June News (June 19th, 2020)
Year End Gratitude
Dear Parents,
The 2019-20 school year ended last week with the most life filled graduation that we could have hoped for. The students spoke with eloquence. Ms. An spoke directly to everyone’s hearts. Mr. Stroh spoke......well, he spoke in only the way that he can speak, with inspiration and a love for life. The day was glorious and was a much wished for completion to a school year that was not in any one’s imagination. The last nine weeks of school took the entire community to pull together to bring about this fitting conclusion. With that, we wish to:
Thank you, Board of Trustees, for your steadfastness and trust.
Thank you, Faculty, for giving your absolute best.
Thank you, Parents, for staying faithful to your belief in this education.
Thank you, Students, for your resiliency and grit.
When matters do not go well, one wishes to think that a community rises to the occasion. As we conjure up images of the faces of the 8th grade students, their parents and all those in attendance last Sunday morning to celebrate the Class of 2020, we would say that indeed our community rose rather than faltered when adversity stared the world in the face.
With much gratitude and appreciation to you all,
Tim Connolly, Faculty Administrator
Larry Smith, Business Administrator
Anne White, Community Development Director
2020-21 Tuition billing agreements due July 1st
This week the school is sending emails to each family with a link to set up your tuition billing agreement in TADS. Please complete this process no late than 7/1/20 to avoid a $100 late fee.
Please note that the language around “unconditional” is superseded by the communication shared last week regarding our approach to the uncertainty of how the year will unfold. If either hybrid or distance learning are implemented, tuition refunds will apply. In addition, with distance learning, families will be allowed to cancel tuition contracts and withdraw from the school if they so choose. Details of this plan can be found here.
If you have any questions please reach out to a member of Administrative Council. Thank you in advance for your commitment to WSRF and your gift of Waldorf Education to your family.
Reflections on the Graduating Class of 2016 by Matt Johnson, now heading off to the next phase of their lives.
As a class teacher, you spend so many hours with a group of children over many years, working towards the moment that Ms. An just experienced with her class. The “sending off” of a class, in my experience, is a moment built upon truly divergent emotions; the feelings of excitement around the closure and culmination of this journey simultaneously occupy the same space as all the feelings of loss that accompany graduating a class that you have had for many years. I have experienced this twice now, and I can quite easily step into the shoes of Mrs An and understand the swirling mix of emotions and exhaustion that I know she is now living into.
However, there is another piece that follows the graduating of your class: the thrill of having students check in over the years, remembering stories of their time with you and with their peers, sharing stories of their new experiences in high school, the challenges of navigating a world between childhood and adulthood, and the wonderful breakthroughs and moments of triumph along the way. I recently had dinner with a graduate from my first class (2008) who now works for a law firm in New York City. To witness her process through the last 12 years has been truly lovely. Even more gratifying than witnessing a former student’s successes, is witnessing how they navigate the truly challenging moments of their respective journeys.
With that in mind, I want to send congratulations to my second class, the class of 2016, who are now graduating from high school and preparing to set off into the world and their next journey. I have enjoyed seeing them from time to time over the last four years, attending soccer games, ski races, art shows, musical performances, having the occasional tea or just running into them on the street. It always fills me with joy to see how much they have matured and how clearly they perceive the world and their place in it. While the world they are stepping into is in a moment of deep uncertainty and turmoil, I can think of no group that I would rather place my faith in to look into the world with clear vision and a passion to further the causes they see as just.
WSRF class of 2016
Wyatt Balderson graduated from Basalt High, will be attending San Diego State as Environmental Science Major and Oceanography minor. Due to Virtual learning in the fall, Wyatt might choose to do an internship until classes start in person.
Wyatt Smetzer will be attending George Washington university where he is planning on majoring in Political Science. He is finishing at CRMS where he has been the student body co president, and is researching how the pandemic will affect voting rights for his senior project.
Madison Hocknell will be studying Bio-Engineering at CSU and plans on skating at the collegiate level for CSU…. All after a gap year of touring with Disney On Ice (if the tour resumes after Covid)
Jace Luck received his GED early last year (ahead of schedule) and then worked for Aspen Ski Co through the winter. Although he doesn’t have a firm plan to attend university in the fall, he is interested in clothing design and has also been creating original music in his home studio.
Kate Oldham is finishing her senior project for CRMS this month at Smiling Goat Ranch doing equine therapy (and other animal therapists!) to help people with PTSD, autism, anxiety and depression, something she was introduced to for her 8th grade project at WSRF. She will be attending Middlebury College in Vermont in the fall and will be racing for their elite nordic team. After podium finishes at junior nationals this year, Kate was named to the national training group for the us ski team in Park City in July and in Lillehammer (Norway) in August.
Kaitlyn Young will be attending University of Vermont in the fall. Currently she is finishing at CRMS and rediscovering her talent for watercolor painting.
Henry Butchart will be attending CSU in the Apparel Design program focusing on Merchandising and Product Design.
Dylan Webster is graduating from Roaring Fork and is going to attend CU and is excited to continue playing soccer and hockey. He was the captain of the Rams soccer team, went to state finals and was named to the 1st team Allstate.
Ansel Bake is enrolled at Fort Lewis college in Durango and is interested in pursuing an engineering degree.
Miles Lloyd is graduating from the Main Coast Waldorf high school and will be attending Brandeis University in Massachusetts, where he plans to study music, theatre, and writing. He just finished his first album!
Jake Bozza is graduating from Aspen High and will be attending the University of Oregon and studying Product Design in the engineering department. One of his art pieces received an honorable mention from the Colorado Scholastic Art and Writing awards.
Rowan McAlpin – Sampsel will be attending CU in Boulder in the fall
Alejandra Salazar Butcher will be attending University of Wisconsin (Madison) in the fall.
Matt Johnson
Middle School Math and Main Lesson Teacher
Office hours and school closing
Please note that the school office is open daily, Monday – Friday, from 9:00 to 2:00 PM. It will be staffed all summer long except for the week of June 29 – July 3 when it will be closed for staff holidays and celebration of Independence Day.
Important Calendar dates
(Based on school continuing under the “New Normal” phase)
Wednesday, August 12....First Day of School for the Kinderhaus, 1st and 2nd Grades
Tuesday, August 25....First Day of School for 3rd – 8th Grade Classes
Tuesday, August 25....Rose Ceremony Celebration
Monday, September 7....No School, Labor Day Observed
Friday, September 25.....Michaelmas Day Celebration, Minimum Day
WSRF Foundation Program and Parent Child Class Offerings
Beginning this week, the Kinderhaus Staff opened the building for the first time in months and welcomed six families to join in Parent – Child classes that began Tuesday of this week and will continue through July 24th. Both “Sweet Pea” and “Peas and Carrots” offerings are available. We offer much gratitude to the Faculty for having the vision to serve the need of the community in this way! Please click on the link below to learn more about these opportunities.
