Weekly Bulletin
October 6, 2021
|
|
Crab studies and a photo of seniors enjoying the wonders of nature from the recent 12th Grade Zoology trip to Chincoteague, VA. |
|
From the Leadership Council for Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice (LC4DESJ) |
|
This year, during our beginning of year assembly, the following land acknowledgement was offered on behalf of our school community:
Every community owes its strength to those who have gone before them. The land upon which we gather is part of the ancestral home of the Piscataway Nation, recognized by the state of Maryland for what they have long been, the First Family of this Land, who were among the first people in the western hemisphere. This land that we occupy was stolen from the Piscataway People by the colonists. Resisting removal, the Piscataway continued to inhabit this land, continue today to stand as caretakers for this land and to stand in community. Together we pause to pay honor and respect to the Piscataway people and to their ancestors.
At WWS we use three words to describe our developmental approach to learning - goodness through work and action with our hands, beauty through our heart connections, and truth through our thinking. A land acknowledgement is an action that publicly acknowledges the truth of history by engaging our hearts to feel the humanity of those who cared for this land. Indigenous history is American history and a land acknowledgement honors history.
Throughout the education offered at WWS we tell stories to help our students to connect with their developing selves and to see the connection between these selves and the world around them. Learning about who stood on these lands throughout history is an immediate obligation we hold to our children. By honoring the people of the land on which we stand, we embody the pursuit of goodness, beauty, and truth.
The following is a verse Rudolf Steiner gave for teachers, and it inspires and motivates our faculty to stand in front of the students with imagination, courage, and responsibility.
“Imbue thyself with the power of imagination. Have courage for the truth. Sharpen thy feeling for responsibility of soul.” - Rudolf Steiner, The Foundations of Human Experience
More details to come on our upcoming October event, These Piscataway Lands, as the first installment of our Lifting the Silence event series.
Learn more about the Piscataway Nation of Maryland:
|
|
Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar
* Current Parents can find Zoom information for meetings in ParentSquare
|
|
October
6/ Wednesday
- Songbirds Parent Evening (online), 8pm
7/ Thursday
- Craft & Conversation, 9:30am (see below)
- Whole HS Parent Evening, 7:30pm (online)
8/ Friday
- Lunch with Lelia & Jessica Gottlieb, School Counselor (online), 12pm
13/ Wednesday
- G8 Parent Evening (online), 7pm
14/ Thursday
- Craft & Conversation, 7pm
- Sunflowers Parent Evening, 8pm (online)
|
|
Craft & Conversation
Thursday, October 7, at 9:30am
Our next session is this Thursday, Oct. 7, in person at 9:30am, at Anja's house, 7711 Glenmore Spring Way. We’ll work on needle felting pumpkins and toadstools, and acorn gnome peg dolls.
ALL skill levels are welcome; no experience is necessary! Please know that we will be following the school protocols for masking and distancing.
|
|
Lunch with Lelia & Jessica Gottlieb, School Counselor
Friday, October 8 at 12pm on Zoom
Join Lelia True and Jessica Gottlieb for a Zoom lunch and a chance to greet Jess, our new School Counselor! Learn a bit about her work and get to know Jess. Look for an invitation in ParentSquare.
|
|
Head of School Search Update |
|
From Vanessa Beckman, Chair Trustees Council
|
|
Dear Washington Waldorf Community,
Hello and welcome to the new school year! I hope you had a wonderful summer and share my joy and optimism these first weeks with the children back on campus. As the Chair of the Trustees Council, I wanted to update you on our school’s efforts to hire new leadership for the 2022-2023 school year. To make sure everyone in our community is up to date, I would like to recap the steps that have already been taken in this process.
Shortly after Jennifer Page announced her retirement last Fall, the Trustees Council formed a search committee to assist in the selection of a new Faculty Chair/Head of School. The committee developed all the tools necessary to run an effective and thorough search. While we received many applications for the position, none had the strong skillset we were looking for. In the Spring, the Trustees Council asked Lelia True, our Operations Manager, to serve as Interim Head of School for the 2021-22 school year while we continued the search. We are grateful to Lelia for accepting this leadership position.
This year, the search committee consists of three members of the Trustees Council and three members of the College of Teachers. We have been meeting weekly since the start of the school year. The Faculty Chair/Head of School job posting has been placed on key Waldorf as well as other educational job sites both locally and across the country. Shortly, a survey will be shared with our faculty and parent community that will help us validate the type of leader our school needs at this moment. We encourage you to participate in this survey, as your input is valued and will serve as a guide as we move forward.
The search committee is excited to continue our thorough process to choose an extraordinary leader to guide WWS’s next chapter. We look forward to sharing further updates with our community as we move forward with this process. If you have any questions or comments please reach out to me at vanessa.ruth@gmail.com
Warmest regards,
Vanessa Beckman, Chair Trustees Council
With search committee members:
Nevin Bender, Faculty
Lezlie Lawson, Faculty
Valerie LeBlanc, Faculty
Maria Monteverde-Jackson, Trustees Council
Marilyn Noguera, Trustees Council
|
|
Undoing Racism Working Group |
|
Announcing the formation of an Undoing Racism Working Group for WWS community members who have participated in the Undoing Racism Community Organizing Workshop, the flagship offering of the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond.
If you have participated in the workshop in the past and would like to join the working group, or are interested in learning more about the workshop in order to join, please connect with us!
Contact:
|
|
Fly over this year's Michaelmas chalk dragon in this video. Our seniors are in charge of creating the chalk dragon on Michaelmas - every year it has its own style, but it is always ready for a rousing round of hopscotch.
If you are on social media, you can also view and share the video there:
|
|
The article mentions just one aspect of the many facets of our outdoor classes and education, but we are glad for the recognition and hope it will spark some interest in WWS from those who might not know about our school.
|
|
If you are on social media, you can also view and share the article there: |
|
Steve Smith, our current Human Resources Director and Registrar, will retire at the end of this calendar year. Steve’s three children attended WWS and Steve began to work at WWS in 2005. Before his current role, Steve served as the Director of Development, Director of Advancement, and Director of Communications. Prior to WWS, Steve worked for more than 20 years as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, and to various local governments. He then transitioned into non-profit work, focusing on fundraising, communications, strategic planning, and project management before coming to WWS. Steve was an integral part of the school leadership as we navigated significant change and growth in the last 20+ years and we are grateful for his dedication and many contributions. |
|
How to Submit a Listing
- We welcome submissions of community news, items for sale, want ads, etc. Please keep notices to 500 characters or less. There is no charge for listings.
-
Please submit listings by COB Tuesdays with the subject "Bulletin Submission."
- If you are sending images or flyers, a link to an online version is preferred.
- Bulletin Board notices generally run for 3 weeks - if space allows - unless other arrangements have been made. Please let us know if listing information is no longer accurate. Listings may not be accepted and will likely be edited.
|
|
These notices are from the WWS community, the greater Waldorf community, and occasionally from our school neighbors. The information and views in them belong to the individuals who submit the notices and do not necessarily reflect the views of WWS. |
|
Classifieds & Events from the Community |
|
Farm Fresh Products Delivered Near WWS
from Torie Gorges (WWS Faculty and Parent)
Whiffletree Farm delivers orders monthly (first Tuesday of the month) to the home of a WWS family, just around the corner from the school. They offer meat, eggs, cheese, and a variety of other farm products. Items are local (Warrenton, VA), pasture-raised, non-GMO, raised with sustainable land practices.
|
|
Monday October 18 at 8pm
from Sarah Vakkur (WWS Parent)
Smartphones, social media and video games are at the center of the biggest parenting challenge in our homes today. Come and learn the science behind healthy childhood development, how screens impact your child/teen's brain, and solutions to prevent and reverse dependency. (Live Q&A to follow)
If you have any questions about ScreenStrong.com, non smart phone options like the Gabb phone, why ScreenStrong recommends delaying all, feel free to e-mail Sarah Vakkur at vakkurstudio@me.com with the subject “ScreenStrong”.
|
|
Montgomery County Children's Environmental Health Webinar: Wireless and Children’s Health
from Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)
US safety limits for wireless are 25 years old and the Environmental Working Group found these limits are hundreds of times too high. A WWS parent was part of a federal case where the court just ruled that the FCC- the agency responsible for these regulations ignored the science on children and long term exposure.
The Montgomery County Coalition is hosting a webinar featuring WWS parent Theodora Scarato MSW - petitioner in the case- for a deep dive into what the court ruling means for children’s health—and specific ideas on what families can do to support safer technology, vibrant communities and healthy kids.
Date: October 21, 2021
Time: 7:30
|
|
Two Free Film Screenings
from Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)
October 7-14, 2021 “Standing on Sacred Ground”
|
|
Lead Prevention Week “ MisLEAD” Film Screening
October 28, 2021 at 7:30 PM Live Q and A with "MisLEAD" Director Tamara Rubin where you can ask questions about how to reduce lead exposures in your home
Films are part of Environmental Health Trust’s Jackson Hole Virtual Film Festival.
|
|
|
FiberArt.Studio After School Classes
from Anja Caldwell (WWS Parent)
Registration is now open online for my after school handwork classes Tuesdays and/or Thursdays 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm for October and Nov/Dec. Classes are max 6 kids from regularly tested households only. Studio has lots of room and fresh air.
WWS families enjoy 10% off with Code WWS
|
|
WWS Parent Sharing Information About Non-Smart Phone Option
from Sarah Vakkur (WWS Parent)
Does your child have a phone or are you thinking about getting them one?
ScreenStrong.com recommends switching a child/ teen’s smart phone to the Gabb phone as gaming, internet and social media are not possible on these phones. I welcome any parents to contact me as to why I highly recommend you delay buying your child a smart phone (i.e. a supercomputer in the pocket) as well (Sarah at vakkurstudio@me.com). See ScreenStrong.com or the same group on Facebook for more information on why they highly recommend Gabb phones that are talk / text only. https://gabbwireless.com
|
|
Wooden Play Stands, Cradle, Trucks, Toys and Stokke Chair
from Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)
Beautiful wooden toys gently used for sale. Playstands, cradles, American door wheelchair, red Stokke high chair and more! Our family will donate all funds from raised to WWS Annual Fund and the Jane Goodall Institute/Roots and Shoots. Please see the list of items at this link. If you are interested please contact Theodora Scarato at theodorams@aol.com.
|
|
WWS Family Looking for a Nanny
from Christiam Camacho (WWS Parent)
We are looking for a caring, responsible nanny for our toddler to help with all aspects of childcare as well as developmental activities (crafts, puzzles, music, etc.). Must speak either Spanish or Russian, as well as working-level English. Looking for someone fully vaccinated, with their own car, with good references from previous employers. Experience as preschool teacher/assistant and CPR/First Aid certificates would be an advantage.
Around 30-33 hrs per week on weekdays. Additional hours on weekends possible by mutual agreement. If you have any recommendations, please let me know at christiam@hotmail.com.
|
|
Part Time Help Needed
from Michael Danzansky (WWS Parent)
Are you passionate about supporting children's wellbeing and emotional health? I am looking for some part time help (paid) with a project for adolescents around self compassion. Work involves research, making connections, and marketing.
|
|
MCDOT - Bicycle Donation Drive - Community Service Month
Friday, October 8 from 7am – 2pm
shared by Bonnie McClelland (WWS Alum & Faculty)
Do you have an extra bicycle you no longer need?
On Friday, October 8, Montgomery County's Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will once again sponsor a bike collection drive during this year's Community Service Month.
Donated child and adult bikes will be accepted from 7:00am to 2:00pm on Friday, October 8, 2021. (No bike parts or bike helmets, please)
Donations will go to the Rockville Bike Hub, a non-profit organization whose volunteers refurbish the bikes and give them to low-income residents throughout the County, through Rockville's Terrific Kids and MCDOT's Bike Match MoCo programs.
Location: Montgomery County Council Office Building Parking Garage at the corner of East Jefferson Street and Monroe Street in Rockville.
|
|
Christian Community Rite of Passage/Confirmation Class
from Carol Petrash (Former WWS Faculty and Alumni Parent)
Warm greetings to the Waldorf community from the Greater Washington - Baltimore Christian Community! We are holding regular services, following COVID safety protocols, in the chapel on our beautiful property, which includes a biodynamic garden, in College Park, MD and wanted to let you know about a rite of passage opportunity for your middle school aged children. The Christian Community is a worldwide movement for religious renewal that was founded in the early part of the 20th century by a group of clergy with the help of Rudolf Steiner.
This fall, Rev. Emma Heirman (WWS Alum 2003) and her husband Rev. Matthias Giles will offer a yearlong class for 7th and 8th graders, leading to confirmation for the 8th graders in the spring of 2022. This is an opportunity for the young people to meet and talk about life questions in the context of faith and a non dogmatic Christian view of the world. You do not need to be members of the Christian Community for your children to attend these gatherings.
For further information about any of our offerings, please contact our priests:
I would also gladly speak with anyone who has an interest in the confirmation classes (all three of our children were confirmed) or the Christian Community in general.
|
|
Published by the Washington Waldorf School
Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved
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."
|
|
Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road,
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-6107
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Washington Small Schools Association
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
