January 2019 E-News
Admissions
~ Celebrating 100 Years of Education Worldwide ~
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A Note from the Faculty Chair: Welcome 2019
There’s a new yet familiar buzz in our hallways, classrooms and offices lately. Have you heard it? The sound varies depending on where you stand. In the development office the buzz is soft but growing as Gala preparations are underway. It’s louder in Early Childhood and the Admissions Office as new families hope to find a place in our EC programs next year. Rising first grade families are buzzing with excitement for their new teacher, Ms. Gliksman. And while current fifth grade families feel the loss of Ms. Gliksman, the Teacher Search Committee is busy buzzing to locate our new sixth grade teacher. The Parent Association Chairs are designing a survey to poll the parent body on their views of dress code and uniforms. But the loudest buzz of all comes from the Business Office where re-enrollment contracts are rapidly keeping the printers humming along. And gratitude is all around. I thank my lucky stars every night for landing in such a vibrant, innovative and successful Waldorf school.
I’m also deeply grateful for our parent body, including the 20 parents who joined me last month in our library to learn and share about adolescence. Some points we touched upon include:
- Parents are more important to their children than peers. The stronger the parent/child bond the stronger the child is able to weather the trials of adolescence.
- The purpose of adolescence is individuation, not conformity.
- It’s important to create blank spaces for our adolescents so they have opportunities to self-reflect and self-discover.
- Self-reflection and self-discovery can be difficult or even frightening. How do we protect our adolescents from avoiding this stage of development via distractions, numbing experiences, losing oneself in a group, etc.
Our conversation on this challenging yet meaningful time of development for our students was so rich we decided to come back again this month for The Purpose of Adolescence Part 2. Please join us in the Miller Library on Tuesday, February 26, from 9:00-10:00a.m. You are most welcome even if you couldn’t come to the first one. The more the merrier!
Sincerely,
Kelly O’Halogan
Faculty Chair
What’s New in Athletics?
January for the athletics department means Alumni Basketball! Over 50 alumni and community members came back to The School to celebrate the tradition of Waldorf Basketball. It was wonderful to see familiar faces come from near and far, and the day was a huge success.
Highlights include Landon Twine winning the Community Three-Point Contest, Isabella Fraim’s buzzer beater to win the Women’s Alumni Game for her team and The School raising over $500 to benefit the INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network). Thank you to all who supported the event, we look forward to next year! Read more about the event on our website!
Our Varsity and Middle School basketball teams are entering their final few weeks of the season. On January 23rd we celebrated our five graduating seniors, Simon Davis, Jackson Tompkins, Jason Derosiers, Dexter Serraro and Jovawn McNeil, and our graduating managers Justin Priester & Drew Brodsky. On February 6th we will be celebrating our graduating senior girls including, 4-year player Ali Fraim, and managers Caitlin Li and Ella Siff-Scherr.
On February 8th-11th the Varsity teams will be competing in the annual Kimberton Waldorf School basketball tournament. It is a highlight of the season and both teams are looking forward to representing their school.
The Middle School teams are working hard and are looking forward to competing in a Middle School Basketball Play Day on the February 7th for their last day of the season. They will play against teams such as Buckley, East Woods, Greenvale and Portledge.
Please check the Waldorf athletics calendar for updates and to make your plans to attend and cheer on our teams!
Announcements
We proudly announce this year’s honorees:
Spirit of Waldorf Award: Richard Pisano, Jr. ‘78
Distinguished Faculty Award: Roland Rothenbucher
Franz E. Winkler Leadership Award: Susan Braun
Hans R. Brechbühl Service Award: Lance & Sue Cheney
Outstanding Alumni Awards: Dr. Stephen Sagarin ‘80*
*Accepting on behalf of the Alumni Community who have dedicated their careers to Waldorf Education
Your save the date is in the mail, for more information on the Gala and to register, please visit www.waldorfgarden.org/gala. For assistance with the registration process, please refer to our guide.
Proceeds to benefit the Early Childhood Playground renovation and Camp Glen Brook projects
We look forward to seeing you for this wonderful community event.
For more information on ways to support, contact Nicole Littrean at littreann@waldorfgarden.org
Sophomore Play: The Inspector
Beginning tonight, the Class of 2021 will perform The Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, a humorous story with an intriguing twist. Admission is free however there is a suggested donation of $5.00 to support the class fund. Best suited for grades 6 and up.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
- Thursday, January 31st at 7:30pm
- Friday, February 1st at 1:00pm
- Saturday, February 2nd at 7:30pm
The Inspector by Nikolai Gogol is a Russian comedy that takes place in a corrupt town featuring extravagant personalities. When a suspicious man enters the provincial streets of this Russian town, the government’s credibility is put in jeopardy. The government employees go into a frenzy as they desperately attempt to correct the flaws within the town walls. Will they hide corruption from the man who is perceived to be the inspector, or will their reputation be destroyed?
Every year our 10th grade students spend one Main Lesson block solely focused on “The Sophomore Play”. What is the purpose of this assignment? Watch and learn!
Online Ticket Sales for the High School Production of The Drowsy Chaperone are Now Open!
Come enjoy this fun and charming homage to the Jazz Age musical. Proceeds benefit the School’s Music Program. Tickets are now on sale for the following performances:
March 1st – 7:30pm
March 2nd – 2:00 & 7:30pm
Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another.
Now is the Time to Re-Enroll for the 2019 – 2020 School Year
The February 15th deadline for 2019-2020 student re-enrollment contracts is fast approaching! Please remember, if you expect to apply for tuition assistance, your contract and deposit must be received by the February 15th deadline. To complete the re-enrollment process, please log into your My BackPack account now and submit your child(ren)’s contract if you have not already done so.
Please also note that families with rising first grade students will not receive their re-enrollment agreements until March 1st and are exempt from the February 15th deadline for these students.
CLICK HERE to sign in!
News
Holocaust Survivor Irving Roth Shares Experience with Students
An event of a lifetime happened in our high school in January. Irving Roth, one of less than 100,000 remaining Holocaust survivors, shared his story of survival and inspiration with our HS and MS students. Mr. Roth is the Director of the Holocaust Resource Center at the Temple Judea. The presentation captivated the entire audience.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2019
Over a decade ago our Diversity Committee introduced the Martin Luther King Day of Service that has now become an annual tradition for our community. On Thursday January 17th, the students and faculty of the Waldorf School of Garden City came together to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The entire student body took part in various service projects, both on and off the Garden City campus that promoted the spirit of love and camaraderie.
Middle School Students Participate in Important Marine Research
Our 8th grade class had a unique opportunity to assist Dr. Arthur Kopelman with research on seals on Long Island. The class visited Cupsogue Beach Park with members of the Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) in order to observe, count, and record information about the local seal population.
Alumni
Alumni Notes
Congratulations to Jordan Carmon ’11 on his new position as Senior Communications Advisor at Nassau Executive. While he considered serving New Yorkers at the Attorney General’s office during one of its most consequential hours as the honor of a lifetime, Jordan is very excited about this next chapter, which will entail serving the people of Nassau County directly. Jordan says “I’ve always believed that Long Islanders deserve better from their government, and I figure it’s time to do something about it.”
Christianna Giordano Pally ‘06 was recently promoted to Vice President in the Brand Solution Practice at Burson Cohn Wolfe, a global PR agency. Christianna currently leads integrated communications and digital transformation strategies across multiple CPG brands including Johnson & Johnson and Colgate. She resides in Brooklyn, NY with husband Brian Pally (’10), who teaches social studies in Westchester, NY.
Danielle Gill ‘05 was selected as the Class of 2021 Roy H. Park Leadership Fellow, and will be attending the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Park Fellowship is a two year individualized leadership assessment and development curriculum, completed concurrently with the regular MBA curriculum, and includes a full tuition scholarship. Currently, Danielle lives and works in NYC as the Director of Nutrition, at the NYC Department for the Aging.
Mary Catelli ‘10 has now completed her master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from LIU post. Mary values her Waldorf education and intends to take what she has gained from Waldorf and use it in her teaching methods. She is currently teaching at Hauppauge School District and is pictured here with her husband, Jacob Lutz.
Visit or Join our Alumni Facebook Group:
We are proud of our Alumni! Please tell us what’s new:
Camp Glen Brook
Introducing Glen Brook’s NEW Adult Weekends. Parents have been asking for time away from their children and we have provided it. Please join us for one of our two Adult Weekends:
March 15 – 17 – Make Things and Sing – you will learn a new craft and enjoy camp songs by the fire at night.
March 22 – 24 – A Women’s Retreat Weekend – enjoy lovingly prepared farm-to-table meals and relax in our beautiful home away from home. Optional, yoga, art and singing opportunities provided.
If you are a “last minute planner”, you’re in luck! We still have a few spots for our February 8 – 10 Winter Family Weekend and for our February 18 – 23 Winter Camp (for 3rd – 8th graders).
The Main House is Toasty Warm. Thanks to generous Capital Campaign donors, we are enjoying a cozy Main House heated by our new, sustainable, wood-pellet fired boiler. We are excited to show WSGC students our new system; we will give you a tour of the boiler room next time you visit. It is really something! We are so grateful to everyone who made this possible!
It is time to sign up for Glen Brook’s Summer Camp & Family Camp too! Summer seems far off, but spots are filling up. Don’t miss out on a wonderful summer experience at Glen Brook!
Last week we welcomed three new Hereford heifer calves to Glen Brook’s barnyard. We were prepared for a bit of shoving as they entered the territory of our four other young cows; but all the young ones intermingled as though they had known each other their whole lives. We should not have been surprised, Glen Brook is always welcoming to strangers! We look forward to introducing you to our growing herd next time you visit.
Gap at Glen Brook is currently enrolling for our Fall 2019 Semester. Please share this news with 18 – 20 year olds you know who are looking for a stimulating gap experience.
Summer at Waldorf is on the Horizon!
The Summer at Waldorf program is open for registration. Sign-up by February 17th for a discount! Learn more by attending the Open House on Sunday, February 17th from 11am -1pm. For questions contact Co-Director Carol Purdie at (516) 742-3434 ext. 327 or email summerprogram@waldorfgarden.org.
News from AWSNA
Keep up with all the news from the Association of Independent Waldorf Schools in North America by subscribing to their monthly E-News. Learn more by clicking the button below!Save these Dates
Sophomore Play – The Inspector by Nicolai Gogol (Suggested for Grades 6 & Up)
Thursday, January 31st at 7:30pm
Friday, February 1st at 1:00pm
Saturday, February 2nd at 7:30pm
Early Childhood Parent-Teacher Conferences – Nursery and Mixed-Age Kindergarten Closed (Grades 1-12 Open)
Monday, February 4th (sign ups posted outside classroom doors, otherwise contact class teacher)
Lunar New Year – SCHOOL CLOSED
Tuesday, February 5th
Kimberton Basketball Tournament (Varsity Basketball Teams)
Friday, February 8th – Sunday, February 10th
Open House – All Grades
Tuesday, February 12th – 8:30 am
Winter Assembly
Friday, February 15th – 10:00 am
Re-Enrollment Contract Deadline
Friday, February 15th
Winter Recess – SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday, February 18th – Friday, February 22nd
Classes Resume
Monday, February 25th
Conversations with the Faculty Chair – The Purpose of Adolescence – Pt: 2
Tuesday, January 15th at 9:00 am
High School Musical – The Drowsy Chaperone
Friday, March 1st – 7:30pm
Saturday, March 2nd – 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm
High School Model UN Conference (Club Members Only)
Wednesday, March 6th – Saturday, March 9th
Parent-Teacher Conferences – SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday, March, 11th
Gala 2019 – Celebrating 100 Years of Waldorf Education Worldwide
Friday, May 31st – Heritage Club at Bethpage
