Parent Council: Building Inspiration and Community

Parent Council began the 2017-18 school year with inspiration and a commitment to strengthen the beautiful community that is the Waldorf School of Bend (WSB). Building on the year’s theme, “You are the Light”, Parent Council hosted five community potlucks where families had the opportunity for deeper connection outside the school day. Responding to the community’s request for deeper understanding of Waldorf Education, a new parent enrichment component was added to our First Friday gatherings. Featured teachers and students from our school community highlighted curriculum and shared information on specific aspects of what a Waldorf curriculum looks like in the classroom and teachers were able to touch on their own teaching philosophy. In the spring, Parent Council furthered its enrichment activities by offering two enlightening presentations on the subject of adolescence from guest speaker, Karen O’Dougherty, who leads puberty and adolescent education programs and facilitates mediation and circle work in schools in the Rogue Valley.

In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, the Parent Council driven student Green Team was created. Building on last year’s grant from Bend’s own Environmental Center to further WSB’s goal as a low waste school, Tuesday afternoon Green Team club drew students from multiple grades, teaching proper recycling and composting practices, culminating in an educational skit presented to the school at a Friday Gathering.

As is tradition, Parent Council also supported our beautiful school-wide festivals. In December, Winter Faire was an intimate offering to the community featuring crafts, skits and glorious singing. In the spring, the vibrant festival of May Faire was expanded to include crafts and home made goods from our own community members.

Additionally, small stream revenue continues to trickle in through purchases at vendors like Market of Choice and Amazon Smile. Since 2017, our school has raised over $600 simply from shopping at Market of Choice. Two family “dinners out” raised nearly $500 from local restaurants, while giving families a chance to spend time together outside school. The Green Team furthered its commitment to recycling through the newly formed, and easily accessible, bottle collection drop at the school’s entrance generating over $400 for our school.

Parent Council closed out the school year with its second end of the year community gathering, where parents and faculty came together to reflect on the passing school year and forward to the year ahead when WSB will join Waldorf Schools around the world in celebrating one hundred years of Waldorf education. Together, we discussed ways our community has strengthened and considered areas where we might build upon our school’s strong foundation. We also shared details of some of the larger global initiatives of Waldorf One hundred, including a world-wide postcard exchange with children from Waldorf Schools from several different countries. The evening closed with a circle of gratitude and appreciation for the strong and thriving community that is the Waldorf School of Bend.