From Meg Kneisl, Assistant Director of Development & Events

On Friday, May 5, Grandparents & Special Friends Day returned to WWS. After a lovely breakfast and student performances, all grandparents and special friends visited their students’ classrooms to see the magic of a Waldorf education first hand. Then guests were treated to Gym tours, a finger knitting activity, and another round of fantastic student performances. The day ended on a high note, with the fourth graders performing the traditional May Pole dance for the community.

Thank you to the Festivals Committee for presenting the outstanding student performances and the May Pole display and dance. Thank you to Mitch Fanning and Douglas Holmberg for providing the festive music for the May Pole. Thanks also go out to Jesse Travis and the Parent/Family Organization for providing the volunteers necessary to make the event successful. And a special thank you goes to our teachers for their flexibility and kindness in welcoming our students’ guests.

Special thanks to everyone in our community who brought in delicious savories, sweets, or drinks to make the breakfast spread so sumptuous. And our gratitude to all the impromptu community volunteers who assisted with getting the chairs rounded up and back into the rental bags. A big shout out goes to Chef Jaz and Flo, for keeping a huge amount of coffee brewing, all morning and into the afternoon, for our very thirsty guests!

Message from the Parent/Family Organization

Thank you for your help! Thank you to everyone who contributed time and/or food to Grandparents & Special Friends Day. The buffet was a sight to behold -- the guests were very impressed! And to everyone who helped greet and guide, served food, tidied the buffet, set up and moved tables and heavy chairs (and put them back in those crazy bags!) - your efforts are so appreciated. Thank you all for pitching in to make it happen!

On May 1-2, 2023 our Grade 5 students joined other fifth graders from the Richmond Waldorf, Emerson Waldorf, and Charlottesville Waldorf schools for two days of Ancient Greek Olympic competition at Camp Hanover outside Richmond, VA.  Each student joined a City-State that competed with other City-States like Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and Corinth. The emphasis was on beauty, balance, form, and the gift that the child brought to the experience.

Each child competes with their own self, attempting to best their previous score and form. There was a great deal of pride and sportsmanship displayed in the five events of wrestling, long jump, javelin, discus, and running. This event has a long tradition in Waldorf Schools and is always a favorite. Thanks to our wonderful Games Teacher, Mr. Gardiner, for heading up the event and thanks to the MANY parents that also made this event so special!

May

10/ Wednesday

• Simplicity Parenting Class, 6pm
• Community Meeting with Dinner, 6-7:30pm (see below)

12/ Friday

• High School Prom

13/ Saturday

• CG Open House, 10:30am

15/ Monday

• G8 Parent/Guardian Meeting, 7pm

16/ Tuesday

• Trustees Council Meeting, 7pm

17/ Wednesday

• Simplicity Parenting Class, 6pm

18/ Thursday

• Senior Play, 7pm (see below)

19/ Friday

• Senior Play, 4pm (see below)

22/ Monday

• Craft & Conversation, 8:30 -10:30am - Last of the school year! (see below)

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2022-2023 School Year

Community Meeting - TONIGHT!

Wednesday, May 10 from 6-7:30pm

We are pleased to host an all-school community meeting in the auditorium the evening of May 10. We will discuss the 'state of the school' and share information about our school's finances, the Room to Move campaign, and our 2023-2028 strategic plan. We will also provide Gym tours for those who are interested. Dinner will be provided at this event. Adults only. 

Please RSVP

Senior Play: The Curious Savage by John Patrick

Thursday, May 18 at 7pm

Friday, May 19 at 4pm

When Ethel Savage's late husband leaves her a small fortune, she decides to make the best of it but her three greedy stepchildren – a socialite, a senator and a judge – commit her to a mental institution, hoping to "bring her to her senses."  With warmth, humor, and dignity, The Curious Savage celebrates those who are often overlooked, emphasizing kindness, affection, and empathy in a world that too often rewards greed and ambition.

The Curious Savage is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

Recommended for audience members around 6th grade and older (the director classifies the play as such: "somewhere next to PG but not quite PG-13 - takes place in a sanitorium and has some innuendo, but no overt violence, sex or profanity.")

Craft & Conversation - Last Meeting This School Year

Monday, May 22 from 8:30-10:30am

Come to the entrance hall after drop-off as your schedule allows, any time between 8:30-10:30am. Craft & Conversation is a time to socialize and work together on handwork projects. All are welcome, regardless of skill level.

Preorder the 2022-2023 Yearbook! 

Full color coverage of Children’s Garden through Grade 12 and events. 

You can preorder a yearbook with free delivery to the school if you place your order by May 15. Orders placed after May 15 will include the cost of shipping the book directly to the purchaser.

Preorders with free shipping cost $46.18 (including tax) and will be available at the school for pickup around June 6. All yearbooks are printed on recycled paper and for every yearbook purchased, TreeRing will plant a tree.

Preorder by May 15 to avoid shipping costs.

Yearbooks can only be ordered through the TreeRing website.

Please Note: TreeRing’s website works best in the Chrome internet browser. If you visit the website directly, the school passcode is: 1015278619434770 

There is still time to buy an ad! Ad purchases are due by May 14. Ad space can be used to congratulate your student, a class, thank a teacher / the school, and/or advertise your business. 

Order an ad on the TreeRing website.

Please contact Justin Pyles with any yearbook questions.

Building the Gym is a large scale effort with multiple partners involved, who all play an integral role in achieving the project’s success. We have focused on the construction side of the project over the last few weeks and introduced you to Architect MJ Wojewodski.

This week, we are pleased to introduce you to Whiting-Turner construction team member, Rob Marengo. Rob has served as the Project Manager for the Gym’s construction, and we have been lucky to have his partnership and colleagueship throughout the eighteen months. Meet Rob below! (Some of you may have met him in person on a Gym tour last Friday.)

Can you share a bit about yourself and your background?

I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore, then went to the University of Maryland to get my engineering degree and decided to set new roots in the DMV. I’ve been working with Whiting-Turner since graduating and have 10 years in the construction industry under my belt. School work has become my focus in the industry, as most of my projects to date include public, private, and charter schools throughout the DC area.

What are your favorite parts of the Gym design?

The unique shape and structure of the Gym started out as a thorn in my side when initially trying to determine pricing and logistics, but quickly grew to become one of my favorite features of the Gym. It led to some very interesting conversations and analyses regarding the ideal building material and methodology for the shape. We evaluated traditional steel, mass timber, and pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB). I didn’t have any prior experience with either mass timber or PEMB, so it was a great opportunity to work with a whole new world of designers and contractors to learn about these systems.

When you think about the completed Gym, what do you picture?

Packed bleachers with a crowd watching as WWS drains a buzzer beating shot. It’s exciting to provide a space that the school can call home.

What has been the biggest challenge of the Gym construction so far?

The schedule constraints have been the toughest to deal with. While the overall time frame to complete the project is adequate, we needed to work quickly from the start to ensure that key materials and equipment were released early enough to overcome the unforgiving lead times and supply chain issues plaguing the construction industry. Specific items include the pre-engineered structure for the Gym, roofing materials, and mechanical equipment. The team worked hard to push these through approvals or order them as quickly as possible so that they could be available when the construction schedule required them.

What has been the best part of the Gym construction so far?

Working with the team. In a business that can be stressful and tense, it has been a very enjoyable experience working with WWS and the design team. It’s also been fun showing the space to tours of students - seeing the excitement on their faces makes the long hours worth it!

How many construction workers come to the Gym Site every day?

On average, there are about 20 workers onsite each day. We are closing in on the busiest part of the schedule as there are contractors working inside, outside, and all around the exterior of the building. Currently we have around 35 workers onsite, plus the WT team and a revolving door of visitors.

Have you ever made a 3-point shot?

Yes – we are looking forward to testing out the hoops when they are installed!

Congratulations Christian Bechmann ('21) whose team placed 3rd out of 47 in an 11-day Datathon organized by the Smith Analytics Consortium in collaboration with Deloitte and KPMG.

The project involved analyzing multiple data sets to find the most profitable areas in NYC boroughs to buy short-term rental properties. They tackled challenges like data cleaning, exploratory data analysis, and data visualization. Additionally, the team constructed a detailed five-year financial projection using break-even analysis. The event was reported to be a great success!

WWS alum & Middle School Guitar Teacher, Robert Coleman ('11), and WWS parent Steve Steckler have an album out (CD available for purchase too)!

https://asparagusmedia.bandcamp.com/album/scotch-and-soda

New Camp Added!

A new camp has been added to our summer lineup. Our aftercare instructor Joaquin Moreno will offer a Culinary Camp for ages 6-10. The camp is available for two sessions: June 19 - 23 and June 26 - 30.

Campers will explore foods from around the world while also learning kitchen & knife safety, food handling, and measurements & conversions. Campers will make tacos, sushi wraps, and other vegan/veggie friendly options. Children will create their own individual recipe book.

Learn More & Register

• BigSis Portal - keep your contact information up to date!
• Current Health Policy - updated Aug 29, 2022.
• Lunch program info for current families in ParentSquare.
• Map of the pickup and drop-off flow.
• Magnus Portal for student forms.
• Bulletin newsletters.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on ParentSquare, please email your department coordinator/administrator:

• Children's Garden - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School - Christen Leonard 
• High School - Bonnie McClelland

We welcome submissions of community news, events, items for sale, want ads, etc. Please submit listings by COB Tuesdays with the subject "Bulletin Submission." See additional information above.

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved

Culinary Camp Photo by Andy Chilton on Unsplash

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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