Tag Archives: Richmond RI

Holiday Faire: November 17th & 18th, 2012

Posted on by
8

Monica Rodgers is a Waldorf graduate and mother of two. Now a Meadowbrook parent she volunteers her considerable talents to helping form our annual Holiday Faire.

Each year, our Meadowbrook Waldorf School community comes together to design and plan our traditional Holiday Faire. It is an event unlike any other in the area, and we have watched it grow each year in attendance as visitors come from all over the tri-state area and beyond to celebrate this special time.

As winter approaches cultures and religious traditions around the world celebrate this change of seasons with festivals of light.  This year our Holiday Faire will honor the light that each of us carries within, the light that guides and inspires us.  Our intention is that the warmth and light of the season touches you and all those you love and cherish.

We hope you will come and celebrate with us – and bring your family and friends!

November 17th:  Adults only evening; join us from 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM. Bring a new friend to our community and receive our coveted holiday “swag bag” put together for our first fifty guests and includes discounts, gift cards, and prizes from area businesses.  The evening will be a shoppers’ paradise, come and enjoy a bonfire, music, and other festivities.  Participate in our live auction and bid on items that will knock your socks off!

November 18th: Family day; any and all can attend a day filled with music, shopping, crafts, events, performances and natural foods. Open from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Some of the reasons you should join us this year:

  • This year’s theme is “Guiding Light” as we remember the warmth and light that this season brings to our hearts and homes.  Find beautiful crafts,  activities, performances, and unique gifts that portray this wonderful inspiration.  Our beautiful decorated campus will “light” your up your hearts and bring a smile to your faces.

  • Choose from an unbelievable assortment of gifts and products, with handmade items crafted by individuals in our own community.  These beautiful, timeless, and quality gifts are things you just can’t find anywhere else and they make a long lasting impression on those who receive them. Our school store will offer finely crafted European toys and delicacies to fill your stockings and deck your tree or table.  We hand-pick items that are made by quality artisans from around the world, including housewares, clothing, ornaments, and other fineries. Follow our board on Pinterest to get a visual sampling of our magnificent offerings, and don’t forget to “Friend” us on Facebook.  

  • This year we will add a new aspect to your shopping experience.  In addition to our ever popular school store and consignment section will be a new section of vintage accessories and gently used  wooden toys. This is a great selection of gifts for that person in your life who might just appreciate a piece of history by way of a vintage hat, piece of jewelry, wooden toy, or a fun handbag or top. This section is a great addition for the hard to buy “tween” or teen in your life, the antique collector, or super funky fresh individual who can appreciate the up-cycled nature of this type of gift. This section will stand along side an expanded collection of “dress up” clothing for kids and we’ll have a large dress up box so that you can consider adding to your dress up collection at home. Fairies, and pirates – eat your heart out!

 

  • Children and grown-ups alike love our ever popular Gnome Cave and our raved about Marionette Performances put on by our talented educators.  The  Ladies of the Rolling Pin  will also be in attendance and you won’t want to miss their fun singing and dancing.  We’ll invite you to dip your own candles and try your hand at some woodworking crafts so plan on bringing the kids for some family crafts and  don’t forget to stop so that the little ones can ride the ponies. Oh, and don’t forget the Pocket Lady as she roams among the children to offer treasures in exchange for tickets. She’s a magical being who always adds to the wonder of the experience.
  • Another long awaited addition to our Holiday Faire this year is an Auction that will be filled with products and services that our visitors can bid on. Join us in the excitement that comes with the possibility of placing the winning bid for more than fifty amazing items,  services, vacations, and gifts.

  •  If you would like to learn more about Waldorf Education and what it might have to offer for your own family,  you can visit with our education experts. Parent volunteers are also on hand to give insight into how the Waldorf experience has enriched the lives of their families and children.  Look for our Holiday Gift Guide when you arrive to find the room where we’ll be available to answer questions or demonstrate way’s in which our approach might differ from mainstream educational choices.

  • We promise if you join us you will go home with a full heart, and hopefully a sack filled with unique and inspiring holiday gifts for your friends, family, children, and grandchildren.

Brands include: Kathe Kruz, Haba, Grimms, Selecta, Ostheimer, Moleskine, Quiver, Red Chair Studio Designs, Peter Zuerner, Om’s by Miquette, Seedling, Kiddo, Bloc, Baby Legs, etc….

Gift ideas include: Marble runs, dolls, blocks, stilts, board games, accessories, jewelry, dress up, vintage, kitchen play, puppets, science kits, nature kits, sewing kits, collectibles, felt, looms, musical instruments, scarves, cutting boards, stocking stuffers, candles, ethnic gifts, blankets, linens, hand bags, hair accessories, home decor, card games, luminaries, beads, art supplies, crafts, clay, nativities, stockings, ornaments, hats, mittens, carvings, and much, much, much more! 

Subscribe to this blog to stay in touch with our community and learn about our other events.

 

 

 

 

Meeting Waldorf at the Circus.

Posted on by
Reply

As development coordinator for Meadowbrook, I was asked by a reporter why our school promotes Circus Smirkus.  On camera, a 30 second sound bite -  where to start!  Sure, from a development stand point it is a fundraiser but for me as a Waldorf parent this event has a value far beyond dollars and cents.  How to explain it?

An usher at a show attended by 107 day campers from Burrillville, RI shared some comments made by a group of young boys.  ”I could do that,” they assured each other as they watched some of the opening tricks.  A little further into the show there was an exclamation – “I couldn’t even do that!”; though someone else thought his dad could.  It didn’t take long for them to realize they were no match for the trained and talented Smirkos (as the troupers call themselves).  By the end of the show all the boys were in agreement – “I want to learn to do that!”  Artistic director Troy Wunderle writes in the playbill that, “In addition to talent, [Circus Smirkus] programs strive to cultivate focused individuals with sturdy minds, solid work ethics, positive attitudes and humble hearts”.  Who doesn’t want that for their child?  As a parent I know that no-one inspires a child in the way another child can, for better or for worse!  The passionate, hard working, joyful Smirkos are a gift to everyone engaged with growing children.

Circus Smirkus has no animals, it doesn’t boast spectacular effects or extravagant sets.  It does have a highly professional and dedicated crew who produce extremely high quality, theme driven shows.  This meshes well with the Waldorf love of story, expressive movement and meaningful use of color and live music.  The success of each show depends on the skill and showmanship of the performers.  As physically demanding as any competitive sport, circus requires the highest levels of teamwork with performers literally putting their lives in each others’ hands as they hang and balance high above the ring.  In this youth circus as in Waldorf education relationships are built by facing challenges together, by following through with tasks and responsibilities – doing the chores behind the scenes as well as the fun stuff in the limelight.

Three of the 29 troupers this year are Waldorf students, a high proportion when compared to the number of Waldorf students in the general population.  This finding is consistent with past tours so I asked Sara Wunderle the assistant operations director if there were any qualities that made Waldorf students particularly well suited to joining the circus.  She said, “Smirkus loves Waldorf kids.  They are well rounded and fit in easily socially”.  As she looked for a word to define how Waldorf kids typically tackle the demands of circus life I suggested ‘independence’ but the difference was something else.  Finally she chose the word ‘competence’.  A well developed sense of self that helps the individual to meet anything that needs doing with a grounded, ‘can do’ matter-of-factness.  They can be relied upon to get the job done.  She also said that the Waldorf troupers out perform in the Smirkus ring and all continue to excel after graduating, be it at other circuses or some quite different career.

It’s great fun to be part of this event.  Many members of our school community volunteer their time and effort to help with the logistics of presenting Circus Smirkus in Rhode Island.  We also provide the hospitality of our homes to the performers, making friends and hearing their stories – they really are a great bunch of kids!  My family was thrilled to see our home-stay troupers again from last year.  Over two days of shows we also see thousands of new faces.  The circus is an opportunity to meet people from other walks of life, to partner with local businesses and share our values with hundreds of local families.  As a parent at the school, I am proud that we make this wonderful event available to our neighbors.  As a parent at home, I am delighted to see my children caught up in happy circus imaginings, inspired to practice some of the skills they’ve seen and full of the joyous possibilities of life.

Smirkos back stage

I would love to hear your comments on all things circus, Smirkus and what events like these mean to you!