Housatonic Valley
Waldorf School
40 Dodgingtown Road
Newtown, CT 06470
203-364-1113
|
Visit the
of our website
to see more photos!
Fall Fair
Thank you to Wei Bertram for sharing the photos above!
|
|
Thank you to everyone who made our 2014 Fall Fair such a success! The weather was amazing, the food delicious, the campus buzzing. Our community brings such energy and warmth to this event that it is almost as much fun to organize as it is to attend. I will certainly miss my Monday morning meetings with our 2014 Fall Fair Committee: Allison Washington, Allison Valentino, Heather Hiemstra, Gwynneth Sobejko, and Jodi Knuff. (Maybe we could do it again next year?) For a full -- I hope -- list of "thank yous" please read all the way through the Gratitude section of this Newsletter. Please note that alongside today's Halloween Bake Sale, the Class of 2016 will run an organic carrot fundraiser. $5 will buy you a 1.5 lb. bunch of organic carrots raised by the Seventh Grade at Guy's Eco Garden in Shelton.
Good luck to all the parents who still need to put finishing touches on Halloween Costumes!
Warmly,
Christina Dixcy Communications & Outreach Director
|
Change your clocks: remember to "Fall Back" this weekend!
|
For a full calendar listing, please visit the Calendar page of our website.
|
Early Childhood Martinmas Celebration | 11/5/14 | 4:30 PM | Martinmas Celebration: Grades 1-4 | 11/7/14 | 4:30 PM | School Closed | 11/11/14 |
| PTA Meeting | 11/12/14 | 7:00 PM | Parent/Teacher Conferences (early dismissal) | 11/13/14 |
| Parent/Teacher Conferences (early dismissal) | 11/14/14 |
|
|
PTA Fall Clean-up
Saturday, November 15, 9 AM-3 PM
North and South Campus; arrive at the South Campus
Please join us for a Fall Clean-up Day so that our campus will sparkle on the outside with the same beauty that goes on inside our classrooms. Sign-up to volunteer here or by contacting Gina Chiarella at [email protected] or 914-299-0544.
Alumni, extended family, and friends very welcome. Chores and crafts will be organized for small children. Breakfast goodies, pizza, and potluck dishes will be offered (feel free to bring a potluck dish to share). Community service credit available to high school students and others.
Come be a part of the family fun!
|
Classical Benefit Recital
Sunday, November 16, 3 PM
Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St
Faculty members Diane Barnes and Danielle Fascione will be presenting a classical benefit recital on Sunday, November 16th at 3:00 pm. This event will be held at the Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street by the flagpole. The program will feature vocal works by Schumann, Barber, and Argento and piano works by Mozart, Schubert, and Debussy. Proceeds to benefit the music department at HVWS for the purchase of new instruments for the children. Donations will be accepted at the door. Please come and enjoy an afternoon of beautiful music and support our music program at HVWS!
|
Parent-Child Classes
Currently accepting registrations for Wednesday and Thursday Parent-Child classes.
- Caring environment that nourishes the senses
- Consistent rhythms that promote health, security and trust
- Real life activities that evoke reverence for the wonders of the world
- Relationships based on love, respect and care
|
Holiday Market
Saturday & Sunday, November 22 & 23
|
Thanksgiving Assembly, Grades 1-8
Wednesday, November 26, 10:30 AM
Compass Hall, South Campus
Grade School parents, grandparents, and special friends are invited for a display of student work in the Atrium at 10:30, followed by an assembly in the Eurythmy Room at 11.
Early Childhood parents are invited to the dress rehearsal Monday, November 24, at 8:30 AM.
|
Financial Aid Deadline
Monday, December 15
The financial aid deadline is December 15, 2014 for the 2015-16 school year for returning families. The majority of financial aid funds will be distributed in a first round to those families who have their application in on time.
|
25th Anniversary Prints & Tote Bags
12 x 18 in. prints of our beautiful 25th Anniversary painting by Ms. Remensperger are available for purchase in the Administrative Cottage. $20 each.
We now have canvas HVWS tote/grocery bags for sale in the Administrative Cottage. $10 each, made of recycled cotton in New Hampshire.
|
Pocketman Crafts
Forest Gnomes
| Click Photo for Gnome Craft Instructions |
If there was one refrain we heard over and over at the Fall Fair it was, "Where's Pocketman?" Pocketman sold out of tiny treasures this year (and the year before). While our community always comes through with adorable Pocketman donations (and this year our Third Grade lovingly crafted additional items) we can always use more!
So, from this point on, we will encourage Pocketman donations all year long. This is also a nice opportunity to share ideas for pocket-sized crafts, and we will do so throughout the year. The photo to the right features Pocketman donations from the past few years. If you click on the photo, it will take you to instructions for making the adorable Forest Gnome in the center. Make some for your children; make some for next year's Pocketman! Happy crafting and thank you.
If you would like to share instructions for a pocket-sized craft, please e-mail Christina Dixcy: [email protected].
|
Enrollment Volunteer Needed
Want to contribute to growing our enrollment and help get the word out about HVWS? You can do so from the comfort of your own home.
We are looking for a computer-savvy volunteer who can simply upload all HVWS outreach events into specific online calendars. This can be a one-time commitment, or it can be ongoing.
Prefer a more hands-on approach? The Enrollment Office always needs information packets assembled for visitors and interested families. Again, this is a project you can take home, or if you prefer, do here at school.
These small tasks make a huge impact in supporting enrollment and outreach.
|
Poster Distribution Volunteer Needed
We are looking for a volunteer to distribute occasional promotional posters and flyers to local businesses in Southbury and Monroe. Please e-mail Allison Valentino if you are available to help.
|
Why We Love Waldorf
As we celebrate 25 Years of Waldorf Education in Connecticut, we would love your input. Please share with us what you love about Waldorf Education in general or HVWS in particular. Stop by the Administrative Cottage and sign our Why We Love Waldorf Education book, located next to the copy machine, or send us your thoughts online: http://www.waldorfct.org/25Years.
Thank you!
|
Inside The Classroom
Rose Kindergarten
Laura McDonald, Carrie Reilly
The Rose Class has been listening closely to the sounds of the autumn winds. Ha Oi Ho Who, the autumn winds come run, run, running along... We are enjoying the changing colors and shapes of our autumn leaves too. We have been five little pumpkins sitting on a fence and then we roll out of sight by rolling down our sledding hill. This has been fun, fun and is especially good for the children's vestibular and proprioceptive systems. Story time is a Persian story called the Pumpkin Child: the mother had wished for a child for so long, she said one day she wouldn't even mind if her little girl looked like a pumpkin. Of course her wish came true and her little girl looked like a pumpkin. Only true, genuine love could break the spell.
Sunflower Kindergarten
Isabel Gandara, Aliz Mihok
In the Sunflower class at circle time we all are embarking together on a journey, riding on our ponies to reach an orchard. On our journey we find squirrels looking for acorns, and we feel the wind that blows us in and out, above and below, and left and right. We see all the leaves falling on the ground that we will need to rake. Finally upon arrival at the orchard we find a variety of apples, which we carry back home in a wheelbarrow. Some children are making apples out of pompoms, and others are sewing pumpkins. We are starting to make our lanterns for Martinmas too. October is a busy and beautiful month.
First Grade, Class of 2022
Genevieve Dagobert
First Grade is doing amazing things! We just completed our first Language Arts block. The class enjoyed discovering the letters through stories and drawings. Next week we will be starting our first Math block. The first four grades are eagerly preparing for the Martinmas celebration. Earlier this week the First Graders decorated their lanterns with their Eighth Grade buddies. It was a fun time!
|
Hiking & Singing
|
Second Grade, Class of 2021
Monika Geerling
In Second Grade we are working with Fables. The 8-year-olds revel in the good and bad nature of the animal world. They find comfort in the idea that Mother Nature balances her affairs. The Fables are like little jewels for the 8-year-old; one may only need a small candle to shed tremendous light throughout the room. The Second Grade spent a day at March Farms; they had time to visit the animals, run about the playground, find their way through the corn maze, and pick delicious Macintosh apples. The weather was beautiful and the mood joyful and fun. Inspired by the apple picking, the Second Graders made delicious hot apple sauce, which was quickly gobbled up.
Third Grade, Class of 2020
Jillian Miller
This month, Third Grade is studying shelter. We have looked at Tipis, adobe homes, homes on stilts, and castles. We are experiencing farm life every week at Riverbank Farm while beginning to prepare new beds at school for a garden expansion. We recently welcomed a new fish to our classroom named Cherry.
|
Third Grade Carrot Harvest
|
Fourth Grade, Class of 2019
Laura Wittmer
The Fourth Grade has moved into a Math block and is busy reviewing the four operations, both vertically and horizontally. We have uncovered many patterns within the times tables and have learned about secret numbers and how to use them to check our answers. We have discussed expanded numbers and place value up to one trillion, including how to write these numbers out in words, and we have noticed common factors and prime numbers. We are now introducing fractions, moving from the whole to many parts. The gods of Asgard are still alive in the classroom through continued Norse myths.
|
The Newtown Rotary Club presents dictionaries to the Fourth Grade.
|
Fifth Grade, Class of 2018
Emily Remensperger
The 5th grade has been immersed in the rich world of Ancient India through geography, mythology, and philosophy. In our art class the children worked together to create beautiful nature mandalas. These mandalas symbolically represent the cosmic connection to all life that permeates Eastern religions. The students also practice daily yoga, and recite mantras as they give offerings to their shrine for the Shiva! Ommmm...
Fifth Grade Chalkboard Drawing & Nature Mandalas
Sixth Grade, Class of 2017
Amalia Pretel-Gray
The sixth grade students have been creating word problems, using fractions, decimal fractions and percents, moving in between the three equivalent concepts with ease, learning about interest, profit and loss, as well as what philanthropy is as regards business mathematics. They have been brainstorming business ideas for their Eighth Grade class trip, hoping to have a business plan by the spring. The close of their Geology block brought them to the Adirondacks, mining garnets, making sandpaper, climbing Blue Mountain, and learning about the geology of the area. Astronomy begins our next block.
Sixth Grade Geology-inspired Artwork
Seventh Grade, Class of 2016
Janelle Beardsley
The Seventh Grade has completed Geometrical Drawing with constructions of the pentagon, the Golden Rectangle, the Golden Spiral, and the Pythagorean Theorem. We took the Vertical Tour of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City and climbed 12 stories up by a spiral staircase, viewing the stonework tracery and architecture of this Gothic cathedral, begun in 1892! We saw many of the geometrical forms we had constructed with compass and straightedge in class: octagons, rose windows, and trefoils -- a highly recommended tour!
Left: Seventh Grade Clay Modeling: the trefoil, inspired by their trip to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine earlier this month. Right: the Seventh Grade standing on the roof of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City -- 124 feet, or 12 stories, up!
Eighth Grade, Class of 2015
Leslie Lew
The Eighth Graders spent the last three weeks studying Algebra with Mrs. De Grande. This included reviewing Ratios and Exponents and learning new ways to work with these subjects. The subject of Proportions was introduced. The students learned how to translate algebraic equations so that the value of the unknown could be found. Guess how many translations were needed in order to solve this equation... 5-3 (2x-3) - x = 7x-2 +4 (x+3) (Hint: More than 10!) Favorite Algebra quote: "You have to go deeper into negativity." (Maeve Rooney)
|
"Talking Circle"
Submitted by a Grades Teacher
A little story from our "Talking Circle" to brighten our hearts and enlighten our souls, from the beautiful example of our dear children:
A child in the class was teased by three other children. This took place at the end of a school day on the dismissal line. I received a phone call regarding it and told the parent that I would do a "Talking Circle" first thing in the morning, after our usual start of the day.
The "Talking Circle" had not been used since our fourth grade year, when it was first introduced. This is how it works: The children pass the 'talking stick' to a child who is ready to speak. Whoever holds the stick has the floor. I provide the question. That morning's questions were, first, "Have you ever been teased? Describe an incident and how it felt," and second, "When you teased someone, how did it feel?" Then one by one, some who were easily able to share at first, and others who became more comfortable once others began, shared so freely and comfortably with each other. Imagine having experienced this innocently and beautifully shared "Talking Circle" and the ease within which each child spoke. Every child spoke!
Here are some samplings of how they described what they felt when teased: "I feel sad, like a lump is in my throat." "I want to go to a secret place where I can feel safe." "It's worse when you tease someone - then you feel even worse than the person you teased!" "You know how I can be different sometimes. I feel like I just want to go away when I am teased for being different." "It's almost like my heart's going to burst."
Then several children asked the teacher, "Have you ever been teased?" - How's that for compassion going beyond their peers! Then, another child asked, "Why are you asking us?" The answer: "Someone in the class was teased by their classmates. I don't want to say who was teased or who did the teasing. I would like it if you could think about it over the weekend, and if you think it might have been that you teased someone, write them a little card." Then I told them that there is a Spanish saying that is given when you say goodbye which is: "If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me." They understood exactly what that meant, having brought earlier how one could feel left out in a conversation simply by an 'inside joke' of which another might not be aware. We ended and proceeded with our day.
|
Our Gratitude
Thank you to everyone who helped make our visit from Jack Petrash such a success! Thank you to Mr. Petrash for his excellent lecture (to a full house!) and dads' workshop. About the workshop one attendee wrote, "Honestly it was way better than I could have hoped. It was a very smart great discussion and most all of the dads weighed in on their own experiences. Jack acted mostly as a moderator to all of our stories of both parenting and being parented by our own fathers. It was really really great." We owe an enormous thank you to Carolyn Storrier who not only spearheaded the organizing of the event, but also, along with Tom Storrier, hosted Mr. Petrash and his wife. Thank you! Thank you also to the parents who helped in an advisory capacity -- John Alvord, Chris Sheridan, and David Schoenberg -- as well as those who helped spread the word about the event -- John Alvord, Daniel Settanni, John Hiemstra, David Amdur, John Knuff, Chris Sheridan, Neil Abramson, David Schoenberg, Peter Wipf, and our friends at Apple Blossom, Clover Hill, and The Garden Gate.
The Staff Development Committee is very grateful to Yolie Moreno and Amalia Pretel- Gray for hosting our Grades professional mentors: Kathleen Young and Stephen Bloomquist. They both felt very welcome in their respective houses. Thank you for helping us support our teachers! Thank you also to Christopher Gray and Amalia Pretel-Gray for hosting Jeff Tunkey before Staff Development Day.
Thank you to the anonymous elves who left little chocolates and thoughtful notes for each member of the admin team!
|
Thank you to everyone who attended, and all who worked so hard to create a magical event! Special thanks to the Fall Fair Committee: Allison Washington, Allison Valentino, Heather Hiemstra, Gwynneth Sobejko, andJodi Knuff.
Thank you to Daily Fare for providing tasty baked goods and warm drinks. And a huge thank you to HVWS parents Tomoko Nishimura, Lisa Tassone (La Zingara Ristorante), and Laura McKinney (Riverbank Farm) for providing delicious produce and lunch items, for pulling it all together, and for a very generous donation at the end of the event.
Thank you to the Rose & Sunflower Kindergartens for organizing Face Painting. Special thanks to Gwynneth Sobejko, Laura McKinney, and Jennifer Esposito, as well as Anne Kupferberg, Dasha Bukovska, John Alvord, Christina Setkoski, Monika and Aliz Mihok, Tina Fava, Emily Remensperger, Emily Stringer, Cady Carroll, Alex Exley, Matt Miller, Christina Dixcy, Kerrie Newell, Jeremy Hemphill, and Heather Hemphill.
Thank you to the First Grade for organizing the Fabric Ghosts. Special thanks to Jodi Knuff as well as Finn Sobejko (for sorting through a few thousand beads), Darcy Demu, Vicki Hornbostel, Christine Martino, Christina Dixcy, Andrew Yu, Dale Tucker, Chrysa Keating, Julie Whitney, Alex Exley, Jean Baldwin and David Beckstrom.
Thank you to the Second Grade for organizing the Silk Flags. Special thanks to Allison Washington, Marlies Simfeld-Redpath, and ClareAnn James as well as Paul & Gwynneth Sobejko, Isabella Bargagna, Terrie Nesto, Monika Geerling, Robin Howard, Robert Redpath, Lisa Richter, Camille Lawrence & Johnny Poston, and Brett & Kim Carr.
Thank you to the Third Grade for organizing Pocketman/Pocketmaiden. Special thanks to Beth Anesi and Deirdre McCann as well as Laura McKinney, Tomoko Nishimura, Allison Valentino, Jacinta O'Donoghue, Jennifer Moscatello, Heather Hiemstra, Gina Schum, Kathleen Young, Anastasia Pryanikova, Mari Rooney, Ian McCann, Dylan Lew, and everyone who donated Pocketman Treasures
Thank you to the Fourth Grade (and Warrup's Farm) for organizing Pumpkin Decorating. Special thanks to Jodi Knuff, Amy Abramson, and Damon Reynolds, as well as Natasha DeCastro, Marlies Simfeld-Redpath, Lisa Richter, Wei Bertram, Andrew Yu, and the elves who stepped in to help move the table to a higher-traffic location.
Thank you to the Fifth Grade for organizing Woodland Pond. Special Thanks to Allison Valentino and Yolie Moreno as well as Chrysa Keating, Alena Keating, Lily Moreno, Terrie Nesto, Callie Nesto, Denise Pedane, Nathan Pedane, Laura Wittmer, Jordan Wittmer, Dasha Bukovska, Kara Reese, Sandy Proksa, Gwynneth Sobejko, Chris Sheridan, Peter Wipf, Genevieve Dagobert, Denise Pedane, Emily Remensperger, Chris Baliko, Jennifer Leavitt (and Carol Reznikoff & Marleen De Grande for taking a leap of faith).
Thank you to the Sixth Grade for organizing the Rainbow Garden School Store. A special thank you to Jo Hurley as well as Jeppe Christiansen, Sean Christiansen, Jamie Baldwin, Amy Abramson, Jacinta Ancona, Peter Coleman, Karen Beckmann, Lisa Richter, Julie Whitney, ClareAnn James, Sarah Pfisterer, Dawn Parker, Carrie Reilly, Lola Strilowich, Rich Strilowich, Amalia Pretel-Gray, and Laura McKinney.
Thank you to the Seventh Grade parents for overseeing parking as well as manning the ticket table. Special thanks to Deirdre McCann and Marisa DelMonaco as well as Janelle Beardsley, and the Anderson, Fernandez, Goode, Greguski, Knuff, McCann, McFarland, Mihok, Redpath, Schoenberg, Schum, Siddiqui, Stringer, and Usher families.
Thank you to the Eighth Grade, it made a world of difference having your help on setup and cleanup! Special thanks to Kara Reese, Thomas Reese, Leslie & David Lew, and all of the Eighth Grade parents and students
Special thanks to the hardworking and talented Puppetry Committee for their two presentations of "Moonflower": Isabel Gandara, Beth Anesi, Nancy Disbrow, Jessica Khoshabo, Aliz Mihok, and Linda Straub.
Thank you to Patricia Campbell and Julie Sorcek for bringing their lively music and dance to the Fair!
Thank you also to the HVWS alumni & former students who helped with all of our last-minute set-up needs: Elliott Bennett, Christopher Anesi, Abraham DeFeo, Nick Seis, Jared Fiala, Peter & Eric Mihok, Dylan Lew, Paige Storrier, Louise Fernandez, and Max Khoshabo.
Thank you to Carrie Reilly who takes care of whatever needs to be done and in particular helped keep us hydrated. Thank you to Therese Lederer and Marcela Perez for staffing the ticket table for the entire Fair. Thank you to Melissa Merkling and Tricia Bennett-Bigham for preparing the Sundial House front room. Thank you to Nathalie Bennett for designing our lovely flyers, as well as our poster-distributors:
Alex Exley, Jennifer Esposito, Beth Anesi, Carolyn Storrier, Humberto Navarro, Jennifer Moscatello, Jennifer Wipf, Marisa Del Monaco, Mark Ancona, Melissa Merkling, Nancy Disbrow, Heather Hemphill, Peggy McFarland, Genevieve Dagobert, and Wei Betram. Thank you to Diane Rockwell for her help with everything, always.
And finally, thank you to whoever was responsible for organizing the AMAZING weather!
|
Condolences
We offer our thoughts and prayers to the Marston family on the passing of Mark Marston, husband and father of Margo and Marley Marston. Marley graduated with the class of 2013.
The HVWS community sends its sympathy to the Pritchard family. Charles Pritchard, father of Schuyler, passed recently. Schuyler's former HVWS teacher, MaryBeth Thomas, wrote, "[Charles] was a former Waldorf Student in South Africa. Like Schuyler, he was a gentle soul. He also had a good understanding of Anthroposophy and often read Steiner's | Schuyler & Charles on a Fourth Grade rafting trip. | lectures and books. Over the four years I taught Schuyler, I had many conversations with him on various Anthroposophical topics. He was passionate about Waldorf Education and could see that it was the best place for his bright, sensitive, artistic, creative & imaginative daughter. He was an artist/craftsman, and did beautiful work with wood, especially in making gorgeous hand-crafted acoustic guitars. If I remember correctly, he worked with Noah Siddiqui in teaching him how to craft his own wooden guitar for his 8th grade project...if you can send out a positive thought or prayer to Charles and Schuyler as she goes through this tremendous loss, I'm sure it would help."
|
IN MEMORIAM
Paul Margulies, who led many Rudolf Steiner study groups in the HVWS community, passed away unexpectedly on October 7 in Great Barrington, Mass. where he lived. He was 79.
Paul was a successful advertising copywriter who worked on many well-known campaigns, for instance Alka-Seltzer's 1960s "Plop plop, fizz fizz." He received his B.A. from Dartmouth College, where he first encountered Steiner's work as a philosophy major. His three daughters, including actress Julianna Margulies, attended Waldorf schools.
Paul was a wonderful teacher, a passionate student of Steiner, and a witty jokester who did a mean Sid Caesar imitation. For many years he traveled to New Milford once a month to lead study groups on Steiner's books. The groups were attended not only by HVWS parents and teachers, but also by members of the larger community with no direct connection to the school but an interest in anthroposophy. In lieu of payment, Paul requested that participants donate to HVWS.
We will always be grateful to Paul for his loving nurture of the flame of anthroposophy in Connecticut, and his longtime cultivation of a living network of support for the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School.
- Melissa Merkling
|
Mission
The mission of the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School is
to develop each child's unique capacity
to engage meaningfully in the world.
Guided by the principles of Waldorf education,
the faculty inspires in our students
creative thinking, moral sensibility, and a passion for learning.
We offer a classical education that integrates
experiential and artistic learning, in an environment emphasizing
academic excellence, respect for diversity,
and reverence for the natural world.
Our faculty, board of trustees, and parents work together,
with dedication and warmth, to support our school community.
|
|
|
|