Windows into Waldorf Jan. 9, 2026
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE INCLUDES
Director’s note
Key Dates and Happenings
Dispatches from the classrooms
Dear Waldorf Community,
Happy New Year! We hope that you have all had a wonderful break as we lean with gusto into Term 2. It is nice to hear all the excitement and activity in the classrooms and hallways. From ‘gnome and pinecone’ math in grade 1, to exploring frequencies and soundwaves with water in wine glasses and jugs in Grades 5/6 (more water = lower pitch) it’s been a great start!
Enjoy this week’s Windows into Waldorf as we get back into the rhythm of our engaging community.
Warm wishes,
Conor
KEY DATES & HAPPENINGS
The school-wide Calendar of upcoming events can be found here.
Monday, January 12: Booking for the June 12-14 2026 weekend at Killbear Provincial Park will open. Book your camping spot! (details below)
Tuesday, January 13 at 4:30: SK Parents, please join us for our Grade 1 info session sign-up here!
Tuesday, January 13: First knitting circle of the term! Directly after morning drop off, in the Art Space.
Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00 PM: Community Council
Note from Community Council: Community Camping Trip 2026 Date is set!
The booking dates for our June Community Camping Trip are fast approaching once we return in the new year! Booking for the June 12-14 2026 weekend at Killbear Provincial Park will open on January 12th 2026, and spots go fast.
To help snag your spot on this trip, join the Community Camping Trip 2026 WhatsApp group by reaching out to Jesse Macht here, and look to the recent email from the Community Council for more details on how to reserve your camping spot. We’re looking forward to building on the tremendous success of last year’s trip as we rekindle this long tradition in our community!
Dispatches from the Classroom
Kindergarten
Happy New Year to you and your children. We hope that the winter break with your children has been filled with joyful, peaceful, and magical moments. We send our deepest gratitude and a big thank you to everyone for the thoughtful and generous holiday gifts and heartfelt cards and messages. We are truly grateful for the generosity and warm support we receive everyday from your families. We are very much looking forward to welcoming your children back to kindergarten and hearing about their adventures.
Please enjoy a few photos from the magical festivities the children enjoyed during the last week of school before the break. We had such fun and many peaceful moments of reverence.
Reminders
Please return your child's blanket for rest time.
Please, check your child's extra clothing bags for: spare warm socks, underwear, pants, long sleeve shirts, waterproof mittens.
Please, check if your child's indoor shoes are still fitting and are in good condition.
Arrive in the morning in full gear so that your child is dressed warmly and ready for outdoor play.
Gr. 1 learns subtraction (taking away) with squirrels and acorns
Gr. 3 Learning the Lessons from Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat
………..Also in Grade 3 - French
In French, students have learned a variety of new materials including new songs, poems, dialogues, vocabulary, and drawings. The students have recently been introduced to a new winter poem, which will be repeated throughout the winter season. They have been enjoying a traditional Swiss song called Là haut sur la montagne or Le vieux chalet. In the song, the old house breaks down, and it is also rebuilt. Seeing the students’ creativity as they draw broken down houses and the rebuilt houses is inspiring. They have also had their first experience with dialogues in French, about fruit vendors selling their fruits at the market.
New winter poem:
La neige tombe lentement
Couvre le sol d’un manteau blanc
La neige tombe, froide et blanche
Couvre les maisons et les branches.
Dans la neige, on glisse, on se roule,
Avec la neige, on fait des boules.
Mais quand le chaud soleil revient,
De la boue, de l’eau, puis plus rien.
Gr. 4 learning Equivalent Fractions
Grade 5/6 - Winter Term - Physical Sciences
The study of the physical sciences is a gem of the Grade 5 - 8 Waldorf curriculum. We dipped our toes into the scientific method with our Botany of Trees block in September, and this winter we will dive in head first! We begin with an Introduction to Physics. In our Physics block we will encounter the fundamentals of Sound, Light, Heat, and possibly Electricity and Magnetism, depending on our progress. Soon after the calendar changes to February, we will step into Geology to learn about rock types, plate tectonics, and the history of the Earth. “I am so excited to get to share this process of discovery with the students!” - Mr. Buchbinder
To start students off on our study of Sound, please have students select one sound making object to bring to school on Tuesday. This can be anything that makes an interesting sound. It does not have to be an object which is primarily for making sound. Students then tried to guess each other's objects based on the sound alone.
….and Grades 7 & 8 are working on their poetry.
Tuesday, January 13 @ 4:30, Kindergartener Parents, Join us for our Grade 1 Information Session
Know anyone?
So many families discover Waldorf through the stories you share. Our community is one of the most important ways new families find their way to us—thank you for spreading the word. It takes a village, and we are grateful for our community of amazing Ambassadors. To any of your interested friends, we are happy to give them a tour of your great school.
In the Community
Jan. 15 at 7:00 PM - INVITATION
A Note from our friends at Halton Waldorf School inviting parents of Grades 5–8 to their High School Information Night
For the families at The Waldorf Academy considering continuing their child’s Waldorf education into the high school years.
Halton Waldorf School – High School Information Night
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2026
Time: 7:00–8:30 p.m.
Location: Halton Waldorf School, Burlington ON (2254 Orchard Rd, Burlington)
Who Should Attend: Parents and students of Grades 5-8
Choosing the right high school is an important decision, and this evening is designed to support families who are curious about what a Waldorf High School education (Grades 9–12) offers during these pivotal years of adolescent development.
During the evening, families will learn about:
The benefits of Waldorf high schools, including a balanced academic program that integrates intellectual, artistic, practical, and social learning
A small school community, where students are truly known, supported, and challenged
Critical thinking, creativity, and ethical development, which are central to the Waldorf approach during the high school years
How Waldorf education nurtures independent thinkers, strong communicators, and engaged, confident young adults
The experience of continuing within a values-based, developmentally aligned educational path from Grades 9–12
Parents will have the opportunity to meet faculty, hear from students (current and alumni), learn about our curriculum, participate in mini lessons, and gain insight into how a Waldorf high school supports students academically, socially, and emotionally during adolescence.
We hope you can join us! Reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Samantha Peris
Admissions Manager, Halton Waldorf School
The Toronto Branch of the Anthroposophical Society of Canada
Extend a warm invitation to parents and members of our community who are interested in exploring anthroposophy. Please see the details below as provided by Robert McKay, who will be leading this study group.
Invitation to an Anthroposophical Study Group
You are cordially invited to participate in an anthroposophical study group. The group will meet every second Monday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at (TBD) starting on Monday, January 19 and continuing until Monday, June 15. (Note: The group will skip holiday Monday's and the Monday in March break.)
Each week, the group will read from one of Dr. Rudolf Steiner's books or lectures and discuss it section by section. Study groups are an excellent and supportive way to get to know anthroposophy. No prior understanding is required. Questions and reactions are encouraged.
We will start with Theosophy in which Dr. Steiner explains what we are as human beings, how we journey through various incarnations, and provides insights into the purpose of life that anyone can apply to their own evolving story.
Participation is free but as space is limited so please register with Amrit at amritmum@pm.me. Please let her know if you want a free copy of the book as they will be provided courtesy of the Toronto Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada.
Adult Eurythmy Series at Waldorf School in Halton - Invitation
Ms. Liedewij Verbeeck, Halton’s beloved Eurythmy teacher, will lead a 6-session Adult Eurythmy Series this winter. This offering provides a wonderful opportunity to experience eurythmy firsthand and to deepen your connection to this essential aspect of Waldorf education.
A Note from Ms. Liedewij Verbeeck
In this six-evening course, we will explore space and movement and, most importantly, the experience of moving together as a group. We will work with form, free movement, and our own “instrument.” Since eurythmy is the art of visible speech and visible music, we come to know the body itself as the instrument through which we learn and experience.
I will also share elements of pedagogical eurythmy, offering exercises connected to different age groups and providing parents with insight into how eurythmy lives within the classrooms.
Series Details
Thursdays, 6:30 to 7:30 pm
January 22 to March 5
Please note that there will be no session on Thursday, February 5, due to the Parent Festival.
Registration and Cost
The cost for the full six-week series is $100. Registration is available via Tomten’s by clicking here.
Additional Information
This is an adults-only workshop. Children and babies are not able to attend. Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothing suitable for movement. Eurythmy slippers will be available to borrow during each session.
Funds raised through this series will support the Halton school’s Eurythmy Fund, helping to strengthen their program by bringing in guest Eurythmists, purchasing costumes for school performances, and offsetting other program-related costs, including a new community room floor.
We hope you will consider joining this special offering and moving together in community.
Our creative friends at Gallery 1065 are hosting their National Portrait Gallery opening reception tonight
From Curator Ms. Lazarovic’s G&M article: “We need places and spaces to be together, in real life, to build trust, to be human, and to look at portraits of John Candy made out of bubble gum. I joke, but, like the Mona Lisa, I am also dead serious. Our success as a nation will be judged not just on how we steward resources, lift up our citizenry, and contribute to the world, but also by how we honour the people who helped or hindered that work.”
I love the way portraits undo the gatekeepy nature of museum art. Portrait shows bring out the best characters, the best stories, the most raucous energy. In a tense moment for our nation, and the world, we could all use some mirth and liveliness and beauty.
