Windows into Waldorf June 6, 2025
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE INCLUDES
Director’s Note
Tuition Contracts info
Key Dates
First half of tuition was due June 1
Dispatches from the Classrooms (photos and videos!)
In the community
DIRECTOR’S NOTE -
What is experiential learning? It’s about getting dirt under your fingernails and stars in your eyes from the stage lights. From plays to field trips it has been a week of wonders for students taking initiative and being fully engaged in their lives.
This issue of Windows into Waldorf is full of images of these experiences.
Enjoy.
Conor Jones
Director Waldorf Academy
MESSAGE FROM THE BUSINESS MANAGER
Important: Notify M.Priestap at accounting@waldorfacademy.org when sending wire payments.
Dear Waldorf Parents and Guardians,
If you are sending tuition payments via wire transfer, please be sure to notify and send the documentation to M.Priestap at accounting@waldorfacademy.org once the transfer has been initiated. This helps us ensure your payment is properly identified and allocated to your account in a timely manner. Please note when sending wire payments there are bank fees that are deducted so there may be a small balance owing.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Michelle
Construction Notice
The laneway directly to the North of the School is being paved, so parents are asked not to drive or park their car/bike on it. Thank you for your cooperation.
KEY DATES
Friday June 13 - Last Day of School for the summer!
Our last day of school before summer break is a half day with pick up at 12:30.
For those students currently enrolled in the Hot Lunch Program, it will be provided this Friday at 10:30.
The last day for kindergarten is Thursday, June 11th. We will have our Rainbow Bridge Ceremony that day and then children will go home with their parents after the ceremony (which takes place 9-11am).
Sunday June 1 was great fun! at the Blue Jays at home game with Waldorf Academy. Did you catch the recap in our IG reel?
Thanks to everyone who made the Blue Jays game a great Waldorf success! Did you see the celebration reel on our insta account?
DISPATCHES FROM THE CLASSROOM
SCHOOL-WIDE
Friday June 13 - Our last day of school before summer break is a half day with pick up at 12:30.
Hot Lunch will be provided this Friday at 10:30 for those students currently enrolled in the Hot Lunch Program, so there is no need to pack a snack.
Childcare Centre gets a visit from Mother Nature!
Many Waldorf Community members have vocations that connect us with nature. Jessie Cowe, one of our childcare parents, is a nature educator at High Park Nature Centre. She very kindly donated many beautiful native plants and spent a morning last week planting them all in our toddler yard with the children. These plants were chosen to attract birds and insects and will return year after year. Thanks Jessie, for helping us connect our ‘urban campus’ to nature for our students to enjoy!
Highlights from the Grade 1 Musical Play
The Grade One’s performance on magic thimbles and bottomless bowls of milk!
Grade 3 visit to Earth Star
Grade 6 goes to Medieval Times to see the knights and horses in action!
Grade 7-8 Play The Miser - “And the Oscar Goes to….”
The school is still giddy from the thrill of the performance of a lifetime for our Grade 7-8 students! Congratulations to the whole team for an amazing and entertaining evening. Also, a big thanks to our incredible parents for building and painting such an incredible set!
Grade 7-8 Trip Bakesale - Wow, deliciousness overload
Thank-you students and parents for helping Grade 6-7 (7-8 ascending) fundraise for their school trip next year! You helped us raise over $ 525 !! Looking forward to some outdoor adventure in the next school year!
DISPATCH - From the Music Department
"If music be the food of love, play on" - Shakespeare (of course)
From Ms. Hilts
Dear families of Waldorf Academy,
Call out for stranded instruments!
As the year comes to a close, I will be going through our school's musical instrument inventory to see what needs repair and replacement. If anyone has instruments that they no longer want and would be willing to donate to the school, I may be able to take them off your hands! Below, please find a list of the instruments we are in need of. For more information, or if you have an instrument that is not on the list, please contact me directly at chilts@waldorfacademy.org.
Instruments List:
Strings program:
(bold = greatest need)
Violins: sizes 1/2, 3/4, 4/4Cello: sizes 1/2, 3/4, 4/4String accessories (sets of strings, pegs, bridges, shoulder/chin rests, rosin, bows)We currently do not have any violas or basses, but if you have one to donate, we would gladly take it!
Other Instruments:
Guitars (any size)Ukulele (C tuning)Metallophones (i.e. glockenspiels)General percussion (class sets and multiples are ideal, sounds effects for plays, etc.)Tenor and Bass Recorders
Why support the Waldorf Academy Music Program?
Music is an integral part of Waldorf education, woven thoughtfully into every aspect of the curriculum and daily rhythm. From the early grades onward, students experience music not only as a subject but as a living, breathing presence in their school day—through singing, movement, storytelling, and seasonal celebrations. Whether learning to play instruments like the recorder, ukulele, or violin, or joining in harmonized singing, music supports the development of listening, coordination, memory, and social connection. It nurtures emotional expression, fosters a sense of beauty and form, and strengthens community, making it a vital thread in the holistic education of every Waldorf student.
Overview of Music Program through the years
Early Childhood and Kindergarten: Singing connected to the rhythm of the day and games, Pentatonic or mood of the fifth (open-ended feeling, less rooted, less structure/beat)
Grade 1 and 2: Pentatonic Flutes and Singing, music games
Grade 3: Soprano Recorder, singing, introduction to rounds (if ready), diatonic scale
Grade 4: Introduction to a string instrument, singing unison and rounds
Grade 5: Introduction to alto recorder, singing unison, rounds, harmony introduced
Grade 6: Introduction to the bass clef and lower register instruments i.e. Tenor and Bass Recorders, Cello (individuals only), further development of part singing
Grade 7 and 8: Further individualization of instrumentation, 3 or 4-part harmony singing
IN THE COMMUNITY
Cyclists, Don’t forget June is Bike Month! - From Cycle Toronto
From Cycle Toronto’s Newsletter
It’s your favourite cyclists’ favourite month – Bike Month! This June, ring in bike month with Cycle Toronto as we congest a cargo-tonne of events in 30 days. Bike month is for all people of all riding abilities. It’s a chance to learn new skills, develop old ones, connect with your community and celebrate your favourite two-wheeled machine (more or less two but who’s counting?). And be sure to join on Wednesday, June 4th for the annual Bike to Work Day group commute and pancake breakfast.” Calendar of events here.
Remember, for this summer as our children grow from ‘wonder to wisdom’ don’t forget to:
Read alot, go low tech (conversation over Chatgpt), touch grass.
Summer plans?
View past issues of Windows into Waldorf
