Michaelmas Pageant Sept 24th: 8:30am-9:00am
Brave and True, will I be
Each good deed sets me free
Each kind word makes me strong
I will fight for the right!
I will conquer the wrong!
Autumn has come to campus, and with the changing season we welcome the return of our school's festival life. Michaelmas, our Fall festival, challenges each of us to embrace what is noble and good, and find the courage to confront the dragons in our lives.
In the Kinderhaus, you may see the children dyeing their golden capes or lovingly sanding their Michaelmas swords. At the opposite end of our curriculum, the 8th grade class recently conquered their own doubts and fears, summiting Sopris in preparation for their final year at WSRF. Throughout our programs, students are developing their capacity for courage and strength of conviction.
However you and your family welcome the changing seasons, we hope you can set aside time this coming Friday, September 24th, to join us for a morning celebration.
Longtime Parents, please take note: The Michaelmas schedule has changed from prior years.
Michaelmas Grades Celebration
This year, we will hold our traditional pageant first thing in the morning, Friday, September 24th from 8:30am-9:00am.
All WSRF parents are encouraged to attend the grades pageant, but please note: the dragon can be too frightening for little ones.
Following our celebration, the grades classes will break into groups led by the 8th grade students. The children will face challenges requiring courage, conviction, and collaboration, setting the stage for subsequent events and activities throughout the year.
Grades Families: Please help by providing ingredients for the children’s Harvest Soup. Please send your child to school with their ingredients on Thursday, September 23. Ingredients can be dropped off in the Sun Room. Thank you for contributing to our all-school soup!
Assignments by class:
8th Grade students: Two sticks of butter
7th Grade students: Two (12 oz.) cans of kidney beans
6th Grade students: families with last names beginning with A-Q: Three (4 oz) cans of tomato paste
families with last name beginning with R-Z : 2 cans chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
5th Grade students: Two to three large onions, chopped
4th Grade students: One large zucchini, chopped
3rd Grade students: Three stalks of celery, chopped
2nd Grade students: Two to three carrots, chopped
1st Grade students: One small bag of frozen corn
September 24th Schedule
8:15 No Friday Assembly today...Students will meet in their classes. Parents and friends are welcome to gather for tea/coffee.
8:30 Pageant begins at Sun Porch – all parents welcome; no young children please
9:00 Parents Depart & Student Crew Projects Begin
9:45 Snack and Recess
10:15 Crews Face Elemental Challenges
11:45 Group Blessing & Harvest Soup Lunch for Students
12:15 Crew Chores & Cleanup
12:30 Early Dismissal
8th Grade Trip Report: Summiting Mt. Sopris
Last Thursday night, the 8th grade class hiked 4 miles up to Thomas Lakes with their backpacks for an overnight. The entire class worked together to reach the lakes before rising again by 5am the next morning and hiking by 6:09am in pursuit of reaching the top of our beautiful Mt. Sopris.
In Waldorf Education, field trips serve as opportunities for students to step outside their comfort zones, test limits & come together as a class to tackle challenges.
This trip was no different. The entire class worked together, adjusting their pace, offering encouragement and moving as a pack to collectively reach the top and stand on the peak’s 12,966 foot summit, climbing over 4,000 feet up to reach the summit. Despite sore and tired legs, the class descended back to the cars and every student in the class can now say they hiked 14+ miles in a 24 hour period and have stood at the top of the mountain so important to us, it’s the focal point of our logo!
Congratulations, 8th graders!
September Board Report
Last Sunday, under clear blue skies and in the presence of two handsome bucks, the WSRF Board of Trustees gathered on campus for an orientation. There is a spirit of renewal alive on the Board as we begin this school year and this orientation offered us the opportunity to rearticulate and recommit to what it means to be a trustee for WSRF. At its essence being a trustee means putting the best interests of another ahead of one’s own.
As a Board of Trustees we are primarily responsible for strategic oversight, while the administration, staff and faculty carry out the herculean task of implementing all of the policies, procedures and practices necessary in order to deliver the wonder of Waldorf education to our children. As one trustee put it, we are like the banks of a river, creating a stable boundary within which the water can flow. Another fellow trustee offered a related metaphor of guiding the rudder of a boat while simultaneously looking ahead to find the clearest path forward so that those who are rowing can focus on their rowing. In both instances, we honor and are defined by the flow of the river.
In order to fulfill our responsibilities of holding, guiding and sustaining our school community, the Board of Trustees developed guidelines for the 2021-22 school year. We commit to supporting ourselves and one another in developing the following:
• Clear and transparent communication that stems from deep listening
• Humility to voice what we do not know and ask questions
• Courage to erect boundaries that allow us to say both yes and no with confidence
• Honesty about when and how we disagree so that we can address conflict in a respectful and kind manner
• Patience to allow enough time for thoughtful and thorough consideration of all topics
• Focus to see what is essential and respond in ways that are efficient and effective
• Compassion to hold ourselves and one another accountable
We also resolved to meet in person, making all necessary adjustments to prioritize being together.
In a follow up meeting earlier this week, we came to consensus that the Board’s primary areas of strategic focus for the year will be Core Values, Campus Development and Enrollment. We look forward to updating our community on our work throughout the year and welcome any related questions you might have.
In service & with gratitude,
Elizabeth Allen
For the Board of Trustees
Waldorf Curriculum Spotlight: Why Festivals, Why Michaelmas?
In Waldorf Education, festivals serve as important rhythmic community events over the course of the year. The seasonal, annual nature of these gatherings provide predictable, anticipated community touch points for students, faculty and broader community members alike. Entangled with the seasons, each festival brings a unique alignment with nature’s annual changes and emphasizes the impact of the world around us as we move through the calendar year.
Michaelmas is our annual fall festival, taking place in September (the 24th this year) and just as our curriculum is tailored to the age and development of the child, so too are our festivals and celebrations.
In second grade, the festival is focused around the story of George and the dragon. The children have the chance to hear the story in class and embody the courage of George as he battles against darkness and challenges with great courage and the annual pageant element of the event. Michaelmas is a celebration to pause and acknowledge the individual and collective light we all carry within us and a moment to lean into this warmth as we move into the colder months of the year. It’s an opportunity to gather up the harvest and warmth from summer to carry forward into the winter. The festival is a part of our rhythm as it marks an opportunity to find collective courage for tackling even the largest challenges, such as a dragon, that may cross our path.
2nd Grade Verse (an excerpt):
Michael, Mighty Archangel of light,
He sends to earth a strength so bright
Rides his steed across the autumn sky
As meteor showers of iron fly.
They are flames of light you see,
Flames of courage to ignite strong deeds.
Willow Forest News
Many (small) hands make light work. This past week Ms. Stephanie and the Willow Forest students helped their own Mr. Gabe tie rebar in anticipation of pouring the foundation for their classroom yurt.
(Not every kindergartner can say they helped pass a building inspection!)
The outdoor program has been an exciting addition to the Kindheraus programming. Keep an eye on the willows for more exciting news later this fall!
Water quality update
WSRF drinking water is sourced by a well on campus. Our system is monitored and maintained by a 3rd party. The linked report here shows the results of our most recent lead and copper testing. All levels are below actionable levels.
Additionally, each classroom has a reverse osmosis filtering system, further assuring that any potential contaminants are removed from the schools drinking water.
If you have any questions, please contact Larry Smith 970 963 1960 or larry@waldorfschoolrf.org
Last chance to sign up for Wednesday After-School fall program with Roaring Fork Cycling
Open to grades 3-8
Sign up here: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/286325
5 sessions remain
$150 total fee
RFC coaches lead the program. 3-4 pods of riders depending on age and ability
Parents responsible for:
Transportation to and from trailhead (location changes weekly)
Well-tuned and maintained bike
Helmet
Water and snacks
Meet at WSRF parking lot for 2:30 departure, more details shared every Monday through TeamSnap regarding ride location.
Ride on, gnomies!
So Many Vegetables! Parent Child Programs
Liesl Bellack, WSRF graduate and Wizardress of Marketing for WSRF, looked at me earlier this week as she plopped on the sofa in the Sunroom after a big day and said,
“There are so many vegetables in the garden!” She may have been referring to a small plot of earth where bright little tomatoes were growing. However, she was actually referring to previous conversations with me about the growing number of families who are participating in our Parent Child programs at WSRF. The Sweet Peas program serves families and babies ages birth - 2 yrs; The Peas and Carrots program serves families with children ages 18 mo. - 4 yrs. Currently we have 20 families in those two programs, with our newest Sweet Pea just over 2 weeks old! So many vegetables, in fact, there are some on a wait list as well!
Aside from vegetables of all shapes and sizes, we also have a robust music and movement program for our youngest children and their parents crafted over the years from many hearts and hands and voices: Musical Storytime and Bilingual Musical Storytime programs serve families with children ages 18 mo. - 4 yrs. by creating a joyful seasonal movement journey incorporating music and movement designed specifically to meet the developmental needs of the young child and the caregivers as well. Currently we have 13 families enrolled in these programs - with a little room still for new sprouts- so please spread the word! (P.S. You can find my red wagon and me at the Carbondale library on most Thursdays in Sep and Oct at 10:30 for a mini-musical storytime with new, fresh vegetables!) Whitney Reyes, mother of Azalea and Juniper in the kinderhaus co-leads the bilingual class with me and brings her beautiful voice and passion for all things Spanish and Waldorf. Muchas gracias, Whitney!
None of this could happen so easily without a dedicated space, which is the biggest news, outside of the vegetables themselves. (It’s the garden’s container, if you will!) Thanks to Gabe Mead, Dan Rosenthal, Randall Morris, Larry Smith, Charles Andrade, Mr. Stroh and many others, there is now a gorgeous new Parent Child room that is cozy, light filled, and even has running water with a new shiny sink! It is on the end of the East Wing next to the 6th grade room. For the first time ever in the history of the school, the Parent Child programs have a dedicated space. You may just find me there, sitting in the rocker with the pink afghan, playing my kinder harp, many, many years from now… it’s so beautiful!
Next time you will hear about a special garden our little friends travel to once they graduate from the Parent Child vegetable medley: The Star Flower Garden of Toddlers! More to come…
Ms. Holly for the Parent Child Program
