News, Notes & Updates

November 2014

Imbue thyself

Housatonic Valley
Waldorf School
  
40 Dodgingtown Road
Newtown, CT 06470
203-364-1113
 


In This Issue
Wreaths
A Christmas Carol
Rainbow Garden Sale
Kindermorning
Parent-Child Classes
Financial Aid
December Calendar
Poster Distribution
Why We Love Waldorf
Inside The Classroom
Rose Garden Renovation
Gratitude
Articles
Mission
 
 
Important Links
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Visit the 
Gallery page 
of our website 
to see more photos!
 

Halloween:



















Third Grade Shelters:














Early Childhood Martinmas Lantern Walk:








Grades Martinmas Lantern Walk:



















Sunflower Field Trip to Warrups's Farm:













Student Work, Fifth:









Student Work, Sixth:













Student Work, Seventh:



















Student Work, Eighth:






Did you know?...When viewing News, Notes & Updates on a smartphone or tablet, you can easily zoom in to the photos.


The Rose Kindergarten has returned to the Rose Garden building!

 

We are pleased to announce that HVWS has been issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the Rose Garden Kindergarten building. This certificate allows classes to resume while final miscellaneous work in the kitchen and other areas is completed.

 

This project, when compared to other such endeavors, went extremely smoothly. For a building to be completely dismantled and rebuilt in five months is almost unheard of.

 

Our great thanks to the Early Childhood parents and children for accommodating the alternative plan this fall until we received our C of O. Thanks to the Early Childhood teachers (Laura McDonald, Carrie Reilly, Isabel Gandara, Aliz Mihok, and Beth Anesi), all of whom worked around the project, demonstrating patience and leadership, and inspiring in the children the joy of being outside.

 

Thanks also to Newtown Savings Bank, our loan guarantor; the CAST Committee, which oversaw the planning; the Board of Trustees, which was involved in the many financial, legal, and property aspects of the project; the Administration, who especially supported the new EC parents; and the College of Teachers, who made many decisions regarding the planning of the space. Our deepest thanks to EC and Grades parent Matthew Seidel who, along with Grades parent Jeff James, provided professional time, wisdom, and daily oversight, and who managed the overall project.  Jeff (True Blue Environmental) and Matthew and his architectural firm (Mabbot Seidel Architecture PLLC) very generously donated significant time and talent to the project--all at no cost to HVWS.  We are so grateful! Please give them your thanks when you see them.

 

We are looking forward to a Grand Opening soon, once the whole building is completed, so you can explore the space that you've heard so much about. Watch these pages for more information.

 

With the holidays season beginning this week we would like to wish you, your family, and your friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. Please take care, enjoy the cheer, and drive safely wherever your travels may take you. We look forward to seeing you in December.

Best Wishes,

Tom Storrier
President, HVWS Board of Trustees

Carol Reznikoff
Chair, College of Teachers

 


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Submissions to News, Notes & Updates are due the 1st and the 15th of every month. 
PLEASE NOTE:
Our Thanksgiving Assembly has been cancelled to due to the weather.
 
 
News
 
For a full calendar listing, please visit the Calendar page of our website.
 
Seventh Grade Wreath Sale
Orders Due Monday, December 1, Noon

Order a beautifully handcrafted, double-sided balsam wreath from Maine that will be embellished with local organic berries and greens and a handmade bow by our Seventh Grade families, for your home, family members, colleagues and friends.

Each wreath is approximately 22-24 inches and double sided (fluffy versus flat) and they are only $25 each.  If you buy TWO or more, we will coordinate the bows for your beautiful wreaths.

Orders must be received NO LATER than noon Monday, December 1st, for pick up at 3 PM dismissal, Thursday December 11th and Friday December 12th, 2014.

Please place your order with Deirdre at [email protected]. Please send cash or checks payable to HVWS into the office in your child's school mail folder (the plastic envelope). Include a note indicating that the payment is for your wreath(s).

Payments must be received for your order to be placed.

THANKS in advance for supporting the Seventh Grade fundraising efforts. 

 
A Christmas Carol
Tuesday, December 2, 7 PM
Compass Hall, Lower Level, South Campus

Walking the Dog Theater presents: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, performed by David Anderson and directed by Ted Pugh, at the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School.
  
Tickets are $10 at the door.  First come, first served.  Seating is limited. Appropriate for children in Fifth Grade and up.

 
Rainbow Garden School Store
Grand Re-opening & Holiday Open House
Wednesday, December 3, 8:20 AM to 12:20 PM
Community House, North Campus

10% off your entire purchase!
Teacher Gifts * Holiday Presents * Home-baked Refreshments

Puzzles * Toys * Beeswax * Games * Arts & Crafts
Dolls * Beeswax Candles & Luminaries * Books
Goatboy Soap * Honey * Uriel * Tea
  
 
  
 
Kindermorning
Tuesday, December 9, 9:30 AM

Register online.

 

 
Parent-Child Classes

Parent-Child classes are starting up again in the new Rose Garden building! We are currently accepting registrations for Wednesday and Thursday 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

 

 
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.


 

Apply Online

  

 
December Calendar

Wreath Orders Due
12/1/201412:00 PM
The Steiner Seminar12/2/20148:30 AM
David Anderson's A Christmas Carol12/2/20147:00 PM
School Store Holiday Sale12/3/20148:30 AM
St. Nicholas Day (in school)12/5/2014
The Steiner Seminar12/9/20148:30 AM
Kindermorning12/9/20149:00 AM
PTA Meeting12/10/20148:30 AM
Santa Lucia Day (in school)12/12/2014
Advent Garden, Early Childhood12/12/20144:30 PM
Advent Spiral, Adults12/14/20149:00 AM
Advent Spiral, Grades 1-8 (in school)12/15/2014
Financial Aid Deadline12/15/2014
Nativity Play12/18/20147:00 PM
Holiday Break Begins12/19/2014
School Resumes1/5/2015

 

 
 
Notes
 
 

25th Anniversary Prints, Notecards & Tote Bags

Available at the School Store beginning December 3

  


 
Poster Distribution Volunteer Needed

 

We are looking for a volunteer to distribute occasional promotional posters and flyers to local businesses in Bethel/Danbury 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!

 
 
Updates
 
 

Inside The Classroom 

 

Rose Kindergarten

Laura McDonald, Carrie Reilly 

Rose class has MOVED INTO the NEW ROSE GARDEN!!! What a treat it has been.  The room is so new, fresh, and light-filled! During circle time we, as Indian children, have been giving thanks by collecting the harvest. The Indians watched the sun, the wind, the moon, and the rain to gather knowledge on when to plant their grains. We have had fun too paddling our canoes. Spindlewood has been our story and we are all the characters. The children are the flower fairies, the water fairies, the gnomes, the spindlewood tree, the ash tree, the holly bush, the oldest gnome, the girl, and her mother. Guess who is Mother Earth? Ask your child.

 

 

Sunflower Kindergarten

Isabel Gandara, Aliz Mihok 

The Sunflower children at circle time are following a little Indian boy named Little Bear. He is a young brave who lives in a small village with his family and friends. Every year at harvest time they get together to say thanks to Mother Earth. But one day the people's fire disappears and Little Bear embarks on a brave journey to find the light and bring it back to his village, so he can light their lanterns bright. The children in the class are making a turkey as a craft. For Thanksgiving we will get together with the Rose class to have a special celebration and eat delicious corn muffins.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sunflower Children at Play
 
 

First Grade, Class of 2022

Genevieve Dagobert 

The World of Numbers! What an amazing block. Although the First Graders felt a little sad putting the letters to rest, the sadness was soon forgotten when they entered the exciting world of numbers. They discovered an image for each number, and counted by 1's, 2's, and 10's. The classroom walls shivered as the First Grade class clapped, skipped, and stomped their numbers forward and backward. What a great way to learn!  And how about Martinmas? Well, the rain did not prevent us from enjoying our lantern walk. As the Fourth Graders walked with  their First Grade buddies, the beautiful decorated lanterns shimmered in the light. It was a lovely evening!

 

 

 

 













 First Grade Main Lesson Books: #9 & #8


Second Grade, Class of 2021
Monika Geerling

Currently, the Second Grade is in a Math block.We engage our whole bodies in daily systematic work, as we stomp, jump, and clap the patterns of the multiplication table, forward and backward. We work with the four arithmetical operations daily, whether through mental arithmetic as the children solve word problems or by working in our Main Lesson Book with simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problems. From this daily practice, they gain flexibility in their thought process as they are asked to group and regroup numbers. Before Martinmas the Eighth Grade visited the Second Grade classroom and assisted the students in the creation of colorful and unique Martinmas lanterns. The Second Graders truly enjoyed their time with their Eighth Grade buddies.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Second & Eighth Grade Buddies Making Lanterns

 

 

Third Grade, Class of 2020

Jillian Miller 

The Third Grade is currently straddling Measurement and Arithmetic blocks. We are measuring distance and weight and calculating how much room we have to plant our spring crops. We are displaying our shelters from last block in the Sundial House Library. Please stop by to see them!

  

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 Scenes From The Third Grade

 

 

Fourth Grade, Class of 2019

Laura Wittmer 

The Fourth Grade has just finished up their first Human Being and Animal block. We discussed the traits of the four kingdoms of nature, including minerals, plants, animals, and human beings. We also looked at the human form and its relation to the sun, moon, and stars. The children were introduced to many animals, beginning with the amazing cuttlefish, which can instantly camouflage itself in its surroundings, even in complete darkness. We heard about the harbor seal, which can swim immediately after birth, and about gnawing rodents, with their ever-growing incisors. We discussed in detail the grey squirrel, the placid cow, the sharp-sighted eagle, and the fiery horse, as well as our most intimate companions, the cat and the dog. Now we are moving into Local Geography and preparing for the Advent season.



Fifth Grade, Class of 2018

Emily Remensperger 

The Fifth Grade has been busy studying North American Geography. We began in the North with snowy Alaska, Canada, and the rocky region of New England.  The Fifth Graders have been hearing folk tales, singing and creating their very own bustling New England town out of clay. We are very excited to complete our block with the exploration of the Appalachian Mountains as we move towards the South and the warmer regions of our great continent.

 













Chalkboard Drawing by Ms. Remensperger and Fifth Grade Student Work


Sixth Grade, Class of 2017

Amalia Pretel-Gray 

The Sixth Graders have been observing the moon every night since the start of their Sixth Grade Astronomy block, learning to observe its phases, waxing/waning crescents et al., including sketching and painting it. They have learned about the fixed stars and the constellations formed in the Northern Hemisphere. This block will be enriched with observing the night sky with the naked eye.

  

Sixth Grade Student Work, The Solar System

 

  

Seventh Grade, Class of 2016

Janelle Beardsley 

The Seventh Grade has being writing short stories and poetry, especially haiku and limericks, as part of our Creative Writing main lesson block. We are now in the Human Physiology block, studying the heart, lungs, digestive system and brain. We also heard each other's reports on famous personalities of the Middle Ages: from Genghis Khan to Marco Polo, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Saint Catherine of Siena, Johannes Gutenberg and William the Conqueror, and many others.  We wrote about and heard biographies, but also we compared their behavior to our Seventh Grade Class Code of Conduct. Ask a Seventh Grader how these medieval people measure up to our codes of behavior by today's standards.

We also harvested 70 pounds of carrots that we planted in the summer and sold on Halloween. Did you enjoy our certified organic carrots, grown at Guy's Eco-Garden in Shelton? We grew Atomic Red, Yaya, and Dragon. We look forward to seeing you when we assume the Friday Bake Sale responsibilities on December 5th. See you then!
Chalkboard Drawing by Ms. Beardsley & Seventh Grade Carrot Harvest

 

Eighth Grade, Class of 2015  

Leslie Lew

Leaving off from the Renaissance which we studied last year, the Eighth Grade students are now fully immersed in American History. We discussed and studied the early colonists, their life and reasons for leaving England and, later, other European nations. We are currently studying the American Revolution and with it, the lives of significant individuals such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. This block echoes an early adolescent longing to see the world in a different light and to make changes. We studied the many Acts that were established by the British to subdue the settlers and pay off the debt that the British acquired during the French and Indian War. The students composed an essay on the positive aspects of freedom and also created a list of Twelve Acts That Restrict My Freedom. (They enjoyed the second writing project very much!)

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

 
 
 
 
 
 





Eighth Grade Student Work
 

Rose Garden Renovation

 

 We are thrilled to have Mabbott Seidel Architecture working on this project! 


 Scenes from the Rose Kindergarten classroom and the Aftercare and Parent-Child classrooms-in-progress.

 
Our Gratitude
 
A huge thank you to Yolie Moreno for organizing and running another fabulous Holiday Market! It was clearly a labor of love. Thank you also to her helper-extraordinaire, Allison (with two "L"s) Valentino, as well as Chris & Lily Sheridan for all of their hard work and support. Thank you to James McFarland and MaryBeth Thomas for helping with cleanup. Thank you as well to our amazing school store volunteer, Jo Hurley, for pulling a fully-stocked storefront out of her hat! And thank you to our dedicated school store volunteers who helped at the Holiday Market: Laura McKinney, Julie Whitney, Gwynneth Sobejko, Carrie Reilly, ClareAnn James, Christina Dixcy, Denise Pedane, Amy Abramson, Rose Witte, Allison WashingtonAllison Valentino, Heather Hiemstra, Mark Ancona and Jacinta O'Donoghue, and Henry James.
 

Thank you to James McFarland for organizing the recording of the Jack Petrash lecture.
 

Thank you to Heather Hemphill for supporting the outreach and enrollment effort by inputting HVWS's calendar of events into 10+ online calendars.


From the Eighth Grade: 

Thank you, HVWS Community, for supporting our fundraising efforts by using our babysitting services during Parent/Teacher Conferences. We deeply appreciate your help in raising funds for our trip to Utah. Mrs. Lew would like to personally thank the Eighth Grade parents for their hard work in chaperoning the babysitting for both days. Without you, this fundraiser would not be possible! A special thank you goes to our super babysitter, Kara Reese. Thank you from the class for your hard work!!! 


The Early Childhood Teachers would like to say thanks to all the people who helped us have a beautiful Martinmas celebration: Therese Lederer, Lily and Alice Blyn for helping us with lighting the candles outside, Linda Straub for being our fantastic Mother Earth and James Reilly who every year helps us so much with setting up and cleanup. We would like to say thanks to the parents too. This is the first time we have had the presence of all the children with their families.  Everyone was punctual, and parents and other family members made a beautiful tunnel for the children to go under.


The Sunflower class is very grateful to Allison Washington, who donated honey for the class. The children love to eat their bread with a little bit of honey.


A big thanks from the Sunflower class to  Alex Exley for fixing our placemats--they look beautiful.  


Thank you to all the staff, faculty, and alumni that helped make our Walk Through the Grades Open House a success:  Jennifer Moscatello, Deirdre McCann, Marisa DelMonaco, Serena Pedane, Abraham DeFeo, Paige Storrier, Dylan Lew, Carly Disbrow, Christina Dixcy and Marleen De Grande.  Thanks to Carolyn Storrier for bringing flowers.

 

Deep gratitude to Gina Chiarella (Mom of Daniel, Seventh Grade and Jack, Third Grade) for leading the Fall Clean-up Day last Saturday and to her and her husband, Mick Schum, for bringing industrial power-washing equipment and washing the Grades buildings! Additional great appreciation to all the volunteers and their families who contributed their energies and equipment to the day: Sandy Proksa and John Alvord, Jeremy Hemphill, David Schoenberg, Paul Sobejko, Ales Bukovsky, Nigel Harrison, Christina Setkoski, and Carolyn Storrier, and high school students Paige Storrier (an HVWS alumna) and Beth Schum who worked and earned community service credit. This team of merry and hearty volunteers put tending to the schoolyard above tending to their work and yards at home and cleaned and pruned gardens and lawns, fixed sheds, and rebuilt gravel pathways in addition to washing the buildings. It is the selfless contributions of faculty, staff, and families that make the extraordinary Waldorf education possible, have enabled our school to grow from a dream and a small gathering in a barn to the vibrant 25-year-old institution it is today, and which will propel its growth into the future. Because of these volunteers, our campus is now more beautiful for our children's and our own enjoyment, and more reflective of what we do for visitors and potential students, attracting new community members and resources to the school. THANK YOU to each of you for filling the cold day on Saturday with the great warmth and service of your hands, heads, and hearts.

  

Thank you to Lisa Richter and Jodi Knuff for sharing Martinmas photos with us.

 

Thank you to all the parents who prepare delicious meals for the faculty meetings! 

 

Articles/Links

 

Here are a selection of articles posted on the HVWS Facebook page. If you haven't already, Like us on Facebook ...so you'll never miss an article!

  

Suggested Links:

 

Common Core and the Death of Reading

The Huffington Post

 

The Disease of Being Busy

On Being

 

A very scary headline about kindergartners

The Washington Post

 

In Memoriam: Paul Margulies

The Huffington Post

 

Science Has Great News for People Who Read Actual Books

Arts.Mic

 

People don't actually like creativity.

Slate

 

The Last Generation of Kids That Played Outside

The Huffington Post

 

Off the treadmill? Seattle's Waldorf high school defies tech's sweep

The Seattle Times

 


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.