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Writer's pictureKJ Gerhardt

Waldorf Weekly 11/22

Friday, November 22, 2024


IMPORTANT DATES


November

11/25 - 29: Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL)


December

12/6: Community Singing, 8:30-9:15am (Community Room)

Holiday Faire Sip & Shop, 6-8:30pm (*Adults Only)

12/7: Preschool Sibling Admission Day, 9-9:45am

Holiday Faire 10am-2pm

12/12-13: Wintergarden Grades 1-12

12/12 - HS and Grades 3, 6, 7, 8

12/13 - Grades 1, 2, 4, 5

***Scroll down for complete schedule***

12/16: Wintergarden EC

12/19-1/5: Winter Break (NO SCHOOL)


Access the CWS Calendar here.

Highlights from the Week:


Strings Concerts!!!

Bravo to Mr. Carpinteyro and Grade 4-12 students who performed beautifully this past week!


During arrival, students played card games in the clubhouse.


4th grade spent time drawing the building as part of their study of local geography!



Sign Up for Preschool Sibling Admission Day on Dec 7th!

Dear CWS families with younger children who will be ready for Preschool or Pre-K next school year,


Our Preschool and Kindergarten classes fill quickly, and we want to give our little siblings first priority! Sibling admission visit day will be on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 from 9am-9:45am in the Woodland Preschool classroom. This is a special day reserved only for younger siblings of current CWS students, and children of faculty members. 


Action Steps for Parents:

1. Please submit an online application for enrollment HERE.

2. Sign up for your child's visit HERE.

Spots are limited, so please sign up quickly!


Reminders:

  • In order to be eligible for the CWS Preschool class (5 days / week or 3 days / week), children must turn 3 years old by 6/1/2025

  • In order to be eligible for the CWS Preschool class (2 days / week) children must turn 3 years old by 12/31/2025 


Please let Kate know if you have any questions by emailing kkelley@cinciwaldorf.org. We look forward to having your younger child join CWS!"


Winter Garden Schedule

Parents are welcome to attend your child/ren's Winter Garden walk. Please meet in the CWS Community Room, and you will be ushered into the gymnasium from there. In order to maintain the reverence of this event and to avoid the children feeling overly performative during their walk, please refrain from using cell phones. Drinks and light refreshments will be available in the Community Room if you'd like to arrive early or spend time in community after your child's Winter Garden walk.


We will also host a Community/Alumni Walk on the evening of Thursday, December 12th from 5:30-6:30 in the gym. CWS families are welcome to join us to walk the spiral together!



Upcoming Parent Education Events

** Exciting News! If you were unable to attend Margot Amrine's presentation this past week, you are in luck! She will be doing an encore performance of "The Advantages of Waldorf Education" on Wednesday, December 4th at 8:30am. Please feel welcome to bring younger children to this event. We hope to see you there!


Margot will also be presenting on the 9-Year-Change for CWS faculty on Thursday, December 5th from 3:45-4:30pm, and parents are welcome to attend! Parents may utilize the CWS After Care Program for child care, as needed!


WECAN Parent and Caregiver Event

Click HERE for more details and to register!


Get Your Holiday Faire Tickets Now!

Holiday Faire is a beloved tradition at CWS, filled with magic and joy for the whole family! Children enjoy a wide variety of fun holiday activities including candle and card making, face painting, and visiting the Treasure Gnome! Everyone can enjoy cocoa, tea, and baked goods and shop the unique treasures on display in our Vendor Village.


You can now purchase tickets for:


  • Sip & Shop at Vendor Village (Adults Only) on Friday, December 6th from 6-8:30pm

  • Family Friendly Holiday Faire on Saturday, December 7th from 10am-2pm


You will also be able to sign up for Treasure Gnome and Angel Room slots after you purchase tickets! Angel Room and Treasure Gnome slots fill up quickly and sold out last year, so get yours early to save your spot.


Be sure to also pre-order your lunch from Chef Lex here.


Friends and family are also welcome, so feel free to invite people you know!



Join Holiday Faire as a Vendor!

If you would like to join this year's Holiday Faire as a vendor, registration is open now! Get more information and register here. Students can also be registered via this link!



Volunteer for Holiday Faire!


This is the Parent Association's biggest fundraiser of the year, and volunteers from our amazing parent community make this magical event a success! Volunteering for Holiday Faire is also lots of fun — because you have a chance to create such joy for the children and families attending ✨


  • Volunteer in your child's classroom to help with crafts and activities! Please sign up for a 30-45 minute slot HERE (and make it fun by bringing your child and/or signing up with a friend!)

  • Make some homemade sweet or savory baked goods for our Hot Cocoa Room! Sign up HERE

  • Create some handmade goods for children to purchase as gifts in the Angel Room (e.g., ornaments, mason jar recipes, lip balm, jewelry, etc)! Sign up HERE

  • Perform on stage in the gym during Holiday Faire. Please email Nicole Perrone (NicolePerrone@gmail.com). 



CWS Re-enrollment coming soon!

Re-enrollment takes place in early January!


Why? Because our classes are very full (the Preschools, Kindergartens, and many grades are completely full), and re-enrolling our students in January gives us early and timely information about how many openings we will have for new students. Your $400 deposit ensures that we will hold your child's place at CWS for the 2025-26 school year.


How? Re-enrollment will take place online in your FACTS Family Portal.


When? Your 2025-26 enrollment contract will be available for online re-enrollment in early December (we will announce when it’s live) and will be due no later than Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Contracts become binding on April 1, 2024.


You may be wondering....


Q: What will tuition be for next school year?

A: Tuition and student fees for 2025-26 have been determined by the CWS Board of Trustees and the information can be viewed at our website HERE.


Q: Is the deposit $400 per child, or per family?A: The $400 deposit is per child.


Q: Is my $400 deposit refundable?

A: Your $400 deposit will hold your child's place at CWS. It is not refundable, but is applied toward your 2025-26 tuition invoice as long as the deposit is paid by January 8, 2025. If paid after January 8th, it is a fee and is not applied to your tuition; we cannot guarantee that your child’s space will remain available without a signed contract and deposit.


Q: What if I have an EdChoice "low-income" designation by ODE?

A: If you already have a low-income designation by ODE, you are not required to pay the tuition deposit, but you still must sign your contract online in order to hold your child's place for the 2025-26 school year. All student fees will be due by June 1, 2025. New EdChoice applicants are required to pay the non-refundable deposit.


Q: What if I don’t currently have an Ohio EdChoice Scholarship, but would like to apply?

A: You are eligible to apply if you are a resident of Ohio and your child will be five years old by January 1st, 2026.  Depending on where you live in Ohio, you may be eligible for the traditional EdChoice scholarship that is location-based. Otherwise you will need to apply for the EdChoice Expansion Scholarship, which is income-based. Please see the ODE website for details. If you think your child will be eligible for an EdChoice Scholarship next year, please contact Kate Kelley at kkelley@cinciwaldorf.org so that we can assist you through the application process in a timely manner. All new EdChoice applicants are still required to pay the $400 tuition deposit. 


Q: What if I don’t qualify for EdChoice but need tuition assistance?

A: All K-12 families in Ohio qualify for EdChoice scholarships. Only families with preschool students, or families that do NOT live in Ohio, should apply for assistance through FACTS Grant & Aid - that application window opens December 1 and closes January 15. Ohio K-12 families needing additional assistance beyond the scholarship must first apply for or renew their EdChoice scholarship; income verification should then take place at the ODE website and additional assistance will be granted on a sliding scale as detailed in our Tuition Assistance Policy. Please contact Libby Rupp with any questions about tuition assistance at lrupp@cinciwaldorf.org.


Q: I see there is now a Full Day Kindergarten option.  How can I enroll my child in this program?

A: Full day kindergarten is a first grade readiness program that is reserved for kindergarten students who will be five years old by June 1, 2025. Children in this program will have a full day of programming and will have the same arrival and dismissal times as the grade school. Late Care will still be available.  


Q: What if my child is too young for Full Day Kindergarten but I can’t pick them up at noon?

A: After Care, including both early (noon-3pm) and late (3pm-5:30pm) care, will still be options for our preschoolers and half day kindergarten students. 


Q: What if my student will be continuing on to our Waldorf High School?

A: For students re-enrolling from Grade 8 to Grade 9, follow the same steps and timeline as above. Please note that our Enrollment Director, Kate Kelley, will be in contact with you regarding any additional information needed for successful enrollment at the High School. Signing this contract is the necessary first step to move forward with admission into the High School.


As always, please do not hesitate to contact one of us with questions. We're happy to talk with you anytime!


Warmly,

Kate Kelley, Enrollment Director

Libby Rupp, Business Manager


High School Good Citizen Initiatives


Seniors in Ms. Kelley's Civics II have created a short-term "contest" to help bring awareness to recycling in our school.


Teachers already encourage students to put recyclables into the blue waste baskets with the triangle on them, yet in Cincinnati, the list of what Rumpke will accept is restricted (think 'cans, bottles, and some plastics, cardboard,...'). Thus, the high school studentss have provided each classroom with a labeled box to collect items from their lunches that ordinarily get thrown away such as Ziploc bags, granola or fruit bar wrappers, yogurt or applesauce tubes, etc.


We are hoping that by educating ourselves we can all find ways in our homes and at school to keep a little bit more waste from heading to the landfill. Please do not send us your old batteries and light bulbs and computer equipment (you can take it to the Hub for a fun Saturday outing)! We recognize the tension between making a contest to collect the most while wanting to encourage using fewer single use items! 


Some additional options to recycle waste items are through Hefty Renew and Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub (located in the West End). Hefty Renew utilizes a special bag you may purchase at Kroger for difficult to recycle items like Styrofoam and allows you to put this bag out with your curbside recycling. Here are links for the Hub, Hefty Renew, and City of Cincinnati allowable items. 



Other 'good citizen' initiatives from our High School students include an ongoing canned food drive for MEAC (Madisonville Education and Assistance Center) and blankets and warm jackets for Transformations CDC (support for families who have recently immigrated from Central America). We have a collection spot for these items in our High School hallway at our information bulletin board. 


Thanks to everyone for supporting these good citizen initiatives! 



CWS Kroger Community Rewards

Linking your Kroger rewards is a great way to raise donation for our school! Look how much you helped us raise since school started, just by doing your grocery shopping!


August 1, 2024 to October 31, 2024

111

Households


$ 431.30

Total Donations




CWS Sign-Up Parties Make Great Holiday Gifts!!!

'Tis the season for gift-giving, and CWS Sign-Up Parties could be the perfect gift for that special someone in your life!


We have a fun variety of sign-up parties available, and you can purchase spots online! Sign-Up Parties are a great way to have fun while building community and raising funds for CWS!


  • Sunday, Jan. 12th: Sourdough Baking Brunch Hosted by Amanda Broughton-Hobbs, Molly Sternberg, and Laura Goldwire


  • Sunday, Feb. 9th: Sip & Paint Ceramics Party Hosted by Casey Gries & Lauren Wulker


  • Saturday, Jan. 25th: Kombucha Making Party @ Fab Ferments(!) Hosted by Beth McDaniel & Dexter Simpson


  • Tuesday, March 11th: Tea & Tarot Shopping Night Hosted by Monmouth St. Mercantile (Wendy Braun & Tatum Davis)


  • Saturday, March 15th: Poker & Paint by Number Hosted by Leslie & Slocomb Reed


  • Sunday, May 18th: Fishing with the Jones Family Hosted by Rob & Maggie Jones



Make your Monday easy! Order Dinner from Chef Lex

You can order over the weekend and bring your containers to the front office on Monday morning.

"Chef Lexi’s Monday Meal Prep service is an absolute lifesaver for busy parents! Every Monday, she delivers a home cooked meal that is healthy, delicious, and perfectly portioned that we all rave about each week.  From fresh, vibrant ingredients to creative dishes, each meal feels like a gourmet experience without the hassle of cooking. It's the perfect solution for busy parents who want to serve a healthy, home-cooked meal but don't always have the time. Highly recommend, we don’t miss a week!" ~ CWS Parent



Have a Howlin' Good Time at Great Wolf Lodge!

This year, you have ONE MORE chance to have a splash with your Waldorf friends at Great Wolf Lodge: February Break! Check out the flyer below for deals, dates, and details!


**We receive a FREE room to auction for every 20 rooms we book, so it's a win-win!


Community News:


CWS Parent Offering Special Rate for Families on Fall Fencing and Landscaping Services

Stephen Bell, CWS parent and owner of Simply Beautiful, wants to offer CWS families a special rate on fall fencing and landscaping services. Don't miss out!


CWS Alum Seeking Full-Time Childcare Position

Grace Rupp, CWS Alum and Licensed Music Therapist, is looking for a position as a nanny beginning in January or February of 2025. Grace is passionate about and highly skilled in working with children and has provided childcare to a number of CWS families who are eager to recommend her!


For references and additional information about Grace's experience and areas of specialization, please contact her via email at grace.rupp17@gmail.com, and via phone at: 513-497-9053.


Weekly Dance Classes at Homeadow with Katie Chal


CWS Parent Offering 50% Off New Client Haircuts at Hi-Lites Hair Salon in Blue Ash

CWS Parent Nichole Shinkos has a new spot at Hi-Lites Hair Salon in Blue Ash and is offering 50% off new client haircuts! Book your cut now to look and feel your best this holiday season — all while supporting a CWS community member!



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