The Leaflet a newsletter for parents and friends of Ashwood Waldorf School
School Tour
Wednesday, May 18
Register now for our school tour on Wednesday, May 18. This will be the last scheduled tour of the school year. You may visit the main lesson in grades 1-2, 3-4 and 7. If you'd like to visit the early-childhood classroom, please indicate that, as it's a separate tour.
We look forward to seeing you!
-Judith Soleil
Fundraising
Serve-A-Thon Success!
Dear Ashwood Community,
 
You are amazing! Our service brought students and parents together through fun and meaningful work, brought Ashwood families into the midcoast community, and brought the people, environment, and animals of our wider community into our awareness and hearts. And, together we raised $25,000 for our school! Thanks to all of you who participated.
 
The Serve-A-Thon was a new event for us; if you have feedback or stories, we'd love to hear from you! We'd also love copies of any photos or videos you took to post on our website. We've received a few video clips from Liz Sizeler of the musical performance at Quarry Hill, which you can view here.
 
A HUGE thank you to the members of Ashwood's fundraising committee: Dana Anderson, Ronni Blaisdell, Erin Brainerd, Kate Chandler, Julia Dodge, Lisa Newcomb, Jody Peloquin, Amy Thompson, and Jessica Wheeler. This group of volunteers masterminded the Serve-A-Thon, raffle, and Primo Cubano dance party; solicited local businesses for sponsorships and incentive prizes; spent endless hours in meetings; arranged service projects with nonprofits; volunteered their spouses for extra duties; and kept a lively sense of humor throughout.
    
Here's a quick snapshot of the Serve-A-Thon by the numbers:
* We sold 680 raffle tickets, earning $2,750 for Ashwood. The winner, Martha Bonzi, has received $505 worth of gift certificates to fabulous local restaurants.
Click here for the complete list! 
 
-Sarah Ewing
Fundraising Coordinator 
Gardening at Youthlinks
Early Childhood News
Fridays in Early Childhood
For the golden sun and the apples on the trees
For the golden butter and the honey for our tea
For fruits and nuts and berries, we gather on our way
We join our hands, and thank the earth for blessings every day! -One of our noontime blessings this year.

Spring has been cold and often wet, but each day we see a little more life in the trees and on the ground. There are lots of worms and salamanders to be found and carefully studied before returning them back to Mother Earth. The garlic is growing in our garden, and leaves are ever so slowly beginning to bud. They are shy!

Our puppet show, "Akimba and The Magic Cow," was well received at the May Fair on Saturday. We really enjoyed performing it and hearing the happy responses. Thank you to all who attended!

Our Monday-Wednesday morning circle has shifted from "The Bremen Town Musicians" to a story about a boy named "Lazy Jack." Jack always manages to take his mother's advice far too literally...with interesting (not to mention funny!) consequences.

Our thoughts now turn to the ending of the school year, and as we reflect on the seasons we have left behind, we extend great gratitude for the support of all the early-childhood families. We so appreciate you, and consider it an honor to be entrusted with your children.

Fondly,
-Beth Lunt
(for the early-childhood faculty)
Grade School News
Third and Fourth Grade Seed Sale
Thank you to everyone who supported our farm trip with their seed purchases. We hand decorated and filled 542 seed packets! Thanks to Jen Porter for organizing this educational, profitable, and fun fundraiser!
-Jeremy Clough
Grade 3-4 class teacher
Pentathlon Judges Needed
Dear Parents,

On Friday, May 20, Ashwood's fifth graders will be competing in the annual Pentathlon. All the Maine Waldorf schools and a few French Canadian schools gather together to compete in the original Olympic events: javelin, discus, running, long jump, and wrestling. Each competing school brings a few volunteers along as judges. If you have any interest in judging please let Mr. Clough or Ms. Swan know. No experience in these events is needed, and we can train you before the event.

Thank you,
-Jeremy Clough
Class teacher
Alumni News
From Our Correspondent!
Caroline Ginsberg, Ashwood 2000, has generously offered to be our alumni correspondent. We will be publishing her periodic reports of the doings and whereabouts of our grads. Thank you, Caroline!
-Judith Soleil

Aidan Acosta
graduated from Ashwood in 2012 and is currently a senior at CHRHS. He plans to take a semester off before attending Middlebury College in February. During that semester off, he plans to bike the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which spans from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. He currently works at Sidecountry Sports in Rockland, and is excited about graduation!  

Meghan Flynn,
a 1998 Ashwood graduate, runs her own pottery business out of Boat Club Studios in Lincolnville Center, a studio she shares with Ariela Kuh of ANK Ceramics.  Meghan makes all of her work using the wheel and hand-building methods, mixes all of her glazes by hand, and fires in an electric kiln. Twice a year, she is part of a small group of potters who fire at Jody Johnstone's wood-fired Anagama kiln in Swanville. You can find Meghan's work at
meghanflynnceramics.com

Henry Ginsberg graduated from Ashwood in 2004.  After attending St. Lawrence University, he spent years in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam before returning to Maine last winter.  Henry now lives in Portland and works for Allagash Brewery.  His first pilot beer was just released last week, "Uncommon Crow."  Henry also started a  locally sourced, lacto-fermented hot sauce company, Resurgam.

Please send your alumni updates to Caroline. 
Festivals
May Fair
Grey, chilly, jolly, festive. And: it didn't pour! What a happy time we enjoyed together.

Thanks abound for everyone who helped make this a wonderful event. That, of course, includes everyone who was there!

To the cake makers, music players, coffee brewers, popcorn poppers, crown crafters, loom weavers, maypole dancers, puppet players, bubble bringers, and delightful dancers: Hurrah!

A few special mentions: Terry Moore, Avery Larned, and Taz Squire, who set the tall pole and rigged it with Bridget Qualey's beautiful ribbons, then took it down with real derring-do; Cherry Short-Lee, who coached the willow crowns crew, and Richard Ailes, who served on it; Audrey MacGlashan, who told the story for the puppet show like a true thespian; Jen VanLarken who refreshed the community loom; Jacob Wienges, who greeted us; and the Highland Mary Morris dancers, who lent an air of authenticity to our festival. Thank you!

-Judith Soleil
Enrollment and Outreach

Announcements
Lost? Found!
Are your coat racks and closets looking a bit bare? Our office, on the contrary, is bursting with coats, hats, mittens, water bottles, and a host of other personal items.
Please RETRIEVE YOUR MISSING ITEMS!
We thank you!
-Judith, Sarah, and Tamara
In This Issue
Important Dates
Wednesday, May 11 - Friday, May 13
Grade 3-4 Farm Trip

Thursday, May 12
Grade 5-6 Play: "A Roman Comedy."
Dress rehearsal for classes and guests.
9:00 a.m.

Tea and Puppets
Rosewood, Ashwood's Early-Childhood Center
10:00-11:00 a.m. 

Friday, May 13
Grade 5-6 Play: "A Roman Comedy."
9:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m.

Tea and Puppets
Rosewood, Ashwood's Early-Childhood Center
10:00-11:00 a.m.
  
Tuesday, May 17
Parent-Child Class
Rosewood Early-Childhood Center 
9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Grade 5-6 trip to Damariscotta River Association.
8:30 a.m.-2:05 p.m.
Wednesday, May 18
School Tour: Grades 1-2, 3-4, and 8
Register in advance, please. 
8:15-10:30 a.m.
Early-Childhood Tour
9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 19 - Friday, May 20 
Pentathlon. Grade 5. 
 
SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, June 11
Grade 8 Graduation
1:00 p.m.
 
Community Classifieds
Vacation Rental Needed
Looking for an apartment, house, or cabin/ camp rental on a lake or ocean for two weeks the end of July, first part of August. This is for my dear high school friend from Santa Barbara and her husband. They adore Maine and would like to come visit. If you have any leads please email Sarah Trapani or phone her. Thank you for your help!
Apartment for Rent
Esperanza Stancioff, former Ashwood parent, has an apartment for rent. 
  • 2 bedrooms
  • 1.6 miles from downtown Camden, on Start Road.  
  • 950 square feet.  
  • Great for a couple or a single person with a child.  
She'd love to rent to someone in the Ashwood community.  Her phone number is 706-6977.
We publish community-service announcements from and for Ashwood community members at no charge (50-words max.). Send to: Judith Soleil. 
Support Our Sponsors
LifeWays Training
LifeWays North America is bringing its year-long training course for parents and early-childhood professionals to the Northeast again in summer 2016. LifeWays Early Childhood Training and Certification is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and is ideal for parents, in-home childcare providers, and early- childhood assistants. With its emphasis on using "The Living Arts" with children from 0-6, the training can either stand on its own or serve as the first part of a complete early-childhood teacher training for students wanting to teach in Waldorf schools (part two will be offered by LifeWays in Kimberton, PA in 2017-18).
 
The training will be held at Housatonic Valley Waldorf School in Newtown, CT, starting July 8-15 of this year. The three other sessions will take place in October, February, and April, and there is also guided study with a mentor between the sessions. To learn more, visit www.lifewaysnorthamerica.org and click on the New England listing; or request an information packet from Eileen Straiton at 203-794-2983.
Conference
Click the image for more information.
Be a Sponsor
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.
Why Waldorf?
"What Is School?" Waldorf in South Africa
Submissions
Do you have a story to tell about Ashwood? A review of a book or an event? A reflection on Waldorf education? Photos you've taken?
A question about the Leaflet?
Send us an email! We would love to hear from you. The next Leaflet will be published on Wednesday, May 25. Deadline for submissions is Monday, May 23, at 9:00 a.m.
Make a Donation
 
Support Waldorf education in midcoast Maine. Make a tax-deductible donation today by clicking the button below. 
 
Thank you!
 
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