October 2021 E-News
~ Celebrating Over 70 Years of Education in Garden City ~
A Message from the Faculty Chair
Dear Community,
Recently several School employees joined our Board of Trustees for a Strategic Planning Retreat at Camp Glen Brook. Being surrounded by Glen Brook’s beauty, the crisp refreshing morning air, clear views of Mount Monadnock, and enjoying the delicious meals prepared by Chef Robin was medicine for the soul.
The retreat began with a focus on the purpose of Waldorf education, and how The WSGC was specifically founded unlike any other Waldorf school – to be an American Waldorf school, not a European school planted in America. We learned how, at our very foundation, The WSGC had a unique mission.
As a way of extending this experience to you, I am happy to invite you to attend an evening with Roland Rothenbucher, High School Chair, on Wednesday, October 20th at 7:30 pm. This event will kick-start a series of smaller study groups and events for parents interested in taking a deeper dive into understanding Waldorf education. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks. I hope to see you all there.
Sincerely,
Announcements
Parenting Support Classes!
Implementing the values of Simplicity Parenting and Discipline & Guidance Programs
Designed for parents/guardians of children aged 2 to 12.
Join our community of parents as we discuss the gifts and struggles of parenting, child development, and raising healthy children in these challenging times. This class will open with a discussion, which will include topics such as rhythm, self-care, environment, developmental milestones, balancing and understanding family values, and more.
Go deeper into understanding the benefits of discipline and the developing will of children. Learn to discover new and unique ways to work with your child which will bring more peace and joy to the child and yourself. Whether you zoom in to listen and learn or you share your obstacles in order to learn ways to navigate the sometimes bumpy road of discipline, this class will help build your confidence as a parent and create a new joy as you find common threads with the participating community members, and new inspirations while raising your child.
For more information and registration please visit: https://www.waldorfgarden.org/parenting-support/
Waldorf Magazine on its Way!
Check your mailbox for the 2021 issue of the Waldorf Magazine! This year’s theme is: New Beginnings. Our feature story focuses on The Waldorf Early Childhood Program: Where the Journey Begins. You can read an online edition of the magazine at the cover image below!
The Fall Fair and Alumni Weekend are Just Around the Corner
Don’t forget to join us on Saturday, October 16th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm for our 42nd annual Fall Fair!!!
The event will be ALL OUTDOORS behind the school rain or shine. Activities for this important “Fun-draiser” will include:
- Alumni Soccer Games
- Alumni Brothers Band
- Glen Brook merchandise table
- Puppet Show
- Family Games
- Raffle
- …and more!
Can’t wait to see you there!
PTA Meeting
Our next PTA meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 3rd at 8:15 am. in person in the cafeteria. Please make sure you sign-in and can attest to the Covid health questions before entering the building. All parents are invited to attend (a virtual option will be available, and we hope to see at least one Parent Representative from each class.
The Magic Closet is Back!
After a long hiatus due to COVID-19, we are happy to announce that the Magic Closet will re-open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY for the 2021-22 school year.
The hours will be:
- Tuesdays – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Wednesdays – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
- Thursdays – 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Please contact Maryjane Dougherty (mjanedougherty@aol.com) to arrange an appointment. We ask that you limit your visit to the store to a maximum of 15 minutes and have only 1 adult present at a time. For the health and safety of our community, we ask that there is no lingering in the lobby or hallways and dismissal will still happen outside.
Looking forward to seeing you! See a gallery of some of the Magic Closet offerings in the gallery below!
The Parent Craft Circle is in full swing!
Join handwork teacher Karen Talluto on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 8:15 am – 10:15 am outside in the U. Drop-ins welcome. Contact Karen at tallutok@waldorfgarden.org with questions and information about inclement weather contingency plans.
School News
New Beginnings at the Benefactor’s Reception & Back-to-School Celebration
On September 25th, we celebrated “new beginnings” with our benefactors and current Waldorf families at the Benefactor’s Reception & Back-to-School Celebration. Our Early Childhood playground created a beautiful setting for the afternoon, “looking played in and alive”, as our Board Chair, Lance Cheney, described it.
Michaelmas Celebrated: A Long-Awaited Renewal
During the fall season each year, The Waldorf School of Garden City, along with Waldorf Schools around the world, celebrate Michaelmas.
Michaelmas honors what is truly human and our process of self-development. The story told through the festival examines the process of taming our inner demons and choosing what kind of person we will be in the world. Students in grades 2, 6, and 12 are the primary participants in the pageant and represent the pageant characters: a reckless dragon in need of taming, St. Michael, and a royal family. The pageant ends with all students in attendance following the lead of St. Michael in walking a spiral, first circling inward and then outward before departing, as if looking inward and then walking out into the world as better people.
DEIJ at WSGC
Building off last year’s momentum, the DEIJ Committee is excited to continue this good work with employees and the parent community during the 2021-22 school year. The group is currently working to solidify a focus for the year and discussing topics like; what it means to lean into DEIJ work at our School, creating space for parents to be heard, organizing an annual DEIJ orientation, and more. The group welcomes input from and suggestions from the community. Please contact DEIJ@waldorfgarden.org with your questions or suggestions. Visit our DEIJ webpage for additional resources and information.
Glen Brook 
After an incredibly safe, joyous, and idyllic summer in 2021, we’re pleased to announce that registration for 2022 is open! This includes Summer Camp, Winter Camp, Winter Family Weekends, and Family Camp. We hope to see you here in 2022!
Also stay tuned for registration and details around our 76th reunion celebration the weekend of August 26th, 2022– everyone is invited!
Keep up with all that’s happening at Camp Glen Brook on Facebook, Instagram, and their new website here!
Mark Stehlik
Glen Brook Executive Director
What’s Happening in Athletics?
The fall athletics season is well underway with our Varsity Soccer teams, Varsity Cross Country team, and 7th & 8th-grade soccer teams practicing and competing week-to-week.
Our Varsity Boys Soccer team is off to a wonderful start to their season. They tied 4-4 with LuHi, a very strong Division 1 team, in a non-league game. They also defeated Lawrence Woodmere Academy 7-0 in a Metro Division PSAA game. Head Coach Roberto Splendori and team captains Florent Rhuma and Joshua Wang are very pleased with the results and are especially impressed with Junior Jasper Weinberger having netted 5 of Waldorf’s 11 goals so far this season. They returned to action on Wednesday, 9/29, when they traveled to Stony Brook but were defeated in another non-league game.
Our Varsity Girls Soccer team is also looking strong this year. Their season opener resulted in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Stony Brook. Our varsity girls had an amazing first half and went 2-0 after 30 minutes. Their captains, 12th grade Jordan Henry and 10th grader Alex Burtis-Wyant (scorer of one of the goals), led the girls back onto the field for the second half, but unfortunately, Stony Brook began to take control of the game. Goalkeeper Sanaalee Troupe did a wonderful job protecting her goal. Still, Stony Brook’s persistence eventually wore Waldorf defense down, and with just 4 minutes left in the game, they scored what would be the game-winning goal that put them ahead 3-2. It was a very difficult loss for the girls, but Coach Flanagan was extremely impressed with the team. On Wednesday, 9/29, they played their first home PSAA league game against LuHi but suffered a tough 5-2 loss with another stellar performance by Sanaalee Troupe and goals scored by Alex Burtis-Wyant and Eva Lu.
Our Varsity Cross Country team is practicing hard with Coach Shawna every week and are looking forward to their first meet at Portledge on October 7th.
Our 7th & 8th-grade teams welcomed two new coaches this year. The boy’s team is being coached by former Chelsea FC coach Steven O Reilly, and the girl’s team is being coached by former St. Johns Div. 1 player Alexa Dolgos. Both coaches are pleased with their team’s dedication thus far and look forward to their season openers when both teams visit Buckley Country Day School for a doubleheader kicking off on Tuesday, October 5th, at 4:00 pm.
HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AT THE FALL FAIR ON OCTOBER 16TH!!
GO WALDORF!!
Shane Flanagan
Director of Athletics
Alumni
Alumni Notes
Kenneth I. Chenault ‘69
Congratulations to Kenneth I. Chenault ’69 who was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2021. Ursula Burns of TIME says “Both [Ken Frazier and Ken Chenault] are titans of business, who for many years flawlessly ran two of the world’s most impactful premier companies. For the full list visit https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2021/.
Jesse Kane ’09
Jesse Kane ’09 and Claire Babilonia are happy to announce their engagement. The couple met on a Brooklyn rooftop over 7 years ago and have shared many wonderful adventures together. Jesse is currently an Interventional Cardiology Fellow at the Montefiore/Einstein Medical Center in the Bronx and Claire recently started work as the Director of Impact Partnerships at GOOD Worldwide. They are so excited to share this news with the Waldorf Community and look forward to celebrating with friends and family.
Elora Nadel Niborski ’12
Congratulations to Elora Nadel Niborski ’12 who married her husband, Innocent, on September 10, 2021. The two first met about 7 years ago and become quick friends. After living together in Arusha Tanzania they decided to get married and have been very happy together. Elora and Innocent both work on several community based projects in Tanzania. Elora says “we hope to come to the states one day soon and I especially can’t wait to bring him to visit Waldorf.”
Annie Harrigan ’18
Annie Harrigan ’18 spent the summer interning at Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit dedicated to youth mental health advocacy and anti-bullying initiatives. The foundation has partnered with another non-profit, Find Your Anchor, and earlier last month we received a beautiful Find Your Anchor care package with a note from Annie.
Annie says “They’re such an incredible organization and I am so lucky to have worked with them this summer.” Thank you, Annie, for thinking of us!
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News from AWSNA
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October Events:
Michaelmas
Friday, October 1st
5th Grade at Glen Brook
Monday, October 4th – Friday, October 8th
Indigenous People’s and Italian Heritage Day: SCHOOL CLOSED
Monday, October 11th
4th Grade at Glen Brook
Tuesday, October 12th – Friday, October 15th
PSAT
Thursday, October 13th
Virtual Waldorf Symposium
Friday, October 15th
FALL FAIR/Alumni Games
Saturday, October 16th
An Evening with Roland Rothenbucher
Wednesday, October 20th
Parent-Teacher Conferences for Grades EC – Grade 12: SCHOOL CLOSED
Friday, October 29th
Halloween
Saturday, October 31st
Don’t Forget you can Shop and Support The Waldorf School of Garden City with the following organizations!
