June 2022 E-News
A Message from the Faculty Chair
Dear Community,
Summer promises are in the air — but first, we have a lot of celebrating to do! I hope you have been taking advantage of attending the recent class plays and the music concerts. Coming up next is our Sports Night, our Senior Class performing Once on this Island, and our Closing Assembly.
Our Closing Assembly is a special occasion where classes perform for students in grades 8 and 12. It also holds the Rose Ceremony – a moment for our first graders to send off their senior buddies with well wishes. All parents are invited to attend. The event will be held in our Auditorium on Thursday, June 16th at 10:00 am.
Later that same evening our 8th Grade Promotion will take place outside under the tent. Then on Friday, June 17th at 10:30 am, under the same tent, we will hold our Senior Commencement.
We started this school year with the hope that the challenges presented by Covid were mostly behind us. Instead, we pulled together again as a community, accepting our differences in how we approach challenges with respect and cooperation. As we bring the school year to a close, my heart is filled with gratitude for our entire community. We have learned much, grown stronger, and perhaps value community even more. Thank you to each and every person who makes up our beautiful School.
Kelly O’Halogan
Faculty Chair
Announcements
Uvalde Community Tragedy
By now most of you have heard the news regarding the elementary school shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas last week. We join the countless voices mourning this horrible tragedy, and our thoughts go out to those families affected.
At this time we reaffirm that The Waldorf School of Garden City continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students at all times. As always, we have resources available to help address the situation for our students in an age-appropriate manner where it is needed.
In difficult times like these, we are so grateful for the strength and stability provided by our loving community. We hold all the lives lost close to our hearts at this time, and look forward to aiding our students pave the way to a brighter tomorrow.
63rd Commencement Exercises
The 63rd Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2022 will take place on Friday, June 17th at 10:30 am. Capacity is limited and an RSVP will be required. To watch the ceremony via live stream click here or on the image.
The Class of 2022 presents “Once on this Island”
It is the tradition at The Waldorf School of Garden City for the senior class to perform a play at the end of their senior year, entertaining parents, peers, and the community at large. This year, the class of 2022 will perform Once on this Island by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty.
Once on this Island is set in Haiti and is based on Rosa Guy’s novel, My Love, My Love. During its run on Broadway, the show garnered eight Tony nominations including Best Musical, Book, and Score.
Performances will take place on:
- Thursday, June 9th at 8:00 pm
- Saturday, June 11th at 8:00 pm
There will also be a special in-school performance on Friday, June 10th for employees and students only.
All performances will take place in the gym.
Parking is available in the School parking lot, or across the street in the Adelphi Hy Weinberg center parking lot if needed.
Magic Closet Year-End Sale
Stop by the Magic Closet for a special year-end sale! if you come in between today and June 15th, you can get:
- 10% off purchases over $50
- 15% off purchases over $100
- 20% off purchases over $200
The store is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. If you have any questions, please contact Maryjane Dougherty at mjanedougherty@aol.com.
Please limit your visit to the store to a maximum of 15 minutes and have only 2 adults present at a time for the health & safety of all.
School News
Spring Benefit 2022
Our Spring Benefit on Thursday, May 19th was an incredible success and a beautiful evening celebrating our esteemed honorees. We are so grateful to all of our supporters and are excited to announce that together, we raised over $112,000! The proceeds from this event will primarily benefit the renovation of the gymnasium and renaming to Paul LeSueur Hall and Capital Initiatives.
For those who were not able to attend, please enjoy the Digital Journal below, as well as a photo gallery filled with smiling, joyous faces from the evening. Thank you, for your support.
The Lion King Jr. – Presented by the Class of 2026
by Anthony Yaeger – 8th Grade Class Teacher
The 8th grade thoroughly enjoyed creating the story of the Lion King Jr. through music and dance over these past few weeks. It was a true adventure that was filled with many ups and downs, culminating in a series of performances that built upon each other until a final night spectacle that was, as Uncle Scar would say, “To die for.”
The class play in 8th grade is a crowning experience for the Lower School years, representing the first opportunity for a class to stage a play in the gym under the bright lights. The story of the Lion King Jr. fits nicely into the curriculum, as students study African Geography and learn about Africa’s influence on the world and contributions to societies today. In fact, one of the stories they hear is of Sundiata Keita, the original “Lion King” of the Kingdom of Mali.
When first envisioning what play to do last summer, I spoke with Claudia Hart, who wisely said, “Your class is so musical, so enthusiastic about everything, they could pull off a musical!” Indeed she was right, as with the expertise and support of Ms. Schooley and Mr. Fallu, the 8th grade was able to retell this famous story in a beautiful way.
One sets out on a play hoping to bring to life words on a page through the magic of theatre. This only happens when students live deeply into the material, allowing a transformative experience to take place for themselves, and for their audience: the 8th grade lived in the Pride Lands during each performance, and still today the experience resonates within them.
WSGC Students Awarded Excellence in Poetry Award & Citations at Adelphi Poetry Conference
WSGC High School students joined students from across Long Island for Adelphi University’s Annual Poetry Day Conference on April 29th. The virtual event included workshops taught by Adelphi faculty, a poetry contest with an awards ceremony, and a keynote presentation by poet American Poet, novelist, and screenwriter Melissa Lozada-Oliva. The day culminated in an awards ceremony where 10th grader Orestes Blades and 9th grader Zoe Case were awarded Citations in Poetry and 10th grader Sara Fioribello took home the General Excellence in Poetry Award.
Congratulations to Zoe, Orestes, Sara, and all the participants! We are very proud of your accomplishments.
To read the award-wining poems click the read more button.
Glen Brook
Glen Brook’s last newsletter included biographies of the 5 new lambs, hopes for the future of solar at Glen Brook, and a chance to read more about our new Gap Program Director, Tori Heller. With Summer Camp right around the corner, we’re thrilled to have had a spring full of trips: the 11th grade, 9th grade, and now 8th grade enjoyed the bounty of spring in New Hampshire, and we look forward to welcoming the 12th grade on June 12th.
If you’re looking for opportunities to be at Glen Brook soon, we still have some beds available for Summer Camp, we’re actively enrolling our Fall Gap Semester, and we’re hiring for School Program Instructors this fall.
From all of us here on the Hill, we look forward to seeing you here soon!
Sincerely,
The Glen Brook Staff
What’s Happening in Athletics?
Dear Waldorf Sports Fans,
Sports Night 2022
Please mark your calendar for our Sports Night end-of-year banquet on June 8th at 6 pm. We are delighted to be able to host the event in the gym once again. The event is open to all current 7th – 12th-grade students and their families. You must RSVP by filling out this online form. For those who can’t make it in-person, please join us at 6:30 pm for the awards portion of the evening via a live stream of the event on our Waldorf Athletics YouTube channel.
Student-Athlete Spotlight
Kiki Fraim – Class of 2022
On May 27th Kiki Fraim from the graduating class of 2022 had her signing ceremony as she committed to Brown University and their NCAA Division 1 Crew Team. Kiki has been rowing with Friends of Port Rowing Club for only three years. Her hard work, commitment, and dedication to her coaches and teammates propelled her to be made Team Captain in the Spring of 2021 and earn a place on the Brown Crew team. Please join me in congratulating her on this wonderful achievement and wish her the very best of luck as she begins this new academic and athletic chapter of her life.
Francesca Giumenta – Class of 2025
On May 21st WSGC ice-skater Francesca Giumenta competed in the Westchester Classic. She had a wonderful performance in the Intermediate Free-skate Long Program, earning her season’s best score and taking 3rd place. She also performed in the Novice Short Program and took 2nd place! An incredible amount of hard work and training goes into these performances, and managing all of that, and the Waldorf school workload is no easy feat. Please join me in congratulating Frannie and wishing her the best for her upcoming regional competition plans this summer. Way to go, Frannie!!
Best,
Shane Flanagan
Athletics Director
Alumni
Alumni Notes
Ariella Kissin ’18
Ariella Kissin ’18 graduated this spring from Kenyon College with a double major in English and Political Science and a minor in Russian. She recently found out that she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to be an English Teaching Assistant in Azerbaijan beginning this September. Ariella says, “Attending Waldorf truly allowed me to hone my interests in cultural exchange and international education, from my 2016 exchange program in France to being a Model UN participant.” Congratulations, Ariella!
Franklin Rankin ’13
Franklin Rankin ’13 appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier last month. He competed in a hilarious songwriter challenge with an original song written in only one hour. Jimmy Fallon gave the title, “Can Elon Musk Buy Me Something?” which inspired some cheeky rhymes to a lovely folk melody. Great job, Franklin! Your song was delightfully funny! To view the clip, visit https://youtu.be/izyXrIxlONg
Class of 1985
Members from the class of 1985 gathered from near and far the weekend of May 19th to first attend our School’s Spring Benefit where we honored their late class teacher, Beth Scherer with the Franz E. Winkler Leadership Award. The next day, members from the class made their way up to the Fellowship Community in Chestnut Ridge, NY for a memorial service for Mrs. Scherer. Members of the class photographed below: Melissa (Pascal) Driscoll, Chris Torres, Sophia (Mavrikis) Pisano, Alexios Kritas, Grant Butler, and Scott Williams. What a beautiful way to honor an incredible human being and a life well lived!
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May Photo Flashback
Every month our students participate in a variety of fun and enriching activities, and May was a busy one! Enjoy this small sample of the events from May 2022, and some photos of the beautiful wildlife seen on our campus.
Photos by J. Wang ’22, C. Bousaraou, and B. LeRoux
News from AWSNA
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Save These Dates
Sports Night
Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00 pm
Senior Play
Thursday, June 9th at 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 11th at 8:00 pm
Play Day: Grades 1-3
Monday, June 13th
Field Day: Grades 4-8
Tuesday, June 14th
Field Day: Grades 9-12
Wednesday, June 15th
Last Day for Nursery & Kindergarten
Wednesday, June 15th
Closing Assembly and Last Day for 1-12 –
Noon dismissal and no afternoon programs
Thursday, June 16th
End of 4th Quarter (HS)
Thursday, June 16th
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony
Thursday, June 16th at 7:00 pm
Senior Commencement
Friday, June 17th at 10:30 am
SCHOOL CLOSED – Juneteenth
Monday, June 20th
Don’t Forget you can Shop and Support The Waldorf School of Garden City with the following organizations!
