Windows into Waldorf October 18
Dear Waldorf Community,
Please enjoy this week’s issue of Windows into Waldorf full of updates and invitations to events, pictures of the farm trip, and dispatches from the classroom.
Kind regards,
The Communications team
KEY DATES & HAPPENINGS
From Parent info Evenings to ‘Unplugged-Parenting in the era of social media’ and Winter Fair, please consult our community calendar for upcoming events: Waldorf Academy Annual Calendar.
Some Highlights next week include:
Every Tuesday Morning after drop off Parent and friends KNITTING CIRCLE
Monday Oct. 19 - Photo retake day (after 1:30)
Tuesday Oct 20 - Parents invited to a talk Caregiving in the Era of Smartphones and Social Media (poster and sign up sheet below)
Wednesday, Oct. 23 - Grades 5,6,7,8 - Lacrosse and other traditional Haudenosaunee (or Onkewehonwe) stick ball games hosted by our friends at Haudenosaunee Sports Development Group
Thurs. Oct. 29 - Grade 6,7 Business Business Fair
SCHOOL LOGISTICS
Hot Lunch Orders for Nov.
Please find below the link for ordering Hot Lunch for your children in November.
Orders are due until Friday, Oct 30th.
Please be aware of the following dates:
Nov 6 - No hot lunch at all - Parent-Teachers conferences
Nov 27 - Grades 6, 7 and 8 - No hot lunch. They are away from the school for a tournament ( Grade 5 students are having an Outdoor Education Day but will be back in time for Hot lunch that day)
Halloween logistics
This year, the calendar has made a decision for us. October 30 is a faculty PD day, and Halloween falls on a Saturday, so we will not be marking Halloween at school.
Thursday, October 29 will be a regular school day. Children should come in their usual school clothes, and there is no need to send costumes or party snacks. We hope this takes a little pressure off busy households and lets children enjoy Halloween with you at home and in your neighborhood.
This is a one-year change, simply because of how the dates fall.
The season is still richly held at school. We have already gathered in the harvest and met the courage of Michaelmas together, and in November we turn toward the light of the Martinmas lantern walk. Grades 1 to 3 will lead the walk, and every family is warmly invited to join us on November 11 at 6:00 pm.
Community Council starts work on Winter Fair!
At the Community Council meeting Oct. 8 the team flowed straight from a jubilant Harvest Festival (thank you parents for the wonderful event) to jump into Winter Fair preparations. There are lots of moving parts that promise another ‘spectacular-spectacular’. Please check your e-mails from Oct. 13 with more detail on the event (there’s even a WhatsApp group for organizers that’s being set up).
DISPATCHES FROM THE CLASSROOM
This section is to share communication with the community on Grade announcements to highlight the layered approach to learning and joy (and sparked wonder) that happens throughout the school.
Grade 5 - Pinecrest Roses and Thorns
At the end of our stay at Camp Pinecrest, Grade 5 students reflected on their experiences through a Rose, Thorn, and Bud debrief: the highlights of the trip, its challenges, and what they had learned or hoped to develop. Here are some highlights.
Roses
“Being in nature, which I don’t have much opportunity for living in the city.”
“Living with my classmates…… fire making, the campfire, and steering a canoe.”
“So many people we didn’t know helped us.”
Thorns
“Getting kept up late and woken up early.”
“I don’t have a thorn.”
Buds
“Sitting with new people on the bus, field sketches, and steering a canoe.”
“Being better able to navigate things with my feet, and the terrain—so many roots, rocks, moss, and lichen.”
“Learning to use a compass.”
Chickens, Horses and Cows Oh My! Visit to Glen Colton Farms
Collecting eggs, feeding chickens, milking cows…our students got to experience the full range of what it’s like to live on a farm! Thank-you Glen Colton Farm helping deliver an unforgettable few days!
Specialist Teacher update for Grades 6,7
French, Pierre Strube
Dear parents and families, welcome to a new year of French! After reviewing verbs, we travelled through accents, prepositions and how sentences are built, using movement and humour to make grammar clear. Our routine includes brief recitation, a tongue twister, a weekly proverb or expression. We also recite, play games, and write in our Grand Cahier de Français. Students speak individually and will soon lead the Question of the Day. Thank you for your trust and support. Your children's enthusiasm is a joy to see. À bientôt!
Grade 7 Handwork, Sydney Grainger
This year’s Grade 7 handwork project involves working with leather. The ligaments and muscles of the hands are now more firmly attached to the bones so it is appropriate for students to encounter a material that requires them to use more will and physical strength than in previous handwork projects. The project they are required to complete this year is a pair of leather mittens, custom sized and fit to each student’s hands, including a wool lining for warmth. Students are introduced to basic tools and techniques used in leather craft. Specific practical skills include accurate pattern measurement, threading and splitting sinew, and whip stitch with even placement of stitches.
Cyber Civics, Sydney Grainger
In Grade 6 Cyber Civics, we began by exploring what it means to be a citizen in the real world and online. We discussed the “five principles” of citizenship (honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility, and courage) and shared examples of how citizens demonstrate these principles within the offline communities they belong to, such as a sports team, a club, or even a neighbourhood. We then discussed how the rules and guidelines of the online world can sometimes be less clearly defined.
In Grade 7 Cyber Civics, students have been asked to come up with an idea for an online community where members treat one another kindly and respectfully by following the five principles of citizenship. Ask your child to tell you about some of the ideas they came up with to make their community a safe and respectful space for all members.
Music, Chris Tanaka-Mann
The grade 6/7 class have joined with the grade 8s in Sr. Choir where they have begun learning the foundations of ensemble singing, building on some of their understanding of performing with the voice, and began to learn The Galaxy Song (Eric Idle, with a few edits on the original lyrics), The Humble Song (The Ode’min Kwe Singers), and This is My Song (Sibelius). We reviewed our foundational knowledge of western standard notation and began to build upon it with learning about intervals, training our ears and our eyes to recognize and name those intervals.
TUESDAY, OCT. 20th, 6:30 - 8:00 - YOU’RE INVITED to an “UNPLUGGED WORKSHOP” -
WALDORF OPEN HOUSE - Thank you for your support!
“We absolutely loved the school and think this could be a real possibility for our son.”
“Une visite sans pareil – merci infiniment.”
Also, at 39 years young, Waldorf is starting to receive some applications fo children of Alumni!
“I would love to see how Waldorf as evolved since I attended, as it is my intention to have my daughter attend hopefully frkm daycare through to grade 8. Waldorf was formative for me and I would hope she would have just as positive an experience!”
Thank you staff and parents (and students!) for helping us show prospective students and their parents what life at Waldorf is like.
