February 2021 E-News
A Message from the Faculty Chair
Dear Community,
The Snowdrop is the perfect symbol for this time of year. It gives us a glimpse of the glorious array of what is to come while most flowers are still dormant. In a similar way, at this time of year, we begin to get a glimpse of the next school year. Our families are re-enrolling, and our Admissions Team is busy touring prospective new families. Our community is deepening its roots, expanding and branching out to include others.
It is also this time of year when our employees commit to another year of service at The Waldorf School of Garden City. Most do. However, some find themselves growing in a different direction.
MaryBeth Thomas, current Third Grade Class Teacher, Victoria Dehan, current Eighth Grade Class Teacher, Shiori DeBellis, Orchestra Teacher, and Iwonka Piotrowska HS Photography Teacher, have decided to leave their teaching positions at the end of this school year. Carol Proctor and Fred Rhoads have also decided to retire after serving our School for 20 and 10 years, respectively. Click here to see the full list.
It is bittersweet as we acknowledge them and yet wish them joy in their decisions.
We tend to our garden. We adjust and make room for new seeds to find our rich soil and take root. We are working toward growing in diversity and will stay steadfast to our commitment to hiring professionals who in their being represent the curious learner, the clear thinker, and creative do-er we strive to inspire in each of our students.
Sincerely,
Announcements
Summer at The Waldorf School of Garden City is now open for registration! The next Open House (by appointment) is on Sunday, Feb 14th. E-mail the Summer Program at summerprogram@waldorfgarden.org to reserve your spot!
To enroll, get an early bird discount coupon, or just learn more, visit www.waldorfgarden.org/summer Don’t forget to follow the summer program on Facebook @summeratwaldorf and Instagram @summer_wsgc!
New Admissions Applications for Early Childhood 2021-2022 Programs Now Open!
Parents who wish to enroll children in the Nursery and Mixed-Age Kindergarten for September 2021 are encouraged to submit a New Admissions Application now. Enrollment in these classes is currently underway. While priority is given to families who have siblings in the School, spaces are limited and fill up quickly. Please contact Carol Proctor at (516) 742-3434 ext. 301 or via email at proctorc@waldorfgarden.org with questions
School News
The Waldorf School of Garden City Commits to “Doing the Work” for DEIJ Every Day
The Waldorf School of Garden City (WSGC) has partnered with Camille Simone, a DEIJ Practitioner, Consultant, and Coach to continue work surrounding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in our School, and community.
On January 12, our School’s DEIJ Committee, in collaboration with the WSGC PTA, and Camille hosted an event: Connecting, Uniting, & Transforming – An Evening of DEIJ Conversation. Faculty, staff, current parents and guardians gathered to learn how to begin the process of having meaningful DEIJ conversations.
“Committing to do the work and learning of DEIJ is difficult. Recommitting to doing the work every single day can be even harder. But I believe that courage deeply impacts our ability to show up to this work authentically and powerfully one conversation at a time.” ~ Camille Simone
WSGC Gardening Teacher and Her Father Donate 80 Cases of Wine
WSGC Gardening Teacher, Amy Singh, and her father, Michael Smith (Owner of Deseo de Michael Wine), were featured in the Garden City News for donating 80 cases of Chardonnay to Garden City restaurants. Many local restaurants and small businesses have suffered financially due to the pandemic. The father and daughter team wanted to help in any way they could to provide some relief to business owners. They hope their donation will inspire others to give where they can to help those suffering financially due to COVID-19.
“On Wednesday, January 13th, Deseo de Michael vineyard owner Michael Smith and his daughter Amy Singh, a spokesperson for the vineyard, distributed over 80 cases of chardonnay worth $40,000 from their vineyard to over 20 local Garden City Restaurants. Their goal was to help those local small business owners who have been struggling to survive during the pandemic. Michael Smith and his wife Teresa are residents of Garden City, and their daughter Amy is a teacher at the [The Waldorf School of Garden City]. Their hope is that this donation sparks inspiration for others in this wonderful village and elsewhere.” – Garden City News
Glen Brook
We’re gearing up in earnest for Summer 2021! In case you missed signing up for the Early Bird Discount that ended January 31st, we want to give you one last chance to receive the early bird discount by using the promo code stillearly when you sign up by February 6th.
You can see our Q & A regarding safely operating here: glenbrook.org/qanda.
Even if you’re not able to come this summer, please consider supporting our campership fund for campers who need financial assistance. This year more than ever, our community needs support to give campers a magical summer of community, nature connection, and joy! You can change a child’s life here: glenbrook.org/donate.
Sage Magazine
Congratulations to long-time Glen Brook Camper and enthusiast, Bella Brodsky, on the publication of her 5th issue of Sage Magazine! Bella credits Glen Brook for helping her to become the person she is today saying, “Glen Brook fostered this deeply rooted sense of care and passion for leaving the world better than the way I found it, being a responsible steward of the land, leading with kindness and love, and a beautiful connection and relationship with the land and Earth. Thanks to [The Waldorf School of] Garden City for cultivating such an incredible, magical space for children and adults alike to grow, learn, work, foster connections, build community, and play together.”
Sage is a grassroots quarterly print publication centered around voices from the outdoors, activism platforms, and creative spaces. Through creative visuals, a 200-page hardcover book, and a creative ecosystem and community of creatives, small business owners, change-makers, activists, and outdoor folks, Sage explores the relationships and connections we have with the land, the power of art in inspiring conversation and action, local community involvement, and the importance behind artisanal craft, making, creating, and slow living. Learn more about the publication and the team behind it or a copy for yourself by visiting www.sagezine.com.
What’s Happening in Athletics?
Thank you to our Alumni and Coaches who joined us on Thursday, January 21st for our Virtual Alumni Basketball Meet & Greet! Our panel included current and past coaches of our High School teams and alumni in attendance included members from the Class of 1964 up to the Class of 2020. Moderated by WSGC Athletics Director, Shane Flanagan, we spent the evening reminiscing on past seasons, discussing the future of Waldorf Athletics, and the State of Athletics today. We were thrilled to have a guest appearance by legendary Coach Laszlo Jurak.
We look forward to more virtual Athletics events and to getting back to playing sports in the future.
Alumni
Kenneth Marissael ’71
Kenneth Marissael ’71 is keeping busy in his semi-retirement. Ken owns his own company that distributes lab and medical supplies, mostly to anatomical pathology labs. The past year has been extremely challenging due to the restrictions; however, now that the labs have opened again, things are picking up.
Ken keeps busy doing work on his two homes in Garden City and Southold as well as his two daughter’s homes, Julie Class of 2009 and Laura, Glen Brook Camper and former Development Associate at Waldorf. Ken says, “I think my years in shop at The Waldorf School with Mr. Kaufmann and Bob Weschler, and also watching my Dad may have helped with my enjoyment in doing these types of things.”
Ken has also been an active member of the Rotary Club of Williston Park for the past several years, helping with community fundraisers. His biggest joy right now is watching his grandson (Connor) and granddaughter (Claire).
Keelah Helwig ’89
Our very own Early Childhood Chair and MAK Teacher, Keelah Helwig ’89 was a speaker at the Sunbridge Institution 2020 Teachers Conference – Calling It Like It Is: Uncovering and Dismantling Racism in the Waldorf Movement. “The Waldorf movement is not immune from the racism that exists in America. Accepting this and taking on the work of recognizing and eradicating racism from our Waldorf classrooms is a goal to which we must commit ourselves if we are to truly educate our children (and ourselves) toward freedom.” Due to high demand in November, Sunbridge held a second conference this past weekend. We are so proud to have Keelah representing WSGC!
Kathy Anderson ‘97
Dr. Kathy Anderson ’97, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, CEIM will be a panelist on the NBCDI Virtual Learning Series: The Impact of Covid-19 on the Black Community. The webinar will take place on Thursday, February 25th, at 5:00 pm EST. This conversation will focus on: Families, Caregivers, and the Vaccine: What You Should Know. Click here to register.
Kristin (Selig) Meriam ’03 and David Meriam ’03
High School Sweethearts Kristin and David Meriam ‘03 are doing very well, enjoying their fantastic almost 4-year-old son named Davis! For the past few years, the two have enjoyed working together as they tackle fun projects with their interior decorating company, Meriam Interiors. The two have been married for eight years, and together since their senior year at Waldorf!
Carla Perez-Gallardo ’06
Carla Perez-Gallardo ’06, Artist, Chef, and co-owner of Lil Deb’s Oasis was recently featured in an article by The Creative Independent where she ties in her Waldorf education to her current work. Carla says, “In fifth grade in Waldorf you learn geometry, and the reason why they teach you geometry at around that age, … is because in that developmental stage you’re learning to identify yourself in connection to the world around you.” Visit https://bit.ly/39LZSOI for the full article.
Leo Bruno ‘07
This past fall, Leo Bruno ’07 started a specialization program at the College of St. Rose to complete his School District Leadership Certification. As part of this field of study, Leo was able to land an internship at the District Level with-in the New York City Department of Education focusing on Restorative Justice and Social-Emotional Learning. Congratulations, Leo!
Amir Diop Brown ’17
Amir Diop Brown ’17 has recently taken his art to New York City. During the pandemic, boarded plywood filled the streets. To beautify the city, Amir painted 50 murals on these plywood boards as part of an artist collective, SOHO Renaissance Factory. Now his work sits in the National Arts Club. Congratulations, Amir!
Kate Keane ’18
Kate Keane ’18 will be interning this summer for alumni parent Michael Reed P ’18, ’20 at his company, Elite Construction of NY. The internship is in Civil and Environmental Engineering, specializing in Construction Management. Last month, Kate spent the day on-site getting an early glimpse into her internship (photo taken on-site). Kate looks forward to working alongside Michael and other engineers on his team this summer. Best of luck, Kate!
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News from AWSNA
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Upcoming Events:
Monday, February 1st –
SNOW DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday, February 3rd at 7:30 pm
Conversation Series (Part 1 of 3) for Prospective Families
Friday, February 5th – Sunday, February 7th
[For Educators] WECAN Conference: Toward a Kinder, More Compassionate Society
Monday, February 8th at 7:00 pm
Parent Association Meeting
Wednesday, February 10th at 7:30 pm
Conversation Series (Part 2 of 3) for Prospective Families
Thursday, February 11th
Re-Enrollment Contracts Due!
Monday, February 12th
Lunar New Year – SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday, February 15th – Friday, February 19th
Winter Recess – SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday, February 24th at 7:30 pm
Conversation Series (Part 3 of 3) for Prospective Families
Monday, March 8th
ALL School Teacher Conferences – SCHOOL CLOSED
Wednesday, March 10th – Saturday, March 13th
HS Model UN
Thursday, March 11th at 7:00 pm
Parent Association Meeting
Friday, March 12th
Textbook Forms due to Bookstore
Don’t Forget you can Shop and Support The Waldorf School of Garden City with the following organizations!
