| In the News |
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| Peek into the Garden |
In honor of this month of "no idle hands," gardening teacher Suzanne Cunningham gives us the latest:
March in the garden will consist of planting seedlings in the greenhouse for transplants and the May fair, building a new compost pile, weeding the beds for planting, making soil mixes for seedlings, deciding where the new crops will go according to the crop rotation maps made by the sixth grade, and general observations in the garden about the oncoming seasons.
The eighth grade will continue with their projects: repairing the solar panel system in the green house, painting the garden classroom furniture, building compost bins, etc.
As far as the maple sap is concerned, the third grade will finish collecting sap and clean all our tools, do a sap tasting day, and finally, weather permitting, we will cook down the sap on Tuesday, March 6. Then we will enjoy pancakes and syrup!
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| Alumni News |
Priscilla Wiggins '08, now at George School, earned the fastest time in the state (of PA) for running the 1,500-meter race at the Ed Poreda Invitational (Lawrenceville, NJ). Her time was 4:57:8. To read more, click here.
Julia Martin '01 has a new business, ReTribe, providing Transformational Retreats for Teens rooted in the idea of Rite of Passage. Attached is the flyer for the summer retreat July 1-6. Visit her website at ReTribe.org.
Sojourner Morrell '05 can be found on the fashion runways, as well as gracing the pages of international magazines. See here for proof!
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| Community Events |
OnAir: Third Annual Community Play
Saturday, March 3
3 & 7 p.m.
Sunday March 4
Arts Council of Princeton
This community show features current WSP parent Zoe Brookes's Stone Soup Circus, including current and former WSP students. The show contains something for the entire family, and is a rare piece of home-grown art in this world of commercial productions. Tickets are $10 for kids, students, seniors and ACP members; $13 for adults. All tickets for the Saturday matinee preview performance are discounted $3. Available here.
Simplicity Parenting Support & Enrichment Group
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Beginning March 20
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton
Founders Room
50 Cherry Hill Road
$135 (Class Materials Included)
Facilitated by Lorraine Shiarappa, a certified Simplicity Parenting Group Leader and former Waldorf teacher and parent, this group will meet for seven sessions over fourteen weeks to discuss, learn, and integrate the messages found in Kim John Payne's book, Simplicity Parenting. A donation will be made to WSP for each school parent who attends. Discounts available for spouses; fees do not include a copy of the book. For more info or to register, please contact Lorraine Shiarappa.
Sheep to Shawl
(or Hat or Scarf):
A Very Special Workshop for Anyone Interested
in the Fiber Arts
with Nicole Nicola
Beginning Saturday,
March 31, 9:00 am-Noon
Waldorf School of Philadelphia
$300 (All Materials Included)
Monthly Saturday morning classes, including a field trip to a beautiful sheep farm for a hands-on sheep shearing experience. Over the course of a year, participants will learn to wash, card, plant-dye and prepare a fleece for spinning. Several methods of spinning will be taught, including primitive and traditional drop spindles and, for those who are interested, the spinning wheel. The yarns produced will then be used to create a unique work of wearable art, such as a shawl, hat or scarf. Besides fiber art, much more is learned and shared over the course of this very special workshop. (Participants needn't attend every meeting to get the full experience of this course.) Please contact Nicole Nicola at 215-850-2657 or nicolenicola@verizon.net.
Lecture & Workshop by Sharifa Oppenheimer
For Parents of Young Children
River Valley Waldorf School
Upper Black Eddy, PA
Friday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
Lecture: "The Three Essentials: Unlocking the Magic of Childhood"
Saturday, March 10, 10-11:30 a.m.
Workshop: "Family Culture: Creating a Joyful & Stress-Free Family Life"
$15 per event or $25 for both! Call 610-982-5606 to register.
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| Save the Date |
Spring Break - No School
April 9-13
Red Barn Classroom & Community Walkway Dedication
Princeton Communiversity
April 28
"Waldorf Goes to Washington" Alumni Event
May 2
Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day
May 18
May Fair
May 19
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 | | Crop planning, as mapped out by WSP sixth graders and presented at the Next Generation Environmental Fair in February. |
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In like a lion. March is a great month for busyness. In the trees, sap rises, and deep within the earth, the first stirrings of spring are felt. Take our garden, for example: The seedlings students plant this month in the greenhouse will transform into offerings for the May Fair, and in this way we begin to see our thoughts and plans, galvanized through winter, bear fruit.
Here on Windy Hill, the second graders move into their new space; other classes prepare for their plays; and plans are laid in earnest for Graduation and Camp. As we welcome a new parent-child group to our community, the conversations deepen within our High School Task Force, further lighting the road ahead.
Many thanks to all of the teachers, parents, and staff who gave of their time and talents during the break to ease our second grade's transition to the renovated tractor barn. The construction has been a challenging journey, and it will be gratifying to celebrate this accomplishment formally at next month's dedication ceremony.
In closing, I leave you to consider the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets this time of year; if you were to focus only on the glowing sun on the horizon and not its reflection, you would miss some of nature's most majestic artistry. So it is with one another; our individual light, our unique beauty, is evident all around us, shining out into the world after a season of strengthened thought and purpose. The very things we look for often live on the periphery of our awareness; when we see the big picture, we understand more fully how connected we all are.
Sincerely,
Nancy Lemmo
School Administrator
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SCHOOL EVENTS
"Reading Nature: Teaching Science
in the Waldorf Middle School"
Presented by Elan Leibner
Friday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
Suggested donation $5; free to Waldorf parents and teachers.
Adolescence brings a significant change for students in the middle school years. A properly structured science curriculum can help guide their thinking while connecting them to the world around them. This talk will explore the underlying intentions of the Waldorf curriculum in the middle school years as well as give concrete examples of the ways in which these are carried out.
Elan Leibner, a class teacher at the Waldorf School of Princeton for eighteen years, subsequently directed a teacher education program at Emerson College, UK, before returning to the US and serving as a mentor and teacher educator throughout the country. He is the editor of the Research Bulletin for Waldorf Education and a member of the Pedagogical Section Council.
Sample Early Childhood Classes for New Students
Tuesday, March 6, 9-10:30 a.m.
Friday, March 30, 9-10:30 a.m.
For children ages 2-5 with a caregiver. Registration is required. Please contact admissions@princetonwaldorf.org for more info.
High School Task Force Meeting
Wednesday, March 7, 7:30-9 p.m.
Grade School Building
The agenda includes a talk by Bob Phinney on his experience with Waldorf high schools and his ideas for a future high school. The Task Force will also work on aspects of the Detailed Development Plan. Contact Doug Jackson at 908-296-2370 or djackson61@msn.com with any questions.
Parent Council Meeting
Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.
Grade School Building
Nomad Pizza Night Returns!
Wednesday, March 21, 4-8 p.m.
10 East Broad Street, Hopewell
Looking for a fun way to celebrate the start of spring, or just crave more delicious Nomad pizza? Eat-in or take out, Nomad Pizza in Hopewell will donate a portion of all proceeds to WSP. Leave the cooking behind and join up with Waldorf School families for this fun night out!
Open House
Saturday, March 24, 10-Noon
A perfect opportunity for our early childhood families to visit the grade school! If you'd like to help out at the event, please contact Diane Barlow at x115.
For details of school events, please contact events@princetonwaldorf.org.
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OFFICE NEWS
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday-Friday, March 8-9
There is no school for our students on these days. Monday, March 12, is a Faculty in Service Day--No School. For info on childcare, contact Jessica at frontdesk@princetonwaldorf.org
or x110.
Enrollment Agreements
Re-enrollment agreements for 2012-13 were mailed out to most families in the school. See below for two exceptions:
- Students who are birthday eligible for first grade next year. Families with first grade eligible students will be mailed their enrollment agreements immediately following the March conferences. Please direct any questions to your early childhood teacher.
- Tuition assistance students. The school will send out the re-enrollment agreements for families who have applied for tuition assistance when sending out award letters. Please be sure to check the status of any tuition assistance application on the TADS website. The tuition assistance committee cannot make any decisions regarding a tuition assistance award until the application is complete. Please note that your application will be processed without a complete 2011 tax return. However, in order for the award to be finalized, the 2011 tax return will need to be submitted by May 1, 2012.
Transportation Forms
All B6T forms were due February 27. If you missed the deadline, you must talk to Solveig Pearson, x114, to determine next steps.
Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day Addresses Needed!
If you would like us to mail an invitation to someone, please make sure we have the contact information. If your child had a grandparent or special friend invited last year, we will send mail to the address on file unless we hear from you. Please contact Jamie Quirk, x112, to add or change an address to our guest list.
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SCHOOL NEWS
Thanks to Parent Council for Hosting Queen of the Sun
 Many thanks to our Parent Council for hosting the Queen of the Sun screening at January's Princeton Environmental Festival, including co-chairs Susan Mania, Stephanie Gray, Lynda Malone, and Jill Miller for organizing this event and Lauren Jones for coordinating the incredible food, as well as alumni parent Mark Censits for providing biodynamic wine from CoolVines. A terrific turnout, and a terrific time!
3rd Annual Waldorf Beeswax Bowl Bowling Tournament
More than thirty dads participated on Saturday, February 4, at Hamilton Lanes in Trenton. After splitting into random teams, the Waldorf bowling began with gusto. One team broke all existing Waldorf Beeswax Bowl records; for those fans of Waldorf Beeswax Bowl history, you may already know that a historic THREEPEAT was accomplished by Waldorf dad John McGahren. John is currently the only undefeated Waldorf Beeswax Bowler in the 93-year history of Waldorf education, achieving his third straight championship title with this year's teammates John Orrok and Jay Fiverson. While the win was exciting (especially for John), the real goal of the event was accomplished, as every dad in attendance had fun. The next Waldorf Dads event will be the 2nd Annual Waldorf Dad-Child Field Day
this May. Watch your e-mail for details.
Warmer weather is on the way; make your summertime plans today! The WSP 2012 camp season runs three 2-week sessions from June 25 through August 3 for ages 4-14; for more information and to register, download a Camp Brochure.
New this year:
- There are multiple session discounts and student discount offerings good until May 1!
- A 3-year-old camp group led by WSP Early Childhood faculty member Amy Shor will be held during Session 1 only; hurry, spaces are limited!
Curious about our Adventures in Nature specialty camp? Check out this profile from camp instructor Julia Martin '01.
Interested in joining our Camp Staff team? Volunteer positions are available to those ages 14 and 15; employment positions are available to those over 16. Download a staff application today!
Please e-mail Jean Alexander with inquiries.
Communiversity Volunteers Wanted
This year's Communiversity event is scheduled for Saturday, April 28. As a sponsor, WSP will once again have a booth, and we are looking for dynamic and friendly volunteers to interact with visitors. Contact Jamie, x112, if interested.
Musicians Wanted for May Fair & Other Events
There are a number of people in the school's extended community who have experience performing music. Bill Bauer is putting together a contact list of Waldorf parents and alumni who would like to share their musical gifts at special events such as the forthcoming May Fair on May 19. If you would like to contribute your talents to the Open Mic that day, or if you would like to be contacted about participating in other such events, contact Bill at wrbauer7@gmail.com or 732.647.6931.
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