September News
Woodwork is Will-work: The Sixth Grade begins transforming felled trees into tools and utensils.
Dear Parents,
Greetings to you and hoping that this first week of September finds you well. The mornings have turned chilly already and the first snow has fallen on Mt. Sopris telling us that Autumn is just around the corner. Summer is not a distant memory as yet. We all know that there are some warm afternoons still to come, and a few more opportunities for fun before the bicycles, rafts and kayaks are put up for the year.
I think that I speak for many of us when I say that I cannot get the expression of gratitude out of my thoughts. One of my favorite poets, E. E. Cummings, expresses my thoughts best in this first stanza of his poem:
i thank you god for most this amazing day
for the leaping greenly spirit of trees
and the true blue dream of sky
and for everything that is natural, that is infinite, that is yes!
Over the past four weeks of school now since the Kinderhaus and 1st and 2nd grades were welcomed to campus, the expression of gratitude from the school community continues to be expressed. Gratitude for happy students in the classroom. Gratitude for happy parents knowing that life can have some normalcy. Gratitude for smiling teachers so pleased to be performing their craft in person. Gratitude for students who bring so much life to us adults. Their happiness for living, being with each other and for learning, express the true joy of living. Gratitude from a very happy administrative staff for seeing the days and hours of work come to fruition with an active faculty and student body back at their respective tasks. For me, all of the above, and a deep gratitude to Anne White, Larry Smith, Catherine Woolcott, Harley Stroh, Heather Handy, Michael Scher, Robynn Dorrfi and the Board of Trustees for the earnest and steadfast work that went into the planning that has allowed us to bring breathing back to campus.
With that said, the work goes on to keep us healthy and steadfast in our routines, guidelines and care for one another. The four “W’s” must continue day in and day out. As we do so, the desire is for us to not become complacent. Each day we are on campus is a very good day. The laughter of children and their interest in the world has an electricity to it. Moreover, their adaptation to learning outside and learning to focus with the geese honking overhead, with chipmunks scampering about, with car traffic surrounding us and now, shaking off the frost of late summer is a testament to the will. There is much to be worried about in the world today, yet so much more to be happy with. Perhaps we can see this only as Mr. Cummings relates in the last stanza of this poem, if, “now the ears of my ears are awake, and the eyes of my eyes are open.”
With much gratitude to you all,
Tim Connolly – Faculty Administrator
Larry Smith – Business Administrator
Anne White – Community Development Administrator
Updated Bus Schedule
Latest COVID guidance regarding when to stay or be sent home from school
9.1.20 Update: Indicators have not moved since the last update on 8.28.20. The number of cases caused by ‘community spread’ is decreasing. Test turnaround time is approximately 24-48 hours for the majority (84%) of people. The number of cases (incident rate) has remained stable for the past 14-day period. An area of concern being monitored is possible student-aged cases from school reopenings, though it is too early to see data changes from in-person classes.
https://www.garfield-county.com/public-health/garfield-county-covid-19-cases/
Parent Child Program Registration is now open and spaces are filling up quickly!
We are thrilled to announce three different parent child programs with Ms. Holly will be hosted on campus this school year. Please explore the parent child page on our website for a full description of programs and registration. Sessions start next week, space is very limited and filling up quickly, don’t wait to register! (The first Peas & Carrots session is already 75% full!) Parent Child programs are a fantastic introduction to Waldorf Education and the WSRF community. Community members are encouraged to share this offering with friends and family with young children who may be interested in exploring Waldorf Education in a nurturing, supportive environment.
Neither Rain, Nor Wind, Nor Heights
Thank you to Gabe Mead, Alleghany Meadows, Randal Morris, Brett Nelson, Mr. Connolly, and Ms. Handy (with childcare graciously provided by Ms. Lichatz and Ms. Connolly) for their work assembling our new woodworking classroom!
Undaunted by wind, driving rain, and slippery ladders, the team raised the structure in time for woodworking class to begin this last Monday.
(Special thanks to Alleghany who was gracious enough to loan us his structure, expertise, and attention to detail.)
Since our inception, the WSRF community has been defined by parents, teachers and friends who choose to make sacrifices for the sake of our students. This weekend was no different. Thank you for your work!
Faculty News
As the school year has begun, we have had to navigate changes in the classroom schedules along with finding the best teachers available to serve the students. I cannot express the gratitude that I feel for Ms. Valery Kelly and Ms. Patricia Cherney for stepping forward and being willing to bring art to the 7th grade students. Twice per week the two of them are team teaching the class bringing painting, drawing and woodworking to the class As you may know, Valery serves the school community as the President of the Board of Trustees, and is an alum parent of two graduates, Wren and Daisy. Patricia also serves on the Board of Trustees and is an alum parent of graduate, Orion, and parent of Canyon in the 8th grade, Aurora in the 6th grade and Phoenix in the 4th grade. We welcome you both in yet another capacity to the school!
We are also pleased to announce the hiring of Ms. Veronica Sacur. Maestra Veronica will join the school formally on September 21 teaching Spanish as a foreign language, initially teaming up with Ms. Connolly and Mr. Allen in the 1st and 2nd grade cohort. Maestra Veronica is from Argentina now living in Aspen with her husband. Her interest in the school emerges from her love for art and her background both as an artist and as a teacher. She was attracted to the school in the winter and at our invitation, attended the February tour. The tour and subsequent conversation only led to a deeper desire to be a strong part of the community. With Amanda McCamant stepping down in the middle of August, Veronica emerged as one of the leading candidates to replace her. She does not hold a Waldorf teaching credential, yet it was clear in her three interviews with faculty that her life’s philosophy and education, fit the culture of our school and the curriculum very well. Perhaps, reading her own words will provide you with a better understanding of this. “The job description is related to qualities such as patience, enthusiasm, knowledge of educational techniques and responsibility, as important for the candidate you are seeking. These qualities are important to me as well, in developing my career and being the best educator, I can be. Teaching young students also requires an advanced understanding of children’s social development, which I have gained through both my education and prior work. I believe that I can apply these skills to the classroom and be an asset to both the school and the students I have the opportunity to teach. I am excited about the educational employment opportunities with the Waldorf School, as it calls my attention to this educative modality as there are a lot similarities with the art teaching environment of my past’ in the way the students learn. I very much grasp this concept of Rudolf Steiner where he relates, “The need for imagination, a sense of truth and a feeling of responsibility- these are the three forces which are the very nerve of education.”
Veronica will join us two week’s time. In the interim, she is actively receiving mentoring from Senora Amanda, and has already begun her Waldorf teacher training. Amanda will join Veronica in the classroom for parts of her first week with us. We look forward to her arrival and to her every success with the students.
Alumni News
Despite guidelines that do not allow for us to have band in the immediate future, we continue to be fortunate to continue our strings program through the Aspen Music Festival with teachers Heather Kendrick, Jeanette Adams and Roberto Arundale. 4th – 8th grade students are now participating in the program, and we are pleased with the joy for music that it is bringing to the campus.
Due to cohort guidelines, we have yet to formally have our fifth teacher on campus, yet we wished to introduce here. Julia Foran is originally from Aspen, Colorado and has had an interest in playing instruments since she was eight years old. Julia graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance with a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a minor in gender and health. She is a viola and violin player who enjoys working with other musicians and artists to create art that is accessible and fun. A little-known fact is that Julia was a student at our school in its early days when it was located in the Yellow Brick School Building in Aspen with CP Kanipe as her teacher! For this of you who may not know this, Ms. Kanipe continues to serve in a mentoring capacity to the school as well is grandmother to the O’Keefe students in 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th grades!
Julia also has experience teaching through her work with the Sphinx Organization in Flint, Michigan; El Sistema Colorado and Theatre Aspen. Julia is looking forward to moving back home, and contributing to the communities that nurtured her own musical education through ArtistYear, as an ArtistYear AmeriCorps Fellow in the Roaring Fork Valley!
We welcome you, Julia, and look forward to having you back on campus again!
The 6th grade families may easily recall that Ms. Maureen Fox completed her teaching practicum with Ms. Noll and the class last Autumn. Ms. Fox is an alum of the school and daughter of Waldorf teacher, Patty Fox. After completing her Waldorf training, Maureen had a dream of beginning a Waldorf school in her own community. As of just this past month, Maureen’s dream has been realized with the opening of the Apple Valley School in Lander, Wyoming. The school is serving the young child with Maureen at the helm. We cannot be more pleased for her and the wider Lander community. We know how fortunate they are.
Maureen’s time with us last fall served as an amazing opportunity to have her on campus for two months of time. Her background previous to her new career as a Waldorf educator was as a NOLS instructor and administrator in the same community where the school is located. She brought much enthusiasm to the students while she was here and along with parent alum, Marina O’Keefe, was able to share the history of the school with last year’s 4th grade class as they studied the origins of the school, the history of the valley, along with the wider look at the entire state.
We wish her well on this endeavor and will continue to provide updates on the new school!
Joining us on campus this week, is alum Liesl Bellack. As previously explained in a newsletter last winter, Liesl has been working directly with Anne White and Catherine Woolcott supporting the school in marketing and enrollment efforts. She has been of great support with the website; video and newsletter production; virtual tours; and overall allowing the broader community to better hear what we do and why we do so. Liesl was a graduate of our Class of 2007 with Meg Gardner as her final middle school teacher. She went on to a successful career in marketing prior to changing her career path with wishing to become a Waldorf teacher. Liesl has begun her training and as part of that training, she will be spending the next weeks observing in the mornings in the 1st grade classroom. The students are already beginning to get to know her and Mrs. Connolly is appreciating the helping hand that she provides!
Please take a moment to say hello to her as we will be fortunate to have her with us for the next seven weeks.
Not part of our alumni circle, but a Waldorf graduate nonetheless is Ms. Ariella Pacheco. Ariella is a graduate of the class of 2017 at the Sanderling Waldorf School in Northern San Diego County. I was fortunate to be a math teacher to Ariella when she was in the 4th grade. She is now a high school senior and as part of her service project for the National Honor Society created a unique project as explained in the following link. As you take a moment to look at it, you will quickly realize just how much the Handwork and Practical Art Curriculum can have such an effect on a student, and how that can be gifted to others.
Community Notes
Invitation to providers
In the spirit of assisting our community in staying healthy as well as supporting our local businesses, we are putting together a directory of providers to include all levels of health— mind, body and spirit. If you have a healing service or product and would like to be included, please email Ann O’Brien at annobrien@rbox.co. Please include:
1. Your name or business name.
2. Your contact info.
3. A brief description of your offering.
4. Any discount or gift you’d like to offer the WSRF community.
Thank you,
Ann O'Brien
