• Early Childhood and Nature
• Thank You Fifth Grade
• Annual Giving
• Strep Throat Advisory
• Seeking Nominations for the Board of Trustees
• Great Meadows Spring Vacation Week
• Birthday Celebration Planning
• News from Homespun
   

You can also access the Bulletin, including past editions, on the Waldorf School of Lexington's website in the Community Section.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,
Birdies build your nests,
Weave together straw and feather
Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,
Flowers are coming too,
Pansies, lilies, daffodillies,
Now are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,
All around is fair,
Shimmer and quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere.

One of the appealing aspects of Waldorf education for many parents as well as the students themselves is the relationship to nature. It is not only that the children have a recess period all the way through eighth grade, but that the children's personal relationship to the outdoors, along with animal and plant life, is cultivated from early childhood years through high school. Throughout the seasons, you can often catch a glimpse of a long caterpillar of kindergarten students making their way across the field after a trip through the conservation land, often with found treasures in hand. In the early years, the wonder of a new bud or the mud in the garden can be an enthralling pastime. Children of this age live in their senses and are eager to drink in whatever beauty there is in the world. There are many songs sung in early education and into the grades about the animals and plants that inhabit the world around us, helping the students to learn care, interest, and respect for the natural world.

Thank you to the Fifth Grade for their wonderful play, "The Homecoming of Odysseus," performed last night and this morning. It was beautifully perfomed and enjoyed by all.

Almost there! Development Committee is on the phones again! You've all noticed that at 72% participation, we are very, very close to reaching the 80% we need to meet our $25,000 matching grant challenge. The Development Committee will again be reaching out with friendly phone calls to a few families from whom we have not yet heard on this year's campaign. We need 14 additional families to pledge or give by Wednesday, March 31. You could be the missing family that will make all the difference! Please remember that Annual Giving funds about 4% of our school budget, supporting a variety of essential school programs. Your gift, of any size, is a welcome sign of appreciation for your children's teachers, the faculty, and the staff. We give because we love our school and want to see it flourish. If you haven’t yet pledged or given, please join us today in supporting our wonderful school.

To pledge, click here. To donate, click here.

Thank you from the Development Committee:
Tom Digby (Chair), Miguel Canizares, Elisa Elkin Cleary, Carol Damm, Keith Hartt, Laurel Kayne, Hélène Svahnqvist

Friday, March 26 2010
Five days to go!
Overall Participation				72%
Class				%
Sweet Peas				58%
Butter Cups				27%
Little Meadow Nursery				65%
Fairy Bell Nursery				50%
Shining Stars Kindergarten				94%
Blue Sky Kindergarten				75%
1st Grade				80%
2nd Grade				67%
3rd Grade				80%
4th Grade				72%
5th Grade				100%
6th Grade				91%
7th Grade				71%
8th Grade				60%
Dollars:
Gifts Received				$60,893
Pledges Received				$15,239
Total Annual Giving				$76,132

We continue to have more students diagnosed with strep throat. Please be aware of the symptoms and have your child checked if there is a possibility of strep throat. Strep throat symptoms may include one or more of the following: sore throat, swollen glands, fever, and stomach ache. A child who is positive for strep must be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school. Thank you for your assistance in keeping our school population healthy and well!

Each year at this time, we look forward to receiving nominations from members of our community for people you think would make great members of our Board of Trustees. We welcome your input; please click below to read the details about this process.

Great Meadows Spring Vacation Week will be happening Monday, April 19 through Friday, 23. Our theme will be "Spring Flowers." Come and join us for a week full of fun! During the week we will explore gardening, games, music, nature, stories, and creative arts and crafts within the curriculum. The rhythm of the day is balanced with indoor and outdoor play. For more information, pick up a brochure in the main office or look at the school's website. You may also call Julia Van Daam directly at 781-910-1393 if you are interested in availability of drop-in days.

Greetings from the 40th Birthday Celebration Steering Committee. Thank you to all who have sent us wonderful ideas for ways to mark this milestone in the school’s history. We are compiling a wish list of volunteer needs for different events that may be part of the 40th celebrations. Are you interested or experienced in any of the following areas? If so, please email Holly Kania .

40th Birthday Volunteer Wish List:
Event planners
Film-makers
Oral historians
Grant writers
Caterers
Data entry/database managers
Alumni researchers

Thanks, from the 40th Birthday Steering Committee:
Laurel Kayne & Holly Kania, Co-Chairs
Chris Alaimo, Jeff Ask, Carol Damm, Mary Ross, Elizabeth Stubbs, Camille Whitener
Amy Oliver, Kerstin Zanger

The crocuses are blossoming and the daffodil buds are bursting, all a sure sign that spring is here. Come see the beautiful new soap bunnies, hens, and turtles, as well as the mice in matchboxes which are simply adorable. Eggs, eggs everywhere: wooden, wax, glass, soap, tin, and paper eggs are perfect for the coming holidays. We also have soft velvety cotton baby blankets with hedgehogs, knights, caterpillars, or dragons. The red and white polka dot bunting is just perfect for a new baby. The darling little hand-painted wooden people and creatures are perfect for collecting, and include children carrying spring blossoms, bunnies nesting on eggs, a child knitting, a child sewing a doll, and so many more.

Homespun Hours

Homespun will be closed on Friday, April 2 due to the holiday.

Drop-In Crafts

Come join other parents in the Cafe on Wednesday and/or Thursday morning to make Spring creatures. On Wednesday, from 8:45 to 11 a.m., we will learn to knit a chicken or a duck. On Thursday, from 8:45 to 10 a.m., we will make felted eggs, chickens, and bunnies. Children are most welcome.