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Happenings Around Campus: Welcoming Winter
In early December, as the natural world prepares for a deep
winter sleep, we must gather our forces and bring forth courage and strength
to enter into the season as it becomes increasingly darker.
Throughout history, humanity has marked this period with
celebration at the point of the Winter Solstice. We acknowledge the coming darkness and look
forward to the return of the light.
There are many ways to
celebrate this time of year. The Winter Garden and
Shepherds' Play are two very memorable ways we celebrate at the Waldorf School.
What is the Winter Garden? Click here to learn more. Click here to read about the Shepherds' Play.
Blessings
on the season!
~The
Faculty and Staff of WSP
(Original art by Peter Sheen)
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DON'T MISS THESE EXCITING EVENTS!
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Gathering All Greens!
To help
make the Winter Garden as magical as can be, we ask you to bring in loads of greens! Choose any type of evergreen
branch; just cut the branches 3 feet in length and deliver to the back of the
grade school building by Friday, December 4.
Finger Puppet Gnome Workshop
December 2 and 9, 7:30 p.m.
$15 per Gnome
Join handwork teacher Kristen Daley and make a special gift for your child that will be treasured for always!
Please RSVP to Siobhan Darrow at 609-651-8951 or siobhandarrow@pobox.com.
Community Winter Garden
Saturday, December 5, at 6 p.m.
New
this year! Open to families
outside the school who take part in our Enrichment Workshops, new students in grades
3 and up, alumni families, and parents. People
who are interested in participating should RSVP to Jessica to assure a space.
Winter Garden Schedule
12/5: 4-5
p.m. Kessler Kindergarten; 5-6 p.m. First Grade; 6-7 p.m. Community
12/6: 3-4 p.m. Atkinson Kindergarten; 4-5
p.m. Cirianni-Jones Kindergarten; 5-6 p.m. Second Grade
Parent Council Meeting
December 8, 7:30 p.m.
Lyn Farrugia and
parent Deborah Ginsburg will discuss cold and flu season. Lyn is a classical
homeopath from Hopewell
(and recently moved from the San Francisco Waldorf school community), and
Deborah Ginsburg is a family practice doctor in Plainsboro/Trenton.
All parents
are always welcome. This will be our last meeting for 2009.
A Musical Gathering
Thursday,
December 10, 2 p.m.
Parents of 4th and
5th graders are invited to a Strings Recital in Hagens Hall.
Thursday,
December 10, 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy a light and festive evening of music. Students in grades 6-8 will offer selections
on recorder, strings, and vocals. We see this evening as a chance to gather
together for a magical winter evening, rather than a formal recital or
performance. Join us in a holiday singalong to end the evening.
Shepherds' Play
Friday,
December 18, 7:30 p.m.
Mackay Campus Center
Princeton Theological Seminary
At this time of the year, faculty and staff at Waldorf schools around the world perform this reverential and humorous medieval Nativity play as a gift to students and to the school community. This year the WSP Shepherds' Play tradition
continues, but in a new venue. Click here for directions.
WSP Alumni Holiday Open House
Wednesday, December 23, 7-9 p.m.
Golden House
RSVPs appreciated but not required: alumni@princetonwaldorf.org
Please visit our online calendar for a full listing of events.
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SCHOOL NEWS
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Fond Farewells
Warm wishes to Leena Korde as
she finishes this month as the Waldorf school of Princeton
bookkeeper. Her warmth and sensitivity will be missed by everyone. When Leena came to the school 8 years ago, the business office was quite
chaotic. During her tenure, Leena created procedures that brought order
to the school's bookkeeping processes. Leena is looking forward to
relaxing and spending more time with her grandchildren. We hope she
will stop by and visit often, with or without them. Please visit the business
office this month and wish Leena well in this new stage of her life. There is also a journal at the Parent Table for you to write your thoughts and wishes. It will be there through the end of December.
We also offer a fond farewell to Gabrielle
d'Unienville, who has been a delightful addition to our faculty this fall. Under the capable leadership of Ron Savoie, Gabrielle observed and led French
classes in every grade. She completes her internship December 4,
and we will miss her exquisite accent, her warm and charming demeanor, and her
deep commitment to the children and to the principles of Waldorf education.
Gabrielle plans to return to her home in Mauritius,
an island off the coast of Madagascar,
before pursuing teaching opportunities at other Waldorf Schools.
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REMINDERS FROM THE OFFICE
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Windy Hill/2008-09 Annual Report has been mailed. Did you get yours? If not, please contact Diane Barlow, or view it online.
Winter Break
Starts December 18 (Half Day)
School resumes January 5, 2010
Gifts to WSP
As the end of 2009 approaches, please remember how important
your support is to WSP. Gifts to the
Annual Fund provide unrestricted dollars to our school for use where they are
most needed, and offer resources critical to compensating our faculty,
supporting our curriculum, providing financial aid, and maintaining our campus.
To make a gift online, please visit our website. Gifts received or postmarked by
December 31 may qualify as a tax deduction for 2009.
Speaking of Taxes . . .
If you plan on applying for tuition assistance for the
2010-11 school year, it is time to start thinking about your 2009 tax
return. Be sure to make an appointment
with your accountant NOW. Applications
for tuition assistance will be due in February, including the 2009 tax return.
We will be using a new company to help with the financial need analysis, Tuition Aid Data Services (TADS; see www.tads.com). Look
for more information coming soon. Remember, tuition assistance cannot be processed
without your tax forms.
Parent E-mail Directory
In an effort to make communicating easier for parents, in
January the school will send out a list of parent e-mail addresses to all
enrolled families. If you do not want your e-mail address to be included in this
list, please send an e-mail to Solveig Pearson
by December 7.
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THIS AND THAT ...
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Financing
a Private School Education
December 7, 7-8:30 p.m.
The Association of Delaware
Valley Independent Schools will present their annual parent program: Financing
a Private School Education. Visit the ADVIS website for more details.
Waldorf School of Princeton Calendars
For Sale in the Front Office
Thank you to Mr. Sheen, Cari Ellen Hermann, and our
student artists for contributing to the creation of our new 2009-2010
printed school calendar. Each month of the calendar (which begins October
1, 2009, and ends with September 2010) has a beautiful picture created
by a Waldorf School of Princeton student. Dates for important events such
as holidays and class meetings are printed on the calendar. They can be
purchased through Jessica at the front office. The cost is $15 per
calendar; buy three and get the third for just $10! This
calendar could be a great gift for grandparents looking to be more
involved in your child's school. Hurry, there is a limited supply and the
months are slipping by!
Look Out for . . .
Waldorf School of Princeton Ads at the Train Station!
Besides the usual print and online advertising that we do,
throughout the month of December WSP will have
billboard ads at the Princeton Junction and Hamilton train stations. The billboards will look familiar, since
they were created from the beautiful images on our recent postcard designed by
Cari Ellen Hermann.
Windy Hill School Store
Do all of your holiday shopping at the Windy Hill
store! There is truly something for
everyone. To give you an idea, for women
we have Smartwool socks, Dr. Hauschka products, and, just in from parent and
fiber artist Aimee Knerr, beautiful kits to introduce you to wool spinning! From books to craft supplies, we have plenty
to keep children busy during the cold winter months. Please note that while we have many items in
stock, we are also able to order much more for you. Drop by for a
visit! Expanded holiday hours can be found on our website.
SCRIP Update
During the month of December, Waldorf
School of Princeton receives an additional 2% of your purchases from Lands
End! Even if you give a gift card! And did you know that you can download your SCRIP order and send it to the school office along with your check for
processing? The school will even mail you your SCRIP by request! This is a wonderful and easy
way to raise money for our school--shop with us first!
Please visit our website for more details.
Another Great Way to Shop:
Holiday "GoodShop" for WSP
The
holidays are approaching quickly, and we wanted to remind you that if you are
purchasing gifts online, you can help to support WSP by first
finding your favorite store through www.GoodShop.com. A percentage of every purchase
you make (usually 3-5%) will go to our school when you select from over
1,000 stores on the GoodShop network.
Here's how it works:
1. Go to www.goodshop.com.
2. Under "Who do
you support" select Waldorf School of Princeton as your charity of choice.
3. Enter the
store name under "Search for Store Name" and click SEARCH. (Here is where you
will not only find out the percentage that will be donated to WSP but also get to
choose a coupon offer.)
4. Begin shopping!
Spring Auction Update
Winter break is just around the corner, and the holidays are
quickly approaching! It is time to begin soliciting items for the school's Spring Auction, scheduled for April 24, 2010. We need your help in order
to make it a success.
Please check here for an important message from Auction Chair Kimberly Trent. You may also download donation and sponsorship forms from our website.
Please contact
Kimberly Trent at kat7597@msn.com or
609-356-0024 with questions or suggestions.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT WSP
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The
Waldorf School is looking for a part-time
business manager.
The
Waldorf School is also looking for a reliable person
to care for our walkways during the winter season.
Descriptions of both openings are available on our website.
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ENRICHMENT PROGRAM NEWS
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Please visit our website for all of our December craft activities!
Attention, Chinese Language Students!
December 9, 4-4:10 p.m.
Parent presentation for grades 3 and up.
December 11, 1:45-2 p.m.
Parent presentation for grades 1 & 2.
Adult Enrichment
Please join us for singing on the 1st and 3rd
Tuesday of every month in Hagens Hall from 8 to 9:15 p.m. Drop-ins welcome! No singing experience necessary, and no fee to join. Next group sing is on Tuesday, December 15.
Star Folding
December 21, 9-11 a.m.
Windy Hill School Store
(While the store is open for business!)
$3 donation to cover supplies. Bring a glue stick if you have
one. This event is for children grades 5 and up and their parents.
Upcoming
Enrichment Workshops in January
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Celebrate China (Chinese New Year story and activity; Chinese language classes will start again in March)
Full information is available on our website. |
SAVE THE DATE!
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WSP Open House
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 10 a.m.-Noon
Looking Forward to . . . May Fair
A Note from Kerri Sullivan
Please mark your calendars for this year's May Fair, which
will be held on Saturday, May 15 (a week later than usual--the weekend after Mother's Day). I am serving as
administrative coordinator for the event, and I look forward to working with
all of you who have volunteered to help out.
I welcome suggestions and help regarding vendors we could
invite (I'd especially like to invite crafter-parents to sell their wares),
food and menu ideas, and also events and activities for the day itself
(including activities that are more appropriate for the older grades).
Please let me know your thoughts: kerri.sullivan@gmail.com. I look forward to
helping to make May Fair 2010 a wonderful celebration of our community.
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