Weekly Update from the MN Waldorf School

Your Weekly Update

News from the Minnesota Waldorf School

February 2, 2010

The Annual Movement Performance: February 12th, 1:45 pm

The grades children have been hard at work in their movement classes during this block, practicing their circus and gymnastics skills. They are diligently trying to master new skills and are improving on what they already know. Come see what we have been working on at the annual Movement Performance on Friday, February 12^th at 1:45-3:15. All grades will participate. Kindergarten families are invited to attend this very fun and much-anticipated event!

Crazy Hair Day-Grades 2nd*-8th: Friday, February 12th

Crazy Hair Day has become a Mardi Gras tradition here at MWS. This is an opportunity for each child to let their individuality and creativity shine! Beehives, mohawks, curls, & swirls of color are the order of the day. Students should choose a hair-do that will accomodate the afternoon Movement performance! Please remind your child that they will not be allowed to apply any hair products inside the school building or foyer: the cumulative effect can be overpowering!

* note: the 1st grade will NOT be participating.

Parent Teacher Conferences: February 15-17th

No School February 15-19

Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled for February 15- 17th and there is no school all of that week. There is no childcare scheduled for conferences or for the break. You will find conference sign-up sheets outside Amy Stephens' office. The faculty request that parents reserve one conference time per child. School resumes on Monday, Feb. 22nd.

MWS in the Media

Our enrollment media plan is underway, beginning in January and running through spring with print insertions in The Mix co-op newsletter, the Highland Villager, the Northeaster, the Roseville Review, The Ramsey County Review, The Maplewood Review, and the Maplewood Monthly, plus a 15-second TV spot on TPT -- Channel 2 and the new LIFE channel. If you're ever visiting or working out at the Maplewood Community Center, check out our poster and enrollment event postcard holder just outside of their day care center!

Some advertising is shared with the other Twin Cities Waldorf schools to increase our reach within our limited budgets. You'll find our joint Waldorf school ads in the Blue Sky Guide, Parent magazine and the Family Times education guide. We also run joint ads in the GTCYS and MYS programs.

See Liz Lacey-Gotz with questions or ideas on advertising, and help get the word out wherever you can by posting flyers or distributing postcards with our enrollment event dates! (Check the wooden table in the main entryway or see Brenda Haak for materials. Take whatever you need and we'll get more!)

MWS Ad for Local Media

Twin Cities' Waldorf Schools' Shared Ad for Local Media:

Parent Council Meeting Thursday, February 11th

All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the Parent Council meeting Thursday, February 11th at 7 pm in Handwork room. Please join us for engaging discussions, hands-on education, important school news & refreshments.

New Pre-K and Kindergarten Students

If you intend to enroll a younger sibling in the Pre-K/Kindergarten classes for the 2010-11 school year, it is time to submit an application. Applications may be printed from the website or picked up at school. If you need more information, contact Brenda Haak or any other member of the administrative staff.

Parent Handwork "Product Testing"

On Wednesday, February 3, a parent handwork item will be featured at the Coffee Cart to test its saleability. There will only be ONE available. If the item does not sell that morning, then it will be moved to the MWS store for sale. If it sells relatively quickly, then we will plan to make more for the Holiday Fair in November 2010.

Please feel free to share your opinion with Ting Ting Cheng in person, at 651/492-9107 or tinglcheng@gmail.com, or by leaving a note at the Coffee Cart.

School Store News: Valentines & Chocolate!

The store now has everything you need for Valentines: Paper, doilies and stickers for card making; 100% wool felt in red, white, pink and purple; cross-stitch and candle making kits; 100% beeswax candles, gems, and gift boxes! Give your Valentine a gift from Dr. Hauschka, lip balm from Burts Bees, or lotion from Minnesota-based Purple Prairie!

B.T. McElrath artisanal chocolates have arrived!! B.T. McElrath, a Minneapolis-based company, makes some of the finest chocolates in the area! Not just simple candies, these chocolates are made from the purest available ingredients. Experience and savor a bar or truffle for yourself! We currently carry the wildly popular "Salty Dog" (dark chocolate with butter toffee and sea salt), "Prairie Dog" (milk chocolate with butter toffee, roasted almonds and sea salt), "Chile Limon" (dark and milk chocolate infused with chiles and lime), "Passion Fruit & Tangerine" (dark and white chocolate infused with passion fruit and tangerine), simple, yet divine, dark chocolate bars, as well as assorted truffles and Valentine's specials.

More reasons to support this great local company: B.T. McElrath supports sustainable agriculture by sourcing chocolate products with UTZ Certified Sustainability Program and socially responsible business practices. They also support farmers in our community by purchasing fresh cream and butter from local family-owned farms (including Hope Creamery of Hope, MN). All hand-crafted confections are created with B.T.'s signature blend of the finest cocoa products from around the world. Packages are produced from Sustainable Forestry Initiative materials, a certified chain of custody- promoting sustainable forest management. Each box also reveals a chapter of the B.T. McElrath story; so, collect them all and support the hand-crafted chocolate tradition!

Donate your Time and Talents to the Frolic!

Procurement for the Frolic (coming up on April 17) has already begun, and donations have been arriving daily following a mailing to past donors over the last two weeks. We know that our parents are also a wealth of talent, and that community offerings of Great Gatherings, services and handmade items are a huge part of why our Frolic raised more than $40,000 last year!

What can you give this year? See one of our Procurement Coordination Chairs, Jo Ann Warren, Dawn Paulson and Norma Peterson or one of our Great Gatherings Coordination Chairs, Carole Anderson and Brock Christianson to brainstorm ideas or get your questions answered. Donation forms are available on the wooden table in the main entryway, or download a form now. See Liz Lacey-Gotz for packets that can be mailed or dropped off with businesses -- a hand-delivered request carries quite the impact and lets businesses know that MWS families are their patrons!

If you're interested in working on the Frolic committee (or just staying updated on the plans), please join us for this week's committee meeting at school this Wednesday, February 3 after drop-off.

Other upcoming Frolic committee meetings: