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Displaying items by tag: Waldorf School

 

WHAT IF THE EDGE WE GAVE OUR CHILDREN WAS PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING?

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2020-2021?
All classes will be held on our one-of-a-kind Forest campus, located on Spa State Park Land (45 Kaydeross Avenue West)

• Half day, full day, extended day options for mixed-agekindergarten (children ages 3-6):
     - Half day: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
     - Full day: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
     - Extended day: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
     - Pre-morning care beginning at 7:30 a.m.

• Formerly our 2Day Program for 2-3 years olds is now: 
     21 months to 3 years. Can attend 2 or 3 or 5 days per week: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Extended day available for children who are 3-years-old

With the safety and well-being of all of our students, families and staff our top priority, we are committed to bringing a high-quality Waldorf education to our community through these swiftly changing times. Flexibility and adaptability will be our cornerstones. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of our flexible program:

CONTINUED FOCUS ON OUTDOOR LEARNING
There’s no time like the present to be outside. It’s good for the spirit, allows for social distancing and reduces transmission rates. It’s also an essential part of a Waldorf experience and something we have always done. Now more than ever, we’re prepared to continue with outdoor learning and expand existing opportunities.

IN-PERSON/POD LEARNING
We’re planning for in-person education by arranging our students into small groups or pods to follow best safety practices.

EDUCATION BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
As options for in-person learning are restricted, our programming adapts. Individualized group and Zoom lessons, socially-distanced home visits by faculty, Google Classroom assignments, take-home work, video sharing and projects - our flexible program will continue to evolve to meet student and family needs.

WALDORF WITHIN REACH SLIDING SCALE TUITION
Brand new in 2020, our sliding scale tuition model pairs an unbiased algorithm with your unique financial situation to determine an equitable and realistic cost of education. Finances shouldn’t be the barrier to a Waldorf education for your children! 

NEW! FLEXTUITION
As the needs arise, our program encompasses various combinations of in-person and virtual learning and our tuition levels adjust accordingly. All programs include a full-year fee of $500 to hold each student’s space for the entire year.

In the Early Childhood Programs, when we are unable to hold in-person classes, families may opt in for educational pause (no tuition) or a virtual classroom/home curriculum experience (20% tuition).

FULL COMPLIANCE WITH GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
We’re following government regulations and best practices issued by New York State, the CDC, and our local Department of Health.  Our small class sizes, large classroom spaces, safety upgrades and multiple campuses promote health and well-being. 

CALL FOR A VIRTUAL OR PRIVATE TOUR TODAY:
Elisabeth Garofalo, Admissions Coordinator: 518-587-2224 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published in Education

Dear Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs Community, 

I hope you are all beginning to enjoy the rhythm of summer days with warming sunshine, thunderous rain showers, and family adventures.

This past Monday, we received the general guidelines from the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for reopening NYS schools. We are still awaiting specific guidelines for independent schools to be released by the Board of Regents. The faculty and staff have begun a serious undertaking to provide the state with the required documentation needed to reopen in the fall, as well as the practical work needed to reopen our facilities. 

We know you are waiting for our plans and protocols and they have been in the works, even as we have awaited the guidelines from NYS. We are also certain that we will need your help. We are preparing for cleaning stations, outdoor classrooms, delineated entrance and exit procedures, daily temperature checks and health surveys, as well as diligent monitoring of community percentages of COVID cases that the government will use to determine whether or not schools can open and remain open. In either case, we will be prepared to fully open our campuses for all students, or shift to our best practices of distance learning through Educating Beyond the Classroom, if mandated by the state.

We are required to submit our plans to NY State by July 31. As soon as we have our documentation in place we will share it with you in a new COVID protocols handbook. Each branch is calling a branch specific parent meeting to give you insight into our ongoing plans. Help may be needed to create outdoor classrooms, purchase additional supplies, develop our plans, or support the technological needs of opening our spaces to students in quarantine or who cannot attend school for medical reasons. Unfortunately, the state has not yet designated any amount of monies available to independent schools for this purpose. We have officially entered the “all hands on deck” phase.

In light of this new phase for our school, we are concurrently undergoing a period of reimagining our identity as a Waldorf School in Saratoga Springs in 2020. Our collegium has widened to include more faculty and staff members, new faculty chairs are stepping in, and in addition to our current study of White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, we have committed ourselves to reexamining our culture, methods of offering teacher support and development, as well as the overarching governing structure of our school in the year ahead through study, conversation, and collaboration. As our process of study becomes more clear, we look forward to involving parents in aspects of this work. 

We will hold a second Zoom Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Aug. 13, at 6:30 p.m. New York State has informed us that our Reopening Plan will be approved between Aug.1 and Aug. 7 and we plan to share it with you at the Town Hall meeting. In the meantime, please be in touch with your branch chair with any questions. 

Faculty Chairs for each branch and their contact information is as follows: 

• Early Childhood Chair: 
  Manon Sabatier This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• Lower School Co-Chairs:
  -Anca Baboi This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  -Scott Stewart This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

• High School Co-Chairs:
  -Paul Beasly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  -Steve BalmerThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

• Collegium Chair:
   Astrea RavenstarThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

• Administrator: 
  Abigail Reid This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stay Safe as you enjoy the summer and we will see you next week at the branch meetings.

Published in Education
Thursday, 08 February 2018 14:16

Waldorf 7th Graders' Field Trip to Canada

[Photo provided]

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Waldorf School seventh graders finally had the opportunity to put their six-and-a-half years of learning French and the culture to use on a week-long field trip to Quebec and Montreal. While supervised by French teacher Patricia Hrebenach and classroom teacher Elizabeth Sabatella, the students were given the opportunity to explore the cities on their own in small groups. They partook in events such as dog sledding and touring the Ice Hotel. The students also had an assignment to complete a scavenger hunt that required them to follow directions to specific cultural sites and answer questions about the history, culture, and architecture, while only speaking in French.

Published in Education
Thursday, 13 July 2017 14:50

Waldorf School Brings the Circus Back to Town

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Children and families took an adventure through time and space in the fields near the Saratoga Casino Hotel as Circus Smirkus returned to town. The renowned Vermont-based youth circus promotion made its way back to Saratoga Springs from July 11-12, once again with the collaboration of the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs. This year marks the show’s 30th anniversary, and the wild theme this year was designed to evoke a sense of its history. While certainly a grand afternoon out for many families in the area, the event also serves as one of the school’s biggest yearly fundraising opportunities, bringing in a significant amount for the school’s general operating budget.

The theme of this year’s show is “Midnight at the Museum,” which sees three young performers staying the night at the otherworldly “Smirksonian” museum. After a bit of mischief results in “The Archives” being opened against the express warning of the museum’s curator, all of the exhibits spring to life and serve as the basis for the show’s various set pieces. The general feel of the story being told by Circus Smirkus is most similar to the “Night at the Museum” film series.

Some of the set pieces in this year’s show include ones themed around jungles, skeletons, pirates, astronauts, and one particular inventive sequence based around a museum heist. One of the more striking performances early on came from 16-year-old Isabella Majzun, who performed a mesmerizing juggling routine while also balancing herself on a large ball. Artistic director for the show and head clown Troy Wunderle said that the museum theme was chosen deliberately, as it allows them to pay homage to Circus Smirkus’s 30-year history. Many of the individual set pieces in the show are references to themes from previous years.

One thing that should immediately stand out to viewers is the youth of the performers in the show. According to Wunderle, the performers range in age from 12-18, and come from all over the country. One performer, 18-year-old Patrick Chikoloma, is from as far away Lusaka, Zambia. While the performers may be young, Wunderle said that they are entirely professional, as anyone who watches their polished and skillful performances can attest. The teens in the show are properly trained in a variety of different circus arts programs. Quite often, Circus Smirkus serves as a springboard for careers in the circus industry, as Wunderle noted that past performers have gone on to work in world-renowned promotions like Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

This year marks the 11th time that the Waldorf School has worked with Circus Smirkus to bring the show to Saratoga Springs. On a yearly basis, the show has been one of the school’s biggest fundraising opportunities, bringing in around $20,000-30,000, according to administrator Anne Maguire. Funds raised with Circus Smirkus go towards the school’s general operations budget, which includes salaries, building maintenance, and more.

Maguire also said that working with Circus Smirkus helps encourage students to pursue interests in circus arts, as the school itself offers a Juggling and Circus Arts Club, where students can learn to do all the various tricks and techniques they might have seen under the big top. Two Waldorf students have in the past performed with Circus Smirkus.

Photos by www.photoandgraphic.com

Published in Education

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