Weekly Bulletin
May 5, 2021
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The lower school Spanish classes are decorating other classes' doors to celebrate May! |
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From the 8th grade German class
“Every year we celebrate May Day by dancing around the maypole. In Germany, April 30th is a day to drive away the evil spirits of winter. In some areas of Germany “Walpurgisnacht” is celebrated with a big bonfire. May 1st is a day to be happy and rejoice at the coming of spring! There is music, laughter, and fun. The maypole is always at the center of these joyful celebrations. In Germany and many other countries, May 1st is also International Labor Day. At our school, the kindergarteners and 4th graders weave the colorful ribbons around our maypole, dancing to Irish violin music and bagpipes. It is an event that every 4th grader anticipates and is excited about.”
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A note from the teacher:
As we were talking about the May Day celebration in our class, the Aunt of a friend of mine shared her experience as a young child dancing around the maypole. Gertrude Evans, a local artist from Leesburg, VA says:
“It was a big celebration when we were kids in elementary and in high school. In high school the celebration was held with a processional of the May Queen Court, for which I was selected to represent my 8th grade class when I was 13. There were dancers and other entertainment.”
She attended Douglas Elementary school in Leesburg, VA and shared these two pictures of her 5th grade class. The photo is from 1957 and the artwork was created by Ms. Evans about 5 years ago.
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Gertrude Evans is working tirelessly to uncover and document the African American experience in Loudoun County and especially in Leesburg, VA. We hope to invite her to our WWS May Day Celebration when we can gather in person again! |
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Each May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, the Child Mind Institute educates the public about the one in five children in our communities who struggle with mental health and learning disorders. This year they’re building on the momentum of past campaigns with Getting Better Together, which features personal testimonials from celebrities and kids to show how we can all cope with stress, isolation and mental health challenges.
The campaign kicked off with actress Gabby Sidibe, who shares how she reached out for help with depression and anxiety despite an unsupportive environment.
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This New York Times article puts a name to the "blah" that many of us are feeling these days and tries to identify ways to address what they say "may be the dominant emotion of the year". |
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In this recent article from Anthromedics on the effects of the pandemic on young children, they provide the ideas for small things we can do for the well-being of our children, including:
- Give young children reliable and carefree spaces for development.
- Build their confidence and strength through repetition and rhythm.
- Sing and dance!
- Give more hugs, warmth and closeness!
- Maintain hand washing as a pleasant ritual and not as an act to eliminate danger.
- Then rub in a “golden drop” of rose oil and notice how wonderful it smells.
- Rediscover the power of nature:
- We are freer in the open air.
- Animals can heal a child’s soul, promote movement, bring joy.
- In the forest we can breathe deeply and become healthy.
- Find “my” places (my tree, my stream...) for support.
- Laugh a lot.
- Tell stories.
- Experience little adventures.
- Bake campfire bread.
- Experience tests of courage and overcome resistance.
Child protection requires strong, confident, forward-thinking adults!
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Online Conversation About Supporting the Mental Health of Tweens and Teens
Tonight! Wednesday, May 5 from 8-9:30pm
The past year of isolation, schooling at home, and social distancing from family and friends has created higher incidences of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts in children as young as 9 or 10. Join us for a conversation with two professionals at the front lines -- an emergency room pediatrician and a crisis hotline manager -- about their work assisting tweens and teens in crisis. PEP Parent Educator Robbye Fox will moderate to share insights on understanding your tween/teen’s perspective and practical parenting strategies to stay connected during these challenging times.
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Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar
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May
6/ Thursday
7/ Friday
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No Coffee Break with Jennifer Page this week
- May 7 is a full school day (It was originally scheduled as a 1/2 day for grandparent & special friends' day.)
12/ Wednesday
- G7 Parent Evening, 6:30pm
- G6 Parent Evening, 7pm
13/ Thursday
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NO SCHOOL - Eid al-Fitr (Date is subject to change.)
14/ Friday
- Coffee Break with Jennifer Page, 10am
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Calendar of School Days for the 2021-2022 School Year |
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Gear Shop Collection - This Week! |
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For the rest of this week...Gear Shop Collection!
There is a box in front of the school this week to collect donations of used (and in reusable condition) outerwear and boots for the WWS Gear Shop. Items will be available to the WWS community at reduced prices at a TBD event before school starts in the fall, with proceeds going to the ONE FUND.
Items to be collected:
- Outerwear (i.e., outer layer rain/snow jackets and pants, including hats and snow/ski/rain mittens/gloves) and boots (rain/snow/hiking)
- Sizes CG through Grade 8
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Photo Credit: Eli Turner 2019 |
The WWS Gear Shop is organized by WWS parents. If you would like to help or have questions, please contact Jesse Travis at jessetravis@gmail.com.
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Are you still looking for some summer activities?
Our virtual camps are focused on creative activities to inspire and delight the imagination. Camp options are available for ages 6-adult!
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Knight Mascot Store - On Sale Through May 8! |
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Our online knight mascot store is now open!
We now have two online shops on squadlocker.com. T-shirts, baseball hats, hoodies, bags, and more! You can order your WWS spirit wear with our knight mascot. Once you select an item, you can customize with any of 5 different mascot graphic options.
For a limited time you can receive 15% off your order. Use code WWSKNIGHTS15 from now until May 8, 2021.
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National Waldorf Alum Networking |
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Our third social hour event of the year! After two successful, and most importantly, truly inspiring and engaging socials earlier this year, we will dance into May with this next hour together.
Monday, May 10
7:30 PM ET
MAY FOCUS: MENTORING
Bring a drink or snack! Alums, staff, and alum parents welcomed.
Future Social Hour Dates:
Monday, July 12th, 2021
Monday, September 13th, 2021
Monday, November 8th, 2021
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Washington Family - Best for FAMILY Voting |
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Thank you to all who nominated our school as "Best for Families" run by Washington Family Magazine!
Voting is happening now and you can vote for WWS in multiple categories where we were nominated including:
- Best Private School
- Best Preschool Program
- Best Private Elementary School
- Best Private High School
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Don't forget to preorder your 2020-2021 yearbook!
Preorder online by May 15, 2021 for $40.88. Preorders will be available at the school for pickup by June 1, 2021. Orders placed after the May 15, 2021 deadline will include the cost of shipping the book directly to the purchaser.
Please Note: TreeRing’s website works best in the Chrome internet browser. If you visit the website directly, the school passcode is: 1015278619434770
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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. Listings may not be accepted and will likely be edited.
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Classifieds & Events from the Community |
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Wooden Playstands for Sale
from Christine Tomasson (WWS Parent)
Selling two great playstands that have served us well - include arch attachments! Good condition, located in Bethesda by MacArthur Blvd & Seven Locks Rd. $85 for both.
Text Christine at 240-426-0990 with any questions
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Free Futon Couch
from Susan Walsh (WWS Faculty)
Queen size futon couch, pine frame, converts into a bed. All you have to do is say YES and pick it up in Arlington.
Contact Susan at 845-821-2129.
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CSA Sign Ups for Biodynamic/Organic Food
(pick up at WWS or a location near you!)
from Sunny Kaplan (WWS Parent)
Next season sign up is now OPEN for the CSA Year June 2021-May 2022! There is also the option for the school year only (Sept-May) and winter/spring season (Dec-May). You can register online or print a form and mail it in for a cash/check discount.
Due to high demand you need to act quickly to reserve a share by THIS Saturday, May 1 - after that you might end up on a waiting list.
What is 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.
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Information on Digital Screens and Kids
from Theodora Scarato (WWS Parent)
Theodora Scarato interviewed author Meltem Küskü about her book Screen Children. Kusku reviews how every parent can minimize the health effects from cell phones and screens. The former Proctor & Gamble executive shares a comprehensive collection of research on the effects of digital devices in an easy to read book she wrote for all parents. Watch the video interview
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Published by the Washington Waldorf School
Copyright © 2021 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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