Last Thursday, renowned composer Jim Papoulis was in residence at WWS working with our Grade 8 students as part of their music composition year with Dr. Melissa Chavez. During the residency day, they wrote an original choral anthem and recorded the vocal tracks with the Grade 7 & 8 Chamber Choir. Mr. Papoulis has taken the vocal tracks back to his studio in NY where he will mix in the instrumentals and percussion over the coming weeks before sending us a finished recording!  Students generated the structure, poetry, and some rhythms for the song. They had a fascinating firsthand view into the creative process of Mr. Papoulis as he brainstormed various melody and harmony options for consideration. It was an exciting collaboration, and there is even a possibility that the song will be published at a later date, with our school name on the score!  

We are thrilled that he visited and worked with our students!

About Jim Papoulis

Papoulis has made significant contributions to choral music by revitalizing the choral repertoire with songs whose roots are classical and world, with voicing that incorporates lead vocalists with choirs, vocal percussion, and world rhythms. Waldorf education has been an important part of his life, with his children in the Rudolf Steiner school in Manhattan, and also touring with a eurhythmy dance group conducting orchestras with the dancers in the U.S. and Europe. He firmly believes that music can heal, educate, celebrate, and empower the lives of children.

Through the Foundation for Small Voices he has conducted songwriting workshops with choirs from the United States, China, Japan, Tanzania, Mexico, Kenya, Newfoundland, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Haiti, England, Norway, Canada, Spain, Italy, Kenya, Uganda, Turkey, Brazil, France, Ireland, Bosnia, Jordan, Australia, Holland, Dubai, and Greece.

He has worked with choirs and ensembles on all continents and from all walks of life, and has also worked with: Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Beyonce, the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Boys Choir, London Symphony, Beijing Children's Choir, Faith Hill, Natalie Cole, Snoop Dogg, Imagine Dragons,Tokyo String Quartet, Moscow Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, and New World Symphony.

Last Friday and Saturday our students participated in the middle school basketball tournament known as the "Friendship Games" at Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, New York. This is a long standing tradition for our school and a wonderful opportunity for our students to connect with other Waldorf students from schools in the Northeast region. The participating schools included Kimberton (PA), Baltimore (MD), Brooklyn (NY), Steiner (NYC), Hawthorne Valley (NY), Green Meadow (NY), Berkshire (MA), and of course our own WWS Hawks!

The tournament was a blast, and so was the dance on Friday night! There was a buzz around school this week from those who played and those who went to cheer on the teams, and many students have sported their "Friendship Games" T-shirts, pj bottoms, and hoodies.

Grades 7 & 8 teachers Stephanie Dorius, Jennifer Robinson, and Sarah Heirman (who all attended as chaperones) commented how very impressed they were with the focus and dedication of the students, even as they were exhausted by the intense social engagement and physical demands of the tournament. What a fun and challenging growth experience!

Our WWS Red-Tailed Hawks had a strong showing:

Game 1: Girls vs. Kimberton 6 - 15

Game 2: Boys vs. Baltimore 38 - 32

Game 3: Girls vs. Brooklyn 14 - 6

Game 4: Boys vs. Hawthorne Valley 32 - 17

Game 5: Girls vs. Steiner 12 - 4

Game 6: Boys vs. Green Meadow 25 - 28

Congratulations to all of the players and an extra shout out to our very own Diarmuid (G8) who won the free throw competition!

We are reopening our Request for Proposal (RFP) for Financial Advisor Services for the school. Qualified providers are invited to submit their proposals by February 23, 2024. For any questions related to the RFP, please email ltrue@washingtonwaldorf.org.

Read the RFP

Summer camp registration is open!

Have you checked out our summer camp offerings yet? A Bike Camp was just added for ages 11-14.

Registration has been open for a week and we will now start to actively promote the camps to the wider DC area community. Make sure to register soon!

For camp related questions, please contact camps@washingtonwaldorf.org.

February

6/ Tuesday

• Middle School (G 6-8) Parent/Guardian Meeting, 7pm

7/ Wednesday

• CG - G5 Tour for Prospective Families, 9am

8/ Thursday

• G6 Circus Performance, 4pm

9-11/ Friday-Sunday

• Kimberton Basketball Tournament - High School Not in Session

13/ Tuesday

• Middle/High School Tour for Prospective Families, 9am

15/ Thursday

• Senior Night Basketball Games

16/ Friday

• No School for the Children's Garden & Lower School / CG & LS Parent-Teacher Conferences (as needed)
• 12:30 Dismissal for the High School

19-20/ Monday-Tuesday

• No School

21/ Wednesday

• Trustees Council Meeting, 7pm

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

We are pleased to announce that registration is open for a winter session of our Parent-Child classes. There are two spots left!

Parent-Child Classes will be held on Saturdays, Feb 3 - March 9, 9:30am-11:30am. This session is for children aged 18 to 36 months. The class is taught by Katrina Hampton, whom many of you know from her years in our kindergarten and first grade classrooms. 

Please reach out to enrollment@washingtonwaldorf.org with any questions.

Do you want to help out with the WWS Spring Gala?

We are recruiting Buy-In Party hosts to create experiences based on their talents and interests. Are you great at entertaining? Do you have a skill or craft you would like to teach others? Or would you just love to throw a dinner party for a good cause? Past Buy-In Parties included walking tours, family cookouts, classes, dinners, and children’s activities. If you are interested in hosting a Buy-In Party for our Spring Gala, please fill out the Gala Buy-In Party Donation Form. 

If you have questions, or are interested in hosting, but can’t decide what kind of experience you would like to host, we can help! Please email Meg Kneisl, Assistant Director of Development and Events.

This year’s Spring Gala will also include an exclusive Wine Cellar Silent Auction. Please help us by donating a bottle (or bottles!) of your favorite wine for others to bid on and enjoy. If you would like to donate, please fill out our Wine Donation Form. All donations should be brought to the Front Desk in a bag labeled with the donor’s name so they can be properly stored and their donation credited by the Development Office. If you have any questions about donating wine to the Wine Cellar Silent Auction, please email Meg Kneisl, Assistant Director of Development and Events.

Grade 6 Circus

Thursday, Feb 8 at 4pm

All are invited to a community performance of the Grade 6 Circus. The class has been hard at work building coordination, dexterity, balance, focus, concentration, and pushing past comfort zones!

Senior Night

*NEW DATE* Thursday, Feb 15

Please note that Senior Night has been rescheduled from Feb 2 to Feb 15. Game schedule will be annouced soon.

We hope you will join us in the John & Mary Brauer Gym to celebrate our senior players and their parents as their high school basketball careers come to an end.

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

Building Bridges Program - Coming to the Baltimore/DC Area in March

We are delighted to announce the start of our Building Bridges Program in the Baltimore/DC region starting on March 9, 2024! Building Bridges sessions are designed as engaging and inspiring in-person learning experiences consisting of a series of workshops designed to introduce the anthroposophical foundations of Waldorf education through study, group discussion, and the practice of the arts. With in-person long weekends, supplemented with some virtual learning, participants in Building Bridges will earn the equivalent of the first semester of teacher education and, upon subsequent entry in Antioch University, can be awarded 7 graduate credits in advance standing.

Who should consider Building Bridges?

1. Part-time teachers already in a Waldorf school who might want to move towards full-time work as class teachers, subject teachers, or a high school training through CfA.
2. Parents in area Waldorf schools who are considering Waldorf teaching and see BB as a “try us out” opportunity.
3. Public school teachers looking to make a career change.

Participants need to have completed our Explorations (formerly Foundation Studies) Program or demonstrate equivalency through life experience and/or willingness to do the online courses simultaneously with the face-to-face BB courses. Tuition and schedules are on the website. We offer group discounts for three or more from one school.

Learn More & Register

ARTIST OPPORTUNITY: Exhibit Your Work at Main Street Gallery

From Barb Bancroft, Alum Family & Faculty

Main Street Apartments in Rockville is an inclusive community that brings together people with and without disabilities. You can see a little bit more about this wonderful community on their website.

Main Street typically has a resident artist who can display their works in the building and is expected to conduct two seminars over the course of several months. One is an introductory Zoom event to discuss your work, inspirations, influences, processes etc. The second is a hands-on workshop in the medium of your art for the building residents. This is a truly exceptional community and teaching here is tremendously rewarding and fun! Take a look at the information sheet attached and to reach out if you are interested.

The current artist had to withdraw unexpectedly, and they are seeking someone who can jump in quickly to fill the void. I think they’d be delighted to hear from artists who are available later in the year as well. You can contact Sharon at SharonC@mainstreetconnect.org and Isabel at IsabelG@mainstreetconnect.org to express interest and for more information. Learn more about the exhibition program at Main Street.

Service Opportunity In Georgetown

From Jennifer Page, Alum Parent & Former Faculty

I am sharing a service opportunity open to adults and HS students. It's cooking/hosting/serving a meal for unhoused friends in Georgetown run through the Georgetown Ministry Center which works with the homeless population in the Georgetown/GW area (I’m on the Board). The dinners will be served in the big activity room at St. John's Episcopal Church in Georgetown, but the dinners are not religious activities.

Dates: weekdays February 5-23 4-6pm with setup beginning at 3pm. 

If HS students are interested, I will commit to meeting with them ahead of time and being present with them on the evening they choose to serve.

Learn More & Sign Up

Best to everyone!

Jennifer

Acupuncture and Massage in Arlington, VA

From Tova Steiner, Alum Parent

Hello! My name is Tova Steiner, mother of former WWS student Molly Bishop. I am a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist. If you are looking for an integrative way to approach a health concern, acupuncture and massage are wonderful complements to other health approaches. Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and other emotional concerns, hormonal and reproductive issues, and many other conditions. I would love to help you address any health concerns you might have. I am located in the Old Dominion neighborhood of Arlington.

You can contact me with questions about my services or take a look at my website www.innerpasswellness.com

The Sword, The Pen, and The Arrow

Spacial Dynamics Summer Program Ages 11-16

From Judith Graff, Faculty & Alum Family

The fire of fencing

The lightness of the pen

The flash of the arrow

Freedom is born out of form and function

The young individual will be introduced to the disciplines of fencing, writing, and archery where goal-orientedness, word-smithing and social interaction pave the paths for sovereignty, inventiveness, and independence. The elegance, expression, and exactness of these three disciplines will remain with your child long after they have returned home from this life-altering experience. 

This unique summer program is designed to give middle schoolers, girls and boys ages 11 through 16, an invaluable experience that will last a lifetime.

Learn More & Register

Free Books from Ronald Oechsler

From Ronald Oechsler, Alum Family & Former Faculty

I have 17 classic Steiner and Waldorf education books that are available for free to a good home. Contact me at ronexx8@gmail.com if you are interested. See photo for the titles.

Play Workshop for "Grown-Ups"

From Liz Hagerman, Alum Family & Former Faculty

Hi WWS friends! I wanted to let you know I'm offering a Play workshop for "grown-ups" on Saturday, Feb 3 from 9:30-noon at The Center For Family Well-being (right next door to Comet Pizza in NW DC). Fee is $65. It's for teachers, child therapists, parents, and any grown-ups who want to re-ignite their playfulness.

In this 2 ½ hour workshop, you’ll come home to the natural reservoir of play within you by reacquainting yourself with the playfulness, creativity, and lightness that has never left you.

Register online or if you want to ask me more about it, email me at liz@centerforfamilywellbeing.com or call/text 301-233-7264.

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Series In Person: Walking & More

From Alison Babil, WWS Alum Parent

In Person Classes at the Carderock Springs Clubhouse

Seven Thursdays, Jan 18 - Feb 29, 10-11:15 am.

Walking is an essential movement that involves a high degree of coordination. This Feldenkrais® series will focus on bringing comfort and efficiency to walking and running for improved balance, grounding, posture, and overall well-being. Feldenkrais ATM classes are an incredible tool for gently transforming pain, tension, and movement challenges. Each class takes the student through a series of movements which create new pathways in the brain and body. The aim is greater freedom in one's body and life.

"Feldenkrais works from the inside out. I've found it to be extremely beneficial mentally, physically, and emotionally" -- B. G., Owner, Spiritual Silks

$125.  

First class free for newcomers.

For more information and Registration:  

Email Alison: alison@truenorthhealing.com 

• Discounted rate for Carderock Springs members.
• A limited number of discounted slots available for those who truly need it.
• Participants are welcome to join after the start of the series.
• Another series will begin after this one. The next series will be Feldenkrais for Stress & Anxiety. 
• No refunds or transfers after your first class regardless of illness or pandemic.

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® Series: Online

Feldenkrais Classes for Melting Freeze with Maintain Alignment

Free Introduction Class

Wednesday, January 24th, 12:30 - 1:30 EST

Zoom link for free class:  Zoom link

Freeze shows up in many ways in the body, mind, and heart. These classes will gently meet and transform patterns of freeze and tension. 

"Since the Feldenkrais class with Alison I have more energy, strength, mobility, and presence. This is such powerful work. THANK YOU Alison!" -- Feldenkrais for Melting Freeze Participant

Four Seasonal Feldenkrais Series through 2024.  

Topics include:  Breath, Posture, Walking, Early Developmental Movement. Topics will interconnect. Sign up for one or all four at a discount.  

Learn More & Register

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

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