidance on how teachers can meet this challenge with knowledge and creativity. Janet and Patti will share with participants how to:
- Teach the basic concepts and skills students need to learn in each phase, including the essential phonics rules that serve as the foundation for learning to read, write, and spell and learn English grammar
- Prepare comprehensive lesson plans based on the developmental needs of each grade, introducing new concepts in an imaginative and lively way
- Lead fun and effective practice activities and create classroom learning materials to help students solidify skills
- Easily assess the efficacy of your literacy program and meet common remedial issues
This intensive is based on the research that comes out of the
recently published book of the same title by Janet and Jennifer Militzer-Kopperl. It represents over five years of research and writing.
Fee: $350 if you register by June 15, 2019; $375 after June 15. Fee includes workshop sessions, materials for making classroom learning resources, daily snacks, and lunch. In addition, all participants should purchase the book and read sections 1 and 2 before the workshop begins.
|
|
|
|
Thank you to our Spring Benefit Committee:
Nathalie Bennett (Board of Trustees),
Carrie Donat (Chair),
Jill Douglass,
Jennifer Finefrock,
Annmarie Gianni,
Carrie Godlove,
Zack Holly,
Lori Hudak,
Rebekah Lee,
Kerrie Newell,
Heather Parrish,
Danielle Sears,
Marlies Simfeld-Redpath,
Lisa Tassone, and
Rekha Terway. Special thanks to
Emily Remensperger for her amazing
It Takes a Village painting.
Thank you to the
parents who cook for faculty meals. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
Thank you to
Anne Kupferberg for her continued help in the office and to
Rebekah Lee for her continued library cataloging help.
Thank you to
TaNesha Barnes for bringing delicious cake to the office and thank you to
Ann Dixcy for baking a cake for our 30th birthday.
Thank you to the Puppetry Committee for their production of
The Girl Who Spun Gold:
Isabel Gandara,
Aliz Mihok,
Christina Dixcy,
Linda Straub,
Jessica Khoshabo, and newest member
Daniela Squizzato.
Thank you to
Benedicta Bertau and
Kim Murriera for sharing their talents with HVWS! We miss you both!
Thank you to the
Diversity Committee for organizing Zetta Elliott's excellent talk at HVWS with particular thanks to
Laetitia Berrier-Saarbach,
Camille Lawrence, and
Sunshine Lucas for their extra help with snacks, fliers, and transportation.
Thank you to
Carrie Reilly for her help leading Saturday's Kindermorning!
|
|
|
HVWS Fleece Jackets are Here!
|
Click for a
PDF Order Form. Orders may be shipped to your home or picked up from Tiger Sports in Ridgefield.
|
|
|
|
The Rainbow Garden School Store is Open!
|
Star Meadow Cottage, Rear Door
40 Dodgingtown Rd.
The store is open Tuesday-Friday 8:20-9 AM on regular school days.
Please contact Natasha Daniels-Pearson with any questions regarding the store or to VOLUNTEER!
|
|
|
|
7th & 8th Grade Play: A Midsummer Night's Dream
|
|
Mosaic Mural Project with Visiting Teacher Kim Murriera
|
|
The Washington Post (April 24, 2019)
Treehugger (April 11, 2019)
Craftsmanship Quarterly (April 2019)
Return to Now (April 2, 2019)
Marketplace /NPR (April 2, 2019)
Education Week (March 25, 2019)
TIME (January 28, 2019)
|
|
To provide a lasting education that cultivates resilient and creative human beings who are capable of free thinking, confident action, and deep connections with others and the world.
|
|
Housatonic Valley Waldorf School | 203-364-1113 | office@waldorfct.org|
waldorfct.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
