Loose Threads: Issue #3
Where the pieces come together.
We're Back At It!
Welcome to this week’s Loose Threads, where we gather stories, sparks, and updates from across our school and community.
This is where we pull out our handwork bags and share what we've been workin' on! Like any good handwork project, every small stitch of time, care, and community effort comes together to create something beautiful and lasting for our children.
Parents’ Night Out: A Hit!
Last week, the Family Guild’s Fun Committee (yes, that’s a real thing... and they live up to the name) hosted our very first Parents’ Night Out at Grand Central Petaluma. It was everything you’d hope for: delicious food, cold drinks, and the rare joy of adult conversation without someone needing a snack refill.
Big thanks to VVPWS parent DJ Urn for keeping the vibe just right, to Grand Central Petaluma (owned by VVPWS parents) for their generous support, and to you, our Foundation donors -- because this event was made possible by the funds you help raise.
Here’s to more nights that fill our cups (literally and figuratively) and keep our grown-up community as strong and connected as our classrooms.
Join the Jog-a-Thon Crew
We need YOUR helping hands to create a fun, festive, and joyful day for our students. Click below to sign up for a volunteer shift and be part of this lovely day!
Introducing: The Story Garden
The Foundation just launched something new: The Story Garden. It's a place to share the stories emerging and blooming all around our school; little seeds of creativity, courage, and connection that grow with the care of teachers and the support of our community. It will be a home for all of the Loose Threads newsletters, as well as articles and essays written by the Foundation crew and fellow community members.
The Story of the Little Ones
Our first story, “The Story of the Little Ones,” celebrates the TK/K tradition where gentle friends come from Mother Earth to join our children in play and imagination.
Little Ones in Kinder & Beyond
And if your family has a Little One at home, don’t miss the companion "Little Ones in Kinder & Beyond" gallery post celebrating Little One adventures and inviting photo submissions.
The Foundation's Story Garden will grow over time, gathering stories of learning, art, festivals, and the ways your generosity shapes the daily life of our school. Please email Lizzy at giving@petalumapublicwaldorf.org with ideas for articles, or collaborative storytelling opportunities! ❤️
What We're Reading | What We're Listening To
Here’s what’s on our nightstand (and in our earbuds) lately.
The Soul of Discipline by Kim John Payne
A compassionate guide to parenting with warmth and structure, showing how clear boundaries can nurture a child’s sense of safety, respect, and self-discipline.
Interview with Jonathan Haidt on What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast
We’re tuning in to this episode as part of our TechWise journey, because figuring out how to raise grounded, curious kids in a screen-filled world takes more than a settings menu. Haidt and Noah bring both humor and heart to this wonderful and difficult conversation.
Jane Goodall, In Memoriam | What It Means to Be Human
We’re listening to this interview with the late Jane Goodall because her life’s work reminds us how interconnected we are -- not just as people, but with all life. In a time when we’re building community, nurturing wonder, and asking how we teach our children to care, her reflections feel deeply relevant.
Did You Know?
The education your child receives at Valley Vista Public Waldorf costs $1,300 (per student) each year, above and beyond what public funding provides. To bridge that gap, we fundraise collectively, pooling our resources so that each of our nearly 500 students has the same educational opportunities, regardless of individual means.
In this way, we live into the Waldorf value of tending to the health of the whole over the priority of the individual.
By supporting the Foundation for Petaluma Public Waldorf and our fundraising campaigns, you are joining the shared vision of providing an outstanding Public Waldorf education for every student, where no child is left out.
That's a Wrap!
That’s the scoop from your Foundation crew - a little movement, a little meaning, and a lot of heart.
Thanks for being the kind of community that reads, listens, volunteers, and gives, all in service of something much bigger: keeping public Waldorf education alive and accessible for every child.
See you on the Jog-a-Thon field (and maybe in the Story Garden)!
With gratitude and in partnership,
Robert, Gwynne, Jerusha, Amanda, Andy C, Andy H, Justin, & Lizzy
Members of The Foundation for Petaluma Public Waldorf
PS - Questions? Comments? Ideas? Cookies? Email us at giving@petalumapublicwaldorf.org!
Photo & Artwork Credits
Rainbow weaving by Eleanor Russinko, 7th Grade
Photos by Sarah Dabner, Lizzy Russinko, Dakota Corbin (Unsplash), Marlis Trio Akbar (Unsplash), Marcus Moore (editing)
