October News (October 25th, 2024)

In this week’s community newsletter, please find details for:

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up next week!

Please mark your calendar and be prepared for Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences coming up after school next Wednesday October 30th and all day next Thursday October 31st and Friday November 1st. There will be no school for Toddler through 8th Grade on October 31st and November 1st in order to hold conferences. 

Care will be offered for those that need care for their child during their parent teacher conference time on Thursday Oct 31st and Nov 1st on a drop in basis, billed at aftercare hourly drop in rate. Mr. Joshua and the students will be in the kindergarten play yard or other suitable inside spot. Please dress your children appropriately and bring your child to the kindergarten yard during your conference. Snacks will not be offered so please bring what your child may need for the time during your conference. You will need to sign your child in and out on the clipboard.  Contact stacie@waldorfschoolrf.org with questions. (Regular After care is available on Wednesday Oct 30th).

Keep reading for updates on staffing!

The WSRF Aftercare program has officially expanding with a dedicated group and teacher for Early childhood students and a new dedicated teacher to lead activities with 1st to 8th Graders! If you need to run an errand after school or have a later meeting, this program is always available for drop-ins for your student from preschool through 8th grade until 5pm daily and we are excited to share that…...

We are thrilled to announce the return of Rachel Cohen to the WSRF staff and into the role of AlpenGlow Teacher. Rachel has served the school as an assistant teacher in both the Kinderhaus and in Handwork and has taught in the grades as a Nature Studies and Creative Play teacher. Prior to working at WSRF, Rachel held several positions at the East Bay Waldorf School and also worked at the Keystone Science Center as an Aftercare teacher. Rachel holds great reverence and respect for the Aftercare hours and plans to create an environment that mimics the rhythms of home life, meeting the physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual needs with conscious care. She will offer the children enrichment through making edible delights, mindfulness practices, seasonal craft projects, fun games, nature discovery play and creative writing opportunities. Please join in welcoming our dear Ms. Cohen back to WSRF!

Explore all the places our 8th graders can currently be found out and about in the community as they work on their 8th grade projects!

Evey will be working with her mentor for a Halloween based event in Glenwood on Saturday, Oct. 26. Her project is about make-up artistry in special effects. The details of this event are included here. Maxine will be putting together a rally in Sopris Park on Saturday, Oct. 26th at 2pm!

Keep reading for updates on leadership!

The board of trustees, administrative council, and the pedagogical council met this week to discuss a path toward an interim FA. This week’s meeting will be followed by a second meeting next week to discuss possible candidates. Meanwhile, campus has been busy with another class play, a wonderfully attended parent education event, and seventh grade paddle making. 

While we are in search for an FA, the school is being held by administrative council (Morgan Jacober and Brie Fitzsimmons) and the Pedagogical Council (Heather Handy- faculty mentor, Kirsten Frazee- 8th Grade, Katie Workman- Sunflower, Julianna Lichatz- Movement, Clay Allen- Music, and Sarah Bromberg- 3rd Grade).

Although Marleny was only with us for a short time, we are grateful for the time she spent on the WSRF campus. She brought enlivening and inspiring work to our teachers and we wish her the best on her future endeavors.

We hope you all have a wonderful Halloween and Dia de los Muertos next week. 

With love and care, 

Maura Wamsley, President of the Board of Trustees (Children in grades 2 and 4)

Mackenzie Thorn, Treasurer of the Board of Trustees (Children in grades 1 and 3)

Dana Ellis, Secretary of the Board of Trustees (Child in Grade 5)

Harley Stroh, Trustee (Children in grades 4 and 5)

Allison Spayd, Trustee (Children in grades 1 and 4)

Brittany Conklin, Trustee (Alum, Children in Willow Forest and Grade 1)

Mandy Ervin, Trustee (Child in grade 5)

Thea Pratt, Faculty Trustee- Handwork (Child in grade 4)

Casey Kealy- Faculty Trustee- Sixth Grade

Keep Reading for Upcoming Events at WSRF:

Here are details for upcoming Winterfaire community festival!

It’s time to start getting ready for Winterfaire, our community-wide celebration of the winter season! Save the date to join us on campus December 7 from 11am-3pm for the festival which includes family crafts, holiday shopping, music, food, treats and more. 

Parent Volunteers: We will need parent volunteers for both Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7. Each family is asked to sign up for at least one, short shift, together, this event is possible! Here are the links to sign up:

Toddler and Preschool: Puppet Show + Enchanted Story

Kindergarten: Walnut Fairy Float

Grade 1: Wool Angels

Grade 2: Sweets and Cider Shop

Grade 3: Sweets and Cider Shop

Grade 4: Window Stars

Grade 5: Sleeping Giant

Grade 6: Winterfaire Diner 

Grade 7: Candle Dipping

Grade 8: Angel Room

& Additional: Winterfaire School Store * Helping Hands * Parking Lot * Trash, Recycle & Compost

Angel Room Gifts: In the meantime… families are encouraged to start creating your Angel Room gifts. What is the Angel Room? The Angel Room is a special, child-only shopping experience for students filled with hand-made gifts. Students get to shop alone for their families which is a special experience. The gifts are provided by our entire community. Here are some ideas for gifts . Thea Pratt, our Handwork teacher, will offer two morning sessions for crafting on Friday, Nov. 8 and Nov. 15 from 8:45-10:00 in the Handwork Room. All parents welcome to join for crafting, ideas and help. 

Sweet Treats: Each family is responsible for providing 10 bite-size sweet treats. Gifts and treats can be dropped off in the Sunroom on Dec. 5 and Dec 6.

Questions about Winterfaire? Please contact Morgan here. 

Keep Reading for a special alumni spotlight section!

WSRF Alumni Spotlight on Brittany Conklin

A big thank you to the Fortier - Conklin Family.  Brittany and Jeff Conklin are parents to Ty (1st grade) and Ryley (Willow Forest kindergarten.) Brittany currently serves in many ways at WSRF.  She is a Class Parent to the Willow Forest Kindergarten, sits on the Board of Trustees and the Community Development Committee. Brittany is a graduate of WSRF class of 2002 when I got to be her teacher in grades six through eight.  Brittany returned to WSRF as a parent in 2020 when she brought her little toddler, Ty, to a parent child class I was also teaching.  

Brittany’s parents, Lisa and Time Fortier and her siblings, Alex and Joe, were among a group of founding families who started the Aspen Waldorf School in 1993 and later stacked the straw bales to build the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork. After WSRF,  Brittany attended Aspen High School where she focused on academics and sports, earning the accomplishment of honor roll every year. She was recruited to play basketball at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She finished at the University of Colorado at Boulder, a highlight being the “Semester at Sea” program that took her around the world in 109 days.  The needs of her family brought her back to the Roaring Fork Valley where she eventually met her future husband, Jeff, on the basketball court.  

Sports continue to be a big part of Brittany’s life as the coach for the Basalt High School Lady Longhorns basketball team as well as the Assistant Athletic Director.  

“There are many hurdles in life and there are many ways to accomplish a task, not just one. Waldorf has helped me to approach problems from many different angles and has given me the confidence to know that I will persevere and eventually get there,” said Brittany.  She appreciates the imaginative approach to education which she found lacking as a student in the public high schools.  She acknowledges the efforts of her parents and other founders who were committed to providing an education that honored the multiple intelligences and spirit of the human being, not focusing solely on cognitive assessments but also looking to movement, the arts, and all of the different ways human beings learn and thrive.

Liesl Bellack