Candlemas ice candle set out by Grade 1
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Dear <<First Name>>
February has somehow gained the reputation for being a quiet month, but my lived experience here at the VWS would indicate that couldn't be further from the truth! Between being earmarked as Black History Month across Canada and the US, and Indigenous Storytelling month, based out of Saskatchewan but reaching across Canada, these 28 days cover a great deal of ground!
On Tuesday, the students celebrated Candlemas, which also goes by the names Imbolc and Groundhog Day and is the cross-quarter day between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is said that by lighting candles on Candlemas eve, we help guide the sun back to its highpoint in the sky, bringing warmer weather and lengthening days. When my children were young, we shaped suns out of clay with wildflower seeds embedded in the form to leave in the garden. We feasted on sun soup, made from butternut squash while dining by candlelight. And in some years, we dipped beeswax candles to share with our loved ones on Valentine's Day.
In the calendar below, I've included some dates that may be new to you. I invite you to use your search engine and look up some of the multi-faith holidays and festival days to learn more about each other. If I've missed a day that is significant in your faith-based tradition, please reach out and let me know. I welcome the opportunity to learn and grow.
Laura Bergstrome
Communications & Events Coordinator
lbergstrome@vws.ca
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Tuesday, February 9
Parent Education: What Children Want: Understanding Form and Rhythm at Home and School 7:30 pm, Zoom
Wednesday, February 10
VWSS Board Meeting 7:00 pm, Zoom
Friday, February 12
CANCELLED - HS Whistler Winter Day
On the Horizon
Lunar New Year February 12
Family Day BC Holiday February 15
Nehan-e February 15
Vasanta Pachami February 16
February Break/HS Work/Skills Experience February 16-19
World Day of Social Justice February 20
Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week February 21
High School Virtual Information Session February 23
Anti-Bullying Day February 24
Ayyam-i-Ha February 25-28
Purim February 26
Recommitment Forms Due February 28
End of Term March 19
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Crafting in Grade 1
Photography by Leanne Pedersen
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COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY UPDATE - BCCDC and Ministry of Education guidelines regarding mask usage in schools for all staff and students in the upper grades, PE and Music classes, and protocols regarding staff-only spaces and gatherings were released Thursday, February 4. Please watch for an updated VWS Health & Safety Plan COVID-19 that we will implement when we return from February break. COVID-19 safe schools K-12
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CHOOSING THE VWS PARENT SURVEY - Thank you so much to everyone who has already responded to our parent survey. If you have not yet and would like to, please take a moment to fill in this survey, which should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please feel free to skip the questions that do not hold meaning for you. Your responses will remain anonymous unless you choose to share your name. We appreciate your honesty and candour.
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WINTER DAY - Taking into careful consideration all current and emerging health and safety updates from the Ministry of Education, Whistler/Blackcomb Mountain, and Health Canada, we have elected to cancel our Winter Day outing in Whistler which was scheduled for next Friday. High School families, please check your email for details. If you have questions, please email highschool@vws.ca.
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FEBRUARY BREAK - Please note that classes are not in session during the week of Ferbuary 15 to 19 for the Family Day holiday and ProD/non-instructional days. Classes will resume on Monday, February 22.
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SCREENAGERS - February 10 will be the last opportunity to view Screenagers: Growing Up in a Digital World at the reduced fee of $10. The film reveals how technology impacts child development and offers solutions to empower kids to find balance navigating the digital world. Register on Eventbrite. Not recommended for children under 12.
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COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE - Our community page on the website has been growing. Take a look and support local family businesses and check out the classified while you're there. www.vws.ca/community/vws-community-directory
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PARENT DISCOUNT - Did you know that Waldorf families are eligible for 10% off any order at Maple Leaf Garden Centre in Lynn Valley? www.mapleleafgarden.ca
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This week I would like to share a website called Moms Against Racism Canda www.momsagainstracism.ca, whose mission is "to educate moms, and those in mothering roles, in anti-racism, cultural competence, and decolonization, so they have the tools and support to dismantle racism within themselves, their families, and their communities."
The website has events that are open to public attendance (on Wednesday, I attended How To Raise An Anti-Racist Child), a blog with posts about un-learning, book recommendations and personal insights, written by diverse authorship, resource downloads, a shop and more.
During February, I will be highlighting Black History in Canada, beginning with the Canadian Encyclopedia Black History Timeline with the first entry from January 1, 1608, with Mathieu Da Costa, a free man hired as a translator.
"Black history refers to the stories, experiences, and accomplishments of people of African origin. Black history did not begin in recent times in Canada, but in ancient times in Africa. People connected by their common African history and ancestry have created Black history here. The African-Canadian population is made up of individuals from a range of places across the globe including the United States, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Canada."
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We invite you to our Waldorf High School information session on February 23 at 7:00 pm. Over the course of 1½ hours, you will have a chance to meet our High School faculty, hear about what attracted them to the VWS, and learn what they bring to the school; engage in a presentation about pedagogy, course selection, admissions and parent involvement; and have your pre-submitted questions answered.
This event is suitable for all prospective students with their parents, ranging from those currently enrolled in the middle school grades to those from the broader community who are interested in learning about our school.
REGISTER HERE and SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
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Recess in the big play yard on Feb 4, last year
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At the beginning of the school year, with input from class teachers, a decision was made to organize the big play yard into four cohort-based quadrants. The upper grades previously played together in the big play yard during snack and lunch recess. This new arrangement was needed to limit close contact between cohorts.
Over the past months, we have observed that the quadrants-approach was restricting the children, not only in their play but also in their ability to truly breathe out, particularly for those who don't wish to play the particular game that is available to them in their assigned quadrant.
After careful consideration, the grade school teachers, with the Management Team's approval, have changed the arrangement in the big play yard. Each week students in Grades 4 through 7 will now be assigned one activity, such as playing on the climbing structure, playing 4-Square or basketball. Students from other classes cannot join in that specific activity, but they are free to roam into other empty areas.
We will carefully observe the effects of this change and reevaluate as necessary. This change will not affect our compliance with the current Public Health Orders or health and safety guidelines from the Ministry of Education, which we are required and committed to adhering to. Please forward any questions regarding the big play yard to the Management Team at mt@vws.ca.
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Pedagogical Manager Gideon Weick has been leading the Waldorf 101 parent education series over the past two weeks. In the first session, the group explored why and how Waldorf education meets the needs of students today. In the second week, the group looked at how thinking, feeling, and willing meet reading and writing instruction in the grades. The content was so rich that the group did not have a chance to cover mathematics, so Gideon has agreed to add an extra session to the series. We will be in touch with the date and time of the extra session as soon as possible.
If you are interested in a recording of the two previous sessions, please email me at lbergstrome@vws.ca.
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