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DWS COMMUNITY UPDATE
JANUARY 25, 2023
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In this update... Auction 2023, Fire Drill, New Staff, Vacation Care, Re-Enrollment
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January 25
Parent Council Social
@ 6:00 pm, MPR on Campus
Introduction the the Grades Talk
@ 6:30 pm, MPR
January 27
On Campus Fire Drill
@ 9:00 am
January 28
Board-Faculty-Staff-Parent Council Confluence
February 1
Re-Enrollment Contracts RELEASED & TAP Application Opens
February 3
Open House
@ 4:30 - 6:30 pm
February 13
Re-Enrollment Contracts DUE
at reduced enrollment fee
February 15
Board Meeting
@ 7:00 pm, ZOOM
February 20
NO SCHOOL - President's Day
February 21 - 24*
NO SCHOOL - February Break
*Vacation Care Available
February 28
Diversity Inclusion and Social Justice Committee Mtg.
@ 7:00 pm, ZOOM
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After a Tempest
by William Cullen Bryant
The day had been a day of wind and storm;—
The wind was laid, the storm was overpast,—
And stooping from the zenith, bright and warm
Shone the great sun on the wide earth at last.
I stood upon the upland slope, and cast
My eye upon a broad and beauteous scene,
Where the vast plain lay girt by mountains vast,
And hills o'er hills lifted their heads of green,
With pleasant vales scooped out and villages between.
The rain-drops glistened on the trees around,
Whose shadows on the tall grass were not stirred,
Save when a shower of diamonds, to the ground,
Was shaken by the flight of startled bird;
For birds were warbling round, and bees were heard About the flowers; the cheerful rivulet sung
And gossiped, as he hastened ocean-ward;
To the gray oak the squirrel, chiding, clung,
And chirping from the ground the grasshopper upsprung.
And from beneath the leaves that kept them dry
Flew many a glittering insect here and them,
And darted up and down the butterfly,
That seemed a living blossom of the air.
The flocks came scattering from the thicket, where
The violent rain had pent them; in the way
Strolled groups of damsels frolicksome and fair;
The farmer swung the scythe or turned the hay,
And 'twixt the heavy swaths his children were at play.
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Do you have a submission for our Newsletter?
If you have an item to include in an upcoming newsletter,
email Eden Tomich at marketing@daviswaldorf.org.
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Auction 2023, March 25
Everybody cut footloose!
The DWS Annual Auction is fast approaching! Time to dust off your neon leg warmers and book your perm appointment. This year's theme is a celebration all things 80s and, more specifically, the movie Footloose! Join us at the Full Belly Farm barn for a night of dancing, food, and an amazing auction. Tickets on sale soon!
Thank you so much to all the teachers, staff and parents who are helping organize this major event - but more help is still needed. This Thursday, January 26th, 2023 an Auction Planning meeting will be held on Zoom from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. We will be working on our lists of businesses to reach out to and discussing the auction timeline. All are invited, and the more the merrier!
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Fire Drill, Friday 1/27
This Friday, January 27, a Fire Drill will be held during the morning Main Lesson Period (approximately around 9:00 am). For Preschool and Kindergarten families, we recommend arriving before 8:45 or after 9:30 as the early childhood classes will also be participating in this drill and may not be in their classrooms during that time.
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Welcome New Office Staff!
The DWS office is growing! Two new team members joined us after Winter Break, and we are so excited to introduce them. If you stop by the front desk, you will now be greeted by the lovely Katie Mahoney who has taken over the Office Coordinator position from Eden Tomich. Eden will still be working in the office on various outreach and organizational projects; she can now be reached at marketing@daviswaldorf.org. Also supporting our outreach efforts is the wonderful Cheyenne Medilo Rada, who has stepped into the role of Outreach & Events Coordinator. Read about the new team members below!
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Katie Mahoney
Office Coordinator
Hi, my name is Katie. I grew up in San Francisco, CA and come from a big family. I loved being from a big city and opted for something along the same size when I moved to Los Angeles at age 18 for college. I studied Child Development. My career in Education has brought me from teaching preschool, being a reading tutor, assisting in special education classrooms, and working with children and families in early intervention services. I have always enjoyed helping others. I have a son named Samuel and a dog named Sunny. I love photography, hiking, swimming, chocolate and road trips. I am happy to be here and join the Waldorf family.
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Cheyenne Medilo Rada
Events & Outreach Coordinator
Cheyenne Rada is a Sacramento State University graduate with an English Literature degree. Born and raised in Northern California, she has always had a love of music, dance, art, literature, animals, and helping people. Between working and going to school, she always found time to tutor her peers as well as younger students. She loves working with students of all ages and strives to see the moment when material clicks in a student’s mind. Her love for tutoring and helping people is what led her to Davis Waldorf School and she can’t wait to help all of the students, faculty, and staff here. When she’s not helping others she enjoys cooking, arts and crafts, painting, and reading.
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Thank you, Jen Griffin!
Alongside these welcomes is also a bittersweet goodbye. Early Childhood Director Jen Griffin will be leaving us at the end of January. Jen has accepted a leadership position at a new Early Childhood Program that is much closer to her home in Sacramento. A huge thank you to Jen for all her hard work and care. She will be greatly missed - both in and outside the classroom.
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VACATION CARE: February Break (2/21-24)
During the upcoming February Break, Vacation care will be offered on February 21st through 24th as long as minimum enrollment thresholds are reached. In order to secure a spot for your child(ren) in the Vacation Care program, you must submit a Vacation Care Contract (linked below). Drop in Care is NOT available. Contracts for February 21 - 24 are due Tuesday, February 7.
Junebug Vacation Care Contract
Preschool and Kindergarten
Sunflower Vacation Care Contract
1st through 6th Grade
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Re-Enrollment Starts Feb 1
WHERE Can You Re-Enroll?
Re-Enrollment Contracts will be available digitally through the DWS Blackbaud Portal. Signing your contract(s) will simultaneously register you with our online Tuition Management system. For detailed instructions on signing your contract(s), please click HERE.
WHEN Can You Re-Enroll?
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Re-Enrollment Contracts will be available digitally through Blackbaud on Wednesday, February 1st.
- The deadline to sign these contracts and pay a reduced enrollment fee is Monday, February 13th.
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Tuition Assistant Program (TAP):
Committee Members Needed
Would you like to be part of a group that helps ensure a DWS education is available to families from diverse economic backgrounds? The Tuition Assistance Program committee is seeking additional members to help carry forward this important work for the remaining and upcoming school year.
The TAP committee is a board-mandated group that meets on average 2 times per month throughout the school year to help determine awards for DWS families who have applied for financial assistance. Our immediate need includes someone who is comfortable working with spreadsheets and sorting through basic financial data. Committee work for community volunteers averages 2 to 8 hours per month. Having enough TAP committee members to manage the workload ensures that families in need are supported through the application process and receive awards in a timely manner.
Financial aid is a crucial part of our school's mission to make a quality Waldorf education available to all families, regardless of income level. We welcome and encourage current and alumni parents, as well as friends of the school, to serve on this important committee. Interested folks can contact DWS Business Manager Gabrielle Walton at finance@daviswaldorf.org to learn more. Thank you for your support of this vital program and we look forward to hearing from you!
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Parent Council Social & Intro to the Grades Talk
Wednesday, January 25
For our January meeting, DWS Parent Council is hosting an Introduction to the Grades parent education event in person from 6 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, January 25th. Please join us at 6 pm in the Multipurpose Room (MPR) for light refreshments, to socialize and meet fellow parents and for an overview of the journey through the grades at DWS from our amazing teachers. There will also be an update on school related news. RSVP is appreciated but not required. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Confluence
Saturday, January 28
8:45 am – 2:00 pm
Location: DWS Multipurpose Room
Twice a year faculty, staff, Board members, and Parent Council representatives meet to discuss longer term plans, visions, and goals for the school. All DWS community members are invited to participate in this weekend's confluence. Below is the agenda for the gathering.
8:45 Arrive: Social time, coffee, tea & pastries
9:00 Welcome & Connecting People
9:30 Agenda Items
- Site Update,
- Auction,
- Fund a Need: Gardening, Basketball Court, Other Ideas related to Summer Site work
10:45 Break
11:00 Accreditation
12:15 Lunch (provided)
12:45 Mission, Vision, Values
1:45 Wrap-up
2:00 Closing
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Open House, Friday February 3
4:30 - 6:30 pm, On Campus
Davis Waldorf will be holding an Open House on Friday, February 3 from 4:30 - 6:30 pm. Visitors will be able to experience the Waldorf approach firsthand. Walk through our grades classrooms and view examples of student projects and artwork while enjoying curriculum related snacks. Musical performances by our strings program will occur throughout the evening. This event is open to all and no RSVP is required.
For our preschool families, a 4:15 pm tour with Director Jennifer Slater through the grades is available. If you are interested in joining this group, please come to the Kinder Yard at 4:15 pm the night of the event.
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Parent Council Mtg
Wed 3/1 @ 6:30 pm
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Diversity, Inclusion & Social Justice Mtg
Tues 2/28 @ 7:00 pm
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Board Mtg
Wed 2/15 @ 7:00 pm
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Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. Celebrated all over the world, DWS has recently started incorporating this important event into our yearly calendar. Our students have been celebrating with crafts, food and, at the end of this week, a parade of color and sound to scare away the dragon Nian, who represents the old year.
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8th Grade:
Organic Chemistry
During their Organic Chemistry block, the 8th grade students conducted a controlled experiment using agar plates to explore bacteria. Each student was asked to observe the growth of microbes on their plates, make observations and draw conclusions from what they saw. The students then organized these conclusions into a narrative essay. Below is an example of one of these essays.
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Is Twenty Seconds Enough? by Saskia Zavod
Since Covid-19 hit our world, every child, adult, and elder knows to wash their hands for twenty seconds. Humans rely on soap and water to keep away bad bacteria and viruses. However, what is the difference between a washed hand and an unwashed hand? Is twenty seconds enough to keep ourselves healthy?
Bacteria and viruses cover the Earth. It’s a fact that not all bacteria are bad for humans. But all viruses are bad; some bacteria are even worse. To prevent exposure to these microbes, people wash their hands all the time: after the bathroom, before eating, and after touching a particularly gross thing. From a young age, people are taught to wash their hands for twenty seconds to keep themselves healthy. But are we doing enough?
In petri dishes filled with agar, the eighth graders created two sides: a dirty side and a clean side. They touched commonly used surfaces to get as many microbes on their hands as possible. They then touched the agar on the dirty side to transfer the microbes onto the petri dish. After, they washed their hands with soap and water for twenty seconds. Finally, they touched the agar on the clean side. The petri dishes were left to cultivate the bacteria for several days. Once the petri dishes had grown the bacteria, the eighth graders observed how well they washed their hands.
The Petri dishes were unanimously dirty on both sides. Some were cleaner on the dirty side then they were on the clean side and some were dirtier on the dirty side then they were on the clean side. This experiment showed was that twenty seconds of hand washing might not be enough after touching a commonly used surface. Perhaps people should wash their hands for longer, or perhaps people should clean things like door handles and bathrooms more often. But, in the end, it’s only natural for microbes to live among us. We can never be fully clean of bacteria and viruses but washing our hands may help. We will never truly know unless we experiment.
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Do you have a submission for our Newsletter?
If you have an item to include in an upcoming newsletter,
email Eden Tomich at marketing@daviswaldorf.org.
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