April 30th News
Gratitude for Ms. Mullally
Dear Parents,
In early June of each year, the community of the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, takes part in saying farewell to that year’s 8th grade class as they close their time here and open a new door into high school and life beyond the straw bales. This is a momentous occasion for all involved; sometimes there are students in the 8th grade who are finishing an 11-year journey with us. The students who arrive on the stage for graduation are celebrated each year, and rightly so, as are their parents who have entrusted the education and physical, emotional and spiritual growth of their children to us. This is a monumental task, and one we do not take lightly.
Having guided two classes to this grand moment here at WSRF, I cannot express in words the mixture of feelings this brings up every time. It is a moment that one feels overwhelmed with joy, sorrow, hope, heartbreak, relief, and any number of other emotions as the young men and women of the 8th grade speak for the last time as students at the school, reflecting on their time here and their own hopes for the future. It is an exhausting yet life giving road to travel for a class teacher to finally arrive at this moment, and one doesn’t always walk the smoothest part of it. Regardless of the rough sections along the way, the class teacher inevitably finds the resilience and inspiration to bathe in the celebration of this accomplishment.
Resilience is probably the word I think of the most when I ponder Mrs. Mullally’s time at WSRF. It is a difficult task to take on a class and follow them through to the end, and still more difficult to turn around without a break and take on a new and different group of students. The bonds that are formed with one group of students are not easily shaken, and to take a new group without a break is daunting. Learning the intricacies of a new group of students can take some time. Chris is now nearing this culmination of work for the 3rd time in a whirlwind of ten straight years, and although I am clearly biased, I can do nothing but applaud her uprightness, resilience, and commitment to doing her absolute best to ensure her students are not only prepared for life after WSRF but are excited for it.
On the collegial side, Chris has been instrumental in bringing restorative practices to the school and demanding of us all that we communicate directly and honestly with one another. This is not always an easy task with a large group of different personalities and sensitivities, and it is often an exercise in holding up mirrors for one another. We don’t always like what we see, but Chris hasn’t shied away from this challenge in her years here; indeed, she has raised the bar for all of us as colleagues, students, parents, and board members. While we don’t know exactly what this next year holds for Ms. Mullally just yet, we can only say thank you for the leadership and service, the fearless self - searching, and the selfless giving of time, love and energy that it takes to be a class teacher, colleague, board member, mentor and friend in the WSRF community. May your next journey, here or elsewhere, be one of inspiration and reward for all you have given thus far…. you certainly deserve it.
With much gratitude,
Matt Johnson – Middle School Support Teacher
School News
Updated 2021-22 Calendar
Embedded below is the school calendar for the 2021-22 school year. As with last year’s calendar, we have tried our best to project our best line of thinking given what future determinations are guided by Covid effects. The calendar is very similar to last years and here are some points to be guided to:
• The first day of school for the preschool through 8th grade programs is Wednesday, August 25th and it will serve as a 12:30 dismissal for all.
• The first day of the Toddler program will be Monday, August 30th.
• The Winter Break will be reduced to three weeks from the four-week break we experienced this past break. One week will be observed for the Thanksgiving, February and Spring break as in prior years.
• The last day of school will be June 2 for the preschool through Kindergarten programs; and June 3rd for the 1st – 8th grades. The Toddler program will take on the look of a year round program with breaks at similar times to the larger school, and ending in the end of July for the summer program.
• As we learn more about what may be allowed this next year as it relates to Covid, we shall be able to make the calendar increasingly complete with festival dates and other such school assemblies.
Early Childhood Program Update
Over the past eight months, there has been many plans discussed for new growth in the school. Much of the discussion and activity has surrounded the Early Childhood programs at the school. Earlier this year, the Willow Forest Outdoor Classroom was established with Stephanie Warner at the helm. A short time after that, Holly Richardson’s role as Foundations Program teacher was expanded and is now a five day a week program serving 37 families and 39 students. It was further announced in the mid-month newsletter that Sigrid Fischbacher would become the Director of the Early Childhood LicensedPrograms and move into a mentoring and administrative role next year. To complete the full cycle of the program, we are excited to add a Toddler program that will use the Starflower Room as its home beginning this August.
To lead this program, the Faculty has selected Noelle Stilts to lead this new endeavor. Many of you will know Noelle as parent to 2019 WSRF graduate, True; 6th grader Kenna; 2nd grader Brooke; Willow Forest Kindergartner, Ezra; and partner to Jay. This is Noelle’s second year employed in the school, working closely with Ms. Sigrid in the preschool class. Prior to that, Noelle created and established her own in-home pre-school program. She is a trained educator in both Lifeways and Simplicity Parenting, and just last summer offered classes to the community on this last topic. In her three interviews with various faculty groups over the past six weeks, what emerged to many of us was her deep love for children and the art of childhood. She is thrilled to take on this role and birth this program for the community. An integral part of this “birth” will be that of Allison Spayd, who will be serving the Starflower class as the Toddler program assistant. Allison has been serving the school in the capacity of an assistant in the Foundations Year program over the past years, and more recently as a substitute in all the EC classes. You may better know Allison, as parent to Cole in the Willow Forest class; Scott in the Sunflower class; and her partner, Scott. As you may also know, Allison and her husband are the owners of Spradley Farms located in Missouri Heights. Allison is state certified teacher, and was introduced to Waldorf education through 8th grade alumni parents, Anthony and Christina Smith. She is also dear friends with one of our school’s first teachers and parents, Patti Fox.
The Faculty has selected Katie Workman to lead this preschool class. As with Noelle, many of you will know Katie as parent to 4th grader Sherman; 1st grader Nolan; Sunflower student Addie Jade; seven-month-old, Landon; and partner to Sherman. Katie has been employed at the school in several positions including serving as an assistant in all of the EC classes as well as an assistant to Ms. Pratt in the grades Handwork program. Katie and Sherman own a food vending business where they travel the western states in the summer festival season, and will for the first time be serving their delicious foods and gyros at Mountain Faire. Katie will be moving into her second year of training to become a certified Waldorf educator. She was interviewed in the same fashion as Noelle and like her, expressed such a deep conviction to the love of children and for childhood. She too is thrilled to take on this role and to continue the excellence that this program has offered the community. Working side by side, Katie, will be Sarah Darval. Sarah and her family just recently located to the valley from British Columbia. Sarah is parent of Mira in the 1st grade class, and partner to Mike, who owns a backcountry guide business. Mira joined the class right after the Spring Break, and has glided into the 1st grade with ease. Sarah first contacted the school almost a year ago to inquire about employment possibilities, and thus this new work in the school is born from seed planted over a year ago. She will be entering the second year of her Waldorf teacher training program this summer, and we look forward to her service on our growing Early Childhood program.
To nearly complete the picture of the EC staff for next year, Kindra Perea will be joining Ms. Stephanie in the Willow Forest program next year. Kindra was was introduced to Waldorf education in 2012 and completed three Waldorf trainings from 2012 to 2014. She guided a class from grades 1–3 and served as a German subject teacher for grades 1–5 in Arizona. She has two children, Indira and Banyan, along with her partner, John, and important to add, is auntie to Sawyer in the 1st grade class along with being the sister of Alexis Jones. Kindra moved here with her family just months ago, as her partner is a traveling nurse currently working in Aspen. We are so pleased to have her and her family join the community!
Waldorf Waldorf Curriculum Spotlight: Why do our teachers stay with their class multiple years?
By staying with a class for multiple years (as many as eight!), our teachers don’t have to spend time each year getting to know the students or where they stand in their learning. Instead, teachers build a deep, often lifelong connection with students and a genuine understanding of their individual needs, learning styles, strengths and opportunities for growth. The result is richer, more personalized learning and the unique experience of navigating a longstanding relationship that starts on the first day of 1st grade and extends for the years of learning ahead. Read more about the student-teacher relationship on our blog here.
AWSNA News
Results of the North American Survey from Waldorf Parents on COVID Response
Dear Colleagues and Families,
Many thanks for all those who participated in the RIWE (Research Institute for Waldorf Education) survey for parents regarding COVID-19 and its impact on families and school. There were 1108 responses from 40 fully accredited Waldorf schools in North America. There were 10 or more responses from 30 schools. The raw data will be sent to each school separately.
The attached article, Parent Perspectives on the Pandemic, written by David Sloan, summarizes the survey results, includes statistics, charts, quotes, and narrative and will be published in the next Research Bulletin in June 2021. Please feel free to distribute this document to your faculty, staff, board, and parents. Include the link below and consider a subscription to the Research Bulletin if you do not already have one through your school. There are also individual subscriptions.
https://www.waldorfresearchinstitute.org/
With much gratitude to you all,
Connie Stokes
On Behalf of the Survey Committee