As a school, we are so proud of these brilliant, creative, and inspiring young people, and it has been a privilege to watch them grow up. We know that they will continue to thrive and change the world in profound ways, and we look forward to continuing to support them as they do so (and welcoming them back to campus as alumni!).

To the class of 2022, conGRADulations!

This will be an all-level, family-oriented class that will meet weekly 10-11 am on Saturday mornings (weather permitting) throughout July and August. All are welcome to move together in the sunshine and spend time with friends! Payment is by donation, with a suggested rate of $10 per group. Cash, Paypal & Venmo accepted.

To sign up, contact Ginger at ginger.turner@tufts.edu or fill out the volunteer form at https://nesfp.org/volunteer

As one school year comes to a close and we begin to look toward the next we would like to take some time to share updates around faculty and staff who will be joining, or leaving, our school.

8th grade and 1st grade are the culmination and starting points of our grade school journey, both for students and sometimes for teachers as well.

Going

Ana Coffey

The upcoming graduation will celebrate the 8th grade class. Their class teacher has been a significant part of this journey. In 2013, Anna Coffey came to our school for an internship, where she assisted Sabrina Babcock in a second grade class. She joined our school as a class teacher in 2014 when she became our first grade class teacher. She has carried this class through their 8 year journey at our school, has guided the students, and parents, through these developmental phases of life, and has further contributed to our school in a myriad of ways. Along the way she has written, adapted, produced, and directed 11 plays for her class and others. These include Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Radio Drama and Puffs!, a spoof on Harry Potter.

Next year she will be working at Lowell Highschool where she was hired to create a drama department for this school of 3500 students. We send her forward with pride, will follow her continuing growth and will miss her greatly.

Coming

Celia Martone

Celia Martone will be joining our faculty next year as our First Grade Teacher. Currently she is working at the Susquehana Waldorf school. She completed her internship in the Fall and has been assisting in first grade main lessons since January and teaching subject classes to 3rd and 4th grades in the afternoons. She will be joining us as our newest grades teacher and we look forward to her joining us for years to come.

We are so proud of all of our students who have worked so hard this year to hone their craft. We are especially proud of the members of our 8th Grade class who entertained us all with their solo and small group performances– we know they will only continue to grow as musician after they graduate.

Please enjoy photos from the concert below, and to learn more about what music was performed, check out the concert program.

Leadership Lessons From Grade 2

-Have you ever heard that you can’t always get what you want? Grade 2 knows all about this important life lesson as they’ve been honing communications skills to help them express themselves, navigate conflict, and more. Students are learning to work together, and are learning how to harness their own talents for the betterment of themselves and the group.

-We bet you can figure out how knitting can support the development of fine motor skills and math competencies, but did you know it can also support reading? It’s true! Following each stitch in a project helps students with eye-tracking which is a critical reading skill. Class 2 is working on an exciting and complex project– creating Gnomes– in handwork class that will set them up for success in all areas.

–Click here to read the full Grade 2 report

Exploring with Class 6/7

-What is it like to experience history? Class 6/7 has been building an intimate understanding of the Age of Exploration by reading primary sources and accounts of voyages, settlements, and more that are focused on the human experience. This approach enables them to not only reflect on, but truly inhabit, the topics they’re studying.

-Sally sells seashells at the sea shore? If your tongue was tripping over that, imagine studying tongue twisters in German! Class 6/7 uses complicated rhymes to build their fluency and pronunciation– and has a lot of fun in the process!

–Click here to read the full Grade 6/7 report

Our neighbors at New Entry Sustainable Farming are looking for volunteers to help with their CSA pick-up here at WSMF. Volunteers would ideally commit for the full season June 14^th – October 25^th. The pick up is in the parking area from 3pm – 6pm on Tuesdays. Responsibilities include greeting CSA members as they come to pick up their shares, answering questions about any mystery veggies, and stacking up the empty bins for a New Entry staff to pick up at the end of the night. We provide a free CSA share and first dibs on unclaimed shares at the end of pick up.

To sign up, contact Ginger at ginger.turner@tufts.edu or fill out the volunteer form at https://nesfp.org/volunteer

As one school year comes to a close and we begin to look toward the next we would like to take some time to share updates around faculty and staff who will be joining, or leaving, our school.

Going

Jennie Cain

We have been fortunate in having Jennie Cain join us this year as our German teacher, and we are sorry to announce that she will be leaving at the end of the school year. In addition to her work here, Jennie has been working at the Lexington Waldorf School, which is closer to her home. She will be focusing her energies on her work with WSL next year. We wish her all the best and are grateful for the gifts she brought to our school this year.

With Jennie’s departure, we are actively looking for a foreign language teacher for next year to teach German or Spanish. We have generally had German as the foreign language taught at our school, and while we value continuity, we also know that Spanish is a language that is much more prevalently spoken in the United States and in The Americas. 

As a Waldorf School, where human integrity is a leading guideline, we highly value the numerous qualities of our teachers. A significant aspect of hiring a teacher is their background, expertise and teaching style. While we are leaning toward finding a Spanish teacher, we will balance this with the quality of the candidates who are available. 

Please see the school’s employment page for our current openings. Should you know anyone who may be interested please share this page with them.

As one school year comes to a close and we begin to look toward the next we would like to take some time to share updates around faculty and staff who will be joining, or leaving, our school. 

Going

Coleen Ryan

It is bittersweet to share the news that Coleen will be leaving her role as Admissions Director at the end of this school year. She will be moving back to Western Massachusetts where she is originally from to be closer to her family. 

Coleen joined the school in the fall of 2011 as the Assistant to the Administrator, and has been a member of the admin team for the last 11 years. She was instrumental in re-establishing and growing the summer camp programs and helped create the Science in Nature class. Getting students outside utilizing our beautiful Moraine Farm property has been a continual focus for her. 

Per Coleen, “This past school year I have been happy to step into the interim leadership role, and moving closer to my family has been on my mind for quite awhile. Now that the school is well positioned and moving forward with such positive momentum, I feel the time is right for me to make this transition. Being a member of the school community has helped shape me into the person I am today and I look forward to continuing to be a contributing member of the community. I am so grateful to all the colleagues, parents and students I have been lucky to work with. The strength of the community is evident when I reflect on all we have accomplished together and I am excited about what the future holds for the school.” 

We wish Coleen the very best in her next endeavors and are so grateful for everything she has brought to our community. She will be missed! 

Coming

Jack Hogan

We anticipate the return of facilities manager Jack Hogan this summer with great excitement. Jack has spent the past year on sabbatical traveling the world with his family. In Jack’s absence we have been deeply grateful to Al Masone for keeping our campus beautiful, upkept, and running. We look forward to welcoming back Jack and hearing many stories of his adventures

The pancake breakfast is a much beloved tradition at WSMF because it not only brings our community together, but it also provides a joyous opportunity for students to showcase their learning. Throughout the late winter and early spring, each class of students plays a part in the tapping of maple trees, collection of sap and boiling of sap to create syrup during their Science classes. Take a look at photos from the event below to see some proud students and their families enjoying the fruits of their labor!