By popular demand, we are expanding enrollment for next year's forest kindergarten program! The class filled within days of the enrollment deadline, and we don't want to disappointment anyone who's excited about this new impulse in early- childhood education. Children may join the forest kindergarten on Wednesdays whether parents choose to enroll them for three (3) or five (5) days in Ashwood's early-childhood program. Spread the word to anyone you know who might be interested in this special opportunity for their children.

Want to know more about forest kindergartens? Check out this brief article from American Forests magazine.

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs used the Bring a Friend approach to boost their enrollment when it was needed most. Parents rose to the challenge and brought 63 new students the following fall. Wow!

Bringing a friend is easy. Invite friends to our monthly Tour of the Grades. Tell them about our wonderful Parent-Child classes, and our pioneering new Forest Kindergarten. Let them know that we're happy to meet with them and show them the school at their convenience. We're prepared to receive families in the ways and times that work for them.

Just the mention of summer sets hearts racing this time of year. We've had fun planning for this year's camps. This year's brochure will be ready soon; here's a sneak preview:

**	Waldorf in the Woods (3.5 - 6 yrs.) Session 1: July 7-11 Session 2: July 14-18 Session 3: July 21-25 Session 4: July 28-Aug.1
**	Jump for Joy!   (for children entering grades 1-4) Session 1: July 21-25 Session2: July 28-Aug.1
**	Ultimate Frisbee (for children entering grades 4-7) August 4-8

Get your GLOW on, Ashwood.  Come celebrate the lightening of our days together.

What does GLOW event hold in store for you and your friends?

**	Glitter bar with all sorts of ways to get your  glow on.
**	Photo booth to preserve your glow for all time.
**	Music and dance by Tyler Yentes, the Gawler sisters, Bennett Konesni and Droplet Dance.
**	Silent auction with small and large, beautiful and practical items on which to bid.
**	Raffle for a gourmet dinner prepared for you by bona fide former chefs of the Rockland Fire Department, complete with a chauffeured ride to and from the fire house on the fire engine.
**	Time with your friends, perhaps a grown-up drink or two, and some excellent food.

If you haven't sent the bidding owl link to your friends and family, this is the day to do it.  There are so many special items, it's hard to choose which ones you'll go for.  Mobile bidding is an option too, just go to www.biddingowl.com

and the home page walks you through it.

Last fall, as a parent new to the Ashwood community, I wanted to learn more about the academic curriculum and operations of the school and began attending the Parent Community Council (PCC) meetings. These meetings have proven to be a wonderful way to meet teachers and faculty, other parents, and board members. Typically at a PCC meeting, a teacher or faculty member gives a presentation that offers a glimpse into the curriculum, with time afterward for questions.  

 

Since the beginning of the school year, I have heard Jeremy Clough speak on movement in the curriculum, Leslie Finlayson present on music and singing in the classroom, and Tamara Cody explain the details of tuition assistance and the school's financial operations and budget. Each of these presentations was thorough and informative.

 

I personally have learned a lot from attending these meetings, and am thankful for the opportunity to learn from and interact with the teachers and faculty to better understand what my child is doing in class (and why!), as well as to learn about the school in general.

 

The next PCC meeting is March 26, 2014,  

9:00 -11:00 a.m. in the Community Cottage. Donna Wenckus will be presenting on handwork.

 

Hope to see you there!

-Jody Peloquin

The Lasansky Studio of Dance together with the Dance Theater Ensemble will cap its season with an hour-long performance on Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m., including solos, duets, and a quartet with Lasansky joined by Lindsay Powers, Maho Hisakawa, and Suzanne Dunavent-White.
All the dancers have participated throughout the entire process, assisting with the choreography, developing ideas and themes, music, steps, patterns and finally costumes and titles for their pieces.

Ashwood students and alumni participating in the performance include:

Adella  Brainerd
Gabriella Destefano
Fiona Hall
Sofia Howell
Madelina Lodge
Renaissance Lyman
Isadora Osgood
Anikka Reinwand
Ina Wolovitz

Julliard-trained Jimena Lasansky is a dancer, choreographer and educator, and has taught creative movement, ballet, modern dance and choreography in the area since 1977. Advance tickets (cash only)can be purchased at HAVII in Camden, Adults $14, Children 12 and under $8. Tickets at the door are  $16 and $10.

Every spring, this fair showcases the best summer camps the midcoast has to offer, including Ashwood's stellar program. This year's fair will be March 26, 2014, 5-7pm at the CRES gym. Local organizations offering summer programs will display their information, answer questions, and publicize  summer activity options for children. Swimming, horseback riding, theater, sailing, art, sports, dance--there's a lot going on all summer long! Sponsored by the Camden Rockport PTA.

Renewal Courses, sponsored by the Center for Anthroposophy, are for Waldorf teachers and administrators, as well as parents, trustees, artists, and thinkers seeking to deepen their lives through anthroposophy. Once again the campus at High Mowing school in Wilton, NH will be the place to experience a "transformative" week with dedicated faculty.  You can view the course listings here.

New neurological research shows that the brain behaves less like a "hard-wired" computer and more like a dense forest in which pathways appear through repeated use and disappear through neglect. The implications of this research for the future of education are powerful, especially since the neurological functions of children and young adults do not fully develop until they reach their early twenties.

On Friday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Seacoast Waldorf School, veteran Waldorf educator and eloquent speaker Douglas Gerwin, Ph.D., will explore how education can spur children to develop their powers of multiple intelligence through an education grounded in child development.

Cost: $10 per person
Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase is strongly suggested. For more information, please call the school office at 207-686-3140.

In This Issue

Display or text ads appear here, in the right column of the Leaflet, and link to your website. The cost is $5/edition for a square ad (170 x 170 pixels) and $10/edition for a long ad (170 x 340 pixels). Discounts are available for long-term ads. The Leaflet appears every other week except in July. For more information, email Judith Soleil.