Whatcom Hills Waldorf School Annual Giving Report 2019-2020

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Annual Giving dn a

2019-2020

Yearly Report

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A message from the Pedagogical Head.....

A year ago, I sat in expansion committee meetings brainstorming strategies for alleviating the overcrowding we were experiencing on campus. With full classes, waiting lists growing, and every space in the school utilized to the maximum, ideas were percolating.

Then came a shock. Over a fateful weekend in March, teachers, students and parents had to suddenly adjust to remote learning. We thought it would be just for a couple of weeks but then it went through Spring Break until ultimately, we had to resign ourselves to continue to the end of the school year. We felt helpless, we were sad, but as we sat in our homes and watched our incredible eighth-graders confidently present their end of year projects online, we celebrated. Our “Class of 2020” became our 25th graduating class, and were honored with a beautiful drive through celebration and so much love.

To say this has been a stressful year is an understatement. Many of us in leadership positions feel like we have been clambering over huge obstacles for the past eight months. Our enrollment has dropped significantly, and new health protocols have brought many challenges. At times it has been hard to see our way forward. Yet we only have to think of our students present and past to inspire us to find a way.

As we have slowly been able to return to in-person learning, the joy in our teachers and students has been palpable. Children need our school more than ever - they need a meaningful education taught by a striving human being, they need real life social interaction, they need to move their bodies in a purposeful way, they need to feel music in their hearts, and they need to hear meaningful stories. We are still a Waldorf school, and we still believe in our mission. We teach our students to love the earth and understand humanity so they will grow to be agents of love and change. Their future contributions are going to be very important in an ever-changing world.

More than ever before, we see how precious our community is. And, like ripples on water, our community extends beyond our physical school. It includes our families who are homeschooling for the year, our recent graduates, our alumni, Waldorf parents and grandparents past and present, and those who have left this world yet are still in our hearts.

There are many people at WHWS working exceptionally hard to keep our school going, and at this important crossroads in our school’s history, they need your support. Please consider making a donation that will help us bring back our full staff, build outdoor classrooms, and support our budget so we can continue into the future upon the firm foundation that we have built over the past 34 years.On behalf of the faculty and staff, I thank you all whole-heartedly for your love and support.

Emma Zook

A message from the Parent Council Chair Dear Friends, Our 2019-20 school year began with a flurry of happy families stopping by our first-day-of-school coffee to connect and share stories from a long, lovely summer full of fun adventures. It was just the spark we needed to start the fire that fueled our busy fall and winter festival life. We rode this wave all the way into March where we were stopped in our tracks by the COVID 19 pandemic. It is an amazing thing to witness the optimism and tenacity of people in the midst of tragedy.

As we worked together to halt the pandemic and flatten the curve we also worked on Google Classroom and Zoom. We studied at home and we reimagined our Spring Auction. With scaling back, doing more with less and thinking outside the box, we put forth an online auction that brought our community together for three days of online bidding, netting $26,000 to put toward our Emergency Financial Aid Fund. On that wave of success the Parent Council continued, working closely with our Care and Community Committees, to plan safe drive-through events. Suddenly scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs of student assignments became opportunities to celebrate May Faire, our resolve, and ultimately our 2019-20 graduates.

While the 2019-20 school will be etched into our hearts, minds and souls as one of the most challenging, it also provided a unique opportunity for us to tap into our imaginations and discover new ways to pull each other close and remain a tight knit community, all while being true, responsible citizens of the world. I am so grateful to be a part of this community.

Barbara Federpiel

A message from the Board Chair.....

Since the last Annual Report, a lot has transpired in the world and in our community. As they say, “what a difference a year makes”. Last year at this time, the school was celebrating full enrollment paired with a solid financial outlook. We were also making solid progress in addressing the discrepancy in wages between our teachers and public-school teacher pay. We were even exploring the further expansion of our school to meet the increasing interest in enrollment.

In general, the school was in the best shape it has ever been in.

Unfortunately, last March the pandemic reached Whatcom county and the school made the difficult decision to close the campus. With this decision, the Collegium and Administration quickly moved to a remote learning model. A Waldorf curriculum grounded in Experiential Learning is a living and breathing education that is uniquely crafted for each student in the class. How do you translate such a rich experience when teacher and student cannot be in the same room?

This was the challenge our teachers took on, and I personally was in awe of how they rose to the occasion. Not only was I impressed with how the teachers and staff transitioned, but I was also in awe of how our community responded.

The new school year, and the continuation of remote learning, has not been without its hardships. Outside of the challenging logistics of remote learning and space constraints around COVID-19, the school has also had to deal with financial challenges. Many families had to make difficult decisions which resulted in this year’s enrollment being half of last year's. Due to the reduced tuition revenue and minimal in-person learning, we have had to reduce staff and deplete our financial reserves to maintain operations through this school year. As I said earlier, “what a difference a year makes”.

Soon we will be kicking off our Annual Giving Campaign, which is incredibly important to the school’s operations considering our financial challenges. This year donations will be used to address specific challenges brought on by the pandemic. Donations from this year’s campaign will be used in the following order: Payroll to return specialty teachers to the school. This will allow the school to eventually return to full-day classes.

Additional Outdoor structures/classrooms will allow us to expand the number of students on site while maintaining appropriate social distancing.

Cover additional costs incurred from the pandemic, including PPE and air filtration.

A successful annual giving year will make all the difference for the future of our school, so if you are able to, I ask you to please consider donating. No amount is too small. In closing, I want to thank the teachers and staff for their tireless efforts in educating our students while ensuring appropriate measures are taken to keep everyone safe. I also want to thank our whole community and our volunteers for their many contributions. As a parent at the school, I see the difference this school is making for my children and their schoolmates. Even with everything this year has brought, I continue to see their resiliency and a joy of learning inspired by seeing their teachers and those they respect moving forward with hope and perseverance.

Tom Cahill

2019-2020 Financials 8% .8%

14.9%

.5%

75.8%

Revenue Tuition & Fees Grants Fundraising Misc. $13,319 Childcare

$1,396,181 $274,260 $149,206 $13,319 $8,691 Total: $1,841,657

5.4%

Expenses Payroll Facilities Program Operations

4.2%

$1,493,546 $97,821 $75,987 $94,463 Total : $1,761,817

84.8%

5.6%

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Work Entrusting your precious child to WHWS is an honor we don’t take for granted. We believe that the stewardship of young minds & hearts is both a moral and educational imperative, and the poignant events of the past year have only strengthened our commitment to be an inclusive place to learn and grow.

Human rights, the study of indigenous populations, and religious & ethnic diversity have been interwoven in our curriculum for 35 years.

We offer young people opportunities to examine preconceptions, explore new reasoning, and to think critically and compassionately about the world around them. Loving teachers aim to make our classrooms not only safe places, but brave spaces, where students can question, wonder, and be themselves without fear of judgement. Finally, we strive to keep Waldorf education accessible to all children and families.

Every community owes its existence and vitality to the hopes, dreams, ener󿵋 and sacrifices of the generations that came before. In this light, our school respectfully acknowledges this place, its history, and the Northwest Coast Salish and Lummi people—past, present, and future—upon whose beautiful ancestral lands we are privileged to live and work.

But there is still much work to be done, and we ask you to join us in exploring & elevating the commitment to social & restorative justice in our school community and beyond. If possible, consider making a gift towards tuition assistance, which ensures equitable access to Waldorf education for all families. If you have insights, feedback, or concerns to share, please contact us at dei@whwhs.org. We invite you to be active participants in our ongoing journey towards justice.

Waldorf... is preparing them to enter the world with a strong sense of both self and community, fostering individuals who are compassionate, creative, critical thinkers - the type of thinkers that we need to create a better world."

WHWS Parent Robin Schweigert

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Why I Teach at WHWS The art and music.... the beautiful poetry and singing... it's kind of a little like heaven on earth I think, sometimes, being here at the school. h p e s o J

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-5th

G ra d e

The thing that I love specifically about working here is the feeling of community. I definitely feel part of something bigger than just being a teacher here and that's appealing to me.

C h ild h h

I think that it's the collection of all the shining souls that come to school here: the parents that help to support everything for us, the teachers that create an amazing experience for every student, and the kindergarten children that brings so much joy with them.

What the school means to me is...love. The embracing of the community, the love that everyone's sharing with each other, the support, the help. The looking after one another, the watching over our children.

To teach is to touch a life forever.

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Inspiring Wholehearted Experiential Magical Creative Flexible Alternative Fluid

I was an enthusiastic student for the first time, and was encouraged to work at my own pace.

This gave me tremendous

Loving

Adventurous

Authentic

Warm

Community

Holistic Well-rounded

self-esteem and self-worth

Relationships

Fellowship

The impression of my years at WHWS is deep and I find myself drawing from it skills that are at the core of my being. If I could describe Waldorf with one word it would be

'authentic'

Engaging

Multidimensional

"I treasure my personal experience as a student at WHWS. I was diagnosed with ADHD and during a therapy session came to the conclusion that a hands-on style of learning was exactly what my brain needed to thrive.

Defining

Optimistic De Fun scr ibe Wald orf in one word

Words from Alumni Rachel Sager, '05

I often reflect on how formative my

. The unique

time at Waldorf was for me

-heavy

interdisciplinary and writing

nature of Waldorf education helped me

form a strong foundation of both

critical and

creative thinking skills

I will forever be grateful for my Waldorf education. It strengthened my

problem solving skills

taught me that the best learning happens through experiences, and supported me in following my specific interests.

Marisa Kerkvliet, '10

, '12

Sophia Laws

My time at WHWS instilled in me a deep and appreciation for community, and a passion

curiosity

for integrating art and creativity into all of my work.

Ben Phillips, '05

"I credit Waldorf for developing my attitude towards learning that fuels my desire to ask questions & search

for answers as a scientist."

Anna Hasche, '09

“[All] the

relationships from my time as a Waldorf student helped shape me, and have stuck with me.”

Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, '11

“I feel very fortunate that I was able to experience this type of education, as it highlights that there are different approaches to education that work better different approaches for some rather than others.”

Andrew Marshall Rodenberg '08

Whatcom Hills has seen 27 classes come through its doors since 1986.

Graduates have gone on to work in all different areas of life.

One thing they all have in common is an incredible capacity to do enormous works of good. They are self-directed, resilient, flexible, creative, curious, empathetic and deeply connected to community and the natural world.

WHWS Founded in 1986 625 Band Aids & Love to go with it!

>

40 new students Enrolled

Whatcom Hills Waldorf School

100,000 Smiles

AWSNA & WECAN accredited

Fun Facts 2019-2020

Average Class Size: 20

5 early childhood classrooms & 8 grades classrooms

the Geneva School house (now WHWS) Was Built in 1891

Please enjoy this beautiful Video made by alumnus Dougal Brownlie, Class of '08

Everyone interviewed (students, parents- past and present, teachers & alumni) have a legacy with the school between 3 years - 26 years.

They were asked:

One Word ?

Video Here

We would like to thank all the people who generously gave of their time to support the making of this video: Becky Brownlie | Becky Connor | May Corcoran | Alexandra Doumas | Rosamund Dyer | Gina Ebbeling | Jordan Ebbeling | Cathy Gersich | Aidan Glaze | Helena Hiltner | Joel Hiltner | Emerson Hiltner | Chris Hoyos | Ceci Lee | Maggie Lee | Maggie Mamolen | Olga Mellor | Heather Nelson | Hayden Nelson | Jazzy Nelson | Kim Papritz | Curt Pavia | Sarabeth Pemble | Chris Phillips | Amy Picco | Jack Picco | Courtney Pineau | Natalie Rehberger | Holly Roger | David Steege | Joseph Steffen | Fern Teed | Howard Wright | Sam Wright Grace Wright | Sagit Zaharya | Alia Zook

Annual Giving 2020

$250

$100

Starting strong: Wreath Sales $20,000!

$1200

$500

$5000+

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$1200 x 25 People = $30,000 $100 x 12 Months = $1200 $25 x 4 Weeks = $100 $5 x 7 Days = $25 1 Cup of Coffee = $5

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Crystal & coffee cup art hand painted by alumnus Jessie Pemble '09

Tap here!

2000 Then and Now...because of You!

2020

2000 Anything is Possible!

2020

en to our List

hist

ory h ere

"WHWS gave my two boys much more than a great education. It gave them a path forward in life guided by empathy, curiosity, and

Video Here

ethics....Waldorf taught them how to learn, which will serve them well for their entire life."

Robin Bigelow, parent, class '07 & '11

We are frequently reminded

Courtney Pineau Chris Phillips & Maggie Mamolen

of the strengths of a Waldorf education. An ability to engage in academic challenges with “head, heart and hands”. To work in concert with one’s peers and

Video Here

elders. To think creatively about problems, while seeking a deeper understanding of their origins.

To develop artistic as well as intellectual means of expression.

Evan & Heather Freedman class '18 Chris Hoyos

Video Here

Alumni Parents

We Thank You

With Gratitude to our generous donors....

We couldn't do it without You! Wendy Adkinson Michelle & Joseph Anderson Patricia Anderson Barbara Federspiel & Kevin Baier Carolyn & Joe Baier Jenny Baker Couch Jerry & Allison Barnett Lesli Beasley Renae Becker Molly & Brad Belvo Jess & Ken Berry Marianne Berry Beth Beyers Robin Bigelow Dorcus Nung-Blake & Marc Blake Anne & Don Bligh Jenny & Michael Blythe Sandra & Brian Boatman Joseph Ford & Catherine Boland Courtney Pineau & Jeff Bos Erik Bracht Diane Brainard Michelle & Josh Brightwater Aaron Brownlee Elizabeth Brownlee Becky & Simon Brownlie Susan & Brian Buck Bryan Brink & Jeanine Bushue

Lily Lewison & Drew Butler Tom & Shannon Cahill Anji & Todd Citron Christina Claassen Rachel Clark Pamela Jons & Mike Cohen Vicki & Misha Collins Paul & Becky Connor Mary Corcoran Christina & Louis DeLaCruz Krista & Erik DeRoche Rachel Dorell Joseph & AdrienneDoucette Alexandra Doumas Jacy Doumas Matt & Anna Dowling Kyra & Bob Dyer Karen Ebbeling Holly & Nathaniel Egging Dori Eppstein Randy & Kelly Espinoza Mia Firoavanti Phillip & Wanda Ford Heather & Evan Freedman Tabitha Nenninger & Solomon Gill Mary Coulthurst & Dan Glaze Eddie & Clover Goodsir Laurie Grey

Leah & Jeffrey Grossman Evan & Amy Hall Renee & Steve Hall Ida Hall Dan Harvey Carla Hasche Hans Hasche-Kluender Scott Jones & Liana Herron Joel & Helena Hiltner Donald Hines Heather Tiszai & Joe Hoats Maggi Holbert Kelli Holden Angela & Jonathan Holloway Maggie Kinsella & Jim Hopper Chris & Sal Hoyos Therese Hubbell Josie Johnson Scott Johnson Dale Johnson Daniel Hinkley & Robert Jones Tom & Karen Keller Daniel Kirkpatrick Sarah & William Klein Garry Fleming & Maria Koplowitz-Fleming Ephraim & Laura Kurszewski TJ & Cecilia Lee Eric & Amy Sue Leonhardt Jennifer & Beck Longstreet Thomas Ludwig Jennifer MacDonough Ken & Amy Mann

Tod Mann Pauli & Ian Marshall Sue Marshall Natural Isreal & Erin McDonald Philana McInnis Amy Brown & Eric Mickelson Jan & Jim Moore Morgan & Adam Morvee Loren Mueller David & Beth Namba Aaron Levi & Ann Neal-Levi Brandon & Heather Nelson Laura & Micah Newgard Brandon Nichole Scot & Coleus Nichols Hilda Notley Alicia Toney & Derek Ormerod Peter & Gregory Ormsby Jessica & Mark Parrish Holly Roger & Curt Pavia Kathy Payne Rodd & Janie Pemble Aaron & Katie Perzigian Nancy Notley & Robert Perzigian Maggie Mamelon & Chris Phillips Adrienne Pratt Michael Preston Janice Ransom Michal Retter Fred & Gloria Rhoades Nancy Robbins Steve & Marcia Robey

Sharkee & Deborah Roessler Brian & Beth Rusk Rhonny Russman Peter Moran & Ingeborg Sacksen Elie & Lisa Samuel Jamie & Aaron Sanday Ann & Jim Sargent Sebastian Schoelss Kimberly Sealy Gina & Matt Shannon Jamie & Jay Silver Emmelina Mojica & Chuck Spencer Michael & Robin Stacy David Steege Karin Petersen & Joseph Steffen Melissa Stone Jahna & Josh Stumpf Stina Olson & Christopher Sunde Annie & Luke Tabor Patricia & Craig Thom Maia Thomas Lindsay & Guy Tucker Elizabeth VanLaanen Frances Vantoch Kelly & Michael Villarreal Leah & Cheung Vong Wayne Terry & Margot Wade-Terry Liz & Chad Warren

Joseph & Sharon Weckerly Megan & Noah Westgate Tamara Newmoon & Jason Wheeler Brigitte Wiescher Kari & Howard Wright Scott Wright Emma & Greg Zook Curtis & Helen Zook Anonymous Adobe Benevity Fund Hummingbird Fund John E. Goerlich Charitable Trust Mighty Cause Charitable Foundation Network for Good Phillips 66 Waldbaum Family Foundation WECU Your Cause Donor Fund Auction Sponsors: Banner Bank Vierra Creative 3OMS Yoga Wild Acres Farm Brownlie, Wolf and Lee Samuel’s Furniture Brandon Nelson Partners

If we misspelled your name or accidentally omitted your kind donation, we ask for your understanding.

Kindly let our office know so that we can rectify our mistake.

Our children are educated in a holistic way with deep love and care and, as a result, they are learning more than just academics. They are becoming kind, reverent, compassionate and thoughtful human beings, and that is what the world needs more than ever.

Thank you!

Your generous donation impacts every aspect of our school, including programs, student support, professional development, and care for the beautiful historic campus we call home. Your participation in our Annual Fund is tremendously important and benefits every child.

Your heartfelt giving reflects back to the whole community your love and support for the rich and beautiful education that our Waldorf school provides.

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Annual Report created by alumni Jessie Pemble, Dougal Brownlie, Admin. Becky Brownlie

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Mark Your Calendars: Facebook/Giving Tuesday Dec. 1st 2020, 5:00am (PST)- click here and/or Donate on our webpage here

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Whether your gift is $10 or $10,000....it matters.