Here's everything you need to know to make Back-to-School a big success.
1. Plan to Attend Back-to-School Night! (ADULTS ONLY)
Join us for a fun, fabulous, and informative evening. Please note that this is an ADULTS ONLY event, though babes in arms are always welcome. Get all the event details here, and be sure to RSVP to aid in our planning of this event!
2. Plan to Attend Your Class Potluck
Back-to-School Potlucks are a fun way to reconnect with your class teacher and class families and get important info about the upcoming school year. Find the details for your child/ren's class potluck/s here.
3. Get Those Back-to-School Forms Filled Out ASAP
Remember that email from Nicole about Back-to-School forms? If you haven't already, please log in to your family portal, and make sure your child/ren's forms are filled out asap so that our Front Office staff can process those forms before the start of school. Check out this PDF with important things to note as you go through this process.
4. Check Out the Updated Family Handbook for 2023-24
The CWS/CWHS Family Handbook is your one-stop-shop for school policies and procedures, and it has been updated! You can access the Family Handbook here or by logging into your Family Portal here.
In this year's CWS/CWHS Family Handbook you will find some clarification around our school start time and drop off/pick-up times for this school year. You can also find more detailed information about student timeliness/attendance and tardy policies, etc. on pages 15-17 of your Family Handbook. Please direct questions about the lower school to Front Office Coordinator Nicole Stout at nstout@cinciwaldorf.org. Front Office Administrative Assistant Jennifer Hummel at jhummel@cinciwaldorf.org. Questions regarding high school policies and procedures can be directed to CWHS Director Janelle Johnson at jjohnson@cinciwaldorf.org or CWHS Front Office Administrator KJ Gerhardt at kjgerhardt@cinciwaldorf.org.
Arrival Details:
Early Childhood Drop Off: 8:15 am
Grade School Drop Off: 7:45-8:00* am
High School Drop Off: 8:15-8:30 am
*Grade school students should arrive at school by 8:00am for Home Room and to adequately prepare for class to begin at 8:15. However, the car line will run until 8:10am to accommodate families who experience unexpected delays.
Dismissal Details:
Early Childhood Pick-up: 11:45 am-12:00 pm
Early Childhood Lunch Bunch Pick-Up: 12:30 pm
Grade School Pick-Up:
2:45 pm (Grades 1-3)
3:00 pm (Grades 4-8)
High School Pick-Up: 3:30-3:40 pm
5. Back-to-School Schedule + CWS Calendar
Please note that Grades 1-12 return to school on 8/22 with noon dismissal and no After Care. The first day back for Preschool and Kindergarten is 8/23. After Care resumes 8/23.
We've been hard at work all summer populating the school calendar. Please take some time to check out this year's school calendar and update your own calendar accordingly.
6. Return Your EdChoice Acceptance Letter
EdChoice Acceptance Letters have been mailed to your home, or will be mailed to you once your scholarship has been awarded. Please sign the acceptance letter, and either email it to Karen at kcrick@cinciwaldorf.org, or bring it to the main office of the lower school. EdChoice scholarships are not distributed until they have been formally accepted.
7. Sign Up for After Care
Are you ready for an exciting new year in After Care with Ms. Barbara, Ms. Mona, and Mr. Doug? They are ready for your children! And what a phenomenal team of teachers they are!!! Our CWS After Care program is designed to support parents and children by providing flexible and nurturing after school options for children of all ages. After Care provides an essential care option for working parents; it also offers after-school fun, enrichment, and support for families looking for an engaging and screen-free way for their child to spend time after school hours.
We offer five different After Care options, depending on the age of your child and the needs of your family. New this year is Homework Help for students in Grades 4-8!!! Learn more about all of our After Care programs at the CWS website HERE.
For information about enrolling your child in After Care, please contact our Business Manager, Libby Rupp, at lrupp@cinciwaldorf.org. Contracted after care is provided at a discounted rate and guarantees that your child's space will be held. To book single day drop-in After Care sessions as space allows, please visit our website HERE.
8. Plan to Order School Lunch + Volunteers Needed
If you're tired of packing lunch — or would just love for your child to have a hot, homemade meal instead — Chef Alexis has got you covered. This year she'll be offering a healthy school lunch featuring organic, seasonal, local ingredients 5 days a week! Check the menu, and order here. Orders must be placed by 8am for lunch that day.
Last year's lunches got rave reviews from faculty and students, but don't take our word for it — Chef Alexis will be offering "sweet and savory" samples for parents to try on B2SN. Swing by the cafeteria between 5:30-6pm, have a bite, and meet Chef Alexis!
Want 30% OFF school lunch? Chef Lex is looking for some volunteers to help prepare and serve lunch. Sign up, and you'll get 30% OFF all school lunch orders. Shift 1 is from 9:30 - 12:30. It’ll involve assisting with prepping food and tray set up. Shift 2 is from 12:30 - 2:30. This shift will involve cleaning and resetting the kitchen for the next day. Interested? Email Chef Alexis at alexisdunn53@gmail.com.
9. Parent Driver Background Checks
It's a new year, and there will be many field trip opportunities for our students, starting with high school back-to-school trips in August, and the lower school canoe trips in September.
If you'd like to be a parent chaperone and drive students other than your own, CWS does require that a background check be completed and passed every two years. It's a simple process and the school pays for it, so win-win! All you need to do is complete the required forms located at our website HERE and return them via email scan or in person to our Business Manager, Libby Rupp, at lrupp@cinciwaldorf.org. The process generally takes 2 business days and once you're approved to drive, Libby will notify you and your class teacher. If you're a returning parent and have questions about whether or not your background check needs to be renewed this year, please contact Libby.
***Please note: Background checks are only required if you're planning to drive students who are not your own. If you want to attend field trips without driving other children, or you plan to volunteer at school during the day, a background check is not needed.
10. Volunteers Needed 8/12 for B2S Spruce Up!
Join Dexter Simpson, our new Facilities Manager, and the DADS of Waldorf (DADS=Dedicated Advocates Doing Stuff) for a fun morning outside sprucing up the lower school in readiness for the start of the 2023-24 school year! Activities will include landscaping in front of the school building, cleaning up the playground, general tidying up of the outdoor spaces, spreading mulch, etc. Please feel free to bring landscaping and gardening tools (manual and electric only please, no gas). Many hands make light work! RSVP here.
11. Need Gear for Back-to-School? Check out Gear Swap!
Class teachers are starting to send out Back-to-School supply lists, and those lists probably include a lot of gear! If you're looking for a budget-friendly way to make sure your child has what they need, check out the PA's Gear Swap at Back-to-School Night! You'll find shoes, boots, rain gear, hats, gloves, coats, base layer items, and more. Plus, you'll support the CWS Parent Association with your purchase. Score! Gear Swap accepts cash and Venmo 💰
Still have gently used gear you'd like to donate to the Gear Swap? Drop it off during Faculty Inservice on Tuesday, August 15th from 1-3pm or contact Maggie Lipschutz to arrange an alternate time (maggietyoung@gmail.com).
12. Open Assistant Positions for Upcoming School Year
CWS is seeking assistant teachers for both kindergarten and grade school. If you or someone you know would love to work with the wonderful students at CWS and experience Waldorf education in action, please contact Connie Davis, Faculty Chair, at cdavis@cinciwaldorf.org. More information about these positions can be found at our website HERE.