from Jennifer Page

As a child, Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday of the year. My mother made her cranberry Jell-O salad with cream cheese and walnut topping, my sister and I made the mashed potatoes, and my father and grandfather carved the turkey and washed all the dishes. Most importantly, my grandmother made the gravy, using the secrets her mother had passed down to her. There was always a jigsaw puzzle set up in the family room, and friendly disagreements took place about who would win the Ohio State – Michigan game (my mother was a graduate of Ohio State). Thanksgiving meant family, tradition, working together, and passing on recipe secrets. My grandmother and mother are no longer with us, but their family traditions, including gravy-making, are still part of this holiday.

As I reflect on the current state of the world, I am grateful for the many blessings my family and I enjoy. But I am confronted by the knowledge that there are many who are not so blessed. So many are hungry, ill, homeless, persecuted, and victims of oppression and injustice. Many suffer simply because of the color of their skin, their religion, or their gender identity. This Thanksgiving, in the midst of our family celebrations and expressions of gratitude, may we take time to remember those who cannot participate in such celebrations. May we take that remembrance and turn it into effective, transformative action in the world. Our knowing, remembering, and action can be the midwife of hope. Hope, in the words of Jane Goodall:

"We pray…that we may become ever more filled with generosity of spirit and true compassion and love for all life;…that we may value each and every human being for who he is, for who she is, reaching to the spirit that is within, knowing the power of each individual to change the world.…that we may learn to take nothing for granted in this life; that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;…We pray because of the hope that is within us, and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.... We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world." - excerpt from A Prayer for World Peace by Jane Goodall.

The Bazaar Coordinators would like to give a hearty and heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make the 2019 - 50th Fall Bazaar a huge success! 

 

From our  Children’s Garden faculty puppeteers  and story tellers to  Susan and Joel Fuller  and our array of bistro entertainers; from  Bonnie McClelland  and her careful organization of the high school volunteers to  Lisa Bechmann  and Stacey Kornegay  and their attention to detail with childcare arrangements; from  Carla Wheeler ,  Sarah Heirman, Christen Leonard , and  Shelly Hackman  and the high school students who staffed the Patisserie to  Carolyn Crouch  and  Serafina Orobello  who seamlessly coordinated the Bistro; from  Chef Eron  and his cadre of volunteers in the kitchen to our tireless Director of Events & Community Relations,  Maria Monteverde-Jackson ; from  Craig Ludtke  who took care of our technology and power needs and countless facilities issues to the powerhouses of finance -  Leila True and Marie Mauer  - who stayed late to crunch numbers; from  Jane Christenson  for setting up the sound and helping with costumes and activity set up to  Aglaia Benni  for her inspired décor and management of the Middle School Hangout; from our dedicated handwork team led by  Christine Tomassen and from  Judith Graff  for setting up and spending the day overseeing the goings on in the Waldorf Store to Eli Turner who took photos; from our fearless activity coordinators - Rachel Rudy ,  Adrianna Gomez,   Tara Fathabadi, Shannon Skowronski, Glennys Kramer, Helga Dimmer, Cate Gaffney, Laurence Gingold, Jennie Rabinowitz, Lisa Catalone-Castro, Rodolfo Castro, Ali Southall, Bronwen Brown, Hilary Robert,   Geoff Baker ,  Jamal and Kate Kadri, Virginia Ibarra  and  Jen Liebreich  - who made sure their activities opened on time, ran smoothly all day long and left children with a smiling face and warm heart - to  Carolina Carvalho Cheida , Kelly Foster, Sarah Vakkur  and Susan Holdsworth  of the POSC  who made sure each activity was staffed and happily jumped in and helped wherever a hand was needed... and to  each and every parent who contributed their time and energy.

...and, from Maria Monteverde-Jackson:

On behalf of the school and the parent community, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to JC Forgotson and Vanessa Beckman for their unwavering dedication to this year’s fall bazaar. At every turn, they met challenges and took on more work to produce an extremely organized and smoothly run bazaar. JC and Vanessa have co-chaired the fall bazaar for the last three years and we are immensely grateful for their grace, tireless enthusiasm, and commitment. Brava! I would also like to thank the POSC, Sarah Vakkur, Kelly Foster, Carolina Carvalho Cheida and Susan Holdsworth for their willingness to roll up their sleeves and help JC and Vanessa with bazaar preparations and on setup day and the day of the bazaar.

Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar

You can view the calendar online either on the website , in ParentSquare , or in the BigSis portal (these 3 platforms are automatically synced from the same calendar). **If you use the .pdf version of the calendar, please check in from time to time to make sure you have the most up to date version!**

Tues, Dec 3 - 8:30-11am & 2:30-3:30pm

Wed, Dec 4 - 8:30-10am & 2:30-3:30pm

Thurs, Dec 5 - 8:30-10am & 2:30-3:30pm

Fri, Dec 6 - 8:30-10am

Were you too busy to take a leisurely stroll through the Waldorf Store on the day of the Bazaar? It is not too late! The Waldorf Store will be holding its annual after sale in the WWS lobby. All the store inventory will be set up for parents and faculty to peruse. The store will be open for 4 days only. Please stop by to see all the lovely items! 

Winter Parent-Child Classes are enrolling now!

Pass the word on to any families you think might be interested...

https://www.washingtonwaldorf.org/curriculum/parent-child-classes/

Moon Garden - Parent & Mobile Baby (crawling babies to confident walking)

Dates: January 7 – February 11

Time: Tuesdays, 11:00 AM -12:15 PM 

Star Garden - Parent & Toddler (16 months to 2 years)

Dates: January 7 – February 11

Time: Tuesdays, 8:45 AM – 10:30 AM 

Sun Garden - Parent & Child (2 and 3 years)

Dates: January 6 – February 10 (No Class January 20)

Time: Mondays, 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM 

Order our new logo full-zip hoodie sweatshirts or pullover hoodie sweatshirts for $30 each. Orders must be received by 8pm on December 2 . Orders will be available for pick-up at the School on December 18.

Remember to place your order by December 2!

We welcome submissions of community news, items for sale, want ads, etc. Please keep notices to 500 characters or less. Listings will likely be edited. Please  submit listings  by COB Tuesdays with the subject "Bulletin Submission." Bulletin Board notices generally run for 3 weeks - if space allows - unless other arrangements have been made. There is no charge for listings.  

Acorn Hill Adult Ed: Smooth & Easy Transitions with Young Children

Thurs, Dec 5 - 7:30-9pm

Side-step power struggles and increase your enjoyment of your children with tried-and-true methods to help transitions go smoothly. Whether trying to get out the door, leaving a fun activity, or doing something your child would rather not, Faith’s workshop will leave you with practical tools and new energy to help your days go more smoothly.

Faith Collins is a parenting coach, public speaker, and author of the book Joyful Toddlers & Preschoolers: Create a Life that You and Your Child Both Love. She teaches for a LifeWays North America and runs outdoor parent-child classes in her Plavy Garden. She lives with her husband and daughter in Denver, CO. Learn more .

Please register to reserve you spot!

From Estonia to Australia -

A Sunday Storytelling with Sarah Vakkur ( WWS Parent ) to honor her father (who fled from Estonia) and her late mother (from Australia)

This Sunday, Dec 1 - in the WWS Library at 4pm 

Please email Sarah if you are interested so she knows how many chairs to set up and how much vegetarian chili to cook. (Light refreshments to be served after the story for social time.) 

If you are a parent or faculty member with a story to share as well, please join us so we can share info on collecting family stories!

Notes: This story takes place during WWII so is suitable for high schoolers and adults. The event will end at 5:30pm, latest, including the social time.

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

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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."