Weekly Bulletin

June 1, 2022

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Join Us Saturday - via Livestream - for the

Class of 2022 Graduation

Saturday, June 4 at 11am


This Saturday, the class of 2022 will graduate from WWS. The seniors' families and faculty will be there with them in person. The rest of the community and friends are invited to join the celebration via livestream on the school's YouTube channel. 


We are delighted to have Jennifer Page as our graduation speaker.

Join the Livestream on the WWS YouTube Channel

12th Grade Sculptures on Display

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Athletic Awards

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From Taisto Saloma


The WWS Annual Athletic Awards Dinner returned last night and was held on our beautiful front porch. This year we limited the evening to high school sports, but we plan to invite all of our middle school teams again next year. 


This tradition provides a chance for us to look back on the year in sports at WWS and give out team awards. We also honor our Lady Knight of the Year and Knight of the Year, distinctions given to students who have been leaders on and off of the field, good teammates, worked hard as students, and had a positive impact on our school community.


Congratulations to this year's recipients: Emma and Rayan. 


The Athletic Awards are also a time for us to honor the recipient of the Alanna Marie Lake Award. This award was created in 2007 to remember Alanna Lake (Class of 2008) who passed away in January of 2007. The award is now given each year to the student athlete who best demonstrates and represents many of the traits and characteristics that Alanna brought to our school. The award honors a fierce competitor who gives their all, who encourages their teammates and treats them all with respect, who brings humor and a bright spirit to their team and class, and who puts the team first.


Congratulations to this year's recipient: Catalina. 


Congratulations to all on a successful return to sports this year! We look forward to more in 2022-2023! 

School Calendar
Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar

You can view the full calendar online either on the website , in ParentSquare , or in the BigSis portal (these 3 platforms are synced from the same calendar). 
* Current Parents can find Zoom information for meetings in ParentSquare

June


2/ Thursday

  • Craft & Conversation, 8:30am - Noon


3/ Friday

  • Rose Ceremony (G1 & G12 families only)


4/ Saturday

  • Graduation, 11am (G12 families & faculty in person. See livestream information above)


8/ Wednesday

  • G7 Parent Meeting, 7pm


9/ Thursday

  • Middle School Dance (G7 & G8), 5pm


13/ Monday

  • Eighth Grade Commencement


15/ Wednesday

  • 12:30pm Dismissal, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Upcoming Events

Craft & Conversation

Thursday, June 2 from 8:30am - Noon


Our final session for the year will be on campus! Join us, Thursday, June 2, under the swoop in front of the school, from 8:30 until noon, come and go as works for your schedule.


A huge thank you to Anja Caldwell for hosting and guiding the group in her lovely home studio this year.


You can join the C&C email list at https://wwspo.groups.io/g/CandC.

Retirements & Farewells Celebration

Thursday, June 16 from 3 - 4:30pm


Join us to celebrate our Faculty Retirements and Farewells on Thursday June 16 from 3-4:30pm on the school blacktop with music from CrushFunk.


Please RSVP by Friday June 10th

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Changes in the Library

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Susan Walsh will retire from the library but will continue to share her skill as a eurythmist with WWS.


Susan Walsh came to WWS 16 years ago with a wealth of librarian experience working in art museum, college and public libraries, as well as experience bringing pedagogical and therapeutic eurythmy to several New York State Waldorf schools.  


Since arriving at WWS in 2006, Susan has lovingly devoted herself to serving the children, the school and Waldorf education through her work as the school librarian and as a therapeutic and pedagogical eurythmist. Susan’s excellent administrative skills also contribute to her membership on several school committees. Teaching pedagogical eurythmy in the children’s garden has given Susan valuable insight for her work with the Grade One Committee and Care Group. 

 

Her devotion to the students and to her work was evident during the pandemic when the library was closed to everyone. Susan would select books for a class, load them in a wagon and cart them to the outdoor and indoor classrooms so students could continue having library class and a steady stream of new books to read. She also started a community book club to bring people together during the months of isolation. 


Although Susan is stepping back from her library work (and leaving the library in the capable hands of Tammy Gompper) she will continue sharing her expertise and support to the children through her therapuetic eurythmy work and Children’s Garden eurythmy. 


During her partial retirement, Susan hopes to pursue her many interests (nature study, visiting museums, swimming, reading) and renew her dormant (during Covid) world travels, beginning with a long awaited trip to Ireland this summer. 

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We are happy to announce that Tammy Gompper will move from her role as Assistant Librarian to be our school Librarian.


Tammy came to Waldorf Education when her two daughters were young. She was a founding parent, board member, and substitute teacher at the Potomac Crescent Waldorf School.


Tammy brings a wealth of education and experience to the role with a BA in Studio Art, an MFA in Art and Art History, and an MLS - Concentration in Special Libraries and Multicultural Studies and over 30 years working in the  museum, archive, and library fields.


Tammy loves being a librarian because she enjoys organizing knowledge and helping people find information. Tammy also loves reading, especially children’s books, and she particularly enjoys witnessing the glee that book finding and reading bring to our students.

We are hiring for the Assistant Librarian Role!

Learn More

A message From the High School "Trash Fash" Club

Hello WWS Community,


Over the course of this year, the high school club Trash Fash has given garbage a new purpose. We began the process by sifting through trash cans and dumpsters for used trash and then cleaned our findings. We spent study halls altering the trash to create wearable and creative outfits. We finished off the year with a high school wide viewing of the completed projects. Our goal was to bring attention to the amount of trash which WWS produces–which is plentiful. We also hoped to motivate students' interests towards finding artistic and innovative solutions for the pandemic of plastic pollution.


With this art activity we want to raise awareness of organizations like Earthjustice, a nonprofit law organization which helps combat climate change.


If our club inspires you to take any action, please let us know. You can contact us via email, and we will be so happy to hear from you.



Sincerely,

Trash Fash Club

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From the Parent Leadership Group

Seeking Handwork Donations for the Fall Bazaar Waldorf Store! 


Calling all parents, grandparents and other family, alums and alums’ families who create handwork! We intend to bring back the Fall Bazaar in November (yay!), and after two years off, we need handwork donations to sell at the Waldorf Store.


If you have contributed handwork in the past, or have a special talent at making handwork items that would be a good fit for the Waldorf Store, please contact us at wwsstore@washingtonwaldorf.org -- we'd love to hear from you.


Thank you!

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Community handwork offerings from the 2019 Bazaar.

Donate Outgrown Outdoor Clothing to the Gear Shop! 


Now that the weather has turned warm, you may have outdoor garments that won't fit your children next fall.


Please donate them (sizes CG-G8, outerwear and boots only) to the Gear Shop by placing them in the box in the front entry anytime before school is out. 


Thank you!

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Ways to Connect


  • Craft & Conversation (see above)
  • Hiking Group -- Family hike at Turkey Run Park, McLean VA 22101 on Saturday, June 4. To participate in future adventures, join the hiking group email list at https://wwspo.groups.io/g/hiking.
  • Meet at 10:30am in Lot C and we'll take the Turkey Run Loop/Potomac Heritage Trails to the waterfall, and then return the same way.
  • Bring water, snacks/lunch and water shoes if your children enjoy wading!
  • Morning Meetup -- Lace up your walking shoes and come forge some new connections while we walk and talk! Meet outside Starbucks by 8:30, then we'll head out on a walk on the Capital Crescent Trail, returning by 9:20. You can join the Morning Meetup email list at https://wwspo.groups.io/g/morningmeetup.
Bulletin Board
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.  
  • 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.
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.
Classifieds & Notices

Adventure Camp Openings

From Emma Heirman, WWS Alum '03


Adventure Camps - an initiative of the Christian Community - still have some spots open for children and high school students. We make these camps out of bailing twine, sticky mud and a whole lot of love and attention. 


Adventure Camps are filled with tons of all the good things: improv, crafts, singing, stories, made up games, good food, and kids hard at work to care for each other. We create a community together. Examples:

  • Backpacking for children and High School students in the Catskills
  • Camping on the beach and flying kites for children at Camp Henlopen State Park in Delaware


Our camps have changed through the years as the needs of children have changed. We are an intentionally diverse group of adults - mostly young. We are a welcoming and affirming community. We also recognize that to say one is affirming is an active task. It is not just said - it needs to be made real. We also have seen in the last years the needs of kids to help heal trauma. We can offer a safe space in nature to experience the enormity of the natural world as a secure and loving place. This can help, as I know you all know!


Visit the website for dates and to learn more.


If you know a child that could benefit from another community, a chance to see themselves in another community, please pass this on. There are no financial barriers. Contact us with any questions.


Warm Regards,

The Adventure Camp Team

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Biodynamic/Organic Food CSA

Pick up near WWS or a location near you!

From Sunny Kaplan, WWS Alum Parent


Shares are available for the CSA for the 2022-23 farm year! Different options are: school year only (Sept-May), full yearwinter/spring season (Dec-May) and summer/fall: (June-Nov)Registration info is here (a discount is available if you pay with cash/check). We've had three new WWS families join this year and we'd love to have more!


What's the CSA? Spiritual Foods CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) provides biodynamic and organic veggies, fruit, eggs, bread, and other seasonal staples, with most of it grown on land leased from the Kimberton Waldorf School in PA! Biodynamics, like Waldorf education, was founded by Rudolf Steiner and is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture, food production and nutrition. Choices for share options include: main share of veggies, fruit & supplements; main share w/out bread; or veggie/fruit only. Please visit the CSA website for more info, costs, and registration forms, or email or call Lakshmi at 301-654-4899 with questions and to check on availability. You can also reach out to Sunny Kaplan, WWS alumni parent and WWS/CSA coordinator. 


Here are some of the vine-ripened, high quality, freshly picked produce awaiting you this summer if you register now: berries, summer squash, lettuce nearly weekly, other greens, cucumbers, onions, garlic greens, parsley, dill, cilantro, beans, corn, colorful peppers, eggplant, and avocado from a biodynamic farm in Florida. Supporting farms is investing in our future!

Pet Sitting Opportunity

From Jessie Sincavage, WWS Parent


Hi Everyone,


We are looking for a pet sitter to stay at our home in Arlington with our 4 month old Labrador Retrievers and feed our 15 year old cat while we drop off our kids at different camps.


Dates needed:  July 15-July 16 and August 1-August 2.


You would have your own bedroom and bathroom in the basement. Because our labs are still puppies we do need someone at the house at all times and we only crate them for 1 hour twice a day to pick up our kid at school or run errands. They are crated at night. They do sleep a lot and they’d love for you to play with them in the yard and give them a morning walk separately.


Please let know if you are interested at jessie.sincavage@gmail.com and I can send you more details. Thank you!

Summer Teacher Positions 

From Sylvia Szankay, WWS Parent


Summer teaching positions are open with Horizons Greater Washington. Contact Lauren Simmons, Program Director, with any questions at  (202) 939-4068.   


Summer Program Art teacher 


Summer Program Lead Teacher 

Summer Playgroup Leader Opportunity

From Susan Michels, Potomac Crescent Waldorf School Parent


We are a group of current or former Waldorf families creating a summer play group that is age appropriate and fun. The Michels’ family lives in Lake Barcroft in Falls Church and could “host” the program. Generally, we are looking for a program that takes place Monday through Friday (barring holidays), from about 9 am – 1 pm (the children would eat lunch together). We’d like some programming similar to the Waldorf kindergarten, like a circle with songs and movement and a story. There is a beach at Lake Barcroft with lifeguards, so swimming could be part of the day, along with free play and lunch.


  • We would need to explore what we do if there is inclement (thunderstorms) weather. But if solely showers, we’d plan to still meet.
  • There are porta potties at the beach and we would explore using a luggable loo.
  • Under Lake Barcroft rules, the Michels’ can have up to 8 guests. So this could accommodate a leader(s)/assistant leader and 6 additional children (plus Verity).
  • In terms of payment, we would want to work this out with the leader(s) and assistant, but generally are thinking $225 per child.
  • We would like the leader of the program to be vaccinated against Covid, be Covid safe and follow current CDC and Fairfax County Covid recommendations and know first aid.


Contact Susan: susandmichels@gmail.com

High School or College Age Student Summer Opportunity

From Lipika Dash, WWS Parent


We would like to invite high schoolers or perhaps students home from college to supervise a small group of middle schoolers for crafting hours. 


Date range: June 20th - July 31st

Days of the week flexible, but hours mostly within 10am to 4 or 5pm.


Also looking for another person to supervise a group of 2 to 3 five year olds for similar activities, pool activities a bonus. 


We are in Bethesda (for transportation logistics). 


Please contact Lipika at 301-963-0012 or mailtolipika@yahoo.co.in

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Film Screenings and Q&A Opportunities

From Theodora Scarato, WWS Parent 


Film Screening: Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air

Unbreathable: The Fight for Healthy Air is a timely, powerful look at fifty years of the Clean Air Act and the challenges we still face to ensure healthy air for everyone.


Registration for Unbreathable is closed.


Watch the trailer


Film Q and A with Director Heidi Martikainen, June 2 at 1 PM ET

“Something is in the Air” is a film about cell phone radiation featuring several international experts including scientist Daniel Favre who shares his research in the impact of cell phones on bees and pollinators.  


Watch Something is in the Air

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved


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Washington Waldorf School
4800 Sangamore Road,
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-6107
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