NEWSLETTER – AUGUST 2026

Dear WSSD Families,

I am honored and delighted to be joining the school community as your new Pedagogical Director. I look forward to getting to know your children and families, listening deeply, and working alongside our faculty, staff, and leadership to nurture the life of the school.

As summer begins to draw to a close, we hope these weeks have offered your family time for rest, renewal, adventure, and meaningful connection.

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We warmly invite you to join us for our All-School Work Day on August 29, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. This gathering is a wonderful way to meet fellow parents, faculty members, and school leadership while helping us prepare and beautify the campus for the students’ return. There are many different ways to lend a hand.

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Dear WSSD Families,

I am honored and delighted to be joining the school community as your new Pedagogical Director. I look forward to getting to know your children and families, listening deeply, and working alongside our faculty, staff, and leadership to nurture the life of the school.

As summer begins to draw to a close, we hope these weeks have offered your family time for rest, renewal, adventure, and meaningful connection. Here on campus, preparations are well underway. Projects large and small are taking shape as we ready our classrooms, grounds, and shared spaces for the return of our students and the beginning of a joyful and purposeful 2026–2027 school year. You’ll note the beginning of our grades playground renovation that will be completed in the coming months. We are excited to share more details and the timeline for the project at our Back To School Night on September 9.

This week, faculty, staff, administrative employees, and board members will gather together for our August meetings to collectively prepare for the coming school year. Alma Partners will return to lead workshops to continue their work with our school to intentionally create welcoming spaces and foster belonging for everyone in our community. This work includes reflecting on our curriculum and our school’s culture to meet our community’s needs. I will work in partnership with the Belonging Circle and with our faculty to ensure our work remains an ongoing priority during the coming school year and into the future. We look forward to sharing the school’s progress on this work at a PEP (Parent Enrichment) event this school year. More details will be shared once our PEP calendar is complete.

This year, we are pleased to welcome new class teachers in Grades 1 and 4. They join a deeply experienced and dedicated group of returning teachers across our other grades and subject areas. Together, our faculty brings a rich range of gifts, experience, and commitment to the children in our care.

As our leadership responds thoughtfully and responsibly to a recent decline in overall enrollment, we will begin the year with a leaner and more focused structure. Recent staffing changes have required adjustments, both small and significant, to parts of our daily schedule. They have also offered us an important opportunity to reflect on how we devote our time and resources to the heart of our work: the relationships, experiences, and educational practices that make our school truly and deeply Waldorf.

Please be assured that our commitment to the core Waldorf curriculum remains strong. The essential rhythm of the school day will continue, including the central role of Main Lesson—called Seminar in the high school—and the broad range of interdisciplinary academic work, artistic experiences, practical skills, movement, and subject lessons offered throughout the late morning and afternoon.

While the overall structure of the day remains the same, we are making some adjustments to the content of particular teaching periods. This kind of thoughtful evolution takes place each year, in ways both large and small. A living curriculum responds to the students before us, the needs of the community, and the particular gifts and talents of our teachers. The schedule is still being finalized, and we will share full details before the first day of school.

As we put the final touches on our preparations, we are filled with anticipation for the learning, growth, creativity, and companionship the coming year will bring. A Waldorf school is shaped not only by its curriculum and teachers, but by the care, participation, and shared purpose of its entire community. Your engagement, support, questions, and thoughtful feedback are always welcome.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Administrative Director Deborah Tweit, or any member of our faculty and staff. Look for our next Newsletter on September 2. We look forward to welcoming you and your students back to campus and beginning this new school year together.

With warmth and gratitude,

Daniel Hindes
Pedagogical Director
WSSD

We warmly invite you to join us for our All-School Work Day on August 29, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

This gathering is a wonderful way to meet fellow parents, faculty members, and school leadership while helping us prepare and beautify the campus for the students’ return. There are many different ways to lend a hand. Whether you enjoy gardening, organizing, cleaning, repairing, or simply working alongside others, your presence and contribution will be deeply appreciated.

In an effort to streamline and simplify everything that needs to happen at the beginning of the school year, we are excited to host our first community-wide Back-to-School Night on September 9, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Our goal with this event is to intentionally bring together the adults that hold and form our school community. It will be a place to connect, engage, learn and launch the 26-27 school year. Attendance from at least one parent/caregiver from each household is expected.

At this special evening, we will:

• Gather, connect and build the intentional community that will carry us through this year
• Meet school leadership and hear about the arc of the 2026-27 school year
• Learn about and sign up for volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved in the community
• Get your LiveScan background check (more information below)
• For grades families, attend your first class meeting of the year with your class teacher(s) (EC and HS first class meetings are happening on different dates)
• Receive and review important documents and paperwork

Last spring, our Pedagogical Group took time to reflect on the festivals and celebrations that shape our year at WSSD. We considered what each season invites us to experience and how our celebrations can better reflect those qualities, as well as who we are as a community today.

From this reflection came a renewed festival rhythm, rooted in the seasons, meaningful community experiences, and a deeper sense of reverence for the natural world and the rhythms of life.

One of the changes this year is a shift away from our Winter Festival. Winter is a time of inwardness, reflection, and renewal with themes of light in darkness, gratitude, and anticipation. We will honor these qualities through quieter winter experiences such as the Lantern Walk, Spiral of Light, Diwali, and Advent/Four Kingdoms Assemblies.

Instead, we are returning to a Harvest Festival in the fall, celebrating together on Saturday, October 24. Harvest is a time of gathering, transition, and inner strength–a time to recognize what we have cultivated, draw on our courage and initiative, and meet the challenges of the season with the strength of will. It is also a time to come together in service to the land and to one another, sharing our gifts and celebrating the fruits of our collective efforts. Our Harvest Festival will invite the whole community into this spirit of courage, gratitude, and service.

We recognize the Winter Festival has been a meaningful and beloved tradition at WSSD. We are deeply grateful to the many families and teachers who have given their time, creativity, and care to this celebration over the years. We honor that history as we make space for something new.

Our spring rhythm will include a community Spring Festival on Saturday, May 1, celebrating the qualities of awakening, renewal, growth, joy, and connection.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us as we shape these renewed festival traditions together.

Harvest Festival — October 24

The Festival of Courage

There is also a new state law requiring that all adults be fingerprinted prior to being eligible to chaperone students. This is a one-time requirement that will be kept on file for your time at WSSD.

Those who anticipate serving as a chaperone or driver during the coming school year are encouraged to complete the process as early as possible.

For your convenience, we plan to offer LiveScan fingerprinting and background-check services on campus:

• Wednesday, August 26th, 8:30-10:00 am
• Wednesday, September 2nd, 8:00-10:00 am
• Tuesday, September 15th, 8:00-10:00 am

Please note that the fingerprinting costs between $82 per adult. If this fee is prohibitive for your family, please reach out to Deborah Tweit so that we can ensure that all parents are able to chaperone.

Important Dates for Parents/Caregivers & At-A-Glance Calendar
Hot Lunch Program with Lineage Meals and Pizza Fridays with Pizza Cassette
WSSD Attendance Policy
WSSD Grades Dress Code Policy
New Volunteer Screening Requirements
Media Policy

Please note: much of the information provided here links to ParentSquare posts. We’re streamlining communications this year, so most updates will appear there without a notification — you’ll find them linked in our Weekly Wave and Monthly Newsletter instead. Time-sensitive messages will still notify you directly.

Welcome to a new school year at WSSD! We are grateful to begin another year in partnership with you and look forward to all that we will learn, build, and experience together.

Our school is sustained by the care, wisdom, and service of many people. To help families better understand how the school is led, how decisions are made, and how members of our community can participate, we would like to introduce WSSD’s collaborative leadership structure.

WSSD is guided by three interconnected realms of leadership: Pedagogical, Administrative, and Board. Each realm has its own responsibilities, and all three work together in service to our students, faculty, families, and the wider school community.

The Pedagogical Realm guides teaching, learning, and the educational development of the school. It is led by the Pedagogical Director, the Faculty Leadership Circle, and the Pedagogical Group.

The Pedagogical Director and Faculty Leadership Circle oversee the school’s day-to-day pedagogical work. The Pedagogical Group supports this work while also helping to nurture the school’s spiritual health and pedagogical ethos. Together, they bring insight, experience, and collective wisdom to the educational life of WSSD.

Pedagogical Director: Daniel Hindes

Faculty Leadership Circle (FLC): Peggy Waterhouse, Early Childhood Chair; Nicole Martinez, Grades Co-Chair; Johanna Laurelin, Grades Co-Chair; Jeremiah Johnson, High School Co-Chair; Maria Drogari, High School Co-Chair

Pedagogical Group (PG): Veronica Connaughton; Maria Drogari; Sara Gomes; Daniel Hindes; Johanna Laurelin; Nicole Martinez; Myra Sandelin; Peggy Waterhouse; Amanda Womble

The Administrative Realm helps ensure that the school operates smoothly and sustainably, creating a strong foundation for students, faculty, and families.

Under the leadership of the Administrative Director, the administrative team oversees the school’s daily operations, including admissions, finance, tuition adjustment, human resources, registration, communications, and facilities.

Administrative Director: Deborah Tweit

The Board of Trustees holds the legal and financial stewardship of the school. The Board works to support WSSD’s long-term stability, sustainability, and alignment with its mission.

Board members strategically plan for the future, help steward the school’s resources, and support the structures that allow WSSD to thrive. The Board meets monthly, and community members are warmly invited to attend the open-session portion at the beginning of each meeting.

Board of Trustees: Sarah Kleven McGann, President; Marie McDonald, Vice President; Tyler Hale, Treasurer; Rozzi Hafner, Secretary; Ricardo Dias, Trustee; Veronica Connaughton, Pedagogical Group Representative; Daniel Hindes, Pedagogical Advisor; Deborah Tweit, Administrative Advisor

The Leadership Council (LC) brings the three realms together. It is a collaborative group composed of representatives from the faculty, administration, and Board.

Each member brings the perspective and knowledge of their particular area while working toward decisions that serve the best interests of the school as a whole. LC meets weekly to support clear communication, shared responsibility, and thoughtful collaboration across the school.

Leadership Council Members: Daniel Hindes, Pedagogical Representative; Sarah Kleven McGann and Rozzi Hafner, Rotating Board Representatives; Deborah Tweit, Administrative Representative

We warmly invite parents, caregivers, employees, alumni families, and friends of WSSD to consider joining a Board committee.

Serving on a committee is a meaningful way to contribute to the health and future of our school. Committee members gain a deeper understanding of how WSSD operates, help strengthen the school’s accessibility and sustainability, and build relationships with others who care deeply about our community.

Board committees are formed each fall and generally welcome new members through October 15.

Committee service is also an opportunity to explore whether Board membership may be a good fit. Serving on a Board-supported committee is a prerequisite for joining the Board, and each spring, committee members are invited to apply for open Board positions.

No matter your professional background or previous experience, your perspective and participation are valuable. We hope you will consider finding a committee that speaks to your interests and joining us in this important work.

The Strategic Planning Committee works to identify and plan the school’s next steps toward long-term sustainability.

Meetings are held monthly, usually in person, on the second Thursday of each month. The first meeting is September 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Altadena Campus.

The committee is chaired by Ricardo Dias. To join the committee or learn more, please contact Ricardo at ricardo.ladias@gmail.com.

The Governance Committee works in partnership with the Pedagogical and Administrative Realms to support clear, effective, and transparent school governance.

Meetings are held monthly and in person at the Altadena Campus. The first meeting is September 10 at 12:45 p.m. at the Altadena Campus.

The committee is chaired by Sarah Kleven McGann. To join the committee or learn more, please contact Sarah at kleven.sarah@gmail.com.

The Finance Committee helps steward the financial health and sustainability of the school in alignment with WSSD’s mission, values, and educational philosophy.

Meetings are held on Zoom on the third Thursday of each month. The first meeting is September 17 at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom.

The committee is chaired by Tyler Hale. Because sensitive financial information is discussed during meetings, additional membership requirements apply to this committee.

To express interest or learn more, please contact Tyler at tylerhale1@gmail.com.

Moving forward, the Marketing and Development Committees will be led by the administrative realm with partnership and support from the Board. Marie McDonald will continue her work with the Development Committee and Rozzi Hafner will continue her work with the Marketing Committee.

The first Marketing Committee meeting will be held on September 4th at 8:30 am at the lower school campus. To learn more about the Marketing Committee, please contact Rozzi Hafner at rrhafner@gmail.com.

The first Development Committee meeting will be held on September 18th at 9:00 am at the lower campus. To learn more about the Development Committee, please contact Marie McDonald at smarielmcdonald@gmail.com.

Board meetings are held monthly at the Altadena campus from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

All community members are invited to attend the open session, which is generally held from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Attending a meeting is a wonderful way to learn more about the Board’s work and remain connected to the life of the school.

This year’s Board meetings are scheduled for August 25, September 15, October 13, November 17, December 8, January 12, February 9, March 9, April 13, May 11, and June 8.

Thank you for being part of the WSSD community. Our school is strengthened by the care, participation, and commitment of its families, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends. We look forward to working together throughout the year in support of our students and the future of our school.

This message contains a lot of information! We invite you to our Community Meeting on September 24 at 6:00 p.m. where representatives from the leadership will discuss our plans for this school year and the future of WSSD.

In partnership,

Veronica Connaughton, Ricardo Dias, Rozzi Hafner, Tyler Hale, Daniel Hindes, Marie McDonald, Sarah Kleven McGann, Deborah Tweit

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