Friday, November 8, 2024
IMPORTANT DATES
November
11/8: Lantern Walk, 6-7pm (NatureTots-Grade 3)
11/15: Community Singing (Community Rm. 8:30-9:15)
Craft Guild (Community Rm. 9:30-11:30)
Holiday Faire Planning Meeting (Community Rm. 2:30)
11/19: PA Meeting (+Crafting for Holiday Faire!), Choral Music Room 6pm
11/22: Community Singing (Community Rm. 8:30-9:15)
Craft Guild (Community Rm. 9:30-11:30)
Holiday Faire Planning Meeting (Community Rm. 2:30)
11/25-29: Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)
December
12/6: Community Singing (Community Rm. 8:30-9:15)
Holiday Faire Sip & Shop, 6-8:30pm
12/7: Holiday Faire 10-2pm
Access the CWS Calendar here.
Highlights from the Week:
Last week Ms. Gerhardt's 6th grade and Ms. Turner's 8th grade took a bus to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to see their educational matinee of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.
Bus transportation for this trip was made possible by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.
Our November Open House was a huge success! The gym was alive with excitement as faculty and students shared our beautiful curriculum with interested families. A big THANK YOU to all who volunteered including students who gave tours and families who sent in so much delicious food to share with visitors 💜
Participants had a lovely time at the Autumn Edible Plant Walk hosted by Ashley Philpot and Mark Evans! The group found abundant hen of the woods and all took some home. Yum!!
Stay tuned ... there will also be a Spring Edible Plant Walk if you missed this one. Date TBD!
Lantern making with Ms. Emily in kindergarten.
Wellness Note from the Front Office:
"'Tis the Season" as they say! We encourage you to be on the lookout for signs of illness in your children and to take precautions to prevent spread of illness throughout the classrooms by encouraging regular hand washing, proper nutrition and rest. If your child is showing unwell symptoms, we ask that you please keep them home until symptoms have improved, fever is not present, 24 hours have passed from improvement and your student has the energy to participate in the school day. You can access CWS' return to school/ wellness statement beginning on page 31 of the CWS Family Handbook here.
We also want to bring attention to cooler weather especially in the mornings during outside arrival and encourage you this weekend to get into those bins to set out weather appropriate gear. The students are outdoors often throughout the day in all types of weather and temperatures. It is a good time to adjust your student's extra change of clothing kept at school to be updated according to the season.
And the CWS Annual Fund Competition Winner is ...
Sweet Pea Preschool!!!! A big congrats to our Sweet Pea Preschool for achieving the highest participation school-wide in our Snap!Raise fundraiser. Their prize will be a playdate with special visitor/s 💜
Thanks to Sweet Pea Preschool — and the many other faculty and families who invited friends and family to support CWS — our Snap!Raise fundraising total was an incredible:
$12,635
CWS families have also given $12,652 in Annual Fund gifts, putting our current Annual Fund total at $25,287. A heartfelt thank you to all of you have shown your love for CWS — and our students and faculty — by participating in this effort.
If you haven't given yet, there's still time — and still a critical need — for your gift. Make your gift anytime here.
Parent Education Offerings You Don't Want to Miss!
Margot Amrine has been a Waldorf teacher since 1978. She currently teaches at the Waldorf School of Ann Arbor, and we are very fortunate to have her also teaching High School Humanities at the Cincinnati Waldorf High School this year.
Margot has generously offered to share her expertise with our faculty and parent community during two upcoming education sessions. More information about the December 5th session will be shared with families of younger children in the coming weeks.
Holiday Faire Tickets Are On Sale Now!
Holiday Faire is a beloved tradition at CWS, filled with magic and joy for the whole family! Children enjoy a wide variety of fun holiday activities including candle and card making, face painting, and visiting the Treasure Gnome! Everyone can enjoy cocoa, tea, and baked goods and shop the unique treasures on display in our Vendor Village.
You can now purchase tickets for:
Sip & Shop at Vendor Village (Adults Only) on Friday, December 6th from 6-8:30pm
Family Friendly Holiday Faire on Saturday, December 7th from 10am-2pm
You will also be able to sign up for Treasure Gnome and Angel Room slots after you purchase tickets! Angel Room and Treasure Gnome slots fill up quickly and sold out last year, so get yours early to save your spot.
Be sure to also pre-order your lunch from Chef Lex here.
Friends and family are also welcome, so feel free to invite people you know!
Vendor Village Registration Is Open!
If you would like to join this year's Holiday Faire as a vendor, registration is open now! Get more information and register here. Students can also be registered via this link!
Volunteer for Holiday Faire!
This is the Parent Association's biggest fundraiser of the year, and volunteers from our amazing parent community make this magical event a success! Volunteering for Holiday Faire is also lots of fun — because you have a chance to create such joy for the children and families attending ✨
Volunteer in your child's classroom to help with crafts and activities! Please sign up for a 30-45 minute slot HERE (and make it fun by bringing your child and/or signing up with a friend!)
Make some homemade sweet or savory baked goods for our Hot Cocoa Room! Sign up HERE.
Create some handmade goods for children to purchase as gifts in the Angel Room (e.g., ornaments, mason jar recipes, lip balm, jewelry, etc)! Sign up HERE.
Perform on stage in the gym during Holiday Faire. Please email Nicole Perrone (NicolePerrone@gmail.com).
Craft Guild Party 11/17 @4pm: Make Items for the Angel Room at Holiday Faire
Join CWS Craft Guild at Stacy Gaston's house on Sunday, November 17th from 4-6pm to make small candles and peg dolls for the Angel Room at Holiday Faire! All CWS parents/families are welcome to attend. The address is 2959 Eggers Pl, Cincinnati, OH 45211. RSVP to Stacy at 503-421-4400 if possible for planning purposes.
PA Meeting & Crafting 11/19 @6pm
The PA will also be crafting for Holiday Faire during our November meeting! Join us for a quick meeting, followed by crafting, socializing, and snacks on Tuesday, November 19th in the Choral Music Room!
Sign Up for Preschool Sibling Admission Day on Dec 7th!
Dear CWS families with younger children who will be ready for Preschool or Pre-K next school year,
Our Preschool and Kindergarten classes fill quickly, and we want to give our little siblings first priority! Sibling admission visit day will be on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 from 9am-9:45am in the Woodland Preschool classroom. This is a special day reserved only for younger siblings of current CWS students, and children of faculty members.
Action Steps for Parents:
1. Please submit an online application for enrollment HERE.
2. Sign up for your child's visit HERE.
Spots are limited, so please sign up quickly!
Reminders:
In order to be eligible for the CWS Preschool class (5 days / week or 3 days / week), children must turn 3 years old by 6/1/2025
In order to be eligible for the CWS Preschool class (2 days / week) children must turn 3 years old by 12/31/2025
Please let Kate know if you have any questions by emailing kkelley@cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org. We look forward to having your younger child join CWS!"
CWS Sign-Up Parties Are Online
We have a fun variety of sign-up parties available, and you can purchase spots online! Sign-Up Parties are a great way to have fun while building community and raising funds for CWS!
Sign-Up Parties also make great holiday gifts! So, consider purchasing a spot for someone on your holiday shopping list 🎄
Sunday, Jan. 12th: Sourdough Baking Brunch Hosted by Amanda Broughton-Hobbs, Molly Sternberg, and Laura Goldwire
Sunday, Feb. 9th: Sip & Paint Ceramics Party Hosted by Casey Gries & Lauren Wulker
Saturday, Jan. 25th: Kombucha Making Party Hosted by Beth McDaniel & Dexter Simpson
Tuesday, March 11th: Tea & Tarot Shopping Night Hosted by Monmouth St. Mercantile (Wendy Braun & Tatum Davis)
Saturday, March 15th: Poker & Paint by Number Hosted by Leslie & Slocomb Reed
Sunday, May 18th: Fishing with the Jones Family Hosted by Rob & Maggie Jones
Make your Monday easy! Order dinner from Chef Lex
You can order over the weekend and bring your containers to the front office on Monday morning.
"Chef Lexi’s Monday Meal Prep service is an absolute lifesaver for busy parents! Every Monday, she delivers a home cooked meal that is healthy, delicious, and perfectly portioned that we all rave about each week. From fresh, vibrant ingredients to creative dishes, each meal feels like a gourmet experience without the hassle of cooking. It's the perfect solution for busy parents who want to serve a healthy, home-cooked meal but don't always have the time. Highly recommend, we don’t miss a week!" ~ CWS Parent
Open Gym Basketball - Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm
On Wednesdays we will have open gym basketball at CWS. This is an opportunity to come to our gym and play some pickup basketball games and is open to all students in 7th, 8th and high school as well as parents, alumni and faculty. All skill levels are welcome. I encourage you to try it once to see if you enjoy it.
We have done this in the past and have had regular crowds of 10 to 16 players. We usually rotate players so everyone gets a rest.
We start at 7pm and go until 8:30pm, but you may arrive and leave at any time. If there is a different evening that works better for you or your child, please let me know. If there are enough people that prefer a different night, we can change it. Feel free to reply to me or text me at 513-265-5100.
Thanks,
Joe Thomas
Have a Howlin' Good Time at Great Wolf Lodge!
This year, you have ONE MORE chance to have a splash with your Waldorf friends at Great Wolf Lodge: February Break! Check out the flyer below for deals, dates, and details!
**We receive a FREE room to auction for every 20 rooms we book, so it's a win-win!
Community News:
CWS Parent Offering 50% Off New Client Haircuts at Hi-Lites Hair Salon in Blue Ash
CWS Parent Nichole Shinkos has a new spot at Hi-Lites Hair Salon in Blue Ash and is offering 50% off new client haircuts! Book your cut now to look and feel your best this holiday season — all while supporting a CWS community member!
Check Out this Beautiful, Award-Winning Book by CWS Parent and Founder of AwakeningBreath!
An enthusiastic congratulations to CWS parent and founder of AwakeningBreath Maryliana Wickus! Her book La Pluma del Condor is the winner of the 2024 International Latino Book Award for Best Children's Picture Book in Spanish. Maryliana shares that this beautiful story was born out of her experience sharing indigenous stories with students at the Cincinnati Waldorf School. Read the story of the book's origins here!
This book is available in English and Spanish and can be purchased on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers!
Everybody's Dance: Folk Dancing
Come join Saturday, Nov. 16th, from 6-8pm for Everybody's Dance: Community Folk Dance for the Modern Era. We do easy, high-spirited dances from Europe and America in an open, family-friendly environment. All ages, genders, and orientations enthusiastically welcome! Live music will be provided by The Sweet Corn String Band, and Hazel Jodock will teach and prompt the dances. For everyone's maximum enjoyment, we ask that all children under 13 be accompanied by an adult. Everyone's first time is free! After that, it's $10 per person at the door. Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes, and bring a water bottle! Questions? email hazel.jodock@gmail.com or EverybodysDanceCincy@gmail.com