Week 6
7th grade and our youngest students enjoy a work day in the EC play yard. / Grade 7 Navigators’ final projects
Dear Urban Prairie Families,
Waldorf schools love rhythm, and not only in orchestra class. Every day has a rhythm, as does every week, every season, and ultimately the year. In early childhood, the children know the week’s rhythm by the warm food they help prepare and sit down to a shared mealtime. Bread, soup, rice – these are the “days” in early childhood. In middle school, Fridays are Expedition Day, when the students head out on foot or by bus or chaperone caravan to experience some aspect of what they’ve been studying in the classroom or to do service.
Last Friday, on our Festival of Courage workday, in place of an offsite expedition, our 7th graders worked alongside the Early Childhood students, spreading woodchips in the EC playspace. Amazing what an earnest bunch of 3- and 4-year-olds can do for the spirits of 12- and 13-year-old adolescents!
Read along! If you enjoy a good book recommendation, please join our 7th graders as they read The First Rule of Punk, a coming-of-age novel written by local Chicago author Celia C. Pérez.
Puddle Season. As the weather gets wetter and colder, please do not forget to make sure your student has the outwear to help them brave the elements in style: warm layers, rain boots, rain pants, and raincoats. The playlot puddles are beloved across all our grades, so please send your student prepared for puddle stomping.
Party Time! Are we ready for another UPWS Adult Party? Scroll down to the Community Connections section and get your tix for our Dia de los Muertos event at Folklore, on Wednesday, November 2nd.
Picture Day. Last but not least – picture day is Tuesday, November 1st. If your student needs a haircut, now is the time to make that appointment!
Read on for news and reminders.
Kind regards,
Sharla
Calendar Highlights |
Thu, Oct 13 Grade 4 Foraging Expedition – 12:20-2:45pm
EC Parent Night 6:30-8:00pm
Fri, Oct 14 Grade 7 Expedition – Douglass Park
Fri, Oct 21 Grade 7 Expedition – Pilsen Food Pantry
Mon, Oct 24 Diwali – NO SCHOOL
Tue, Oct 25 Records Day – NO SCHOOL
Tue, Nov 1 Picture Day *NEW*
Wed, Nov 2 Dia de los Muertos – In School Celebration 1:30-3:00pm
*NEW* Friend-raiser & Party @ Folklore 6:30pm (adults only)
Fri, Nov 4 First Friday Coffee
Tue, Nov 8 Election Day – NO SCHOOL
Thu, Nov 10 Lantern Walk, Early Childhood, 5:30-6:30pm @ UPWS
Fri, Nov 11 Lantern Walk @ Evans Field in River Forest 5-6:00pm, grades 1-3
Fri, Nov 18 Festival of Thanks – In School Celebration
Nov 21- Nov 25 NO SCHOOL
Nov 21&22 Parent/Caregiver/Teacher Conferences
Tue, Nov 29 Giving Tuesday Annual Fund Kick Off
School News |
Educate is Coming!
Educate, our new student information system, is about to go live. Teachers are learning how to use the new system, and administrators are working out some kinks. Meanwhile, families can anticipate logging in. On October 21, we’ll email invitations to log into Educate along with a video that walks you through how to access school information, grades, and communications. We look forward to seeing you on the new platform!
Dia de los Muertos Festival – Weds, Nov. 2, 1:30 pm
Soon, we will celebrate Dia de los Muertos with an ofrenda and celebration. Students are invited to bring pictures of loved ones who have passed. Pictures should be of people, no pets. Pictures should be in frames that stand and labeled with the student’s name on the back. Picture submission deadline: No later than Monday, Oct 31.
On Weds, Nov 2, we will have an in-school celebration to remember, honor, and celebrate loved ones who have passed. We will start the festivities at 1:30pm in Cricket Hall with the ofrenda, and then move the celebration outdoors to the playlot at 2:05pm. Community members are welcome to attend one or both parties. For adults wishing to attend, please note that it will largely be standing-room only. If you cannot stand and need accommodations, please contact: cristina.filicky@urbanprairie.org or jessica.goc@urbanprairie.org.
Community Connections |
Our Día de los Muertos party is back! Get your tix!
Join us on November 2nd at Folklore in Wicker Park for the return of our annual “friend-raiser”! It will be an evening of dancing with delicious Argentine food and wine. Adults only, $75/person. Ticket sales support our Annual Fund. Buy your tickets here! (A big thank you to the DiSapio family for their generous donation of food, space, and DJ!)
Yearbook!
The 2021/2022 Yearbook should be ready by December! The Yearbook Team is looking for businesses that would like to advertise…do you have one or know anyone that does? Please contact me at anne.mcdonough@urbanprairie.org.
- If you haven’t already done so, make an account for you and your student(s) at https://www.treering.com. Here, you can design custom pages to put in the yearbook! Here is the passcode if needed: 1015088619453338
Are you someone that likes to organize events?
Community Connections is currently looking for parents and caretakers to help organize a Community Fair in December. Would that be you!? Please sign up if interested! Meetings will begin in early November.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D44AEAE2FA1FBCF8-community
Feeling like a little more Community Connection?
We’ve made a private Facebook group! This group is for discussions, reminders, open playdates, item donations, proud moments, and anything else we can think of. This link is available for 48 hours, but you’ll always be able to join. Feel free to email me if the link doesn’t work. anne.McDonough@urbanprairie.org.
Need to get some new winter gear or get rid of what you have? This is a great way to do it!
Check out our Swap n Sell page on FB:
Get Involved
Community Connections is always looking for great volunteers! If interested, contact me at: anne.mcdonough@urbanprairie.org.
- Yearbook – Helps produce our annual yearbook
- Facilities – Helps keep our outdoor space clean and welcoming
- Library – Manages and provides volunteers for the school library
- Class Delegates – Connects the class to Community Connections opportunities
- Makers’ Guild – Makes fabric-based items needed in the classrooms
- Social Club – helps in planning the fun stuff, like 1st Friday Coffee, beach days, BYOB Fridays, Color Team Potlucks
Anne Elizabeth McDonough
she/her
Community Connections Lead
Waldorf News |
Greetings From The Waldorf Teacher Institute:
Interested in exploring what it’s like to be a Waldorf teacher? The Waldorf Teacher Institute in Chicago is revamping our curriculum style for the year and switching to a monthly weekend seminar format. Students can either enroll for the entire series or choose one or more weekend seminars to fit their individual learning needs. Credits go toward the Waldorf Teacher Training Certificate Program or Continuing Education for current teachers. All are welcome. Attend in-person or online!
The entire series runs Oct-May and ends with a final week intensive in early summer. For a list of the full schedule, please go to the WTI website.
- Date: Friday, October 28 & Saturday, October 29
- Time: Friday 7-8:30 PM | Saturday 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Location: Chicago Waldorf School Campus
- Questions? Contact Us Directly: admin@waldorfteachertraining.org
| After School |
Aftercare
Aftercare is available until 5:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays ONLY for grades 1-8. Billing is quarterly (previously trimesters), with the below dates/prices. Space is limited! To sign up, please email dani.ruiz@urbanprairie.org.
| Quarter 1 | Sept 6 – Nov 4, 2022 | 1 Day/Week: $200
2 Days/Week: $400 3 Days/Week: $600 |
Note: Prices are the same for Quarter 1, 2, and 3. Quarter 4 is lower due to fewer days.
After-School Programming
Ms. Kondrat continues her much loved after-school programs. Sign up now!
Sign up for Volleyball here! It’s not too late!
Sign up for Basketball here!
| 2022-23 After School Program / Mondays, 3:30 – 5pm | |||
| Dec 5 – Jan 30, 2023
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM |
Basketball | Grades 6+
No Class during Holidays |
$150 |
| Feb 6 – Mar 20, 2023
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM |
Board Game Club | Grades 4+ | $120 |
| April 10 – May 22, 2023
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM |
Skateboarding | Grades 3+
Makeup Day June 5, 2023 |
$200 |
Questions? Please email dani.ruiz@urbanprairie.org. The cost of the program will be billed via TADS.
Private Music Lessons
Music Lessons are available for all students from Early Childhood through 8th Grade!
| New Music Lesson Schedule | |
| Quarter 1 | September 19 – November 11 |
| 30 Min Lesson | $45/Session |
| 45 Min Lesson | $60/Session |
| 60 Min Lesson | $75/Session |
If you are interested in Music Lessons or if you have any questions, please fill out this form, and we will reach out to you!
Health and Safety |
Managing Covid-19
To keep our community safe and healthy, Urban Prairie will follow these 4 simple rules to mitigate the spread and severity of Covid-19:
- Stay home when sick!
- If positive, stay home and isolate for 5 days. Alert the school!
- Upon return, wear a well-fitting mask for 5 days.
- If symptoms persist, stay home and isolate for 10 days.
- Household contacts must wear a well-fitting mask indoors for 10 days.
- Alert the school if you have Covid in the house.
- Test regularly!
- If symptomatic, follow the instructions above.
- Updated vaccinations are key!
- Students under 5 are now eligible for vaccines, and students ages 6-12 are now eligible for boosters.
- Keep rapid antigen tests at home!
Contact |
Absences – Call the main office at 312-733-5337 or email attendance@urbanprairie.org no later than 7:45am.
Curriculum & Classroom-Related Questions/Concerns – Please start by contacting your class teacher or subject teacher.
Administrative questions may be directed to –
Dani Ruiz, Operations Coordinator
Jessica Goc, Operations Manager
Jen Kang, Director of Curriculum & Instruction
Jenn Zielinski, Director of Enrollment Management & Variable Tuition
jenn.zielinski@urbanprairie.org
Sharla Paul, Head of School