Weekly Bulletin
May 12, 2021
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8th grade class display from a recent history block. Portraits of Queen Liliuokalani who was the last sovereign of the Kalākaua dynasty, which ruled a unified Hawaiian kingdom. After the coup that ended her reign, she continued to champion her nation’s culture, and worked to increase access to education and healthcare.
If you have a particular way that you are honoring Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month we'd love to hear about your observances.
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Getting to Know Our Chairpersons... |
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Who are the Chairs and what do they do?
At WWS, each department (CG, LS, HS, Admin) has a Chair who is responsible for guiding the department in its administrative and pedagogical responsibilities. The Chair leads the weekly department meetings and works along with the department administrator or coordinator to ensure the smooth functioning of the department. All Chairs are members of the College of Teachers which has its own Chair. All Chairs join the Head of School for a weekly Chairs Group meeting where all-school matters are discussed and department information is shared.
Over the next few weeks we will share profiles of each of the Chairs.
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Children's Garden Chair, Linc Kinnicutt
Linc grew up in the Boston area and first became involved with Waldorf education as a teacher in Saratoga Springs, NY. After teaching at Potomac Crescent for 9 years the opportunity arose to create and grow our WWS Waldorf in the Woods program. Linc has been the lead teacher for the Woods class since its inception in 2015. Linc's two children are students at WWS.
Please share a moment from teaching that was a particular delight for you or that made you feel proud.
In general observing the wonder of the children’s play.
What is your favorite school festival/event and why?
The winter spiral garden. It feels to me like the heart of the year. The mood of reflection and stillness is so nicely tied to the winter season as well as being almost the midpoint of the the school year.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Musician
(Linc has played the guitar since the age of 13 and plays a wooden flute and sings for the woods class.)
Tell us about a hero of yours or someone who has had a great influence on you.
Nancy Blanning and Laurie Clark have been my heroes and mentors in Waldorf Education pretty much from the time I started teaching.
Tell us about a hobby or activity that you particularly enjoy.
Surfing
Share a book recommendation.
The Sun and Her Flowers, Rupi Kaur
Do you have a “life philosophy” that can be shared in a sentence or two?
“One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others” -Sri Siksastakam
Share a quote that is particularly meaningful for you.
“Spaces have always been created by the gentle and caring
To be later filled by bullies and egotists
We can try to fill those spaces with the strength of our love”
-CRASS from ‘Yes Sir I Will’
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Staying Up to Date With Our School Calendar
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May
12/ Wednesday
- G7 Parent Evening, 6:30pm
- G6 Parent Evening, 7pm
- G9 Parent Evening, 7pm
13/ Thursday
14/ Friday
- Coffee Break with Jennifer Page, 10am
17/ Monday
- G8 Parent Evening, 7pm
- G1 Parent Evening, 8pm
21/ Friday
- Coffee Break with Jennifer Page, 10am
22/ Saturday
25/ Tuesday
27/ Thursday
28/ Friday
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HALF-DAY DISMISSAL, LS @ 11:45am and HS @ 12:20pm
31/ Thursday
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Calendar of School Days for the 2021-2022 School Year |
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Plays at School: an evening of one act performances
Thursday, May 27 at 7:30 pm
This year, for the senior class production, the WWS class of 2021 has taken up a unique performance opportunity. On Thursday, May 27, starting at 7:30 pm via zoom, they will offer a mix of live and recorded performances taken from contemporary and original sources.
A zoom link will be provided closer to the performance date.
Mature subject matter recommended for grades 8 and up.
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Did you know that our high school theatre teacher, Jane Christenson, received her MFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota? As part of her MFA program, Jane taught undergraduates and directed plays ranging from Shakespeare to Inge to a world premiere. She also served as an assistant stage director for the University's music school Opera Workshop program.
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Yearbook Preorder Deadline is Saturday! |
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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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from Ayesha Kazmi (WWS Parent grade 12)
As this month of Ramadan ends today and we prepare for the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, we wanted to share our reflections and experiences from the month.
While around the world this year's Ramadan was different than pre-covid times, it felt like here we were straddling a fine line of covid Ramadan and normalcy. We were back to previous school and work demands, but mostly still isolated at home. There were limited and distanced iftar (break-fast dinners) at sunset, but without the frequency or joviality of iftars of the past. Limited congregational prayers in mosques were held with pre-registration, but we did not attend.
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Instead, our family was able to find the rhythm of Ramadan in a different way. Every evening we would gather a few minutes prior to sunset, break our fasts with dates and water, as is tradition. We first prayed our sunset prayers before settling in for dinner, which this year consisted of some simple favorites, food sent over by family or friends, takeout and, often, leftovers. We would regroup around 9:45 pm to pray the night prayer and then pray a few segments of the special Ramadan prayers, taraweeh, which focuses on reciting as much of the Quran as possible over the month. Heading to bed tired, we'd plan to awaken before dawn. For the first part of the month we would arise and eat our pre-dawn meal and then pray the dawn prayer together before heading back to sleep for two or three hours until the start of the day. The days were long, so getting in a rest was important, if possible.
The last ten nights of Ramadan are especially important, and this year we were blessed to have had the opportunity to observe it in a traditional way. While keeping our same evening prayer routine, we would awaken--with some challenge--even earlier and pray extra and more personal prayers before some short joint prayers. We would then have our meal and dawn prayers before heading back for a morning nap.
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In our living room, dimly lit by string lights, the standing, bowing, and kneeling that we did individually and collectively as a family was a chance to connect to God and each other. We read from the Quran about struggles and hardships; stories of the Prophets Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Muhammad; and the bountiful mercy of God.
Our supplications to Him were filled with gratitude, worries, hopes, and requests. We prayed for family members passed on, young ones, and everyone in between. We raised our hands to beseech him to help all around the world, those afflicted with physical, emotional, and political struggles, for those who are persecuted and afflicted by inequity anywhere. We prayed for our family, our neighbors, and for all the communities of which we are a part.
So, this year a little more than years past, it feels like the celebration of Eid is a mixed blessing. Bidding farewell to the unique spiritual gift of Ramadan is very hard. But, the accomplishments and duty to celebrate tomorrow feel well earned and deserved.
We hope our school community, which joins us in taking Thursday off from school in recognition of Eid-ul-Fitr, will take a moment to share in the reflection on and gratitude for the blessings that we enjoy and often take for granted, recognition of the struggles of those who have less than we do, and celebration of community. And, as is tradition, we ask that the blessings from this year carry us to next Ramadan, which we eagerly await.
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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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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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The Emergence of the Cicadas In 2021 |
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By Nina Bruner and Maisy Morowitz (Grade 6)
News Flash!
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The emergence of millions of cicadas will take place this month as they explode out of the ground by the thousands! Cicadas are recognized for their large compound eyes, their stout bodies, and that insufferable noise that the males make to attract females There are two main types of cicadas, annual cicadas who emerge every year, and the periodic cicadas who emerge every thirteen to seventeen years. Periodic cicadas are only found in North America but annual cicadas are found all over the world. There are more than 3,000 species of these noisy insects.
The life cycle of cicadas goes through three main stages. First, when the female lays her eggs in the treetops, the little juveniles hatch from their eggs and burrow underground where they’ll spend the next two to seventeen years of their lives. While underground, they feed on the liquids from sap and tree roots. Once they've spent their time underground they emerge by the thousands! As soon as they come out of the ground, they shed their hard shell which is called molting. By that time they are considered to be entering the adult stage of their lives. They start to grow wings and they crawl up into the trees.
The males have a hollow abdomen which makes it possible to make their deafening noise that is sometimes loud enough to damage human ears. When they make that noise, they are in fact attracting female cicadas to mate with them. After they mate, the male cicada dies and the female finds somewhere to lay her eggs. After she lays her eggs, she dies and the lifecycle of the cicadas begins again.
This emergence will happen in the DC, VA and MD area. So be warned, the brood X cicada swarms will start to inhabit the surface of the earth very soon- the cicadas are coming!
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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)
UPDATED! Sign up is now OPEN for CSA Year June 2021-May 2022! Different options are available as space allows: school year only (Sept-May), summer only, and winter/spring season (Dec-May). Call or email first to confirm availability or if there's a wait list. Once confirmed, registration info is here (a discount is available if you pay with cash/check).
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 parent and WWS/CSA coordinator.
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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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