Dear <<First Name>>,
Together, we have achieved incredible things in 2020, despite unexpected obstacles and challenges. As we embarked upon this calendar year, the Vancouver Waldorf School was celebrating our full-member standing with AWSNA and the completion of the Social Inclusion training with Kim John Payne. Little did we know as we made plans for spring concerts, camping trips, plays, fundraising events, and community socials that the entire world was about to change, requiring us to stretch beyond our initial vision to continue serving our community.
We navigated the early days of the pandemic and school closures with a distance learning program conceived within a week of the last day of in-person school. We then successfully moved back on campus with the new health and safety protocols in place in the fall. We have been so grateful for the care of parents who have respected the 'Key Symptoms of Illness' and kept their children home when ill.
We updated our campuses by building an outdoor covered performance and class-use area. We extended the woodworking studio, improved ventilation in the classrooms, and moved the unsightly storage container away from the big play yard. We have further beautified our grounds and become Butterflyway Rangers thanks to the ongoing volunteerism of Bonnie and Dave Gosse, who also installed a new bench at the Grade School in memory of Arnold Grimm.
Our faculty have shown incredible creativity integrating this 'new normal,' whether in their classrooms, outside at recess, or how they coordinate cherished internal festivals. They have found ways to host virtual parent evenings, class socials, and plays, and provide distance learning tools for students who need to miss class due to illness.
Whether by distance or in person, our small but mighty High School continued to offer a full, well rounded and robust program, including the Arts, Humanities, Sciences, Drama and more. Our graduating class of 2020 was the first in VWS history to virtually present their Grade 12 Projects and class play and to be recognized with the Rose and Graduation ceremonies in Teams or on Zoom. Through the many shifts, the High School Student Council remains committed to supporting and encouraging positive community engagement.
Though visiting on campus is no longer possible, our parents continue to be active and engaged. We were thrilled with how well-attended and participatory the Virtual Town Hall and AGM were. The abundance of volunteerism that surrounds and upholds our thriving school culture is a steady source of inspiration. Working in Administration allows us to witness the creativity, resourcefulness, dedication, purpose, commitment, reliability, thoughtfulness, and energy of our phenomenal volunteers. We are moved by the kindness of our community of care every day!
And behind the scenes, ensuring all goes as planned is our Management Team who has risen to lead our school with warmth and care for our community's health and safety while maintaining relationships with the Ministry of Education, FISA, the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Nurse, and all faculty, staff, students, and parents. The Management Team is made up of Lorna Fortin, Susan Connon-Wilby, Mary Henley, Peggy Tan, and most recently, Gideon Weick, who began working at the VWS on March 15, 2020, only to immediately be required to help navigate distance learning the very next day! In his words, "Finally, in September, I got to see the whole school back in session with in-person teachers and students (nothing virtual!), teeming with laughter, song and excitement. Ah, that is the breath of life, and it has continued since."
In the next school year, we will begin planning celebrations for our 50th anniversary. We know that these fifty years have only been possible because of our donors and school families’ continued participation and support, both past and present. As you celebrate the holidays, we ask that you remember the Vancouver Waldorf School in your charitable giving to support an education that emphasizes courage, integrity, and a sense of service in a world that needs those traits now more than ever. Please join us in contributing online through the DONATE NOW button below or by mailing a check (made payable to Vancouver Waldorf School) to 2725 St Christophers Rd North Vancouver, BC V7K 2B6. The Annual Giving Campaign closed at the end of this month, and we will provide an update in January when we return from winter break.
In collaboration with the Administration Team, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.
Laura Bergstrome
Communications & Events
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