Windows into Waldorf Sept. 25, 2025
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE INCLUDES
Director’s Note
Key Dates and happenings
Events In the Community
A Festival of Courage
Dear Waldorf Academy Community,
This week we celebrate the autumn equinox, when days shorten and nights grow long. An inner strength is required to meet the darker months ahead. Our celebration of Michaelmas, with the students' dramatic portrayal of St. Michael facing the dragon centre stage, is followed by our community Harvest Festival celebration. Through choral reading, song, dance and the sharing of festive food and drink, Waldorf Academy comes together to be the light in the darkness. All are invited.
Michaelmas, often called the Festival of Courage, invites children and adults alike to focus our will and slay our personal dragons, the things that stand between ourselves and happiness, or that are bringing chaos where there should be order. As St Michael reminds us to face challenges with bravery, to take responsibility for our actions, and have faith in ourselves for we possess the strength to defeat dragons.
Thank you to the Community Council and parent volunteers for your extensive work and organization in providing food, cider, baked goods and games for our Harvest Festival. Thank you faculty and students for your preparation and performance of St Michael and the Dragon.
Conor
KEY DATES & HAPPENINGS
The school-wide Calendar of upcoming events can be found here.
Sept. 26 (tomorrow!) - Harvest Festival and Michaelmas (all are invited!)
Tuesday, Sept. 30 - Grade 4 Parent evening
Tuesday, Sept. 30 - Truth and Reconciliation & Orange Shirt Day
Also upcoming for specific grades: Apple Picking (Grades 1, 2, 3) and a Camping Trip (Grades 7, 8). Parents, if you have not yet done so, please fill out the permission forms. Students, enjoy and learn lots on your ‘experiential journey’!
Michaelmas and Harvest Festival is here!
We’re excited to see you at our first event of the year, Michaelmas and the Harvest Festival TOMORROW! All are invited!
Here are a few important reminders:
Event Details:
Michaelmas begins at 2:00 PM
The Harvest Festival begins at 3:00 PM, with corn and cider available for all to enjoy.
At 3:10 we will ring a bell and gather around, have a dedication and cut the dragon bread.
Bake Sale: Bring CASH ONLY as we won’t accept e-transfers or credit cards. The bake sale starts at 3:30 PM and lasts till 4:30 PM.
(To be respectful to our neighbours, please do not park in Archives parking lot)
Terry Fox Run
Thank you students for running to help cure cancer. Together, we raised close to $ 200 for Terry’s cause.
OPEN HOUSE DATE FOR FALL 2026 STUDENT COHORT - OCT 22
It’s early in the year, but like all other Independent Schools, we have set a date for our Open House inviting prospective parents to come and explore all Waldorf has to offer for the Sept. 2026 School Year.
We’ll spend an afternoon sharing our approach to education highlighted with activity stations celebrating all things Waldorf.
When: Wednesday, October 22 from 1:00 - 3:00
Want to help or have suggestions on what we should highlight? Need help with your “Why did you chose Waldorf elevator pitch?” Let us know! admissions@waldorfacademy.org .
Invitations to the broader community forthcoming! Pass the link below onto your friends!
IN THE COMMUNITY
Saturdays 1-4 - Knit-O-Matic Sit ‘N’ Knit
Sept. 28 - Garlic Lover’s Unite! Our BIA friends at Dupont by the Castle are hosting their annual Garlic Festival this Sunday. Details can be found here.
*Please heed the no parking signs at Toronto Archives from Friday at 17:00 (for set up) to Sunday evening.
Sept. 27, 28 - Waterfront Silk Ribbon Festival
Silk ribbon parade
Silk-Ribbon Festival - Reaffirming Toronto’s relationship with our waterways, 120 canoes, 400 volunteers will paddle along our WaterFront
Our friends at the Bentway in partnership with Waterfront Toronto is putting on a silk ribbon pageantry this weekend (and we all know how much Ms. Grainger and Ms. Gerrard love nature dyed silk ribbons!)! A procession of over one hundred canoes will move in unison this weekend across Toronto’s eastern Waterfront, each carrying colour field paintings made with pigments sourced from the lake/shoreline and activated by the wind. A Lake Story will articulate Lake Ontario’s colour story across the sky and water, amplifying the lake’s own voices of vibrancy, ecosystem, and community. Read the article in the TOStar.
Sunday Oct. 5 - Our friends at Not Far From The Tree are hosting an end of picking season soiree!
Did you know that over 1.5 million pounds of fresh fruit grows in Toronto?
As our Grades 1, 2, 3 go off picking apples next week, we are inspired by Toronto’s fruit tree harvesting program (NFFTT), where volunteers pick fruit in people’s yards – called Toronto’s urban orchard – and share the bounty with organizations that feed fellow Torontonians.
When a tree owner can’t keep up with their harvest, they mobilize a volunteer team to pick the fruit, and then split it: 1⁄3 to the tree registrant, 1⁄3 split amongst the volunteers, and 1⁄3 donated to one of their community agency partners. This simple act brings Torontonians together, empowering communities to reduce food waste, increases access to fresh fruit, and to helping us live more sustainably in the city.
All the best to our students going on a their Outward Bound Camping Trip next week!
