Windows into Waldorf Oct 18, 2024
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Dear Waldorf Community,
Today I am attending (virtually) the Great Lakes Ontario regional AWSNA conference. This is an uplifting event with Waldorf schools in Ontario and neighbouring US cities providing updates in the realms of business, academics and community. It is a hopeful gathering as administrators share successes and opportunities; and even where there are burdens (e.g., there can always be more funding!) they take on perspective when shared.
The contractors have begun the demolition of the lower level in preparation for the repairs, and then the amazing renovation. The demolition team started work at 3 a.m. for the past two days to allow our Kindergarten and Childcare classes uninterrupted nap time! That goes above and beyond!
Please enjoy these photos of the work in progress. With a little imagination you can see the art, craft, pottery and woodworking space waiting to come to life.
On Monday we will launch our fundraising campaign to cover the gap between insurance and renovation costs. The campaign will focus on specific items and needs to ensure our students, faculty and community have an amazing, creative hub for our school.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
Conor
KNITTING CIRCLE - Mon. Oct. 21, 8:45am
Come one come all to this term’s first meeting of the popular Knitting Circle on Monday, October 21st, 8:45 to 9:45am, at Creeds Coffee Bar, 450 Dupont Street (a 10-minute walk from the school). As usual, no knitting experience or materials required, and no need to commit to all rendezvous. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know other parents, and to help weave community.
MEANINGFUL LABELS - Fundraiser
We have been partnering with Mabel’s Labels for several years to raise funds. If you need to label any of your child’s clothes or belongings, or any of your own(!), please consider getting your labels from Mabel’s to help support our school: campaigns.mabelslabels.com
GRADE 3 - The Shelter Projects
One of the intentions of the Grade 3 curriculum in Waldorf schools is to offer opportunities for students to manifest the experience of individuation. During the year in which they turn 9 (often described as “the 9 year change”), children become more starkly aware of their distinction from the world around them, including their parents. Children at this stage are becoming more independent, but are also starting to realise that independence requires a lot of us: along with newfound confidence and competence may come feelings of disconnectedness and concern.
The Grade 3 shelter projects are, of course, an academic exercise: students read and research about different cultures, styles of architecture, local resources, climate and geography; they choose a particular shelter to study, and figure out how to build a model of it; they do write-ups about their shelters and present them to their classmates and other classes honing executive function, confidence and presentation skills. But these projects—like most everything in Waldorf schools—are also vehicles for internal growth: as the third grader moves through the nine-year change and the experience of individuation, an inner need arises in them to build their own sanctuary. Creating a shelter allows this impulse to find an outer expression.
This year, the Grade 3 practice of building shelters has also taken on life-sized proportions. You may have noticed that the northeast corner of our side yard has recently been transformed into a provisional Sukkah, interweaving the universal need to find haven with the Grade 3 study of ancient civilisations. Take a peek at this collaborative creation when you have a moment.
GRADE 7/8 - The Wilderness Trip
Wilderness trips teach and improve skills such as paddling, trekking, putting up tents, packing only what you need, cooking on fires, etc. They also serve to deepen students’ understanding of the curriculum, especially in terms of ecological awareness and environmental stewardship.
Similar to the shelter projects, wilderness trips also meet the internal needs of students, which at this stage include building independence, increasing self-reliance, practicing the ability to withstand discomfort, and experiencing the joys of getting to know classmates, teachers and oneself in new ways and under different circumstances. The transformative effect of these trips is evident in the fact that Waldorf students consistently speak fondly of their collective experiences decades later.
Grade 7/8 had one of these transformative experiences last week, canoeing and camping in Algonquin Park. To top it off, they were gifted with wonderful weather and a perfectly-timed display of Northern Lights!
COMMUNITY KINDER MORNING & OPEN HOUSE - Sat, Nov 16th, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Our next Open House takes place on Saturday, November 16th. Similar to the Garlic Festival, it is intended to be an opportunity for community gathering as well as a public event. We welcome your participation in various aspects of the day. If you are available to participate in anything from a badminton tournament to guiding families through the school, please sign-up here:
https://signup.zone/uxhK2pXeKNDGxpbkM
From 10:00am to 11:30, the schedule will include a Kinder Morning for everyone considering joining one of our beautiful Kindergarten. Our Preschooler families at the Childcare Centre are specifically welcome, as are friends and families you may know. Please register here:
https://calendly.com/waldorfacademyadmissions/openhouse
From 11:00am to 1:00pm we will be welcoming students and families who are interested in enrolling in Grades 1 through 8, and will host interactive activities, music and games.
We are doing a postcard drop to advertise our Open House in various key neighbourhoods. Let us know if you get one in your mailbox. We will also have some extra cards for our families to distribute in key areas where they live and work. Spread the love!
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!
