Hartsbrook Family ResourcesTools and SupportQUICK LINKS Family Portal | Family Association | Athletics | Health Office | High School Hub | Workshops | Photos | BigSis | Community Handbook | Fundraising | School Store | Facebook Group WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK Download a 1-page PDF version of this calendar. ATHLETICS Registration is now open for Basketball and Ski & Snowboard Club. Learn more and register for Basketball There is a mandatory pre-season basketball meeting for parents/caregivers (and athletes) onMonday, November 20th from 3:30-4:00 in the Assembly Hall, 2nd Floor Piening Hall. Please have one parent/caregiver from each family be present at this meeting. Learn more and register for Ski & Snowboard Club HOLIDAY FAIR UPDATES The holiday fair is now closed for registrations. You may join the waiting list, and we’ll contact you if parking spots become available. Already registered? Volunteer for a shift! See more details in the November 15th email update from the Family Association. FAMILY EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS & PROGRAMS See full details of these programs on our Workshops page. Our family education workshops are chances to unite with your community and a leader in a specific domain. Each session delves into a particular topic, ranging from Simplicity Parenting, wilderness first aid and safety, health and wellbeing, Anthroposophical themes, artistic endeavors and more! Here are a few dates to get you started, and more will be added throughout the year! Community Crafting: Paper Luminaries – 12/14 (save the date) WEEKLY WEDNESDAY MEDITATION CIRCLE: Join other Hartsbrook parents, caregivers, and faculty/staff members every Wednesday from 8:30-9:10am in silent meditation together in the South Mod – tutoring room. There are also a number of adult-centered school activities coming up in the coming months, hosted by the Family Association. Volunteers to help are always welcome, please email fta@hartsbrook.org with your interest. SEEKING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS! We are also looking for volunteers for many activities around school. If you’re feeling called to get more involved, please reach out to the following people if you are interested: Campus Committee (campus improvement projects like painting, building, gardening and more.) Contact Leslie Ritchie Dunham: lritchiedunham@hartsbrook.org Community Reporting (write articles about athletics, plays, and school events for the blog, bulletin, and Hartsbrook Journal – with freedom to choose what you cover) Contact Amanda MacArthur: communication@hartsbrook.org AFTER SCHOOL PLAY Last spring we were delighted to have families gather around the Athletic Field after school as a way to connect and also transition before leaving school. We would like to remind families that this area is the designated space for gathering and the spaces beyond are all used for after school programs including the play yards and inside school buildings. Families are welcome to stay until 4pm. PARKING LOT NOTES We are so excited that our school is growing every year, and with that comes growing pains in the parking lot. Leslie Ritchie-Dunham, our Operations Manager asks families and caregivers to kindly consider the following when parking: Please do not pull up too far (or not far enough sticking out into the driving aisle) to make 2 lines of cars. In general, this goes pretty well at Hartsbrook, but if one person parks too far into the lane in front, it blocks a parking spot. Please pull up closer to the car next to you so that you’re not in the middle of two parking spots. This greatly reduces the number of parking spots available. Interesting Parking Info: The average car width is around 5’ 8”ish. The typical parking width is 8’6” with 9’ being generous. That means there should only be 28 (typical)-40 (generous)” between cars in a typical side by side parking lot. We don’t draw the lines because they disappear very quickly on our lot given the hours of work to lay them out. But you can imagine it! Please leave about 36” max between cars! It is enough for a car door and to get in and out. So when you are pulling in, if you think about 3′ between cars max, everyone should all be able to park. CARPOOLING Even if you don’t need to carpool but can offer rides, please consider signing up for the carpool list. MORE EXTENDED DAY OPTIONS In addition to the Early Risers and Extended Day, Auxiliary Manager Lisa Chodos has also put together some exciting after-school programs for students. Stay tuned for future programs. WOOLEN ORDER NOW OPEN The “Woolen Order” is now open! Between now and December 21st, Danish Woolen Delights is offering 25% off most items and will donate 10% of sales to Hartsbrook! Check out DanishWool.com and use the discount code HRTSBRK2325 at checkout. Favorite brands like LANACare, HOCOSA and Geggamoja brands are all included in this sale! We are thrilled to have the generous partnership of Danish Woolen Delights again this year and have some exciting updates to share: Product improvements – The red 100% wool kids’ pants now feature knee patches, along with blue and white color options. New brands – Finnish ManyMonths will return, arriving around September/October. Thicker than HOCOSA, they’re wearable outdoors as well. Styles for women, babies, and kids will be available New products – Ruskovilla balaclavas,; Engel & Disana woolens; NANGA boiled wool slippers; Grödo (Germany) organic wool socks for babies and kids are in stock, with more coming in September Products excluded: factory outlet, sale items and some brands are excluded from the sale but do count toward the donation to Hartsbrook Community Handbook 2023/24 High School Handbook 2023/24 Health Handbook 2023/24Ways to ConnectFamily Association The Family Association is on a mission to create cohesion in our community at all levels: with teachers, to support their ability to give our children the very best with parents, to enhance our bandwidth so we can help each other when challenges come with staff, to let their gifts shine to create a truly extraordinary environment for our children, around whom this entire community shapes its hearts and action! All-Weather Gear Hartsbook Outdoor Learning Gear and Preparedness Guide Contact: Jennie and Lisa FTA@hartsbrook.org Hartsbrook Family and Guardians Facebook Page: Join Now Hartsbrook Family Google Group: Join Now The Family Association sponsors and supports... Community Crafting Let's craft together on the second Thursday of the month, from 8:30-10:30am! Let’s craft together on the second Thursday of the month, from 8:30-10:30am! October 12, 2023 November 9, 2023 December 14, 2023 January 11, 2024 February 8, 2024 March 14, 2024 April 11, 2024 May 9, 2024 Coffee Houses Winter nights filled with warmth and community talent of all ages. Come together for performances by our community: January 19, 2024 March 1, 2024 Holiday Fair November 18, 2023 A day for Hartsbrook families to enjoy food, games, artisans and music together on campus! November 18, 2023, 10-2pm – Holiday Fair for Hartsbrook Families New Artisan Market – Open to the Public – 3-6pm Work Day and Clothing Swap Week of September 24 and April 28 Come together to prepare for festival week at the work day, then donate and find new-to-you items at the clothing swap on Festival Day! September 24, 2023 – Work Day September 27, 2023 – Clothing Swap April 28, 2024 – Work Day May 1, 2024 – Clothing Swap All School Camping The best weekend of the summer! A gorgeous river for swimming, bike trails, and a huge bonfire. Children and families to mix, mingle, and roam! August 31 – September 3, 2023 Engagement OpportunitiesTeacher Support A healthy parent-teacher or parent-advisor relationship is vital to creating a mutually supportive environment for your child through the years. Support a productive learning enviornmentFamilies can support their teachers by providing a home environment conducive to learning, a quiet place for homework, adequate nutrition, a good night’s sleep, and limited exposure to media experiences. Please arrive at school on time or a little early! Communicate with your teachers, they are your family's alliesCommunicate with teachers about any significant happenings in your child’s life that will impact his/her/their school experience. Collaborate with teachers for possible tutor assistance or additional evaluations. Attend parent/teacher conferences. Keep informed!Most important is to read the Weekly Bulletin emailed on Wednesday afternoons. Your class teacher will also send weekly or bi-weekly emails. The Hartsbrook website, particularly the Family Resources page, provides information about the school, events, meetings and athletic schedules. Participate in your class' happeningsAttend class meetings, volunteer to chaperone, sign up to help with plays, join in on family trips. There are ways to be a part of and support class initiatives that will work with your schedule and interests! Volunteer Support The second area of parent engagement is through volunteering your time and talents to support the Hartsbrook community in building a strong school. Join in festivals and special eventsWe invite all parents to participate in the annual Holiday Fair, including preparations and staffing of the event. You will be invited to participate in other events, celebrations, the Harvest, Winter and Spring Festivals and fundraising events. Participate in community activitiesStop in for monthly Friday morning coffee, take a crafting class, help at an event, offer your skills – there are many ways to get involved. Our community has so many gifts to share that support the school and enhance student experiences. What will you bring? Participate in community work daysIn the fall and spring we invite all members of our school community to participate in a fun work day to complete necessary projects as a community. Be an Ambassador and help with community outreachFull enrollment is the best form of long-range financial health for the school. Word of mouth from our present families remains the most effective means of increasing interest in our school. We invite you to assist the Enrollment Department in welcoming people to the Hartsbrook community (staff open houses, host international students, coordinate student art displays, or help organize community service projects). Join the Family AssociationAll parents/guardians are invited to join and participate in the Family Association (FTA), as it builds deeper connections between parents/guardians and the Hartsbrook Community. Financial Support The third area of engagement is financial support for the Hartsbrook School and the education provided for your children. TuitionTuition is the major source of revenue for the school, but we strive to keep that tuition amount affordable while supporting a vigorous academic, child-development focused curriculum. Donate to Hartsbrook’s Annual Giving CampaignThe true cost of educating each child exceeds tuition revenue and must encompass support for tuition on the sliding scale for qualifying families and budgeted program costs. Like other schools, we ask families to invest in their child’s education, as they are able, by making a tax-deductible donation to Hartsbrook. more about ways to give Shop at the Seven Sisters School StoreThe Seven Sisters School Store combines physical and online sales. It is open every Friday during the Friday morning coffee time and at other times during the year. Profits support the school. Learn more about our school store or shop online. Special feesDuring the year, additional fees may arise, if, for example, tutoring, external consultations, or special services are recommended that the school does not provide. Other expenses may include: musical instrument rental or purchase starting in Grade 4, private music lessons, optional sports fees starting in Grade 5 and some optional high school class field trips (for example, Model UN). Assistance for these fees may be available. In Support of our Extraordinary Community “It may be the work with the animals in the barns, the bees in their hives, the care of the soil through building compost piles; perhaps growing a vegetable garden to feed the community or harvesting grains to mill and bake bread with. All these experiences, and many more, combine to connect our students with life on this planet, and what is needed to develop the skills to be knowledgeable and caring members of this global community – joining knowledge, a measure of grit and skill, combined with just the right amount of empathy. What a wonderful combination with which to step out into this new world”. -Nicki Robb, Land Stewardship Director