Winter scene on the Grade 3 chalkboard. Each day the Class Teacher, Wendy Jackson, adds a new element to the scene for the students to discover. The students are also adding their own stars to the sky - one for each member of the class.

If you have been to a game in the new gym, you probably noticed the stunning red-tailed hawk statue that now graces the outdoor gym entrance. The statue was carved for us by Kensington based artist Jason Swain. Jason's work can be seen around the area, particularly throughout Kensington where he lives and works. The wood came from a tree that stood nearby for many years (75?) but that needed to come down to make way for solar panels and an accessible gym entrance. We are grateful to this lovely maple tree which stood tall offering shade on the playground. The cuttings from it made for good climbing and some Michaelmas fun with leaps of courage. Many thanks to Jason for helping us keep a piece of the tree and to repurpose it into a beautiful work of art for the campus. A neighbor reached out to the school the other day to offer appreciation for the lovely addition to the neighborhood.

Dear Washington Waldorf School community members,

Running into the winter break, I know I am feeling anxious and excited for some time off (once I get through the drive to Boston on Saturday)! I sincerely hope that we can all take these two weeks to rest and seek fellowship with the people we love. Knowing your thoughts might be elsewhere, I hope you can also take a moment to read about the work the Trustees Council (TC) has undertaken over the fall.

As you will see in the summary below, these first months of the school year have been full of TC work that will have a real impact on our future: 

• New Head of School (HOS) search - The search committee recently updated the community on the HOS search. As noted there, we anticipate announcing the appointment of the new HOS in the spring.  
• Budget and tuition - At its November meeting, the TC reviewed the school’s projected budget and set tuition for the 2024-25 school year. A letter detailing tuition rates for next year will be sent to the community early in the new year.
• Establishment of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) committee - Like many institutions, WWS has struggled for years with how to promote these core ideas within our community - this is challenging and humbling work. Consistent with The Strategic Plan, we have already completed the important step to conduct an audit of DEIB practices at the school (conducted by Alma Partners, a Waldorf-focused DEIB consultancy), a summary of which will be shared with the entire community before the end of the year. The first task from that audit is to establish a committee to process the audit’s results. This new DEIB committee will be up and running early next year.
• Nominations for new TC members - We are seeking to add 1 or 2 new TC members for the 2024-25 school year; we welcome self-nominations and nominations of other qualified individuals. Please see the School Governance webpage for more details and a nomination form.
• Reaching One Fund goal - The One Fund goal for this school year is $400,000. The Parent Leadership Group (PLG) reported to the TC strong attendance and an uptick in several areas of revenue at the successful Fall Bazaar. The TC Development Committee reports a solid start to the Annual Fund campaign, and has reached out to many members of the community. Thank you to all who have already contributed! The One Fund supports EVERY student and faculty member at the school EVERY day.
• Strategic Plan implementation - Members of the College, TC and staff are doing ongoing work to implement various aspects of The Strategic Plan. The TC is monitoring progress via reports from responsible individuals at its monthly meetings.

The TC would love to see more community members at our meetings to understand what is going on at the school - some of the topics can be dry, but they are essential to our sustained operations and vision - finances, enrollment, DEIB, development, etc.  

On January 23rd at 6pm, ahead of our first 2024 meeting, we’re going to host a casual meet and greet to get to know the TC in the school library. Snacks and drinks will be served! 

2024 meetings, all held in the school library and starting at 7 pm, are:  

• Tuesday, January 23
• Wednesday, February 21 
• Tuesday, March 19 
• Tuesday, April 16 
• Tuesday, May 14
• Tuesday, June 18

I and all the members of the TC join in wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season, however you may celebrate it. As we look forward to a new year full of exciting opportunities for our school, I also look back on 2023 and am grateful for the strength and hard work of this community reflected in all that we have accomplished.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy winter break,

James Wise 

Congratulations to the Grade 8 students and Jennifer Robinson for a wonderful production of A Christmas Carol! The production was charming, funny, and at times chilling... well done! Enjoy these photos from the dress rehearsal.

December

22/ Friday

• 12:30 Dismissal
• Alum Basketball Game & Happy Hour, 4:30-8pm (see below)

**Winter Break Dec 25-Jan 5. Classes Resume Jan 8.**

January

8/ Monday

• Classes Resume

10/ Wednesday

• CG-G5 Tour for Prospective Families, 9am

11/ Thursday

• Middle/High School Tour for Prospective Families, 9am
• Nursery Parent/Guardian Evening, 7:45pm

13/ Saturday

• CG Open House for Prospective Families, 10am

15/ Monday

• No School
• MLK Day of Service, 10am (see below)

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2023-2024 School Year

Join us for a home game in the John & Mary Brauer Gym!

Check the wws website calendar for upcoming games. Home games are marked as "@WWS."

Note that the sports calendars are hidden by default. To view, select a team calendar listed at the top.

Alum Basketball Game & Happy Hour

Friday, Dec 22 from 4:30-8pm

We are hosting our annual Alum Basketball Game in the brand new John and Mary Brauer Gym! The event starts at 4:30 pm and game time is 5:00 pm. A 21+ happy hour with pizza and light refreshments will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Alums should have received an email invite with RSVP options. If you'd like to come and/or you didn't receive an invite, please let us know!

MLK Day of Service

Dear WWS Community,

Please join us for our annual MLK Day of Service on Monday, Jan 15 from 10am-12pm. We will be serving our community by completing five different projects to help those in need: 

1. Sewing fleece scarves for Operation Gratitude
2. Assembling food bags for the P3 program at Food for Others
3. Creating cards for the Nursing Home Card Project
4. Baking cookies to thank Glen Echo volunteer firefighters
5. Giving uplifting feedback on the poetry of incarcerated people in the Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop (high school and adult participants only for this activity, please) 

If you plan to attend, please RSVP by Wednesday, Jan 10. 

If your student would like to participate in the baking project, please sign them up in advance. Spots are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

If you can’t make it, or have another commitment that day, you can still help out in two ways: 

1. We are collecting food for the P3 program at Food for Others. Volunteer to contribute the specific items they have requested for students in the Fairfax County public school system who are experiencing food insecurity. To make a contribution, please sign up in advance and bring items to the Development Office by Friday, Jan 12.

1. Bring in craft supplies for card making, including pretty paper; embellishments like stickers, rhinestones, yarn, or ribbon; and general crafting supplies, like markers, glue, or tape. There will be a collection box in the foyer starting on Monday, Jan 8th for any craft supplies you would like to donate. 

Thank you for lending a helping hand to those in need during our MLK Day of Service! 

Warmly,

Meg Kneisl

Assistant Director of Development and Events

Photos from last year's MLK Day of Service:

New items added to the Gear Shop! 

To purchase items:

• View the Gear Shop inventory.
• Send an email to wwsgearshop@gmail.com that includes the line number of the item(s) you're interested in and/or to see a photo of any items.

If you are a current family - first, check ParentSquare for posts from your teachers, departments (Children's Garden, Lower School, High School), and the administration.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on ParentSquare, please email your department coordinator/administrator or our Operations Manager:

• Children's Garden Coordinator - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School Chair - Janet Dunwoody
• High School Administrator - Bonnie McClelland
• Operations Manager - Laur Garner

Missing Cello

They all look so similar! If you have a 3/4 cello, please check it to see if there is a sticker on the bottom of the cello from Potter's with the SKU #81313-34. We think there may have been a mix-up on campus. 

If you find that you have the missing cello, please write to mametzger@me.com. (...and please look for your correct cello on campus when we come back from break.)  

Thank you!

Fairy Tale Contemplation and Conversation for Adults

From Nancy Foster, WWS Alum/Current Family

The Elves and the Shoemaker

A Fairy Tale Contemplation and Conversation for Adults

Friday, Jan 5 from 7:30-9pm

at Acorn Hill, 9504 Brunett Ave, Silver Spring, MD

Email Nancy to RSVP: nfoster14thst@gmail.com

Message of Thanks from Trina D. Parker, Sister of Stacey Kornegay

As the one year anniversary of Stacey's untimely passing approaches, the holidays and life in general will never be quite the same. But we truly appreciate how the Washington Waldorf School community has embraced us as its own family. We continue to receive calls and text messages from some of you wishing to share a fond memory, a vivid dream, a passing thought of Stacey or simply to check on our well-being. Your genuine good tidings remind us of how you cherished her so.

And now WWS has a gorgeous new gymnasium with beautiful bleachers erected in Stacey's memory. We are extending a huge THANK YOU to Maria Monteverde-Jackson and Jon Jackson for this wonderful gift.

May Stacey's spirit continue to touch your hearts just as it touches ours. We would also like to wish each of you a safe and joyous holiday season.



Go Red-Tailed Hawks!

Sending love and blessings,

The family of Stacey Kornegay (Ricardo Kornegay, Phyllis L. Kornegay and Trina D. Parker)

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