Weekly Bulletin - June 10, 2020
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The WWS
Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice
joins with protesters across the world demanding an end to systemic anti-Black racism and the murder of Black people in the hands of the police. Our Committee’s mission weighs heavily in this moment. We remain committed to the important work of lifting up marginalized voices. This work rests on undoing the many ways in which whiteness is privileged in our society—whiteness, as James Baldwin noted, being a metaphor for power, for who and what is deemed to hold worth, and hence influence, for whose lives, histories, and experiences are prioritized, seen, and heard.
We ask our community to join in these efforts as we continue next year creating spaces to deepen our own learning and in advocating for institutional transformation around equity and social justice at WWS. A hub for social justice resources will soon be available here. In this moment as we stand with Black Lives Matter, we offer here these supportive tools in the ongoing critical work of anti-racist practice:
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Article From the 5th Grade Newspaper
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Maisy (5th Grade), author of the article above, protesting.
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Photo from Jennifer Page as she walked the fence line in front of the White House.
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Katea Stitt (WWS Alumni Parent and member of the WWS Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice) motivates a group of protesters at the newly named Black Lives Matter Plaza in DC.
Read more at DCist.com
.
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Closing Out the School Year
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This morning there was a virtual assembly marking our last day of this extraordinary school year. The lower school faculty presented gifts from their classes to the classes rising into their current grade. There were musical presentations from the high school chamber singers as well as the drumming, guitar, and string ensembles.
The faculty & staff usually send the students out from the school year with a choral offering. Thanks to Nevin Bender and Daniel Sohn for helping us continue this tradition virtually. We offer it here to the whole community with hope for courage and strength as we move through these times of challenge, turmoil, learning, and communal - if distanced - growth.
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Congratulations to our 8th grade class on the celebration of their commencement last Friday, June 5.
The first photo here was a tribute from the class for their class teacher of 8 years, Dawn Tanner, who woke one morning to find these smiling faces on her lawn.
The Zoom photo shows the class gathered for the virtual commencement. The students and Ms. Tanner shared remembrances and gratitude and each student had received a commencement certificate in advance. We are excited to see how these students continue to grow and shine through their high school journeys.
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ONE
FUND Challenge Grants
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Dear WWS Community - if you are in a position to do so, please give today to support the Washington Waldorf School
ONE
FUND
. Your gift will help unlock a possible total of $60,000 in matching gifts provided by two generous donors.
$50,000 Match
Every new or increased gift received
between June 1 and June 30
from current student families, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends will be matched 1:1.
$10,000 Alumni Gift Matching
Alumni gifts will help unlock a $10,000 challenge grant for WWS. All alumni gifts received
between June 1 and June 30
will be matched 2:1.
You can also
text to give
by texting “
wws1969
” to
56651
.
Thank you for your support of the WWS mission.
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*New Virtual Summer Camps*
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We are offering Virtual Camps starting June 22.
We plan to offer On-Campus Camps starting the week of July 6.
On-campus camps will move forward ONLY if we are in "Phase 2" of the reopening phase for Montgomery County and by following the CDC recommendations and other health experts, which we will be watching closely.
Please note that registration is currently suspended and not all camps are posted yet. More information and registration will be available by the end of this week. Thank you for your patience!
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Building Bridges - Waldorf Training
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Interested in learning more about Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy from some of the leading adult educators? Are you yearning to explore the possibility of becoming a Waldorf teacher, but not wanting to travel from home? Then the Building Bridges Program is for you. With enough interest, we plan to offer the program during the fall.
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Thank You to Our Volunteers!
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We would like to thank all of our parent volunteers this year for the many ways you helped - whether it was in the classroom, the library, the kitchen, at craft & conversation, or preparing and running events. Parents do a lot of heavy lifting (literally!) and we are endlessly grateful for your shared time, talents and support.
In particular, we would like to recognize our '19-'20 Parent Organization Steering Committee: Sarah Vakkur, Susan Holdsworth, Kelly Foster, Carolina Cheida, Amanda Morrison, and Yvonne Rock Takahashi.
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Last Call for Thank You Notes or Artwork
Thank you to all the parents and students who have submitted beautiful notes and artwork for the Community Thank You Project! Each one is a gift, together they are a beautiful varied treasure, thank you. If you have any questions or still want to participate, please contact Sarah at
vakkurstudio@me.com
*The final deadline to submit will be Thursday, June 11 at 12pm! *
NOTE: If we received your note or artwork we will send you an e-mail today with the subject line “CONFIRMATION". It includes a quick question. Please contact
Sarah at
vakkurstudio@me.com
if you sent in a note but do not receive the confirmation e-mail.
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POSC Openings for Next Year
Are you a parent who thought this year how special our community is and you would like to help parents connect next year? Or maybe you want to get a little more involved at WWS? The Parent Organization Steering Committee (POSC) is seeking a few new members for next year. We want to have a diverse group of parents, so please consider joining even if you work full time or have young children at home. We can work with your schedule and it is a wonderful opportunity to help WWS and the parent community. Please email
posc@washingtonwaldorf.org
if you are interested or with questions!
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Parent List Serve
The WWS parent list serve is a great place to share info and ask other parents for resources etc. It will be a great place to stay connected this summer with other WWS parents!
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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. 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.
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Together While Apart Podcasts + Art of Gathering
shared by the POSC
If you are interested in how communities like WWS stay connected while apart (or even how we can better connect when not apart) you may enjoy this website
https://www.priyaparker.com
where you will find good information, including a NYT podcast “Together While Apart” . If you are a parent who is interested in this subject and wants to help us stay connected next year, please send a note to
posc@washingtonwaldorf.org
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Looking for meaningful, socially distanced activities for your children this summer?
Check out BY OUR HANDS knitting and other handwork classes. Victoria Mansuri (
WWS Alum '88 and long time Waldorf Teacher
) brings online handwork to your children. Classes incorporate finger exercises, verses, stories, songs, and of course, handwork. Adult classes offered as well, such as Knitting Siblings, Sip and Knit, and Date Knit.
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Logo by Gloria Leon (
former WWS Teacher and Parent
)
" . . . . learn to knit by zoom from my fun, creative, master knitter and Waldorf teacher friend Victoria. [She's] super good with kids". ~ Marilyn Noguera (
WWS Parent
)
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Coronavirus Children's Books by WWS Alum
Isabelle Rowe (
WWS Alum '02
) has written two children's books that she
hopes help parents, caregivers and teachers talk to their children about COVID-19 and all of the feelings that come with it.
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Article: Art in time of Crisis - Raphael’s ‘Healing’ Madonna
from Julian Paine (WWS High School Teacher)
Please enjoy this meditation on the most famous of Raphael's 'healing' Madonnas - quite ubiquitous in Waldorf schools on both sides of the Atlantic it seems. As Steiner intended an image like this one to be therapeutic, I thought this challenging time would be suitable moment to offer it for the community.
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Learn Irish fiddle, flute, tin whistle, bodhran (Irish drum) and guitar this summer!
Discover the joy of traditional Irish music in small group lessons via Zoom! Learn traditional Irish jigs, reels and hornpipes with a small group (3-5) of your friends
and classmates.
Tunes will be taught traditionally - by ear. Recordings will be provided at least a week in advance and sheet music will be made available as a follow up or all melody instruments.
Deepen your listening skills, sharpen your ear, gain new technique and have fun learning to play traditional Irish music!
Tuition: 10 classes beginning the week of June 15 through end of summer = $225
Minimum three people per class and no more than five. Exact schedule TBD per
group. Financial aid available if needed.
Stay well and safe this summer and keep music alive in your hearts & homes!
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Published by the Washington Waldorf School
Copyright © 2020 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."
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Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road,
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-6107
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