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 The Leaflet a newsletter for parents and friends of Ashwood Waldorf School

September 17, 2014Join Our Mailing List
Festival News
Michaelmas Celebration and Hike

The annual Michaelmas Pageant and Hike will take place on Friday, September 26. Parents are encouraged to join us at 9:00 a.m. for the festivities: music, verse, and pageant, followed by challenging games for the students and a picnic lunch.  

  Then, we will make our annual Michaelmas hike to the summit of Mount Battie. The bus from school will depart at 12:15 p.m. and drop off students at the Route 52 Carriage Road trailhead. Because of very limited parking, we encourage parents who wish to join the hike to arrange carpooling to the trailhead. The most convenient option is probably to carpool from the Route 1, Camden Hills State Park Headquarters, entrance. After a snack atop Mt. Battie, we will continue down to the Camden Hills State Park Headquarters, where we will play games until dismissal time, 3:15 p.m. We encourage parents to arrive early and join in the games!  

All Grade School children must be picked up at Camden Hills State Park Headquarters off of Route 1 at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, September 26.   

Gear for the Hike 

For the Michaelmas hike on September 26, we encourage parents to send their children to school wearing sturdy footwear and, if possible, a backpack (versus a satchel or sack) containing clothing that would accommodate comfort in any weather. Layers, layers, layers! It is often windy and several degrees cooler at the summit. Also include a hearty snack and plenty of water.

 

Decorations Needed  

Help make our festival festive! We need corn stalks, hay bales, pumpkins, and gourds for the Michaelmas Pageant. If you are able to donate any of these items, please bring them to school by Thursday, Sept. 25. Donated items may be left by the news kiosk near the office. Thanks!

 

--The Celebrations Committee

Board News
Not to Be Missed: All-School Meeting
Let's Have a Great Turnout!
Please save the date for our annual all-school meeting. This is your opportunity to
hear where we are now and where we're headed. Contribute  your ideas and help strengthen our Ashwood community.  
Good news abounds, as do challenges. We want to share it all with you and let you know how you can learn more and get involved. Our goal is to have at least one parent from each family attend-- two would be even better! Other friends of Ashwood are also encouraged to attend.

When: Thursday, October 2, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.  Arrive by 5:45 to socialize.
Where: Grade School Building - Lower Level

Free childcare will be available in the Early Childhood building; register by Monday, September 29.

Light refreshments will keep us going.

--Betsy Morrell, Board Chair
Early-Childhood News
Greetings from Rosewood
We are having such a lovely time together this year! It is good to be back with each other again. We have several new families joining us this year:  Robert Anderson and Gus Letowski, both from Waldoboro, Abbie Morgan from Belfast Cohousing, and Emma Clark, who comes all the way from Searsport! Welcome, new children and families. We are so very glad you are here with us at Rosewood. And, of course, we welcome back our families from last year.Your support and thoughtful appreciation mean so much.

During our first week, we baked bread, made soup, molded beeswax while hearing a story about bees, and baked special pancakes with our new assistant Jen Corning on baking day (Fridays). We received fresh, new symbols for our hangers and chairs, and our special crayons.

The second week, we had our first Forest Kindergarten day. It was so cute to see the children headed off to the woods with Marianne and Jen, backpacks and brand new shovels slung over their shoulders. It looked like a line of industrious dwarves or elves off for a busy work day. While they were gone, the remaining children and I chopped and prepared veggies for  soup, which all would share together on their return. It has been several years since I have gotten to prepare stone soup with my class, and I do love that task! In fact, when my adult children come home for a visit, they always ask for that soup and even request a stone! I think those comforting memories last for a long time. Our Forest Kindergarten came "home " ravenous! We shared many bowls of soup together; what a lovely day that was.

Many of you have met my new assistant, Jen Corning. She is an amazing assistant I must say! Jen is enrolled in the LifeWays training, and she has asked me to be her mentor, as well. This is an honor! It is so fulfilling to share with new teachers the reasons why we do things the way we do in a traditional Waldorf setting, and to share the joys of our days and the questions that inevitably arrive. Jen is taking on the rebirth of some of our gardens at Rosewood for her LifeWays final project. A talented and experienced gardener of many years, I see her careful tending evidenced each day, and not just in the gardens! I am so grateful for her. You will see Jen helping in the grade school in the afternoons, as well.

We celebrated a birthday, and will celebrate another in the upcoming week. These are such special occasions and a real time to deeply honor the birthday child.

Our first Parent Evening will be this Wednesday, September 17, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Marianne will be speaking about the Forest Kindergarten program and I will show you some of the new morning circle the children are participating in during the month of September. We will serve our "stone soup" and kindergarten bread, along with warm herbal tea just gathered from our gardens.

We hope to see you there.
To the sun, who has shone all day
To the moon, who has gone away
To the milk white, silk white, lily white stars
A fond farewell, wherever you are.
--Ms. Beth
Festival Handwork
Creating beautiful handwork can enrich our connection with the changing seasons. Cherry Short-Lee, longtime parent-child class leader and one of Ashwood's founders, has offered to share her enthusiasm and expertise with our early-childhood parents this fall. In three sessions, October 7, 14, and 21, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., learn to create grapevine wreaths and decorate them with natural materials to reflect the changing seasons. Sessions are free of charge; fee for materials is $5.00.

These workshops are also open to parents of children ages 18-36 months, with or without their children, from the surrounding community; please tell your friends!

Register no later than October 2 by phoning or emailing Judith Soleil: 236-8021 ext. 105;
[email protected]
Parent-Child Classes This Fall
Marianne B�ckli, our Forest Kindergarten teacher, will lead Ashwood's Parent-Child classes this fall.
Classes will be offered on six Tuesday mornings from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., beginning October 28.

Parent-child classes are a gentle and nurturing program for children ages 18 months to three years and their accompanying caregiver.

While children engage in creative play with simple, natural toys, adults may work on a craft project provided by the teacher, help with snack preparation, or discuss parenting or child development. A walk through the woods on one of our trails, time on the playground to climb and swing, and a goodbye song together complete the morning.

Ashwood's Parent-Child program nurtures the whole family (moms, dads, babies, toddlers, and grandparents are all welcome) and provides a bridge from home to school. When ready, young children may transition to Ashwood's mixed-age Early Childhood classroom.

 

Cost for the six sessions is $150, and you must register by October 21.

Grade School News

From Grade Six  

The First Day of School

It was amazing to see everyone's faces, some new and some familiar, all warm and friendly. The joy of seeing my dearest teachers and loving classmates overflowed me.

 

It was also a gift to see the new, blossoming first-graders growing into the beautiful, harmonious world under the gentle guidance of Ms. Wenckus and the big but kind eighth graders. Have fun first grade!

 

Our sixth-grade class has three new classmates: Eli, Morgan, and Yonah. (Yonah used to come to certain classes in previous years and now is a full-time student.) All are super-nice kids. I wish them an awesome time at Ashwood. Have a great school year everyone!

 

--Isaiah Doble

Announcements
Calling All Characters!
Undoubtedly, that means YOU! We all have a bit of the character in us, and All Hallows Eve provides an opportunity to unleash it. Anonymously. Perfect!

It's not too soon to think about getting into costume (we'll help) and playing one of the magical creatures or fairytale legends on our All Hallows' woodland trail on October 31. Or maybe being a car parking engineer is more your speed. From the trail to the car park, we are looking for happy volunteers to make All Hallows' Eve a success. Email: [email protected].
School Store
I am very excited to announce the reopening of our school store on Wednesday, September 25, from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Please come check out our wonderful supply of crayons, pencils, beeswax, felting wool, and much, much more. Come enjoy coffee and a yummy, homemade treat! For those of you who're new to the school, the store is located in the community cottage, on the left at the foot of the driveway as you turn in at Ashwood. I look forward to seeing lots of new faces this year.

Store hours:
Wednesday mornings 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Fridays immediately following the assembly.

--Jessica Wheeler


In This Issue
Important Dates

Wednesday, September 17 

 *  Early-Childhood Parent Evening
    6:00-7:30 p.m.

 *  Grade 6 Parent Evening
     6:00-8:00 p.m.

Friday, September 26
Michaelmas Celebration and Hike
9:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m.

Thursday, October 2
All-School Meeting
6:00-8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 7
Seasonal Handwork with Cherry Short-Lee
First of three sessions
9:00-11:00 a.m.

Monday, October 13
Columbus Day: No School

Tuesday, October 21
School Tour
8:15-10:30 a.m.
  

Interactive Web Calendar

Printable Calendar

Community
Pen Bay YMCA Sailfish Swim Team Season Begins October 6
Does your child like to swim and want to improve? Have you ever wished for a regular swimming schedule that helps develop strength, skill, coordination, and teamwork?

The Pen Bay YMCA Sailfish Swim Team offers a wonderful opportunity for children and teenagers who are Y members to have a great time improving swimming technique, speed and endurance. We've loved seeing our Ashwood children work hard, overcome limitations, improve their strokes, participate in meets, and feel good about their progress in the pool.

For children not interested in competing, the Sailfish Swim Club is a twice a week, non-competitive class well suited to swimmers who would like to learn skills to improve their swimming without needing to commit to participation in swim meets.

To learn more about the swim team and swim club, contact any of us or call the Y: 236-3375.

--Lori Doolen, Ashwood Students in the Larger Community
Pen Bay YMCA Sailfish Swim Team Season Begins October 6th

Does your child like to swim and want to improve? Have you ever wished for a regular swimming schedule that helps develop strength, skill, coordination and teamwork?

The Pen Bay YMCA Sailfish Swim Team offers a wonderful opportunity for children and teenagers who are Y members to have a great time improving swimming technique, speed and endurance. We've loved seeing our Ashwood children work hard, overcome limitations, improve their strokes, participate in meets, and feel good about their progress in the pool.

For children not interested in competing, the Sailfish Swim Club is a twice a week, non-competitive class well suited to swimmers who would like to learn skills to improve their swimming without needing to commit to participation in swim meets.

To learn more about the swim team and swim club, contact any of us or call the Y: 236-3375.

--Lori Doolen, Emily Gannon, Beverly Scott, Jessica Wheeler, moms of Sailfish Swim Team members Leah (grade 6), Zhenya (grade 5), Abbie (grade 3) and Gabe (grade 2).
OWL Course in Rockland
Parents are children's primary teachers, but what is society teaching our children about sexuality? Our Whole Lives
is an antidote to sexualized media messages, peer pressure, misinformation and prejudice. It provides accurate, age-appropriate information, puts sexuality in the context of values and personal responsibility, supports healthy decision making, and strengthens social skills. These skills and values help prepare youth to make healthy choices for life.

 

Wednesday, September 24, 6:30-7:30 p.m. General Information Session about Our Whole Lives at the First Universalist Church, 345 Broadway, Rockland.

 

Required orientation for parents/ guardians on either Saturday, October 4, 9-11 a.m. or Wednesday, October 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

 

Sessions for youth in grades 8 and 9 will be held twice a month on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the First Universalist Church in Rockland, starting Wednesday, October 22. Session will run October through April. Supper will be included.

 

There is a $100 fee to help cover the cost of food and materials. No one will be turned away because of finances. Scholarships are available. We may be able to arrange transportation as well. Please contact Carney Doucette, Director of Religious Explorations, or attend the informational meeting to arrange support.

 

--Emily Gannon
Beat the Devil!
A man and a devil will battle it out at the Camden Public Library as professional New York actor Glen Williamson performs
Beat the Devil! Faust, the Whole Story. MidCoast Anthroposophical Society Group presents the Anthropos production of this one-man play about love, murder, myth, magic, war, waves, and a devil out of his depths. 
Based on Goethe's theatrical masterpiece,
Beat the Devil! opens on Sunday, September 28, at 3:00 p.m.  for a one-time-only engagement. The production comes to Camden after its well-received appearance off Broadway at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York.
 
Through drama and masterful storytelling, Williamson transforms Goethe's entire 24-hour-long, two- hundred-year-old classic drama into a 90-minute, sometimes humorous, and always exhilarating battle for the soul of a man searching for truth, satisfaction ...and a Goddess.
                                                                                     
A short preview of this production (also known as
The Tragedy of Mephistopheles) can be seen on YouTube.

Admission is $15, and tickets are available at HAVII and The Owl and the Turtle Bookstore in Camden, as well as at the door. For more information, contact the MidCoast Anthroposophical Society Group, a local not-for-profit group, at 763-3961 or [email protected], or visit www.anthropostheater.com.
 
--Susan Silverio
Study
Explore Rudolf Steiner's basic book,
How to Know Higher Worlds, through class presentations, discussions, artistic work, and journal entries on seven Sunday afternoons beginning October 5 at Ashwood Waldorf School. Class time will include presentations, group work and artistic experience. Certificates of completion are available. Led by Susan Junge.
 
Times:
Sundays, October 5, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 23 from 2-5 p.m.
Location:
Ashwood Waldorf School, Garden Level Classroom of the main building
Cost:
$185 (will cover art supplies and guest teacher)
 
To register online: anthroposophystudies.tumblr.com  or email [email protected]<
Master Gardener Volunteer Program
The Master Gardener Volunteer program for Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo Counties starts on Thursday, Oct 2, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for
people who'd like to learn about soil health, composting, botany and how plants work, insect and disease life cycles, how fertilizers and pesticides function (and are often misused), supporting pollinators, growing fruits and vegetables, and volunteering in their community. 

The 45+ hour program is $220.00, with scholarships available. Certification requires 40 hours of volunteer work, and only 20 hours in subsequent years. Projects include school gardens and cooking fresh produce with kids, growing food for food pantries and soup kitchens, doing educational talks and demos, and much more.  It's easy, meaningful, and fun.

Applications are due on Thursday, Sept 18.
We publish community-service announcements from and for Ashwood community members at no charge (50-words max.). Send to: Judith Soleil. 
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Why Waldorf?

Sane Society

Dorit Winter, recently retired director of the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Education, and Jeff Loubet, a class teacher at the East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante, CA, speak about the core values of Waldorf education as an alternative model needed in today's materially-obsessed society. 

Dorit Winter & Jeff Loubet: Waldorf Education - Sane Society
Dorit Winter & Jeff Loubet:
Waldorf Education - Sane Society
Submissions
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Send us an email! We would love to hear from you. The next Leaflet will be published on Wednesday, October 1. Deadline for submissions is Monday, September 29 at 9 a.m.
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