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

Spring 2010 Family Dance
Saturday, April 17
Includes Dinner

Enjoy live musicians with professional caller, traditional and folk dances, wholesome vegetarian and non-vegetarian dinner served at 5:30. Bring the kids, bring Grandma, bring the whole neighborhood for a rollicking good time!
Click here to download a flyer.

Fall 2011, Fall Festival
Date to be announced

Our Fall Festival offers indoor and outdoor games, activities and crafts for children, handcrafted toys, home décor and children’s good 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.

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 Talks

It's About Time: A Child's Perspective
A Talk with Cecelia Karpoff
Wednesday. March 24
7:30 pm
Suggested donation of $10 per individual or couple

Join Cecelia Karpoff, a founder of Potomac Crescent and long-time Waldorf early childhood teacher, for a lively discussion on time. It seems we are always pressured by time in one way or another. "Isn't it about time this child is in bed?" "There isn't time to play now!" "Isn't it about time this child stopped sucking his thumb?" Can you remember back to the time when the summer or even one day stretched out endlessly for you? Time is experienced very differently by the young child; for him/her the urgency we feel about time has no meaning. We will look at time in some new ways that may help us better to understand and work with our children.
Click here to download a flyer.

Recent Talks

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

This topic is comprehensive, overviewing the organic weaving of many aspects of family life including Family Rhythms, Family Work and Play, Children's artistic Expression and Stories, and Child's Play. We look at the way each of these facets of family life works in concert with the others to create a living container, a vessel that will carry each member of the family. We also explore Discipline, understanding that discipline begins with a healthy balance of the prior elements. And we will discuss what to do when everything is in order, and your child still misbehaves.

Sharifa Oppenheimer was the founding teacher of the Charlottesville Waldorf School, Virginia, where she taught kindergarten for twenty-one years and served as day care director of the early-childhood program. She has helped develop new teachers through teacher-training programs at Sunbridge College in New York State, and at Rudolf Steiner College near Sacramento as a master teacher offering practicum and internship opportunities. She has written many articles on Waldorf education, helping the parents of her students create supportive home environments. Recently she initiated a home-based kindergarten program, The Rose Garden. Sharifa is the mother of three grown sons, who were educated in the Waldorf tradition. She lives in an enchanted forest in Virginia.

About Ms. Oppenheimer's Book: Heaven on Earth balances theoretical understanding of child development with practical ideas, resources, and tips that can transform family life. Readers will learn how to establish the life rhythms that lay the foundation for all learning; how to design indoor play environments that allow children the broadest skills development; and how to create backyard play spaces that encourage vigorous movement and a wide sensory palette. Through art, storytelling, and the festival celebrations, this book is a guide to build family culture based on the guiding principle of love. Such a culture supports children and allows the free development of each unique soul. Responding to parents' questions from more than twenty years of teaching, Oppenheimer has created a gift from the heart. This is a practical, inspiring resource that brings her informed, intuitive understanding of young children into the heart of the home.

Why Choose Waldorf Grade School for your Child?
A Talk by Kathy Faltin

Join Ms. Kathy Faltin for a lively talk on the value of a Waldorf grade school education. Ms. Faltin will create a picture of what makes the Waldorf approach to grade school unique - a true alternative to other educational approaches. Waldorf education provides skills for life, reverence for the beauty of the world, and wonder for what may come tomorrow.

Kathy Faltin is a master teacher with more than thirty-five years of Waldorf experience. She was a class teacher at the Kimberton Waldorf School and the Washington Waldorf School before taking our "first" grade school class at Potomac Crescent Waldorf School four years ago. She has taken one class from first through fourth grade, two classes from first through eighth grade, and is, at present, on her fourth class cycle. Over the many years, Ms. Faltin has also been a Specialty Subject teacher in Handwork, Art, Music, and numerous other classes needed by the schools. Nearly 11 years ago, she helped start the Potomac Crescent Waldorf School and was one of the charter members of its Board.

Registration not required
Adults only, please

Rhythm in the Home with Cecelia Karpoff

Cecelia a long-time Waldorf early childhood teacher and founder of Potomac Crescent will speak on the importance to children of rhythm in the home and how to achieve it. Coming from a wealth of practical knowledge and with warmth and understanding on childrearing, Cecilia will share with parents ways to achieve balance and rhythm to create a harmonous homelife.

Jack Petrash - Waldorf Education: Back to the Future

Jack Petrash came to Potomac Crescent to talk about the grades in a Waldorf School. Jack is the founder of the Nova Institute, and has been a Waldorf grades teacher for over 25 years. Jack discussed the ways that Waldorf education is preparing our children for the future by teaching them to be creative and innovative thinkers so that they are equipped to solve the problems of tomorrow. The curriculum in the grade school is designed to be meaningful to the child where he or she is during each stage of development, and to bring balanced development through creative play, stories, music, and art.

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

Nancy Foster came to Potomac Crescent to give us a map for the journey through early childhood. She discussed the phases of equilibrium and disequilibrium that a child goes through, and two of the key milestones for the young child. First, when the child learns to say “I,” there is an awakening to a separate awareness about himself or herself, and an accompanying rebellious stage. Second, at around age 6, a child often goes through what is referred to as “first puberty.” At this time, the child becomes aware for the first time of how much he or she does not know, and may stop playing and become silly, apathetic, or rebellious. Although the phases that a child goes through during these important milestones can be difficult for parents, it can help the parent to remember that it is due to a significant leap in development and will be followed by a new period of equilibrium.

Joan Almon - The Vital Role of Play: Restoring It to Children's Lives

Joan Almon came to Potomac Crescent to talk to us about the importance of play for younger and older children. Joan is the director for the U.S. Alliance for Childhood and was a Waldorf kindergarten teacher for over 30 years. Joan discussed research and examples of how children work through stress and process life through their play. She also discussed how, through play, children develop skills and qualities that will help them their whole lives: they develop emotion balance and social capacity; learn how to experiment and figure out what works and what doesn’t; and get to know their own body, their inner self, and the world. For parents who want to help encourage their child to play, she advised that they provide opportunities for the child to use his or her hands for “work” (such as churning butter or washing vegetables), and provide them with simple, open-ended materials, and lots of opportunities to use them.

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

Wednesday, July 21, 7:30 pm

Open Houses
Bring your children to enjoy a morning in a Waldorf early childhood class on Saturday, January 23, 10:00 - 12:00 noon. 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.

Upcoming Open Houses
Fall 2010: Dates to be announced.

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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. If you would like to add an event, please email office@potomaccrescentchool.org.