Potomac Crescent Waldorf School

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Potomac Crescent regularly hosts a variety of events for the public. Social events include our Fall Festival, which is our biggest fundraiser each year, and a family dance in the Spring. Parent and Community Education events give parents and others the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Waldorf education. Information Evenings, Observation Mornings, and Open Houses give prospective parents a picture of what a Waldorf education can offer children and their families.

Family Events for the Public

2011 Fall Festival
Saturday, October 15, 2011: 10 a.m. -2 p.m.

Our Fall Festival offers indoor and outdoor games, activities and crafts for children, handcrafted toys, home decor and children's toys made by the Potomac Crescent Parent Handwork Group, a silent auction, a wholesome lunch and lots of fun. Bring the whole family and enjoy our favorite fundraising event.

2012 Family Dance
Saturday, April 21, 2012

Enjoy live musicians with professional caller, traditional and folk dances, wholesome vegetarian and non-vegetarian dinner. Bring the kids, bring Grandma, bring the whole neighborhood for a rollicking good time!

Parent and Community Education Talks

The Potomac Crescent Parent and Community Education committee offers a variety of guest speakers on a variety of topics true to the Waldorf experience. Notable guests have included Jack Petrash, Nancy Foster, Joan Almon, Cecelia Karpoff and others. No registration is necessary for these adults-only events.

Upcoming Events

Fathering and Waldorf Education
A Parent Education Workshop for Fathers
Saturday, January 7, 2012
9:00 am - 11:00 am

Waldorf Education asks both parents to work together to support their child and the learning taking place at school. Fathers often must make complex choices and sacrifices in order to honor the commitment the family makes to send their child to a Waldorf school. With this in mind, Potomac Crescent Waldorf School is offering a workshop exclusively for fathers, to talk about what it's like to make this commitment to Waldorf education for their children (the joys and sorrows), and about the balance among home, school, and work lives. This will be an opportunity to share experiences and to learn from each other some ways to achieve each father's goals.

Workshop Leaders: Rob Schware and Bill Merkel, both long-time Waldorf fathers, will lead the workshop. Rob Schware worked for over two decades for the World Bank as Lead IT Specialist overseeing projects worldwide. Bill Merkel holds degrees in engineering and business and currently works as Director of Research for PBS.

Reservations: Email Outreach@PotomacCrescentSchool.org or call 703.486.1309 by Thursday, January 5th. Space is limited and reservations are required. A $10 donation is suggested. All fathers attending are asked to read a short article before the workshop. To download the article, click here.

The Waldorf Approach: Teaching to the Heart of Childhood
An Evening with Jack Petrash
Wednesday, January 25
7:30 - 9:00 pm
$10 donation suggested

The Waldorf approach to learning can be explained in so many different ways, but there are certain essential ideas that form the foundation of this education. Some of these ideas are commonly understood. Others are more counter-intuitive. This talk will look at those ideas and how they shape the creative and innovative work that is done in a Waldorf grade school classroom.

Jack Petrash, is the founder and director of the Nova Institute. He is an educator with over thirty years of classroom experience and is currently teaching fifth grade at the Washington Waldorf School. He has written extensively on issues pertaining to innovative classroom instruction and is the author of Understanding Waldorf Education: Teaching from the Inside Out

In addition, Petrash has traveled extensively to work with parents. His parenting pieces have appeared in the Washington Post and on National Public Radio and Pacifica Radio. He is also the author of Covering Home: Lessons on the Art of Fathering from the Game of Baseball, which received the National Parenting Publication's gold award

Recent Talks

A Morning in the Grades
With Grades Teacher Wendy Jackson

Fathering and Waldorf Education
A Workshop with Rob Schware and Bill Merkel

Waldorf Education - Back to the Future
An Evening with Jack Petrash

It's About Time: A Child's Perspective
A Talk with Cecelia Karpoff

Family Culture and the Role of Discipline
A Talk with Sharifa Oppenheimer

Rhythm in the Home
A Talk with Cecelia Karpof

The Stages of Early Childhood: A Map for the Journey
A Talk with Nancy Foster

The Vital Role of Play: Restoring It to Children's Lives
A Talk with Joan Almon

Information Evenings/Observation Mornings
Prospective parents’ first introduction to our school is often through an Information Evening. Join Potomac Crescent faculty to learn more about Waldorf education, our school, and class offerings. Those parents who attend the information evening are invited to join a tour of the school and observe the classes. These events are for adults only. No registration is necessary, but only those parents who attended the Information Evening will be invited to come to the Observation Morning.

Information Evening: Monday, September 26, 2011, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (adults only, please).

Information Evening: Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (adults only, please).

Open House: Saturday, January 28, 2012

Information Evening: Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (adults only, please). Those who attend this Information Evening will be invited to an observation morning on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Information Evening: Monday, April 23, 2012, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (adults only, please.) Those who attend this Information Evening will be invited to an observation morning on Wednesday, April 23, 2012, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Information Evening: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 7:30 - 9 p.m. (adults only, please.) Those who attend this Information Evening will be invited to an observation morning on Thursday, May 31, 2012, 8:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Open Houses
Bring your children to enjoy a morning in a Waldorf early childhood class. The Waldorf education curriculum, based on the nearly century old philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, strives to teach the whole child-head, heart and hands-through a play-based morning for the kindergartens and through experiential, arts-based methods in the grades. Waldorf education trusts the wisdom of the human being and nurtures a sense of connection, support and responsibility within the community.

The early childhood classes will be open for children to play and enjoy circle time or a puppet play. Grades teachers will be available to talk with parents about our school at the January Open House.

Upcoming Open Houses

Grades and Kindergarten Open House: Saturday, January 28, 2012: 10:00 - 11:30 am (Snow date: TBA)

A Morning in the Grades with Grades Teachers Wendy Jackson and Sarah Smith
Postponed--New date to be announced

Have you ever wondered how a child's day begins in a Waldorf grades classroom? You can now experience that for yourself. Ms. Jackson and Ms. Smith invite prospective grades parents back to grade school as they may never have experienced it. Start the day as a child would—with songs, verses, and movement. Then move on to the main lesson for the morning. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a morning in a grades classroom is worth hours of reading about Waldorf education.

This workshop is geared toward parents of prospective grades children (either outside the school community, rising 1st graders or older, or within the community, Tall Oaks or older) who have never attended a previous Morning in the Grades . Parents should make arrangements for child care to attend this event.

Space is limited. Registration Required.
Please call 703.486.1309 or email outreach@potomaccrescentschool.org

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Events Calendar
The calendar below includes the academic calendar, parent association events, classroom events and other dates relevant to our school.

Events and event details will be added as information is available. If you have a question about an event, click on the event name and more informatiom will pop up.