At WWS, each department (CG, LS, HS, Admin) has a Chair who is responsible for guiding the department in its administrative and pedagogical responsibilities. The Chair leads the weekly department meetings and works along with the department administrator or coordinator to ensure the smooth functioning of the department. All Chairs are members of the College of Teachers which has its own Chair. All Chairs join the Head of School for a weekly Chairs Group meeting where all-school matters are discussed and department information is shared.

Today we continue our series of profiles of each of the Chairs....

Barbara hails from Pittsburgh, PA and has been a part of the WWS community for 38 years! She first heard about Waldorf from a college friend and was drawn to it for her own children. Before WWS, Barbara received training in special education and worked at the MD School for the Blind.

Barbara started working at WWS as the front office assistant. She then began to assist with a crochet class which grew into teaching more handwork which then led her to Waldorf handwork training - she graduated with the first Waldorf handwork class in the US. After becoming our head handwork teacher, Barbara has continued to develop a thoughtful and engaging program for the students. Her two adult sons were both WWS lifers (one married his school sweetheart) and they have both gone on to work in clean energy.

The evergreen spiral. I love the image of the light growing as more and more children go through.

Listening to Folk music.

I knew more what I didn't want. I did not want to be a doctor! My father was a medical doctor who was always on call and I did not want that.

I took the biography training a couple of years ago and it was profound and transformative. I was a “guest” anthroposophist before that and now I am much more grounded and am my own individual self.

I have no sense of smell. Also, I hate poetry (my sister and my first boyfriend were poets). I have grown to love the verses used in Waldorf education, but it takes a while for them to come alive for me.

"Be here now." - Ramdas

This year, for the senior class production, the WWS class of 2021 has taken up a unique performance opportunity. On Thursday, May 27, starting at 7:30 pm via zoom, they will offer a mix of live and recorded performances taken from contemporary and original sources.

To register and receive the zoom link, please visit:

We hope you've enjoyed the fun facts we've shared about Jane Christenson, our high school theatre teacher. We've got one more to share before tomorrow's Senior Play performance...

Jane has been involved with productions that traveled the world! She was a casting/production associate for a production of Smokey Joe’s Café that toured in Europe and Brazil and was the Stage Manager/Lighting Designer for a USO sponsored tour of In the Mood that went to the Netherlands. Jane was also the Lighting Director for the 1991 IMAGINE Tour to Beijing and Moscow - this tour was officially designated a messenger for promoting peace by the United Nations.

You can view the full calendar online either on the website , in ParentSquare , or in the BigSis portal (these 3 platforms are synced from the same calendar). 

Can you hear the faint hum of the cicada song as you read this? The sound is not overpowering at 4800 Sangamore, but it can be heard as a background for our outdoor classes...

Thanks to Laura Cox for sharing this story from NPR with the faculty: A Black Scientist Was An Early Cicada Researcher. His Work Has Been Mostly Overlooked

A few additions (in green) to the list we shared last week.

ASU Barrett Honors College · Adelphi University · American University · Barnard College · Boston University · California Polytechnic State University · Clark University · Colorado College · Drexel University · Elon University · George Mason University · Hood College · Howard University · Kenyon College · Loyola University of Maryland · Marymount Manhattan College · McDaniel College · New York University · Oberlin College · Penn State University · Robert Morris University · Salisbury University · San Diego State University · Sarah Lawrence College · Skidmore College · St. Mary's College of Maryland · Susquehanna University · Sweet Briar College · Thomas Jefferson University · Trinity College · University of California Santa Cruz · University of California Irvine · University of California San Diego · University of Colorado Boulder · University of Denver · University of Maryland Baltimore Campus · University of Maryland College Park · University of Montana · University of North Carolina Asheville · University of North Carolina Greensboro · University of Oregon · University of Portland · University of Rochester · University of Vermont · University of Washington · University of Wisconsin Madison · Virginia Commonwealth University · West Chester University · West Virginia University

Thanks to alumni Parents, Kathy & Ivan Charner for helping us grow our photo archive! The Charners recently came across slides from their daughter Megin's class trip to Hawthorne Valley in 1984. They passed the slides on to the school archives and we were able to convert them to digital images. Look for Taisto (Athletic Director & High School Humanities Teacher) working on a bridge and farming!

Do you have any hidden treasures in your basement or attic? If you are spring cleaning and you find school related photos, please share them with us!

June 6 - July 18, Hosted by The AntiRacist Table

Waldorf Class Teacher available for remote tutoring and academic support this summer. If you're interested, please visit: catherinehdixon.com

from Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)

Capital Integrative Health, an integrative medical health team on Sangamore Road, is offering a free webinar on 5G, electromagnetic fields and health with Theodora Scarato, Executive Director of Environmental Health Trust. Scarato was recently featured in the Washington Spectator article "Oregon Health Authority Condemned by Scientists For Scrubbing Report on Wireless Hazards in Schools" and will share the basics on 5G and tips for healthy technology. 

Contact Holly at holly@mymathhouse.com

Contact Kathleen: bossanovalovely@gmail.com or by cell (703) 839-3014

Sign up is now OPEN for CSA Year June 2021-May 2022! Different options are available as space allows: school year only (Sept-May), summer only, and winter/spring season (Dec-May). Call or email first to confirm availability or if there's a wait list. Once confirmed, registration info is here (a discount is available if you pay with cash/check). 

What's the CSA? Spiritual Foods CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) provides biodynamic and organic veggies, fruit, eggs, bread and other seasonal staples, with most of it grown on land leased from the Kimberton Waldorf School in PA! Biodynamics, like Waldorf education, was founded by Rudolf Steiner and is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition. Choices for share options include: main share of veggies, fruit & supplements; main share w/out bread; or veggie/fruit only. Please visit the CSA website for more info, costs, and registration forms, or email or call Lakshmi at 301-654-4899 with questions and to check on availability. You can also reach out to Sunny Kaplan, WWS parent and WWS/CSA coordinator. 

Ramadan and cicada photos from Unsplash

We welcome your comments and submissions. Contact Alia Goodyear if you would like to be added to our mailing list, or if you have submissions, questions, or suggestions. Please email submission by COB TUESDAY with the subject line "Bulletin Submission."

Looking for past Bulletins? Visit our Bulletin Archive.