Weekly Bulletin
January 19, 2022
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The first grade bulletin board is currently graced by whimsical snow people. |
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At the Washington Waldorf School, the work of the College is to ensure that the School embodies the Principles of Waldorf Education. The College is tasked with ensuring the long-term pedagogical and spiritual health of the School and providing oversight of all program and personnel work.
This school year's College Co-Chairs, Lisa Bechmann and Lezlie Lawson, have been directing and organizing this work alongside the dedicated faculty that makes up this important body.
As part of the governance structure at WWS, the College works closely with the Trustees Council (TC) on matters such as strategic planning. All department chairs are also College members. Our work is currently focused on interviewing Head of School candidates. While the TC is responsible for the final decision in hiring the Head of School, they do so with the advice and consent of the College.
The College agenda has been full this year with practical work including: personnel decisions, budget review, enrollment initiatives, teacher evaluation, review of mentoring processes and professional development policies/ procedures as well as regular consideration of program developments. We continue to engage in a thorough review of job descriptions and committee work as part of an assessment of our governance structure with the intention of updating and streamlining where necessary and appropriate.
As the body responsible for the pedagogy in our school, the College is deeply interested in and supportive of the work of the Antiracist Curriculum Group as they review our curriculum, and the initiatives of the LC4DESJ. A number of College members are engaged with this work as members of these committees.
Part of each College meeting is devoted to study that maintains our connection to the principles of Waldorf Education, the mission of our school, our understanding of our students through study of human development, and to deepen our connection to one-another. Our decisions are made by consensus which requires a commitment to listening to others’ ideas with openness, and the possibility of something new arising from the wisdom of the group.
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College Members: Lisa Bechmann (CG) - Co-Chair · Lezlie Lawson (Admin), Co-Chair · Clare André (LS) · Laurent André (HS) · Nevin Bender (HS, LS) · Barbara Buchman (LS) · Jane Christenson (HS) · Laura Cox (LS) · Judith Graff (LS) · Wendy Jackson (LS) · Linc Kinnicutt (CG) · Kate Knuth (LS, joining late Feb 2022) · Valerie LeBlanc (HS) · Gabriele Schilz (HS) · Lelia True (Admin)
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Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar
* Current Parents can find Zoom information for meetings in ParentSquare
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January
19/ Wednesday
- Songbirds Parent Evening, 8pm
25/ Tuesday
- CG Virtual Open House, 8pm (see below)
26/ Wednesday
- High School Open Day, 8:45am (see below)
- G7 Parent Evening, 7pm - UPDATED
- Seedlings Parent Evening, 7:30pm
27/ Thursday
- G2 Parent Evening, 8pm - UPDATED
31/ Monday
- Book Club, 8pm (see below)
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Friday, January 21 from 11:30am-12:30pm on Zoom
All current parents and guardians are invited to join Lelia True, Interim Head of School, for a Zoom lunch meeting on Friday.
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Join WWS Librarian, Susan Walsh, and others from the community on Zoom to discuss The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Monday, January 31 from 8-9pm
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“Ta-Nehisi Coates is the most important essayist in a generation and a writer who changed the national political conversation about race with his 2015 memoir, Between the World and Me. So naturally his debut novel comes with slightly unrealistic expectations—and then proceeds to exceed them. The Water Dancer . . . is a work of both staggering imagination and rich historical significance. . . . What’s most powerful is the way Coates enlists his notions of the fantastic, as well as his fluid prose, to probe a wound that never seems to heal. . . . Timeless and instantly canon-worthy.”—Rolling Stone |
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Washington Area Waldorf Education Speaker Series |
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Culturally Relevant Education
A Training for School Communities
with Celestine Stadnick
Wednesday, February 23, 8-9:30 pm
Learn ways to better equip educational organizations, teachers, students, communities, stakeholders and leaders in being truly inclusive of all members of society.
Meeting ID: 784 6927 5163
Passcode: y3MHXJ
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Celestine Stadnick was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1990, to a Lakota father and a Swiss mother. Having spent 10 years of her educational journey at the Lakota Waldorf School, the Rudolf Steiner School Lucerne and the Atelier School Zurich, she was inspired to become a Waldorf teacher. After several years as a class teacher, she founded a teacher training for indigenous Waldorf pedagogy at the Lakota Waldorf School in 2019, with the support of the Academy for Anthroposophical Pedagogy, Dornach. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership at the University of New Brunswick. Her interest in culturally relevant pedagogy has been her driving force throughout her journey as a pedagogue, and she aims to create many more spaces for learners to unfold and develop themselves according to their own cultural identities.
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Association of Waldorf Schools of North America Alumni Event |
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You are warmly invited to join our next bi-monthly Waldorf Alum Networking and Social Hour on MONDAY, January 24th, 2022 as we celebrate the New Year together.
Spend time connecting and networking with fellow Waldorf alums across the continent!
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Children's Garden Virtual Open House |
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Help spread the word!
We are hosting a Children's Garden Virtual Open House on Tuesday, January 25 at 8pm. Please share the registration link with your friends and family who might be interested to learn more about our early childhood programs.
Registered attendees will be sent a Zoom link before the event. Registration is through Eventbrite at:
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Help spread the word!
We will have our next High School Open Day on Wednesday, January 26 from 8:45am - Noon.
This event is for vaccinated adults and vaccinated prospective students to sit in on classes for the morning and to participate in a Q & A with WWS high school faculty. Current WWS parents are invited to attend. (Our 8th graders had a separate opportunity to visit the high school.)
Each visitor will need to bring proof of vaccination. All will need to wear properly fitted non-vented masks.
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Staffing Update & Open Positions |
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Marie Maurer, has moved on from her role as the WWS Business Manager. We are grateful for all Marie has done for our school and wish her well on her next adventure!
If you have business office needs in the near term, please contact J Lee Newell at: businessmanager@washingtonwaldorf.org. We extend our thanks to J Lee for helping out while we search for a new Business Manager!
We are still accepting applications for the Business Manager position. If you know a strong candidate, please share the job posting.
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Employment Opportunities
We are hiring for a number of exciting positions - both teaching and administrative faculty. Some positions are open currently and some will begin with the move to the next school year. If you know of any candidates, please share the list of open positions on our website and encourage them to apply!
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Center for Anthroposophy
"Explorations" Online Course
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Registration is open for the next cycle of Explorations which begins in March.
The foundational course is intended primarily for parents, administrators, and new teachers in public and independent Waldorf schools as well as those teaching children at home.
Each class begins with 30 minutes of artistic work (speech/storytelling, movement, music, and pastel drawing), followed by contemplative studies on current themes, using anthroposophy as a method of inquiry.
With its online format, interested people from around the world have been able to take part in this foundational program. CfA says:
"We are gratified that so many have been finding this course to be a meaningful and practical way to deepen their understanding of basic anthroposophy and the arts – at the same time that they are given the opportunity to consider contemporary issues facing us in our schools and society today."
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Coming this summer! Announcing Kairos Institute – a new initiative of the Center for Anthroposophy in collaboration with the Transdisciplinary Healing Education Program at Antioch University New England. Courses include "Creative Speech: A healing art in the classroom". More information coming soon...
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A Few Yard Signs Are Still Available |
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A few yard signs that were claimed before the break are still waiting to be picked up. We also have a few extra if anyone else would like to have one for display.
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How to Submit a Listing
- We welcome submissions of community news, items for sale, want ads, etc. Please keep notices to 500 characters or less. There is no charge for listings.
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Please submit listings by COB Tuesdays with the subject "Bulletin Submission."
- If you are sending images or flyers, a link to an online version is preferred.
- Bulletin Board notices generally run for 3 weeks - if space allows - unless other arrangements have been made. Please let us know if listing information is no longer accurate. Listings may not be accepted and will likely be edited.
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These notices are from the WWS community, the greater Waldorf community, and occasionally from our school neighbors. The information and views in them belong to the individuals who submit the notices and do not necessarily reflect the views of WWS. |
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Classifieds & Events from the Community |
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Looking for a Summer Camp Pod Leader
A group of WWS Grade Two parents is organizing an all-outdoor, half-day summer camp pod for current WWS second graders and their siblings. We’re looking for an energetic teacher to lead the group as they explore parks, hike in the woods, play games in fields, splash in creeks, and do crafts. The camp will meet at different parks and natural areas in lower Montgomery County and Northwest DC. The schedule is somewhat flexible, and can potentially be tailored to the pod leader’s availability. Candidates should be fully vaccinated and have experience working with children. A good match for our group will enjoy and feel comfortable in natural settings and value exploration and unstructured play. For more information, please contact Emily Bliss at emilybliss@gmail.com or (202) 809-6992.
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Juried Teen Art Exhibition
from Barbara Bancroft (WWS HS Art Chair & Teacher)
The Montpelier Art Center in Laurel, MD, is again sponsoring its juried teen exhibition for young artists, ages 13-18, living in the tri-state area.
Deadline for submission is January 30.
Good Luck and Happy 2022!
Ms Bancroft
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Published by the Washington Waldorf School
Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved
We welcome your comments and submissions. Contact Alia Goodyear if you would like to be added to our mailing list, or if you have submissions, questions, or suggestions. Please email submission by COB TUESDAY with the subject line "Bulletin Submission."
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Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road,
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-6107
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Washington Small Schools Association
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