Broom Brigade/Earth Day Campus Beautification -- Many thanks to the families who came to help beautify the campus on Saturday! We made some great progress. And special thanks to Bacilio and Jason from our facilities team for their ongoing work and for putting in extra time this weekend as well.

The Grade 7 students studied the six simple machines during their recent Mechanics block, then put them all together to create Rube Goldberg machines.

These "machines" were designed by the students, with the requirements that each machine:

• involve at least ten interactions (a rolling ball down a ramp, a chain of dominoes, a pulley, a lever, etc.)
• perform a task upon completion



The students were highly engaged in this group work, with many hours of trial-and-error and trial-and-success spent experimenting in the classroom. A job very well done, and a great lesson in physics!

On March 29, WWS held its first "College Connections Fair" which allowed members of our community to share their personal experiences at their alma maters with all of our High School students who are eager to learn first-hand about colleges and service academies. Institutions represented were: US Military Academy, Hofstra University, Miami University, Williams College, William & Mary, Bard College, California Institute of the Arts, Boston University, University of Tennessee, and University of Georgia.

Thanks to those who came out to represent their alma maters!

Last week we had our second Recipe Takeover in the kitchen. Thank you so much Linden (Grade 6) for sharing your Family Char Sui Fried Rice recipe with our community!

Tuesday was Chef Dan’s last day in our WWS Kitchen. He is transferring to another kitchen closer to home in Virginia. Thanks Chef Dan for serving our community! We’re very excited to welcome Chef Jaz to the WWS family. Her first day was today! She stopped by on Monday to say hello and get a chance to shadow Chef Dan before she jumped in today. Chef Jaz Brooks is from DC. She has been a chef for 10 years, with a background in fine dining. Her biggest passion is coaching youth football - currently with the Ridge Road Titans in Southeast DC. In her 6 years as a coach, she has coached ages 4 to 11.

Stop by the kitchen and welcome Chef Jaz!

April

26/ Wednesday

• Simplicity Parenting Class, 6pm

28/ Friday

• Spring Festival, 4-6pm (see below)

May

3/ Wednesday

• School Tour, 9-10:30am
• Lunch Music, 12:05pm
• Simplicity Parenting Class, 6pm

4/ Thursday

• Adult Education Talk with Jack Petrash, 7pm (see below)

5/ Friday

• Grandparents & Special Friends Day, 8:15am - 12:30pm (see below)
• 12:30pm Dismissal

8/ Monday

• Craft & Conversation, 8:45am

10/ Wednesday

• Community Meeting with Dinner, 6-7:30pm (see below)
• Simplicity Parenting Class, 6pm

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

Spring Festival

Friday, April 28 from 4-6pm

We are excited to offer a window into the student's life; a sharing of class activities and learning in grades 1-12. This is an opportunity to see what your child has been up to as well as what is in store for them in the years to come.

Shop and Eat Local While Supporting Washington Waldorf School

Sunday, April 30 from 10am - 7pm

This Sunday, Washington Waldorf School will partner with local independent bookstore Politics and Prose (all locations). Your shopping and dining will support Washington Waldorf School's ONE FUND, with 20% of your Politics and Prose purchase going back to the school's ONE FUND.

At Politics and Prose, you may purchase a book for your own family's use or, if you would like to donate books to Washington Waldorf School as well, please see these wishlists for for books needed in our library and reading resource room. 

Please present this flyer at check out. You may either show the flyer on your phone or present a paper copy. If you purchase books from our wish list, there will be a book drop box outside or in our lobby's portico area from May 1-4, with a sign that says "Politics and Prose Book Donations". 

Thank you so much for your support!

Questions? Email Stephanie Hanson

The Waldorf Student - Under Construction

The Foundation, the Framing, and the Finish Work

A talk from Jack Petrash

Thursday, May 4 at 7pm

A Waldorf School is designed to educate healthy children even in uncertain times. It does this through a developmentally based education that meets the three distinct phases of childhood with insight, imagination, and heart. This talk will explore our comprehensive and balanced approach and how the teaching evolves to meet the changing needs of the growing child. 

Jack is a former WWS class teacher, and the long-time director of the Nova Institute, an organization that has worked with teachers and parents to provide a deeper understanding of children. He is the author of four books on Waldorf Education and parenting, including the recently published "Turning Lead into Gold."

Grandparents & Special Friends Day

Friday, May 5 from 8:15am-2:30pm

Grandparents and special friends of current students are welcome to join us for a morning breakfast reception with speakers, class visits, and special student performances.

Community Meeting

Wednesday, May 10 from 6-7:30pm

We are pleased to host an all-school community meeting in the auditorium the evening of May 10. We will discuss the 'state of the school' and share information about our school's finances, the Room to Move campaign, and our 2023-2028 strategic plan. We will also provide gym tours for those who are interested. Dinner will be provided at this event. Adults only. 

Please RSVP for the Meeting.

In this week's behind-the-scenes story of the Gym construction and the Room to Move campaign, we continue the conversation with our school’s architect, MJ Wojewodzki, of Quinn Evans, who designed both the front entrance of our school (completed in 2017) and the new John and Mary Brauer Gym (to be complete by August 2023).

MJ answers a few more questions below that are specific to her work and design inspiration. See last week's Bulletin for Part 1.

What were your impressions of WWS as you considered your design work for us?

When I first stepped into the Washington Waldorf School I was taken by the way the community interacts with the building. It was like nature taking over the cold rigid bones of a bland modern structure, the growth within the walls leading to an evolved experience. The plain band of windows wrapping the building felt more like nurturing walls of a green house because of the vitality inside. This is demonstrated by the artwork on the walls, the woodwork and decorative arts on all surfaces, the boots lined up in the hall ready for any weather, the natural materials in the classrooms, I could go on, but it’s obvious. It was easy to see why some people in the community did not want any interventions to the building that already had an ecosystem.

Your first project with Washington Waldorf School was, in part, helping us to reimagine our front entrance. What inspired the "swoop" of our school entrance?

In hindsight I see it similar to how the nature of the school community affects the evolution of the space it inhabits. A primary goal of the first phase was maintenance to the existing building. We had a very limited budget we were hoping to earmark for the gym. The thinking for the design at the entry began with a relatively conservative gestures such as a trellis or a mobile sculpture to mark the entry. As we worked through possibilities the school concluded larger improvements were needed to welcome people into the campus. This was an opportunity to really claim the campus. Pushing the entry further out allowed us to consider new angles of approach and extend the expression of the program. Wood was the preferred material as it connects us to nature, growth, and craft in the school. We played with a curved canopy structure inspired by the framing of old wooden boats. The curved form was very effective as a transitional guide welcoming in and opening out.

What were your main considerations in designing the gym?

It was important to continue the dynamic language used at the entry. I wanted the form to talk about movement and growth. The natural finish of the metal panels is also intentional as part of the language of growth. Over time it will patina a little, expressing change without compromising durability.

What are your hopes for the community use of this space?

I hope this is a space the school is proud of and able to use every day of the year. I can’t wait to see how the community gives its own patina to the building.

Thank you, MJ! We are so honored to have your talent and thoughtful design aesthetic in the projects you have completed for our school.

Gala Buy-In-Parties are still available!

The last day to secure your spot for a Buy-In-Party *April 29.*

**Please make note of the date as last week's Bulletin had the wrong date.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is May 5 and we need your help! 

Please sign up to bring food and staff this event. Only children and their guests are invited to attend; so if you'd like to be there, please take a shift!

• View additional information about the duties for each staffing shift. 
• Sign up for a shift.
• We suggest the following food offerings (enough to feed 8-10 people) by grade (click on the link to contribute):
• Children's Garden, G1, G2, G3 and G4 -- Savories (casseroles, quiches, etc.), Fruit, Cheese Trays
• G5, G6, G7 and G8 -- Breakfast Breads (bagels, muffins, coffee cakes, etc.)
• High School -- Juices, Milk, Sparkling Waters, Yogurts, Cream Cheese/Butter

DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE YOUNG CHILD: NEW RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES

This report by WWS College Co-Chair and Early Childhood Teacher Lisa Pitillo Bechmann, was published recently in the the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN) newsletter. Lisa is also the WECAN Southeast Region Representative and the WECAN representative on the Screen Time Action Network Early Childhood Work Group.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, new questions have come from both teachers and parents about screen use and young children. The decision to temporarily bring more screens into the lives of our young children was not an easy one, and each community responded in the best way they could.  Now as we experience life after the pandemic, the question for all of us working with and raising children remains: How do we support healthy childhood, while navigating the reality of an increasingly technological world? There is clearly a need for supportive resources in our communities.

This report describes the newly released Screen Aware Early Childhood Action Kit and the forming of a new WECAN Digital Media Working Group. 

The Screen Time Action Network at FairPlay is a coalition of practitioners, educators, advocates, and parents working to promote healthy childhood by reducing the amount of time children spend with digital devices. As a leader in EC Education, WECAN was asked to join the working group, and WECAN colleagues have been attending these work meetings for the past 18 months. It is reassuring and inspiring to know that there are many professionals outside of Waldorf Education who are dedicated to advocating for the rights of children to a healthy childhood.

New Resource for Parents and Teachers

This month the Screentime Action Network Early Childhood Working Group published a new guide for parents, the Screen Aware Early Childhood Action Kit. This comprehensive tool is meant to reach parents through early childhood educators and other professionals who support and advocate for young children. This research-based guide provides both information about what is needed for healthy child development and practical guidance about what parents can do about screens in the lives of their children. These materials are available digitally and in printable form. 

Learn more about Screen-Free Week.

View the DC Area Waldorf School Screen-Free Week Guide from 2019. It has a lot of activities that you can do at home. Just don't try to attend any of the events listed at the end.

Please take a minute to nominate WWS for a Montgomery Magazine Readers Choice Award!

Nominate WWS today!

The following camps are available this summer with our very own Woodworking Teacher, Ram Mosher!

Cars! 6/26 - 6/30

Want to build a car? How will we make it go? Electric motor, wind, gravity, mousetrap? In this camp we will design and build model cars that can really move – intro to analog electronics included.

Simple Machines 7/10 - 7/14

There are six of them. What do they do and how do we use them? How can we combine them to make complex machines? In this camp we will explore these questions and more as we design and fabricate each one individually and then combine them to make Rube Goldberg machines.

Toys & Games 7/17 - 7/21

Ever wanted to play ping pong by yourself, fly a miniature hang glider or build an electric paper airplane launcher? You can do all of this and more at Toys and Games camp. In this camp we will combine design, fabrication, analog electronics, and woodworking with a ton of fun.

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 pickup 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

UPDATED INFORMATION for this coming Sunday and Monday!

Building Bridges is an effort to make Waldorf teacher training more accessible in our area. There are two upcoming information sessions:

• Sunday, April 30 at The Waldorf School of Baltimore from 2-3:30 pm
• Monday, May 1 at Washington Waldorf School from 3:30-5pm

This is the course for you if you have completed Explorations (or an equivalent training). If you have not completed Explorations, it is not too late to join the Spring session.

Learn More About the Building Bridges Program

A North American Festival Celebrating the Performing Arts of Eurythmy, Speech, and Music

August 1-6 in Spring Valley, NY

“I Hear America Singing” will be held in Spring Valley, NY this summer by the Eurythmy Association of North America and the Threefold Educational Foundation. The week-long program will include performances, demonstrations, workshops, and master classes for every level of interest and experience. Participants will be immersed in a rejuvenating atmosphere of eurythmic creativity!

Learn More

Madeleine Corrigan Junior Recital

Saturday, May 6 at 6pm

Katzen Arts Center

WWS Adjunct Cello Teacher, Madeleine Corrigan, is performing her Junior Recital next weekend!

In collaboration with pianist Bailey Hobbs, her program celebrates the works of J.S. Bach, Frédéric Chopin, and Johannes Brahms, and more!

Madeleine would be delighted to welcome members of the WWS community to share in a night of classical music. Entry is free for all! 

Maryland Premiere of Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age

from Sarah Vakkur (WWS Family/Alum Family)

Thursday, May 4 from 7-9pm

Hosted by Girls on the Run of Montgomery County, MD

‍Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. The film debunks myths and depicts strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. The film also includes many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through this complicated terrain around substance use.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the screening will begin at 7pm followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and experts in the field of addiction. The evening will conclude at 9pm. 

Learn more and buy tickets.

Sounder Sleep System®: A course to transform your sleep (online)

from Alison Babil (WWS Alum Family)

Seven Wednesdays, via Zoom, April 26 - June 7, 6:30-8pm 

Classes are recorded. 

The Sounder Sleep System® uses simple, gentle movements to calm your nervous system and bring you from an alert state to a state of deep calm. Sounder Sleep draws upon the Feldenkrais® method and ancient Chinese medicine. 

What people are saying: "I am having AMAZING results from the Sounder Sleep System course!! I am falling asleep without sleep aids, and it is deep sleep. I feel great!" -- Joni B., Sounder Sleep System® class participant.

For more information and to RSVP: Email Alison 



Cost: $195 *A limited number of discounted slots available for those who truly need it. Email Alison to inquire. Please note the refund policy: No refunds after April 26.

Feldenkrais® Awareness Through Movement® Classes: A mini-series to reduce tension & improve movement (Online)

From Alison Babil (WWS Alum Family)

Four Mondays, via Zoom, May 1 - 22, 6:30-7:45pm 

Classes are recorded.

Feldenkrais® classes use gentle movement and mindful awareness to change habitual movement patterns that cause pain and tension. Each class takes the student through a sophisticated, gentle movement sequence. The aim is improved function and greater freedom in one's body and life. People often find it useful for back pain, neck pain, posture improvement, and more.

What people are saying:  "I've gotten so much out of Alison's Feldenkrais classes!  I have discovered how to work with my body in ways that generate a lightness of movement that is a sheer delight!" -- Jennifer. M., Feldenkrais class participant

For more information and to RSVP: Email Alison 

Cost: $70 (Discounted rate of $60 for students in Alison's spring Sounder Sleep System® course.) Please note the refund policy: No refunds. 

Alison Babil, GCFP, LMT, is the owner of True North Healing. She is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner®, a certified Sounder Sleep System® instructor, certified in Soul Lightening Acupressure, and has been a licensed massage therapist for nearly 20 years. She works with clients in person and via Zoom, focusing on movement education, pain, and sleep. For more information Email Alison

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

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