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Dear <<First Name>>,
It's mid-summer and I'm grateful for another month of sun and warm weather. Before we're tempted to start looking ahead to the new school year, I wanted to offer a gift of reflection on the year that has passed. In our final full faculty & staff meeting, we were guided through a recapitulation exercise of reviewing the year in reverse. This brought back so many wonderful memories and I just had to share.
With all that we have collectively been through, it's easy to forget all the wonder and beauty that we have created together since last September. So while you have the time to reflect and reminisce, I hope that you will enjoy this downloadable Year in Review.
When leaving off at the end of June, there were a few announcements that were missed, so please continue reading to find links to the Grade 6 Radio Play, Grade 8 Projects, and Grade 12 Poetry, general notes, and a heartfelt update from the Development Office!
Laura Bergstrome
Communications & Events Coordinator
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For a PDF version, click the image to open, then in the new window click the 'download' icon in the bottom right corner
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Grade 6 Radio Play, Bow Wow Blues
From town to town, the Witty Gritty Gang is hitting all the banks. The year is 1932, the dust bowl days are over, but there are no crops and no money, and what little money is left, the Witty Gritty Gang has stolen. While heading for Chicago, the gang stops at Mavi’s Diner for breakfast and to strategize their next steps, but little do they know, the police detectives are following right behind them!
Listen to find out what happens next at the Grade 6 Radio Play link!
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Grade 8 Projects
The Grade 8 Project is a highlight of the Eighth Grade year and is much anticipated by the whole school community. This year has been a first, in the sense that the students have had to extend themselves to find creative ways in which to showcase their projects, such as videos and slideshows. We have compiled their work and rather than presenting in person or via webinar, their work can be found on the project website.
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Sing of Yourself
For their last assignment in English Studies 12, our graduates were invited to celebrate themselves! In the spirit of Walt Whitman's poem, Song of Myself, Grade 12 composed individual poems complete with autobiographical elements, personal attributes, and unifying images. With much to sing about, the result is a truly special anthology celebrating their unique qualities and honest reflections.
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Happy Retirement, Tibor
"The past 20 years at the Vancouver Waldorf School have truly been the highlight of my career. I have been inspired by the passion, love of movement, creativity and sense of community that students and faculty bring each day. I would like to thank our Waldorf community for their support over the years."
We will miss you very much, Tibor, and wish you much joy in your retirement!
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Alum Connect for Parents!
Alum parents, we warmly invite you to create a profile on Waldorf Alum Connect today. This platform is solely for the purpose of supporting Waldorf alums as a mentor, employer, or internship provider. You can do so by simply clicking here. It is easy to join and fun to explore.
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Library Books
Library books should now be returned to the VWS library. If you still have books to return please bring them in and place them in the bin outside the library door. Christiane will be ordering books over the summer so if you have any suggestions for our library please email library@vws.ca.
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Parent Council Spending
Each year the Parent Council has received grant money to spend on initiatives that directly affect our students. This year, most of our grant eligible spending went toward the Grade 12 Graduation, equipment for our beekeeping program, playground updates, a contribution to the VWS library to support our diversity and equity work, and play receptions.
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Community Marketplace
Visit the Community Marketplace page on our website to see new listings for tutoring, summer camp, and more. vws.ca/community/vws-community-directory
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Support Services Request
The Education Support Services Team would like to ask the community if anyone can donate a Mac computer to improve the assessment, tracking, and general documentation of the program. Please email cprice@vws.ca or cstewart@vws.ca if you are able to help.
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Donations
Our donors are an essential part of our community of care and we are so grateful for each and every one. Making a one-time gift or becoming a monthly donor reflects a choice to support our children, our school, and the impact of Waldorf education globally. Your gift is important and every gift makes a difference. Thank you for supporting our school! vws.ca/giving/donate-online
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Complimentary online Renewal Journal
- Link to renewal.pressreader.com/renewal-a-journal-for-waldorf-education
- For those that already have an existing account, or have accessed Renewal online prior to this edition, log in at the top left. For those that do not have an account, ‘register’ or link to secure.pressreader.com/accounting/signup
- Create a password
- This will take you to a subscription page, Enter Promo Code: Waldorf100+1
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Rudolf Steiner School Mbagathi, Kenya
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Development Office Update
While pondering this piece over the past few weeks, I have been reviewing my experiences, learnings, and the many moments of connection over the course of the last 10 months. During this time of reflection, I read the following quip shared by a colleague in the States: "What a year these past four months have been!". While I absolutely appreciate the sentiment, this process of review has reminded me that there has been so much more to this school year than the spring term. We began our fall term preparing to celebrate 100 years of Waldorf education and hosted a beautiful assembly for the students on September 19th. Shortly afterward, we enjoyed a lovely Michaelmas festival in the gorgeous autumn sunshine, then headed off to join thousands of marchers in the General Climate Strike. In October, we welcomed the AWSNA accreditation team for a four-day visit, which represented the culmination of 18 months of intensive preparatory work by faculty, staff, parents, and alumni. In November, we came together as a community to host another charming Winter Fair full of magical moments (in spite of the rain!). That same month, Grade 4 and Grade 8 joined Cascadia to perform their extraordinary fairytale three times in one day. During the evening performance, the Community Choir joined with the High School students to perform a stunning collaboration. December included the traditional roster of seasonal festivals as well as a successful inspection visit by the Ministry of Education. We also bid à bientôt to several long-standing faculty members in December: Laurel Loughran and Nora Calcaneo. In January, we welcomed teachers Claudia Hauert and Anika Chen, who joined dear Mrs. A, Andrea Mackenzie, and Star Hoerauf in co-holding the Handwork Program. That same month, we celebrated together at the parent-led celebration of Chinese New Year and enjoyed the delightful novelty of a few snow days. In February, we celebrated our talented community at the Just Singin’ Round fundraiser and continued work on our Social Inclusion Program under the guidance of Kim John Payne. March began as it usually does, with a few days of soul-nourishing sunshine offering a much-needed break from the late-winter rains, as well as anticipatory talk of spring break adventures, and preparations for the final term of the school year.
Then, much to everyone’s surprise, we were suddenly maneuvering through a rather fraught situation that culminated in the taking of many consecutive difficult decisions over the span of a few weeks. To say that it was a tough time is an understatement. Layered with the general uncertainty, insecurity, and conflicting perspectives are the ongoing opioid crisis in Vancouver, the global protests in opposition to racial violence and police brutality, and the ever-present reality of the climate crisis. Personally and professionally, I have been called to define my position on all of the above, to commit to concrete action for justice, and to use the power of my voice and my privilege to affect change. There is so much work to be done and I have been inspired by the similar commitments expressed by my fellow parents and colleagues to engage meaningfully in the work of looking critically at our curriculum, our operations, and our traditions to understand where and how we will do better. I am appreciative that our strategic plan, as well as that of AWSNA, both specifically name priorities around equity, curriculum, professional development and training, and facilities. This work will continue over the summer and will carry on in the coming school years. The conversation is open and we look forward to coming together as a community to discuss perspectives, experiences, and actions.
In the Development Office, committee work has been a focus this past year. It has been exciting to participate in the formation of the Development Committee, which encompasses so much of the work noted above. Laura and I are tremendously grateful to the patience, generosity, and creativity of parent, grandparent, and alumni volunteers who supported work related to in-class responsibilities via the class reps group, marketing, fundraising, institutional development, equity, the Indigenous Council, governance, alumni, parent education, socials, fairs and festivals, grounds and gardens improvements, the Red Door Store, the School Expansion Project, and the Board of Trustees. As a community, thousands of hours of time have been directed toward all of these and so many more school-related activities. The vibrancy of our wonderful community hinges on volunteerism and we deeply appreciate all of the time each and every one of you invest in the school. We also appreciate the various ways that you have all contributed to the growth of the Community Fund via our fundraising programs. Together we fundraised $49,100 this school year, which includes $15,000 of Grocery Card Program proceeds. This coming year, the Development Committee will define how Community Fund monies are used to ensure that all students benefit from funds raised. If you are interested in learning more about fundraising or the work of the Development Office, please be in touch with me directly at (mhenley@vws.ca).
Though we are not sure what September will look like, it feels wonderful to be planning for a return that is well thought out, supportive of all families, and improved based upon your feedback. A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have taken the time to express your concerns, share your suggestions, and raise your questions for consideration. Equally, heartfelt thanks to all of those who have reached out to offer appreciation and encouragement for the behind-the-scenes work to get us all rolling, connecting, and learning on digital platforms. I have always known that Waldorf education attracts people with shared values. I now see even more clearly that it is the grounding in those shared values that enables us to move equally well through the tough times as through the good.
Warm wishes to you all for a restorative summer.
Mary Henley
Community & Resource Development Manager
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