As many of you know, WWS is in the process of building a Gym. The realization of this vision, a long time in the making, is made possible thanks to alum parent and lead donor, Brad Clark, as well as the 148 donors who have joined the campaign. To date, we have raised over $6.7 million, and are officially in the final stretches of our campaign!

The Gym construction remains on schedule, with a goal of final completion by August 2023. Recent construction milestones include the beginning of the exterior wall insulation, and framing for interior walls. 

We will continue to post updates here as the year moves along, and welcome any questions you may have. If you would like to learn more about the Gym construction or the Room to Move campaign, please contact Director of Development and Alum Relations, Stephanie Hanson.

Exterior - This picture was taken from the middle of the north side of the old blacktop looking towards the back corner of the school near the high school offices.

Interior view of the walkway between the future basketball court (right) and the locker rooms, offices and a classroom (left).

Congrats to the High School Boys Basketball team for finishing first in the PVAC South Division! With a league record of 10-4, this is the first time the boys team has finished first in the South Division.

From Micah Bump

Waldorf high school students from Toronto, Green Meadow, New York City, Garden City, Hawthorne Valley, Kimberton, and Washington gathered to compete (and dance!) at the annual Kimberton High School Basketball Tournament this past weekend.

The WWS Boys played their hearts out, winning against Kimberton and NYC Steiner before coming up just short against Garden City in a thrilling Saturday night contest. The WWS Girls also went 2-1 in group play and made it to the Sunday morning championship game where they fell to a talented Kimberton squad.

WWS students also shone individually as senior Owen Benson and his hot hand won the three-point contest by a wide margin and senior Catalina del Villar Bump led the Toronto/Washington/Green Meadow All-Star team to a buzzer-beating victory in the Girls All-Star game. Special thanks to Coach Taisto Saloma, the faculty, and the families who made this event so much fun. Go Hawks!

Thanks to Micah Bump for the write-up and photos!

February

16/ Thursday

• G3 Parent/Guardian Evening, 7:30pm

17/ Friday

• NO CLASSES - Parent Teacher Conferences

18/ Saturday

• G1 Parent/Guardian Meeting, 9am

20/ Monday

• NO CLASSES - Presidents Day

21/ Tuesday

• Trustees Council Meeting, 7pm

22/ Wednesday

• WWS Morning Tour, 9am

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2022-2023 School Year

Alum Social Networking Hour: Athletics in Your Life

Sponsored by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)

Thursday, Feb 23 at 7:30 pm EST

Join us for an evening of socializing and networking on the topic of Athletics. 

• How did Athletics at Waldorf influence you in your life and work? 
• Did participating in team sports have an impact on your life? 
• Do you work in the field of Athletics? 
• Do you devote a substantial part of your life to healthy, active living? 
• Share how your life has benefitted from the athletic activity you do.

Registration required.

You are invited to share about your alma mater with current WWS high school students.

We are in the process of planning a "College Connections Fair" for the benefit of our high school students to be held at school on Wednesday, March 29 from Noon to 1:15 pm. The purpose of this in-house fair will be to allow members of our community to share their personal experiences at their alma maters with our students who are eager to learn about universities or other institutions of higher education such as service academies, art colleges, conservatories of music, etc. Please note: this is to be an informal event and official representatives of colleges or educational programs are not participating.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form to RSVP by March 15.

Contact Aleksey Gibson, College Advisor, with any questions: agibson@washingtonwaldorf.org.

REMINDER: Connecting sitters from the WWS community with families seeking them -- we have an email group list for this purpose!

• If you are SEEKING a sitter, DO NOT join the group. Instead, send an email to WWSsitters@groups.io with your job posting, and sitters will respond directly to you if they are interested.
• If YOU ARE A SITTER and would like to receive job postings, visit https://groups.io/g/WWSsitters and click "Join this Group" at the bottom of the page.
• WWS students may participate only with their parents' / guardians' permission.

As announced last week, the “Views of Splendor: Washington Waldorf Spring Gala” will take place in the evening on Saturday, April 15. This year, the Gala is located at Top of the Town in Arlington, Virginia boasting spectacular views of DC’s monuments.

In addition to attending the Gala, there are a few ways you can participate in the preparations:

Contribute to your Class Basket

Each class K-8 and the High School is being asked to put together a themed basket to support the Gala. Each basket will be raffled off at the Gala. You need not attend the Gala to win a basket. Look for communication through the PLG and your class parent about how you can contribute.

Attend or Host a Buy-In Party

A Buy-In Party is an activity with a set ticket price and date. Anyone can buy a ticket—it is first come, first served. The Buy-In Parties will represent a broad range of interests and ticket prices. Past Buy-In Parties include walking tours, family cookouts, classes, dinners, and children’s activities. Want to organize or sponsor an event? Contact Maria Monteverde-Jackson via email at gala@washingtonwaldorf.org. You may also download the host form and return it to Maria.

Event Sponsorship

If you own a business or are closely associated with one, please contact the Development Office if the business is interested in sponsorship and/or advertising in the Gala program. Business sponsorships begin at $500.

If you know someone outside the immediate WWS community (including friends and grandparents) who might be interested in attending the Gala, send the person’s name and email address to gala@washingtonwaldorf.org. We will add them to the invitation list!

WWS and the Undoing Racism Working Group are hosting an in-person Undoing Racism Workshop, led by PISAB at WWS

Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5, from roughly 9am-5pm.

The workshop is almost full, and we will form a waitlist for those interested.

Please contact Jesse Travis or Dini Rao at jessetravis@gmail.com or dinivrao@gmail.com for additional details.

Employment Opportunities

Current Open Positions:

• Assistant Director of Development, Community and Alum Events
• High School Spanish Teacher
• Class Teacher – First Grade
• Assistant Math Teacher (Grades 4-8)

Learn more and share with any strong candidates you may know:

https://www.washingtonwaldorf.org/about/employment/

Spread the word about WWS Summer Camps for ages 3-18!

Camp offerings include:

• Children's Garden Camps
• Biking Camps
• Maker Camps
• Writing Camps
• Vocal Arts Camp
• And more...

Learn More & Register

• BigSis Portal - keep your contact information up to date!
• Current Health Policy - updated Aug 29, 2022.
• Lunch program info for current families in ParentSquare.
• Map of the pick up and drop off flow.
• Magnus Portal for student forms.
• Bulletin newsletters.

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

• Children's Garden - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School - Christen Leonard 
• High School - Bonnie McClelland

Household Items & Clothing Donations

Regular Collection at WWS Starting This Weekend

From Robin Leake (WWS Parent)

I am excited to launch a new program called Hearts and Homes. The goal of this project is to collect a wide variety of unneeded household items and clothing to help under-resourced families and keep useful items out of the landfill.

Our first collection drive will take place on Sunday, February 19 from 1-3pm in the WWS parking lot. I hope to see you there!

Read a welcome letter from Robin and see donation guidelines.

Have questions? I’d be happy to help!

robinrleake@gmail.com

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.

Learn more and order on their website.

Social-Emotional Program Recommendation (8-12 year olds)

From Laura McCoy (WWS Parent)

Last year my son took this social-emotional program and he gained so much confidence and self-understanding. In these times our kids need extra support on how to navigate their emotions and close relationships. I can't recommend this enough! 

Now Enrolling: 8-12 yr olds social-emotional group to deepen friendships & learn emotion regulation skills. Registration Closing For Spring Group. View Flyer.

Fill Out Interest Form

Topics Include: Identifying strengths, Recognizing emotions in ourselves, Face & body feeling clues, Intensities of emotion, Individual emotional triggers, How thoughts relate to emotions, Self-calming strategies, Dealing with teasing & bullying, Different levels of friendship, Joining & sustaining play, Conflict resolution for social problems, Conversation skills, Mindfulness, Gratitude, Cultivating a growth mindset.

DC Independent Film Festival Film “Canary in a Gold Mine” 

From Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)

Friday, March 3 at 6:30 pm  

Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St NW

The film, a comedic, dramatic, theatrical journey on a challenging topic - wireless, will be followed by a panel discussion with the Director as well as actor Jonathan Mirin, Dr. Mikhail Kogan, Medical Director of George Washington Center for Integrative Medicine and WWS parent Theodora Scarato of Environmental Health Trust. 

Watch the trailer. 

Tickets at https://dciff-indie.org/#program

The Fatherhood Circle Group for Dads

From Drew Sample (WWS Parent)

The Fatherhood Circle provides guided small groups for dads to de-stress, connect with other thoughtful and motivated dads, and explore some of the most important issues related to fatherhood. Groups convene for a series of five meetings, with new groups starting next week! On Sunday in person in Takoma Park and online on Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons. It's perfect for WWS dads looking to deepen their connection to fatherhood and meet dads like them! 

www.thefatherhoodcircle.com 

(use the code DADBESTIES for a massive discount)

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

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