January 2021 E-News
A Message from the Faculty Chair
Dear Community,
As we say goodbye to 2020, we can reflect on the fortitude and adaptability of our community. In a short period of time, The Waldorf School of Garden City immediately transformed. Faculty took on the arduous task of teaching in-person and remote students simultaneously. Staff became health monitors for all who enter the building. The PTA Co-Chairs re-imagined PTA meetings. Our Early Childhood, Music, PE, and Movement teachers moved outdoors. Our facilities team adopted stringent cleaning protocols. Glen Brook staff re-invented our class trips. Students showed resiliency. And parents, unable to enter the building, were asked to strengthen their trust in the School while not being able to participate as actively as before within our walls. Our whole community rose to the occasion. We are doing it!
The teachers and administrative staff have now begun to ask the question, “What is our post-pandemic vision of The Waldorf School of Garden City?” Some immediate answers included: keep classes outdoors as much as possible, engage in greater community service, be bolder where DEIJ work is involved, keep technology strong where it makes sense. Perhaps you have some insight and visions of the future of the WSGC to add. Please take this as an invitation to share your thoughts with me.
I recently attended a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) workshop where it was pointed out that organizations had to immediately change due to the pandemic, and the question was asked, “What stops us from making the same kind of monumental change for DEIJ purposes?” It was a question that brought a promise of something better – we only need to choose it. My 2021 wish for the WSGC community is that we all work together to consciously transform our School into our ideal School. One recent step in this direction was naming Nicole Littrean as our School Administrator. “Interim” has been appropriately removed from her title. Nicole is all-in! I could not be happier as this secures a strong future for The Waldorf School of Garden City.
Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Kelly O’Halogan
Faculty Chair [/ezcol_2third_end]
Announcements
Happy Holidays from The Waldorf School of Garden City
Returning to School 2021 Action Plan
Please click the button below to read the letter outlining the School’s plan for returning to School in 2021. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Nicole S. Littrean, School Administrator at 516.742.3434 Ext 309 littreann@waldorfgarden.org, or Kelly O’Halogan, Faculty Chair at 516.742.3434 ext. 314 ohalogank@waldorfgarden.org.
Craft Circle Wednesdays are Back!
Do want to learn to knit or expand your handwork skills? Join the weekly Virtual Craft Circle where we knit, crochet, embroider, and sew. Learn something new or bring your own projects and questions. Drop-ins are welcome.
When?
Every Wednesday morning when school is in session (TDDL Included) from 9:00 am – 10:15 am. Begins Wednesday, January 6th.
Click here for the Zoom link
Meeting ID: 849 2836 4344
Passcode: Craft
For more information, please contact: Karen Talluto at tallutok@waldorfgarden.org
New Admissions Applications for Early Childhood 2021-2022 Programs Now Open!
Parents who wish to enroll younger siblings 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.
Give back any time at no additional cost to you!
113 supporters are already enrolled in our Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards Program and 155 supporters in our AmazonSmile Program! We encourage you to join them!
Visit https://www.waldorfgarden.org/giving/shop-support-waldorf/ to learn more about these and other opportunities to Shop and Support The Waldorf School of Garden City.
School News
Eugene Hong is a 2021 YoungArts Classical Music Competition Winner
Congratulations to Junior Eugene Hong, who was named by the National YoungArts Foundation as a winner in Classical Music for the Piano!
YoungArts’ aim is to identify the most accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists and provide them with professional development opportunities throughout their careers. The annual competition that spans ten different disciplines receives about 7000 applications per year. After a highly competitive application process, the top 8-9% become winners.
Giving Tuesday!
On Tuesday, December 1st, WSGC completed our seventh #GivingTuesday campaign, and we are thrilled to announce that we received over 170 gifts and raised over $55,000 including the $15,000 match from John Oppenheim ’64. Even in this challenging climate, we managed to surpass our total from last year!
We did this together as a community – parents, alumni, faculty, and friends. Your donation will help us continue to grow and adapt in this ever-changing world.
Thank you all for making every effort to donate, participate, spread the word, and help our Gnome complete the journey to spread love and gratitude to all of our community members.
Waldorf Festival Stories: Why do we walk a winter spiral?
Each year as the Winter Solstice approaches, we hold the quiet festival of the Winter Spiral. The spiral is ancient and symbolizes the inward-turning we tend to experience as the night grows longer and cold drives us indoors. It is a festival of reflection on the past year and preparation for the next.
Glen Brook
Happy New Year from Camp Glen Brook! At the start of 2021, we are grateful for the holiday spirit, our amazingly supportive community, and we are so looking forward to returning to Summer Camp in 2021. We still have some spaces available for our Spring Gap Semester, which starts at the end of February, and there are spaces left in many groups for Summer Camp. You can read more and sign up here: glenbrook.org
What’s Happening in Athletics?
Virtual Alumni Basketball Meet & Greet on Thursday, January 21st at 7:00 pm
Calling all Alumni Athletes!
We hope you will join us for a Virtual Alumni Basketball Meet & Greet on Thursday, January 21st at 7:00 pm. We are excited to be welcoming current and past coaches including, Marcus Boyd ’04, Brian Cain ‘97, LaSheena McDonald, Gordon Purdie, and Shawna Thornton. Moderated by Athletics Director, Shane Flanagan, we’ll spend the evening reminiscing on past seasons, talk about the future of Waldorf Athletics, and much more! Please RSVP by visiting www.waldorfgarden.org/alumni-basketball-meet-greet/.
We look forward to talking sports with you soon!
Congratulations Coach Flanagan!
A special congratulations to Athletics Director Shane Flanagan and his wife Marisa, who welcomed their second child, Thomas Michael Flanagan, on the morning of December 16th. He weighed 8 lbs and both he and his mother are doing great!
Alumni
Alumni Notes:
Rena Ikeneshi ’18
2020 has not gotten in the way of ice time for Rena Ikeneshi ’18. Rena has continued to skate and compete in virtual competitions. Take a look at this short clip of Rena on the ice earlier in December.
Jason Desrosiers ’19
Congratulations to Jason Desrosiers ’19 who recently launched his new website www.madones.site/. The site includes a gallery, clothing line, and music, all created by Jason. Stay tuned for new designs coming Spring 2021.
Visit or Join our Alumni Facebook Group:
We are proud of our Alumni! Please tell us what’s new:
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!
Upcoming Events:
Saturday, January 2nd
Supply Pick-Ups:
Lower School: 12:00 – 1:00 pm. contact Thomas Jenkins at jenkinst@waldorfgarden.org for details.
High School: 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Contact Nina Mullane at mullanen@waldorfgarden.org for details.
Classes Resume: Monday, January 4th
Early Childhood Remote Learning Using TDDL Schedule
Grades 1-5 Remote Learning Using TDDL Schedule
Grade 6-12 Remote Learning using In-School/Hybrid Schedule
Friday, January 8th
PC Classes begin on campus
Monday, January 11th
Early Childhood begins In-School
Monday, January 11th – Friday, January 15th
DEIJ Week
Tuesday, January 12th at 7:30 pm
Connecting, Uniting & Transforming: An Evening of DEIJ Conversation
Wednesdays, January 13th, 20th, & 27th at 7:30 pm
Conversation Series for Current Parents
Thursday, January 14th
Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day
Friday, January 15th
End of 1st Semester (Grades 1-8)
End of 2nd Quarter (High School)
Sunday, January 17th 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Summer at Waldorf Open House
Monday, January 18th
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – SCHOOL CLOSED
Thursday, January 21st at 7:00 pm
Virtual Alumni Basketball Meet & Greet
Monday, January 25th
Grades 1-5 – return to the building using the In-School/Hybrid schedule
Monday, February 1st
Grades 6-12 – return to the building using the In-School/Hybrid schedule
Parent Conferences – Nursery & Kindergarten CLOSED (grades 1-12 open)
Monday, February 8th at 7:00 pm
Parent Association Meeting
Don’t Forget you can Shop and Support The Waldorf School of Garden City with the following organizations!
