Windows into Waldorf Jan. 30, 2026
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE INCLUDES
Director’s note
Key Dates and Happenings
Dear Waldorf Community,
This past Monday Cecelia, a Grade 3 student, was Principal for the Day.
Her only act on that day was to declare a Snow Day! Cece will no doubt go down in Waldorf Academy history as the best One Day Principal ever. This Monday we are giving Cece another chance. Be sure to follow her directions at drop off in the morning (Rainbow bridge duty is a key Principal responsibility!). I expect Cece will use her powers to declare some special event next Friday - but not a snow day!
Good Luck to our Student Athletes, our Waldorf Wizards, as they compete this weekend at the TWS Invitational Basketball tournament. Their first game starts at 3:00 today. Thank you Coach Ankamah, Assistant Ms Bender and Parent supervisors.
Warm wishes,
Conor
Parent teacher conferences - Thursday Feb. 12th and Friday Feb. 13th
By now, you would have received a note from your teacher about the scheduled Parent Teacher Conferences. It is a wonderful opportunity to check in on the status of our child(ren)’s learning and how we can help feed their curiousity and joy for learning. In their letters, teachers explained how you can book your PT conference slot by clicking a shared link and selecting a time that works best for you. The schedule should look something like this:
Parent Teacher Conference Schedule
Also shared were the links for booking a conference with the Specialist Teachers who apply to your particular grade.
Handwork, Cyber Civics, or Nature Studies with Ms. Grainger
Gym and Woodworking with Mr. Ankamah
French with Mme. Moir
Developmental Movement with Ms. Yu
Please take a moment to book-a-time so we can share what we are teaching in Term 2, and as a community bring out the joy and curious nature in our children.
KEY DATES & HAPPENINGS
The school-wide Calendar of upcoming events can be found here.
Tuesday(s) February 3, 8:30 - 10:00, All Parents knitting circle in the Art Studio Space. Beginners welcome! “There is nothing intimidating about a ball of wool and knitting needles; they are an opportunity for cozy awesome.” - Ms. Grainger
Friday January 30 & 31, Basketball tournament at TWS
Friday, February 6, Pajama day, School-wide
Feb. 12th and 13th: Parent Teacher Conferences-
There will be no school for JK/SK & Elementary students on Thursday Feb. 12th and Friday Feb. 13th due to PT Conferences. There will be camp available on both days for Kindergarten to Grade Five Students from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Please see all of these details on our community calendar: Waldorf Academy Toronto School Annual Calendar
DISPATCHES FROM THE CLASSROOMS
Kindergarten at Play (and dress up) - Snow! Snow! Snow!
Thank you for our Kindergarten Parent Evening gathering, where we joined Star & Sun Garden classes to read from our handouts and share personal thoughts, and observations.
Very soon we will meet at the Parent /Teacher conferences. Please, note that the camp is available, since on both days there is no School (the child care centre classes remain open).
Grade 1 - Turning our Lesson books into keepsakes
Our Main Lesson book sewing social (February 5th at 6 pm). If you can attend, please email Ms. Lee to RSVP.
Grade 2 - Potluck & Sharing Class Social - Wednesday, February 4th, from 6:00–7:30 p.m.
You are warmly invited to our mid-winter class social. We will gather in the Grade Two classroom to enjoy a shared meal and some meaningful conversation.
Please bring a favourite dish to share, along with a quote from a book, a person, or an idea that you would like to share with the group.
We are very much looking forward to spending this cozy winter evening together and catching up with you all!
Also from Ms. Agi’s ‘Glimpse letter” …..Over the last two weeks, the Grade Twos have been enjoying simple pleasures: morning riddles, learning to turn the skipping rope for each other, making word scramble puzzles, singing number tables over and over and OVER again... The children love to ponder riddles. One of the riddles this week was: By day I sleep in crystal caves. By night, I sparkle, brave and brave. I hang from roofs in quiet rows, then drip away when sunshine grows—can you guess what this may be? We have now learned all 36 lines of our winter poem! Aks your child to recite it for you- they are all proud of how much they have learned.
While reading the epic and wonderful King of Ireland’s Son, we’ve learned many fun, old sayings such as, “don’t let the grass grow beneath your feet”, “come on horse’s legs” and “don’t be there ‘til your back again” and “you’re a cuckoo in my nest!” Whenever you are trying to hurry your child along, you can say try saying to them, “don’t let the grass grow beneath your feet!”
On Thursday afternoon, we had the pleasure of learning to dance a Chinese bamboo stick dance. The children really focused and word hard to follow the steps asccurately, and it was a joy to witness the confidence and care that they put into this activity! On Wednesday, during music, the children made a semi-circle around the piano and played pentatonic flute solos along with my piano accompaniment. They were beaming with delight!
We are now coming to the close of our Language Block and will begin our Math Block, focused on place value and vertical equations on Monday. Our reading practice continues as we expand our sight-word vocabulary and explore a variety of vowel sounds and consonant blends. We have been having fun playing our own class version of WORDLE. It is amazing to see how easily children learn while playing games.
Grade 1-4 - Eurythmy for everyone!
Music made visible - "well-proportioned" or "harmonious rhythm" Many families who are new to Waldorf education wonder, “What is Eurythmy?” when they hear it is part of the curriculum:
At its heart, eurythmy is the practice of intentional movement. Through age-appropriate exercises, patterns, games, and stories, children learn to move with awareness, purpose, and care for one another. These movements grow in complexity through the grades and support important capacities such as coordination, balance, spatial awareness, listening, and cooperation. Eurythmy also strengthens motor skills and midline crossing, which supports healthy brain development.
Eurythmy is often described as “music made visible” or “speech brought into movement.” When children move together in this way, something more than physical skill is taking place. They learn to listen, to wait, to adjust themselves to the group, and to find their place within a shared rhythm. In this way, eurythmy supports not only the body, but also social growth, inner balance, and a sense of belonging.
Over the next four Mondays, students in Grades 1–4 are fortunate to experience this art form as part of their school rhythm, supported by piano accompaniment. These weeks offer a meaningful opportunity for children to deepen their connection between movement, music, and community in a way that is both joyful and nourishing.
….but! It’s not only for students. Parents who are interested are also invited to
Eurythmy is for Adults too! Join Us!
Grade 7/8 Poetry Slam - Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 9:00am
Our Poetry Slam will take place on Tuesday, Feb.2, at 9:00am in the grade 7/8 classroom. Please rsvp with Ms. Bender as soon as possible so we know how many chairs to set out. Tea and coffee will be served.
Clubs and a Community Council Invitation
After School Chess Club for Grades 4-8 - Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30
Our inaugural Waldorf Academy Chess Club ran this fall. It was so successful that we are extending the after school club for an additional 5 weeks. The club will run on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30, beginning Tuesday, February 3 to Tuesday, March 3.
Waldorf Academy Chess Club is led by Mr. Bharati (dad to Kairav and Talen), Mr. Buchbinder, and Mr. Jones. All skill and experience levels are welcome. Chess Club is a great way to build spatial imagination and logic while practicing fair play, patience, and most of all, it will be a chance to have fun with friends in a relaxed environment once a week.
Spaces are limited, please email Monica to reserve a space for your child.
New students are asked to pay $20 for the 5 weeks - these funds will be used to purchase additional chess boards as required. There is no charge for returning students.
Please e-mail the Community Council for a link to the Sign-Up sheet and access to the Skate Lending Library WhatsApp page.
A huge thank you Sybil for spearheading this wonderful event. Lace up!
In the Community
For those who are interested, registration is open for the Family Life Care Professionals Seminar with Kim John Payne, happening Saturday and Sunday, February 7th and 8th.
This two-day, live seminar is designed for care professionals and educators who support children, teens, and families in their work. If you're seeing how overwhelmed families have become, longing for steadiness and balance they can't quite name, this seminar offers practical ways to help.
Drawing from Kim's bestselling book, Simplicity Parenting, you'll learn how the power of less can support calmer, more secure children. You'll gain clear language and tools to guide parents toward small, sustainable changes that help families slow down, reduce stress, and create more connection at home.
Seminar Details:
Dates: Saturday & Sunday, February 7th & 8th, 2026
Time: 11:00am–2:00pm Eastern Time (both days)
Format: Live webinar with Kim John Payne
Recordings: Included with registration (and count toward Coach Training completion if you can't attend live)
For those interested in guiding parents more deeply through one-on-one coaching, this seminar is also the foundation for the Simplicity Parenting Coach Training. The training includes this Family Life Seminar plus two additional seminars, along with ongoing supervision and support as you build your coaching practice. While the Coach Training has rolling admission, the Family Life Seminar is only offered once per year.
Register by clicking image below.
Invitation from Samara, Community advisor to Councillor Josh Matlow
I am reaching out on behalf of Councillor Josh Matlow to invite you and your school community to our upcoming skating parties!
Hosted in collaboration with MP Leslie Church and MPP Stephanie Smyth, these community skating parties are a great opportunity to meet your neighbours, while enjoying some skating and free refreshments. Please share this invitation widely with your members and school community. We hope to see you there!
The Toronto Branch of the Anthroposophical Society of Canada - Mondays to June 15
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.
Share The Love!
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.
