Whistler Waldorf School

Maisie has spent her entire educational journey at Whistler Waldorf School, and it has been a privilege to witness her growth over the years.

One of the qualities we have valued most is the way she consistently offers a friendly, non-judgmental, and welcoming presence to everyone she meets. She is deeply comfortable in herself, and in turn naturally puts people around her at ease through her supportive and positive nature.

Over the past several years, we have especially loved watching Maisie flourish creatively, growing in confidence and expression.

Our hope is that she continues to carry her caring and open spirit into the wider world, where it is so needed, someone who genuinely accepts others, regardless of background, beliefs, or ability.

We wish Maisie all the very best as she begins her next chapter at Capilano University!

Over Jai's time at WWS, he has demonstrated remarkable academic drive, initiative, and independence, qualities that have fuelled his success across all subjects and will no doubt serve him well at the University of Waterloo and beyond.

Beyond academics, he has emerged as a quiet yet consistent leader in our high school community. Whether through his role as a student representative or as a volleyball coach, he leads with an easy-going, approachable presence that helps others thrive. Younger students look up to him as a role model who leads by example.

What stands out most, however, is his genuine courtesy and kindness. In a fast-paced and increasingly digital world, his everyday actions, thoughtful politeness, gratitude, eye contact, and consistent respect for others, reflect a rare and deeply valued sense of civility.

As he heads into engineering at Waterloo, we send him our very best wishes. May he continue to bring not only his intellect, but also his kindness, humility, and leadership into every space he enters.

At WWS, we believe that meaningful traditions help create a strong sense of belonging and community. They provide opportunities to pause, celebrate milestones, and mark the important transitions that shape a child's educational journey.

Each year, we gather as a school community to celebrate the end of the academic year with one of our favourite traditions: the Hay Bale Jump. Students, faculty, and families come together to cheer as each class takes its turn leaping over the bales, symbolically jumping from one year of learning into the next.

Simple moments like these become lasting memories. They remind us to celebrate accomplishments, honour growth, and recognize the importance of moving forward together as a community.

Here's to another wonderful year of learning, friendship, and shared traditions. We wish all of our families a joyful summer and look forward to welcoming everyone back in the autumn.

Fifteen students participated in the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh's International Award program this year contributing hundreds of hours of service to our community while demonstrating dedication, perseverance, personal growth, skill development, and physical achievement.

We are incredibly proud of these students for embracing the challenge and commitment that the Duke of Edinburgh's Award inspires: Congratulations to Blossom, Marcia, Carla, Cecily, Charles, CC, Tilia, and Jai on completing the Bronze Award. Avery, Cedar, Hattie, Keir and Wynne and Hana are nearing completion of their awards. A special congrats to Ada on achieving the Silver Award.

Environmental stewardship is a core value at Whistler Waldorf School and an important part of our curriculum and school culture. We are proud to have once again achieved Platinum EcoSchools certification, the highest level possible.

This year brought even more reason to celebrate. Out of 2,200 participating schools from across Canada, only five teams were selected for special recognition for their outstanding environmental leadership, and our Secondary School EcoTeam was named among this national top five, receiving “Special Mention”. This remarkable honour comes on the heels of being recognized as the UN Association in Canada Eco Club of the Year.

These achievements reflect the passion, initiative, and commitment of our students, who continue to turn learning into meaningful action. From sustainability projects and environmental advocacy to daily stewardship practices, they are demonstrating that young people can make a real and lasting impact on the world around them.

We are incredibly proud of their efforts and grateful to Ms. Blancher who supports this important work. 🌿💚

At Whistler Waldorf School, overnight trips begin in Grade 4 and continue to expand across the grades, offering students opportunities for growth, connection, and adventure. These experiences support the development of independence, resilience, teamwork, and social relationship-building, while also creating lasting memories through shared challenges and experiences. Many trips are thoughtfully connected to curriculum themes and provide valuable opportunities for experiential, place-based learning.

Our Grade 6 students recently ventured to Camp Elphinstone for a wonderful end-of-year experience. Students travelled by ferry to Langdale before hiking into the beautiful 100+ year-old oceanfront camp. During their stay, students participated in archery, orienteering, ocean kayaking, a vertical playground, a low ropes course, traditional camp games, sing songs, and many other outdoor activities.

A heartfelt thank you to all the drivers, and especially to Nate and Erin for chaperoning and helping make this experience possible for all our students.

Congratulations to our Whistler Waldorf School athletes on an incredible rugby season!

This year, our students joined forces with athletes from Whistler Secondary School, helping form a team that went on to qualify for the BC Girls Rugby Provincial Championships. To cap off an already remarkable season, the team finished 14th overall in its first-ever provincial appearance.

Read more about it: https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-sports/whistler-waldorf-and-whistler-secondary-girls-rugby-team-14th-overall-at-maiden-provincials-outing-12365012

The Future is Bright ✨

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on Friday evening - faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and friends. Special thanks to Louis and the Shiny Things & DJ Lon for keeping the dance floor full, Collective Kitchen for the outstanding food, and Ace MacKay-Smith for helping transform the space.

A huge thank you to Roger Vales and Moskito Riviera Maya for donating the Mexico getaway, one of the highlights of the evening.

We're also deeply grateful to our planning committee and volunteers including Jen, Jess, Mike, Liz, Nina, Romy, Joanna, and the many others who generously contributed their time and energy.

The event is projected to raise more than $25,000, and thanks to the Transformation Foundation's 1:1 matching gift, every dollar raised will be doubled!

The celebration isn't over yet! Our online auction remains open until Wednesday, June 10 at 9:00 p.m.

Check it out at: https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/32301/auctions/201296?page=1&r=1&t=all

Photo credit: Adrian Martinez .filmer

Grade 2 students have been engaged in phonics review aimed at strengthening reading fluency, reinforcing spelling patterns, and building confidence with increasingly complex words. Through stories, games, and hands-on activities, students revisited many of the phonics rules and patterns introduced throughout the year and practised applying them in meaningful and engaging ways.

Students explored vowel teams, blends, digraphs, syllable chunking, and common spelling patterns such as -tion, -sion, and -ture endings. Activities included creating and sorting word cards, participating in spelling and decoding games, completing oral and written dictations, and collaboratively sounding out longer words by identifying familiar chunks and patterns.

As part of this work, students have also been creating a personal picture book of memories from the school year. This project has supported both literacy development and reflection, allowing students to practise writing, spelling, sequencing, and illustration skills while revisiting meaningful experiences and celebrating their year together.

Through reading, analysing, and creating recipes, students have been developing literacy skills related to sequencing, comprehension, vocabulary, and clear written communication.

Students practised following and writing step-by-step instructions while also exploring measurement, observation, and collaboration through hands-on cooking activities. A highlight of the block was designing and constructing solar ovens, which students then used to bake banana cookies using solar energy.