Autumn, Good Morning, Summer, Good Night!
An Evening With Kim John Payne
Our Back to School Night will be held on Monday, September 28, in the Great Room. This year, we will offer refreshments at 4:45 p.m. with the program starting at 5:15 p.m. We will start with introductions of faculty, board members, and committee leads. We will then welcome counselor, author, and consultant, Kim John Payne via zoom to share a presentation focused on Social Inclusion and Resiliency. Here is a description from Kim:
The social inclusion approach is a way of combating the problem of isolation that is, sadly, a growing part of the experience of most children today. Developed over 24 years with children from almost every continent, this approach gives practical playground, classroom and home-based tools to work with social exclusion issues.
We explore why certain children get picked on while others bully; how to make teasing guidelines the children understand and use; how to facilitate class and home meetings around social exclusion issues; how to actively engage peers and other students, in developing and implementing the Social Inclusion Approach. Most importantly, the workshop looks at how to develop a whole community approach and policy that is supported in your school and home.
We request that every family is represented at this important gathering. Look for an RSVP coming soon! Thank you to the Parent Association for supporting this event.
Important Dates
Monday, September 21: Yom Kippur (holiday) - no school
Tuesday and Wednesday, September 22 and 23: Picture Days
Monday, September 28: Back to School Night and Kim John Payne Event 4:45 to 7 p.m.
Friday, October 2: Michaelmas Festival 9 a.m. to noon
Wednesday, October 21: Board of Trustees Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Friday, October 30: No school for the Halloween Journey
Michaelmas - From Ms. Anderson
Our school will celebrate Michaelmas on Friday, October 2nd at Leadbetter Beach. Michaelmas is celebrated around the Autumnal equinox as a festival of courage and inner strength as the days grow shorter and darker. Inspired by the imagery of St. Michael and the dragon, the holiday represents facing inner fears and outer challenges with a resolute heart, encouraging us to cultivate inner warmth, resilience and courage. This year, the story and songs for our play come from various regions of the African continent. Nkosnati and the Dragon is a South African folktale of a young boy whose courage transforms the stormy, destructive energy of the dragon into the loving and nurturing spirit of a rain goddess. Grades 1-8 are working together to present this play to the community, after which they will join forces in mixed-grade teams to complete various Michaelmas challenges. The play will begin at 9:00 and the day will end at noon. Families are warmly invited to attend and there is no aftercare that day.
Weekly Study Group with the Helen Hecker Group
Members of the WSSB community are warmly invited to join
the weekly study group that will explore ideas supporting
Waldorf education. Guided by members of the Helen Hecker
Group, we start with a eurythmy exercise, then will read and
discuss Lisa Romero’s book, Spirit-led Community.
The group will meet on Thursdays from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the Woodwork room, starting on October 22. Please contact Lisa with any questions: lyitamura@aol.com.
First Grade Learns to Knit
In their Handwork classes, the first graders started the year reflecting on how valuable their hands are. Using their hands, they sanded wooden dowels, first on the sidewalk, then with various sandpapers till they were the perfect shape. After waxing and buffing their new knitting needles with beeswax, they were ready! This week, their 8th grade buddies visited their classroom to teach them how to knit their first stitches. In connection with a story of the tomtens, they used their hands and their knitting needles as they spoke, "Under the root, around the dome, catch a tomten and bring them home!"
