Read our reopening plan for the 20-21 school year.

What the Spring of 2020 Looked Like at WWS

Our school campus was closed for classes and events as of March 12th, 2020. Within the week, faculty and staff worked with whirlwind speed to coordinate bags for each student with their belongings, materials, lessons etc. to facilitate remote learning. Remote learning (some online, some facilitated through other means) began on Wednesday, March 18th. 

For more detailed information, please see these letters from our school leadership to current families.

Letters from Jennifer Page, Faculty Chair and Head of School

Letter from Eric Holdsworth, Trustees Council Chair

 

What Remote Learning Looked Like at WWS

**Our Faculty has taken time this summer to review lessons learned from remote learning in the spring and to create plans for how to best engage with students remotely when needed this coming school year.**

In the spring, our teachers used a combination of Zoom, Google classroom, and work packets to deliver an effective, creative, developmentally appropriate program while we taught and learned remotely. We worked with all of our families to ensure that all students had equivalent access and hardware to facilitate online learning (when applicable).

Preschool-3rd grade packets containing daily schedules, activities (with materials included), instructions for parents, and stories all stemming from our curriculum. Digital technology was used sparingly, primarily for social purposes, with these younger children. Teachers connected with their students in a variety of ways, including hand drawn postcards, letters, and phone calls, to let their students know they were thinking about them and miss them. They also provided instructional videos for parents and audio recordings for students in the early grades, as well as office hours and regular virtual parent meetings. 

Grades 4-12 had a mix of online classes and offline assignments. Their packets contained any materials needed to complete assignments. We constantly reviewed our use of digital technology as an educational tool to ensure we minimized the amount of screen time for our students, as well as meeting their academic and social-emotional needs. Waldorf teachers are trained to carefully observe each student as an individual and to help each student connect to the material they are studying in a personal way. There is an added complexity when that observation is through a digital portal, but the core principal is the same. 

Feedback from current parents...

  • "We can really tell that you all love our children. There is so much care, consideration, love... and I can go on and on.... We really appreciate all you do for the well being of our children. What a special school this is!!!" - Parent (10th & 12th grades)
  • "I’m so glad that [my child] can continue both her learning and her relationships with her 8th grade teachers. Thanks so much to you and the staff and teachers for making this period not only bearable but enjoyable for our family." - Parent (8th Grade)
  • "I am very grateful and impressed with how you, our teachers and staff - everyone - at WWS have risen to this occasion with such dedication and commitment to our children." - Parent (4th Grade)

We celebrate our community's response and ingenuity during social distancing. See examples of how our community members are sharing their skills and creativity during this time.

General Resources for Families

Support

Rhythm and Routine

Activities

Resources Specifically for Parents of Young Children

Resources from Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)

Other Resources

Craft and Handwork Resources

Wool Felt & Wool Batting

Needles, Thread & Embroidery Floss

Yarn

  • Brown Sheep (Lamb’s Pride Bulky is perfect for finger weaving) 

Watercolor Paint, Beeswax, Kite Paper, Crayons

Watercolor Paper

Crafting & Curriculum Books