Hartsbrook Family Association

The Hartsbrook Family Association is a hub of connection and collaboration. We primarily connect parents with one another so we can share resources and support one another, which in turn allows Hartsbrook families to collaborate in our community — with teachers, administration, board, and the students.

Contact:
Jennie Abbingsole & Lisa Chodos
Co-Coordinators

fta@hartsbrook.org

Everyday Effortless Fundraising (formerly Scrip) – See Vesna in the Main Office or Check this out for RaiseRight App details.

Family Association meeting dates for Ambassadors and volunteers:

• • Meetings for Fall 2024 will be posted soon

Hartsbrook Family Camping 

Hartsbrook Family Camping is August 22-25, 2024 in Chesterfield, MA. Families, Alum, Faculty and Staff are invited to camp out under the stars. Many grades also have their welcome back gatherings as part of this event (day visits are welcome). Come tube or wade in the river (very child friendly), hike one of the trails, pack a picnic or play games on the field. Please see the Hartsbrook bulletin or your class ambassador for more information and sign up form!

Family Association 2024-25 Calendar Highlights

The Family Association celebrates the opportunities we have had to work together in support of our beloved Hartsbrook School. In each season, parent volunteers have come forward to help plan, prepare, and attend these beautiful school events. This year we have shared abundance through gifts of gratitude to faculty, staff, and families. Family Association funds from our Holiday Fair and Cabaret donations catered a staff/faculty holiday party, provided lunch for volunteers at our Community Work Days, hosted May Day of Giving Coffee Hour, sponsored the Spring Festival seed ball workshop, and thanked the May Pole musicians and caller, as well as contributing to gifts of appreciation to faculty and staff and for extra efforts and events culminating the year.

Family Association strives to bring families together and deepen our connection to our school’s community events. We are excited to work together on the following on-campus events:

• Fall Festival Week family events on campus
  • Community Work Day ~ Sunday 9/22
  • We need event and task coordinators to provide form for this opportunity to care for our campus working with our children and other families.
  • Clothing Share on the Festival afternoon ~ Wednesday 9/25 (rain date 9/26) 
  • Please join us for a Fall Festival Family Picnic after school on Friday, September 27, 2024! Gather as a Hartsbrook community to meet other families, play music or games, have conversations, and share time together on our beautiful campus.
  • Organized craft and nature activities encouraged! For example, wet felting, tie-dye, or other outdoor-friendly activities. Contact fta@hartsbrook.org with details about what you would like to offer and how we can help.
• Community Evening exposition ~ Thursday 10/24
• Artisan Market… & more? ~ Saturday 11/23
  • Artisan Market 10am-4pm, open to the public
  • Announcing the Holiday Fair Transition (see below)
• Winter Festival season events ~ December 10, 12, 18 
• Spring Festival Week family events
  • Community Work Day ~ Sunday 4/27
  • Clothing Share on the Festival afternoon ~ Wednesday 4/30 (rain date 5/1)
• Yoga + Dandelion Dash + Spring Family Picnic ~ Sunday, 5/4

Please join us in welcoming new families and supporting these events. How would you like to be involved or take the lead on coordinating Family Association efforts, whether it is toward events at school, supporting our faculty as class parents/ambassadors, or joining a committee? Contact fta@hartsbrook.org for next steps in supporting our school events.

Hartsbrook Holiday Fair Transition

Once upon a time, the Hartsbrook Holiday Fair was open to the public, bringing community members to our campus to experience our beautiful traditions and nourishing food. We sold tickets for children to enjoy hayrides, a marionette show by Early Childhood teachers, and class-sponsored activities including the candle dipping, children’s bazaar, and jump-rope making activities that have endured. We prepared and sold food, with long tables and chairs under a big tent. In those years, alongside student musical performances and showcases of student work, artisan vendors offered clothing, food, and gift items aligned with our Waldorf school values. The whole school pulled together to clear classrooms for activities and vendors, make small crafts with natural materials, prepare food, and welcome the community. The fair was both a fundraiser and outreach for the community to experience and learn about our school.

For 2020, we were able to offer a “Holiday Fair in a box,” containing kits to make beloved fair crafts, along with recipes and a story booklet to remind people of the fair at home. For the past three years, the Family Association hosted the fair outdoors for Hartsbrook families only, with a pre-registered, flat-rate cost entry for all activities and food. It was still run by volunteer parents, with support from faculty and staff. Classes chose to host activities or provide food, we had music and a few craft vendors. Thank you all for making this event a unique opportunity to connect and create a beautiful time together, rolling up our sleeves and working shoulder to shoulder to bring this beautiful event to students, alums, families, former faculty/staff/board, grandparents and friends!

Help us form a new vision for next year, in place of the storied Holiday Fair!

The Family Association is planning to host an Artisan Market 10am-4pm, open to the public, and supported by parent volunteers. We hope this more simple offering will allow all Hartsbrook families to participate at a comfortable level, and to welcome our extended community of regional neighbors to share this day with us.

Save the date – Saturday, November 23, 2024!

To offer more, such as music, student work exhibits, bake sale class fundraiser, or craft activities, we would need organizers and many volunteers! If you’re interested in doing this, please contact fta@hartsbrook.org and plan to attend a planning meeting in late August.