Summer News (June 26th 2020)
Welcome to Summer
Dear Parents,
Greetings to you and hoping that this last week of June finds you well. As we move more deeply into this rite of summer, it is clearly one that will be remembered. Events around the world continue to shake our foundation and offer us the opportunity to contemplate new ideas and change the status quo. In our school community, it is the same. We are facing circumstances that are causing us to rethink and re-energize patterns. Business’ of all variety are facing this same challenge. I can only hope that the children of this generation are gaining the insights to build a resiliency that will allow for them to be ever more flexible and to become the critical thinkers that we hope for.
For them and for all of you, we continue to construct plans that we hope will carry us through these next months. As we continue to build these plans, we are pleased to know that inquiries about the school are steadily increasing and the number of applications received are providing a much-needed boost of enthusiasm. These times are different, yet it is pleasing to watch new families approaching us and wishing to become part of the school community.
“While the times are changing” as Bob Dylan echoed in another period of dramatic change, values are as important as ever. With that, we have adopted a statement of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. The Faculty IDEA committee was working on such a statement when in-class learning was halted in March. Their work was discontinued and yet not forgotten. The committee will continue to work on elevating and creating a statement that will replace this one (see below) that has been adopted for the short term. We hope that you can appreciate the intent behind it, and the goodness that we hope continues to evolve in the world.
On a closing note, one of my favorite summer past times as a class teacher was to read young adult literature. I just finished once again, reading Where the Red Fern Grows written by Wilson Rawls. It is a classic piece of literature. As the story draws to an end, there is a quote that spoke to me deeply given the circumstances of our times, that I wish to share with you.
“Men, people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what they’ll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I don’t. I may be wrong, but I call it love – the deepest kind of love”. After these words were spoken, a thoughtful silence settled over the men. The mood was broken by a deep growling voice. “It’s a shame that people all over the world can’t have that kind of love in their hearts. There would be no wars, slaughter, or murder; no greed or selfishness. It would be the kind of world that we all wish to have – a wonderful world.”
Wishing you all health and happiness,
Tim Connolly, Faculty Administrator
Larry Smith, Business Administrator
Anne White, Community Development Administrator
Window into Waldorf: An Early Childhood Q&A
July 8th, 8pm
Our early childhood programs are nearly full! If you know families that might be interested in joining our programs the time to act is now! Please feel welcome to share our invitation and links below with friends and family:
Parents interested in our Early Childhood offerings: Please join our upcoming Window Into Waldorf Event, July 8th at 8pm.
This is an incredible opportunity for families to ask questions and learn more about what makes early childhood at WSRF so special. You can find our event page here as well as our video introduction above. Families MUST register in advance of this virtual event to receive a link to the event.
A Summer Workshop for every parent looking to slow down, simplify and find rhythm
We are excited to announce that Certified Simplicity Parenting Group Leader, mother of four and WSRF faculty member Noelle Stilts will be facilitating a summer course around Kim John Payne’s Simplicity Parenting. This is supportive and nurturing offering for our community members as we all navigated what the world looks like today and encounter new questions around what’s most important for our children. A copy of Payne's book will be provided and parents will be led in an enriching introduction, discussion and learning on ways to evolve our parenting approach and help slow time down for parents and children alike.
When: July 16, 23, 30 7-8:30pm
Where: The Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork
Cost: $45 including a copy of Kim John Payne’s Simplicity Parenting
Registration will launch next Wednesday July 1st and space is limited! Keep an eye on our social media and website to snag your spot. With more questions on what to expect from this course, please contact Ms. Noelle.
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.
Staff Holiday schedule
Please note that the school office will be closed next week with next Friday being the official Federal holiday for Independence Day. Larry, Anne, Harley, Catherine and Tim will be taking time off at varying moments over the next six weeks. If the staff member you are seeking is not available, please know that another member of the staff will be able to assist you. Beginning July 6th, the office will again be open from 9-2 each day, Monday through Friday until school begins officially in the Kinderhaus as well as for the 1st and 2nd grades on August 12.
Updated Questions and Answers about 2020-21 School Year
Also online here: https://waldorfschoolrf.com/distance-learning
Can the Campus currently be accessed?
Yes, currently the school is hosting Parent-Child classes through our Foundations Program two days per week in the Kinderhaus building. We continue to function with Garfield County approved small gatherings as well as staff on campus for work. Classroom preparations are steadily being made by faculty for the upcoming school year slated to begin on August 12th or 25th, depending on which subset of classes your students are in. The Foundations Program is the only program operating formally on campus at the moment and we are welcoming several new families of which we feel very excited for. The office is formally open from 9-2 each day with staff able to greet you if you have a need to come to campus.
Why are there two starting dates for school for 2020-21?
The first starting date is Wednesday, August 12 for the Kinderhaus, 1st and 2nd grades. The second starting date is Tuesday, August 25 for Grades 3rd – 8th. We made this decision to bifurcate the beginning of school for two specific reasons. The first being that the students have been out of school since mid-March, and we wished to provide the opportunity for the the younger ones to get back to the classroom just that much sooner. If it provides a relief to families, all the better. We viewed this as an opportunity to give the students more time and begin the school year with a “younger” version of the school. In addition, if the unforeseen occurs again and we must shelter at home, the younger students will have two weeks of schooling ahead to balance out distance learning time.
Will the Rose Ceremony take place on the traditional first day of school this year?
Our plan is for this ceremony to take place on the morning of August 25th when the elder grades students return to campus. Given that health protocols that will be in place by the State of Colorado and Garfield County, we may have to re-imagine the location of the event on campus, yet this we will know in due time when guidelines are communicated.
How will WSRF be structured for Academic Learning for the 2020-21 school year?
We plan to begin the year in what we call the “new normal” of schooling with all students on campus. There will be health guidelines that may alter our regular pattern of movement throughout the school buildings and how teachers will locate from classroom to classroom to teach. All indications at the moment appear lcaet that we will operate in this fashion. Our Academic Plan has several steps to it and best can be viewed by going to this link: https://waldorfschoolrf.com/covid19-updates/2021-academic-planning-june-11th-2020
If I am an incoming or returning family for the 20-21 school year, who should I speak to for information regarding the enrollment or re-enrollment process for the upcoming year?
The school office is open for business from 9:00 – 2:00, Monday through Friday, except for the week of June 29 – July 3rd when we will be closed for the week. Please reach out to Enrollment Coordinator, Catherine Woolcott at catherine@waldorfschoolrf.org or Office Manager, Harley Stroh, at harley@waldorfschoolrf.org. Both of these individuals can guide you through any steps necessary or connect you with other members of our enrollment team to answer any questions or concerns.
What will WSRF be doing to ensure the safety of the campus upon the return of students in August?
The Administrative Council of the school will be leading the work on interpreting and arranging health protocols set out by the State of Colorado and Garfield County. We are not aware of the specifics of these protocols as yet, but the Governor has provided many indications in the State’s preliminary guidelines to schools re-opening. We plan to live into the spirit of these guidelines seeking that all families, faculty and staff remain healthy and free from illness.
Is it true that if shelter in place dictums were in place again, that the Kinderhaus would remain open and able to care for my student?
Yes, in speaking with the Garfield County Health and Early Childhood Licensing, we feel secure that we can maintain daily classes on campus for the students being served by the Kinderhaus even if a shelter in place order is put into place again. We will make every effort to carry through on this plan.
We read that Distance Learning will be limited to six weeks. What if shelter in place lasts longer than six weeks?
If shelter in place lasts longer than the six weeks that the Faculty is planning for, we plan to discontinue Distance Learning. With that in mind, the weeks of school missed will be made up in June 2021. The school calendar builds in five weeks for the 3rd - 8th grade to be extended and up to seven weeks for the pre-school through 2nd grade that could be used in addition to the six weeks of active Distance Learning.
What if a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19 during the school year?
If a teacher or student tests positive for Covid-19 during the school year, Garfield County Health will help guide us in the steps that may be necessary. If we need to close down a class of students or the entire school, we expect that the quarantine period would last for a minimum of two days. Our plan during this time would be to clean the entire school, and not hold distance learning unless circumstances indicated otherwise for additional reasons. If more than 1-2 days were missed, those days would be made up at year end.
Substitute Teachers for both Grades and Kinderhaus
The School is seeking to hire Substitute teaching positions for both Kinderhaus and Grades for the 2020-21 school year
We are seeking hourly or day long substitute teachers for all of our classes from our Foundations Program through to 8thgrade. Substitutes need not have a teaching credential to be employed by the school for this role yet is preferred. Each teacher will undergo orientation to the school and classes which they feel potentially capable of serving. The orientation will include observing in the classrooms, interacting with faculty and students and become familiar with some of our basic methodology. We see this role as an important one in helping sustain classes while a teacher is away for the various reasons that occur during a school year.
If you have interest, please contact Tim Connolly at tim@waldorfschoolrf.org or call 970-963-1960