Class Baskets are on display in the Entrance Hall. Stop by to view the beautiful baskets our classes assembled!

Starting tomorrow you can buy tickets for specific baskets on our Gala website. Simply register to bid, and then buy raffle tickets for the baskets you want to win. The Development Office will add your tickets to the jar for you!

You'll also find our Buy-In Parties on the Gala website, ready to purchase!

This message from our incoming Head of School/Faculty Chair went out to current WWS families shortly after the announcement of her appointment. She asked to have it shared with the wider community as well.

Dear Washington Waldorf School Community:

I am thrilled and honored to join you this summer as the Head of School/Faculty Chair of the Washington Waldorf School. For the past seven months, I have been fortunate to work with the Trustees Council and have seen first-hand the dedication and hard work that goes into making WWS such an incredible place.

I know I am joining WWS at an exciting time and am grateful to build on the heroic efforts of everyone involved. I would like to give a special shout-out to Lelia True who successfully navigated the school through the pandemic, the building of the gym, and the work with Alma Partners. I look forward to continuing this path and engaging with the entire community to enhance diversity in all its forms and to continue to foster a sense of belonging and respect.  

We are blessed by an incredible faculty whose deep commitment to the children and the larger mission of Waldorf Education is inspiring. I am honored to stand among them in service to the children. It is evident that the parent involvement in WWS is a huge force in the school and the sense of community is palpable when you are on campus. 

The Washington Waldorf School is truly a living embodiment of a Waldorf community committed to the children and the future by fostering independent thinkers with who can contribute heartfelt service in the world. I am honored to be a part of it.

Blessings,

Margery Bank

From Lynn Wenning-Adelmann, Grade 6 Class Teacher

The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth grade classes challenged their hiking stamina and had a blast hiking 9 plus miles of the Appalachian Trail last Friday! All 48 of us (students and teachers) started at Gathland State Park and hiked to Washington Monument State Park. It was quite cold and several times during the hike we experienced sleet/snow showers!! The overachieving lead group, taking a wrong turn, actually added an extra mile to the hike! Grades 6 and 7 are trying to complete the Maryland section of the trail by the end of Grade 8. 

Did you know we've had an online 360° tour of our campus since the summer of 2019 and it has been viewed almost 7000 times? Recently it was updated to include 360° photos of the changes our new gym brought to the school this year.

View the 360° tour.

Thanks to Grade 3 for helping to right the tree that was knocked over by a weekend student driver! The class has spent a lot of recent time tending to their garden and learning about things that grow out of the ground. This was a great way for them to put their learning to a practical test and help keep our campus beautiful!

From Tammy Gomper, WWS Librarian

April is School Library Month and April 7 – 13 is National Library Week! Libraries are welcoming places for everyone and during this month we like to celebrate the commitment to providing diverse and affirming materials to all users. Libraries provide access to books that reflect a variety of lived experiences and help make lifelong readers and learners who engage in the world around them. As Rudine Sims Bishop says in her seminal 1990 essay Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors: "When there are enough books available that act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities, because together they are what makes us all human."

It's time to order lunch!

Order pizza on Wednesdays and chili on Thursdays -- a week at a time or the rest of the month. We are getting close to our goal and need more participation!

• To order, visit https://wws.boonli.com/
• Instructions for new accounts.

We also need two more volunteers for next Wednesday's pizza day! Sign up to help in the kitchen!

If you missed the recent P/FO gatherings, you can review the meeting minutes.

April

13/ Saturday

• Children's Garden Open House, 10am (see below)

15/ Monday

• Craft & Conversation, 8:30am (see below)

16/ Tuesday

• Trustees Council Meeting, 7pm (see below)

20/ Saturday

• Shred It Day, 11am (see below)
• Gala, 7pm (see below)

23/ Tuesday

• Nursery Parent/Guardian Meeting, 7:45pm

26/ Friday

• Spring Festival, 4pm

28/ Sunday

• Politics & Prose Book Fair (see below)

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

Children's Garden Open House - Invite someone you know!

Saturday, April 13 from 10-11:30am

This Saturday we have a Children's Garden Open House for prospective families. Word of mouth is still the most meaningful way that people learn about independent schools. If there's a family with young children that you think would love WWS, reach out to them and let them know about the open house. They'll get the chance to meet teachers and participate in some of the delightful activities that are part of our preschool and kindergarten programs.

Families can register in advance or drop-in!

Craft and Conversation

Monday April 15, 8:30-10ish

Come to the entrance hall after drop off to chat and work together on handwork projects. All are welcome, regardless of skill level.

Subscribe to the list for updates at https://wwspo.groups.io/g/CandC.

Trustees Council Meeting

Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm

(open to the community 7-7:45pm)

WWS Trustees Council (TC) meetings are held monthly in the WWS library. They are typically scheduled for the third Tuesday of every month. The first 45 minutes of the meeting is open to the community, and all are welcome to attend. 

At the beginning of each TC meeting, there is a brief study of Waldorf Education/Anthroposophy. Following the study is a comprehensive report from our Head of School/Faculty Chair that includes updates from the various administrative departments of the school as well as other pertinent information. The Parent Leadership Group (PLG) also shares updates from their work with the school community during this portion of the meeting. 

Shred It Day

Saturday, April 20 from 11am-1pm

Safely dispose of your sensitive documents at no charge.

Robert@robertjenets.com ~ (301) 257-3200

Spring Gala: Light the Way

Saturday, April 20 from 7-11pm

We will gather in our beautiful new John and Mary Brauer Gym to make memories where our children - and future generations of WWS children - will practice and play. Come to experience the magic of the Spring Gala, and stay to imagine all the magical moments that are to come in this amazing space.

Contact Meg Kneisl with any questions.

Politics & Prose Book Fair

Shop Local While Supporting Washington Waldorf School.

Save the Date for Sunday, April 28 when WWS will partner with local independent bookstore Politics and Prose. Your shopping will support WWS's ONE FUND, with 20% of your Politics and Prose purchase going back to the school. Shopping must be done in person to count, but you can shop at any one of the store's three locations.

At Politics and Prose, you may purchase a book for your own family's use and/or donate books to WWS. We will share a wish list from the Library and Reading Resource Room in the coming weeks.

Please present the attached flyer at checkout. You may either show the flyer on your phone or present a paper copy. If you purchase books from our school's wish list, there will be a book drop box outside or in our lobby's portico area from April 29 - May 3, with a sign that says "Politics and Prose Book Donations."

Thank you so much for your support!

Questions? Email Stephanie Hanson, Director of Development

Have you ordered your yearbook?

The yearbook staff has been hard at work putting together the 2023-24 edition of our Phoenix yearbook.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/wwsyearbook to place your order today!

Anticipated delivery is early May. Order today!

Congratulations to Brandon Tapia ('20) who was honored at Virginia Tech by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) during an award ceremony on March 20. Brandon also recently shared that he will join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall to pursue his PhD in chemical engineering.

ASF awarded 68 scholarships to students from 45 different universities across the nation this year. Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to students in their junior and senior year of college studying science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with the intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree.

Brandon (right) with Astronaut Tony Antonelli and fellow Astronaut Scholar, Lucy Waite.

Alum Reunion Registration is Open!

Join us Saturday, June 1 as we celebrate the anniversary years for the High School classes of 1989 (35 years), 1994 (30 years), 1999 (25 years), 2004 (20 years), 2009 (15 years), 2014 (10 years), and 2019 (5 years)! Connect with classmates, current and former faculty, and WWS alums from across the decades.



This event is open to all those who identify as alums of Washington Waldorf School, whether you graduated 8th grade, 12th grade, with the class or not, and whether or not you graduated in one of the above years.

Learn More & Register

Have an alum update to share?

We love to hear from our alums and their families! Send us an update.

The Parents Council of Washington Speaker Series: How Families Can Navigate the New World of College Admissions

Wednesday, April 24 from 7-8:30pm

Interactive Webinar with Q&A

PCW is pleased to welcome Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark, authors of The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting in and Staying Together in conversation with Trudy Fleisher, college advisor at The Lab School of Washington.

In this speaker series event, Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark with combined decades of experience and insight from both the high school and university sides of the process will provide advice, strategies and reassurance to navigate the college admission process together as a family in a way that makes the experience positive for everybody.

Learn More & Register

Have you registered for summer camp?

For Ages 3-6, A Waldorf Summer - Activities include: singing, stories, cooking, painting, plenty of playtime, and nature crafts.

For Ages 6+, camps include:

• Taste, Create, and Move! Sample crafts, cuisine, and games from Mexico, Italy, and beyond!
• Make Your Own Bow & Arrows or Wooden Handled Knife Learn wood & leather craft and complete a project in a week!
• Nature and Yoga: Adventures, art, forest baths, and yoga = a summer of tranquility.
• Stories and Stitches: Build stories around a sewing circle.
• Basketball Camp: A week of skill development, teamwork, sportsmanship, and fun.

Learn More & Register

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

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

Kensington Day of the Book Festival

From Aleksey Gibson, WWS Faculty

Sunday, April 21 from 11am-4pm

The Kensington Day of the Book Festival is a family friendly street festival, held rain or shine, spanning three blocks of Howard Avenue in the heart of historic Kensington. Come meet authors, poets, literary and community organizations. Live music on a few stages, special guest speakers, poetry readings, cookbook demos, children’s program, and much more. Not your average book festival! Now in its 17th year, this festival offers something for everyone!

Learn More

The Waldorf School of Baltimore KidSTOCK Family Concert Series

Join The Waldorf School of Baltimore for three weekends of Grammy Winning Family Artists, Children's Crafts, and Nature Activities -  April 13, 21 & 28. 

Learn More & Buy Tickets

Adventure Camps

Adventure Camps is a WWS Gala sponsor and they have donated a camp voucher to our auction!

Adventure Camps has provided Waldorf students with unique camp experiences in the US for over fifty years. The camps are organized, led, and run by Waldorf alums, students, teachers, and outdoor enthusiasts. The Adventure Camps staff members are dedicated to creating fun, safe, and meaningful camps for all youth. 

Adventure Camps share many of Waldorf education’s values such as: disconnecting from our devices and busy lives in order to connect with one another, developing strong daily rhythms, cultivating respect for all living things, preparing and sharing nourishing meals, and living into the idea that each individual holds tremendous value as a soul at every given moment. All of these, and many more, are integral aspects of our camp experience. 

Learn More

German Immersion Theater Camp 2024: Die weiße Schlange" (Grimm)

Dates: June 17 – June 28, 9am-4pm, no camp on 6/19

before and after care optional, provided by Dance Exchange

Ages: 5-15, basic knowledge of German is required

Tuition: two weeks: $875 (sibling discount: $800)

Location: Dance Exchange, 7117 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912

Performance: June 28 at 3pm

In this German immersion theater camp, participants will be working with German-speaking staff to explore the Grimm’s fairy tale "Die weiße Schlange". Children will be immersed in the German language while participating in movement, acting games, singing, writing, or crafting. A "crankie" will be made by those participants who enjoy drawing and painting. Instrumentalists may bring their instruments to be included in the songs. At the end of the camp, participants will show the results of their explorations.

Skills built: Theater experience, team building, voice training, acting, speaking, live performance, listening & comprehension, reading and writing in German; making new friends within the German-American community.

For more information and reviews:

https://www.littlegermanschooltakomapark.com/german-immersion-theater-camp

Contact: E-Mail: margrit.wong@gmail.com Tel: 240-393 7173

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved

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