Hello DWS families,

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow! I know there have been some questions and concerns regarding the excessive heat we are experiencing. Please know we are monitoring the weather and AQI closely. We will continue our morning outdoor activities as usual and are planning to move afternoon activities indoors. 

DWS is considered a critical facility and is not subject to rolling blackouts. However, in the event that the school does lose power, we will send a message to all families using our One Call Now emergency alert system asking you to pick up your student. 

Please be sure to pack extra water and ice packs tomorrow to help your child remain cool. 

Thank you,

Jennifer Slater, School Director

Opening Ceremony,

Grades First Day of School

The first day is almost here! On that first morning, each grades student should first go to their classroom at the usual start time. Parents are invited to gather in the Grove where refreshments will be made available. After settling in, the students will head over to the Grove for the Opening Ceremony.

The Ceremony is scheduled from 8:45 to 9:30 am. Parents and siblings are welcome to attend. During the ceremony, each grades teacher will speak about their class, 8th Grade and 1st Grade buddies will be presented, and the Rose and Sunflower Ceremonies will occur.

Aftercare Updates

• Sunflower Aftercare (Grades) begins September 7th.

• Junebug Aftercare (PK & Kinder) begins September 8th.

Care is only available for families who have submitted an aftercare contract prior to August 31st. Contracts submitted after this date will come into effect 10 days after receipt. Drop-In Care is not available until the third week of school.

Welcome Assistant Director Nicole!

We are so excited to introduce our new Assistant School Director, Nicole Ruday Deutsch. Nicole comes to DWS with a diverse background in communications, organizational development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, and Waldorf education. Raised in a small town near the west coast of Florida, she spent her childhood swimming and running around in the nearby woods. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a journalism degree, she worked for the next decade as a reporter and editor for various publications, living in Tampa and then New Mexico, where she and her husband Richard (former DWS middle school teacher) began raising their two daughters.

In 2008, she and her family relocated to Sacramento so she could attend Rudolf Steiner College. After graduating in 2011 with a grades teaching certificate, she taught grades 1-5 at Cedar Springs Waldorf School in Placerville and served on the Board and College of Teachers. In 2016, she accepted a position as the Lower School Assistant at The Sacramento Waldorf School, before returning in 2018 to CSWS as their Director of Community Development. For the past three years she has been pursuing her M.Ed. at Sacramento State, which will be completed later this year. Her thesis studied the benefits of anti-racism education, and she helped craft Sacramento State’s Antiracism and Inclusive Campus Plan during her time working with the university. Just recently an empty-nester, she is excited to join the DWS community as its new assistant director.

EMAIL: asst.director@daviswaldorf.org

Introducing our New Music Program!

We are so excited for a new year of classes and a whole new music program led by Ms. Zoë García, our new Music Instructor. Below are overviews of the programs she plans to bring to our students from 2nd through 8th grade.

2nd - 4th Grade: Music Exploration

Musical Concepts and Theory

Students will be able to identify, describe, execute or understand music concepts such as:

• Tempo (Fast/slow)
• Dynamics (Loud/soft)
• Vocal exploration
• Rhythm
• Melody
• Staff Reading 
• Composition 
• Vocal Part Work
• Musical Analysis/Reflection

Repertoire

Students in the lower grades music class will be learning songs primarily from the Kodály Method of Music Education. This approach focuses on five focus points of music education: learning by singing, solfège hands signs, rhythmic proficiency, collaboration, and cultural connections through music. Kodaly's repertoire includes American folk songs, musical games, and dance.

In addition to learning rote songs, students will work on concert material for the winter and spring concerts. The lower grades Music Exploration course provides students the opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of music in hopes of preparing them for any future musical endeavors in their lives. Most importantly, this course was created to expose students to the joy and fun music brings to our lives, and to give them an appreciation for the gift of music in our lives!

5th - 6th Grade: Fundamentals of Music

Musical Concepts and Theory

The Middle Grades music course will be a combination of reviewing and solidifying the fundamentals of music, and exploring music’s role in our lives and in the world, through song! 5th and 6th grade music students will learn concepts such as rhythms in mixed meters, gain a better understanding of solfege, major and minor keys, and rounds/canons. In addition to those topics, we will explore world music, a variety of instruments (percussion on bucket drums), and learn to write our own music through composition. 

Repertoire 

Students in the middle grades music class will be learning music from both the Kodály Method of Music Education alongside other choral/vocal music. The Kodály approach focuses on five focus points of music education: learning by singing, solfège hands signs, rhythmic proficiency, collaboration, and cultural connections through music. Kodaly's repertoire includes American folk songs, musical games, and dance. In addition to learning rote songs, students will work on concert material for the winter and spring concerts. 

7th - 8th Grade: Music Appreciation

Musical Concepts and Theory

The upper grades music course will focus on three main areas: music theory, music exploration/reflection and music performance. The first portion of class will be focused on reviewing prior music fundamentals, and learning about more complex subjects such as rhythmic/melody dictation, mixed meter rhythms, sight reading, and musical analysis. The portion of the class on music exploration and reflection will involve the students keeping a music journal that is to be used during class time and for the occasional take home exercise. The music exploration journal will be used to learn about, reflect on, and discuss music from a wide variety of genres. The purpose of the journals is to encourage musicians to explore music that they may have not heard before, and learn to think, write, and describe music articulately using musical language. 

Repertoire

The majority of the class period will be geared towards providing students the opportunity to learn about music performance. This will include learning about stage presence, vocal health, harmonizing and breathing for a variety of vocal styles. Students will learn about ways to improve through singing music of their choice/ teacher recommendations in a setting that works best for them such as solos, duets, trios, small group, etc. This course is perfect for students who are hoping to perform an 8th grade solo and grow their confidence and experience in music to help prepare them for high school. 

Back to School Picnic

Friday, Sept 16th @ 5:30 PM

Join us for a community picnic to start the school year off right!

The Picnic begins at 5:30 PM in the Grove on campus. Bring the family and a blanket for a casual evening of food and fun. Get to know new families and rekindle old friendships. We hope every family will be there!