Walden School

The virtual Parent Guild Family Game Night is tonight! Join our 6th grade hosts for an evening of bingo and fun interactive games for the whole family. Bring your bingo card and dancing shoes, and be ready to play! Check your email for details and to RSVP for the login information.

In celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. King, we are sharing K-5 students’ reflections of literature by those who champion social justice. #mlkday #mlkday2021

New year, new #Mondaymotivation! For our 50th anniversary, students are sharing their hopes and dreams for the next 50 years at Walden.

Happy and Healthy New Year, Walden! Wishing you and your loved ones a 2021 full of joy and hope. What do you wish for? Please share a positive word to fill our minds with zeal and optimism as we start the new year together.

Another Ponderer winter tradition that continued remotely this year was the "Boxes of Hope," a gift exchange designed around the idea that the most meaningful gifts do not need to cost money. Students created a letter of appreciation and encouragement, compliments, as well as a creative illustration for their box buddy; some classes exchanged these virtually this year, and some exchanged boxes that they opened together via Zoom. Here, Janet's 4/5 River Otters show the handmade gifts they received from one another. #community #friendship #wonder #wearewalden #waldenmoment

Our #topnine. It's been quite a yearand we love that these pictures all tell a story of the power of community, creativity, and perseverance that has carried us through 2020. Looking forward to the next chapter in 2021! #thelearningcontinues #wearewalden #togetherwegrow #togetherwegotthis #ittakesawaldenvillage

Even though it looked a bit different this year, the Ponderers wouldn't miss the chance to kick off winter break with the beloved mug exchange ! For this Walden tradition, each student and faculty/staff member fills out a card with their interests and favorite things, and gets to be the secret giver for another participant. Then, on the last day of school, mugs with small gifts and personal notes are exchanged over hot chocolatethis year, cozied up at home.

Only one day left before the end of the year! Now more than ever, your help means so much to our people and our program. This year, you can also take advantage of expanded tax benefits through the CARES Act (up to $300 on top of the standard deduction or up to 100% of adjusted gross income on itemized tax returns). Go to www.thewaldenfund.org to donate. A huge THANK YOU to our entire community for all you do to support Walden! We couldn’t do it without you.

The virtual Winter Sing is tonight! The 4th-6th grade Ponderers are performing pieces they selected to help uplift and encourage us as a community. Walden families, please check you email for information on how to watch the show. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the cohort and choir performances from the comfort of your home. Optional: Order dinner online from Mendocino Farms on Lake (coupon: Walden1216) and 20% of the proceeds will benefit Walden! Artwork created by the 4th and 6th grade students, assembled into a mural by Ben.

During our recent 50th anniversary celebration, we reflected on our past, present, and future. Across grade levels, students also pondered their hopes and dreams for the next 50 years at Walden. We will be sharing their ideasand visionshere for #Mondaymotivation posts.

Janice and Stephanie's 2/3 Walden@Home California Black Bears and Red-Tailed Hawks created a culture recipe book that each of their families got to take home before the break! Students wrote about themselves and their families, created a self portrait, and shared a favorite family recipe. If you are looking for some delicious dishes to make during these slower days at home, here are some of their recipes.

Today was the second boomerang bag pick-up. We all the colorful designs students have created to personalize their bags! Thank you to our faculty for thoughtfully assembling learning materials for students everythree weeks, and to our facilities team Val and Gio who are helping to make sure everything is well organized for the family drive-bys. #togetherwegotthis #thelearningcontinues #ittakesawaldenvillage

Today and every day, we are grateful to our fabulous faculty who are doing a magnificent job delivering the Walden mission, whether on campus or in the @home learning environment. Day-to-day, they are showing up with kindness, care, and integrity, ready to help our students learn and grow. Throughout remote learning, they have risen to the occasion and embraced the technology that is helping us all stay connected, showing their deep commitment to our students. Thank you also to all our wonderful parents who are showering our teachers with love and gratitude through this time. #thankfulthursday #wearewalden #ittakesavillage #togetherwecan

Five of our fabulous faculty and staff members are sharing what they love about #progressiveeducation for #facultyfriday.

Walden's famous Halloween Carnival is hitting the road for a "Car-nival" that will take our community on a haunted journey through the streets of Pasadena! Current families, please join this Parent Guild event next Saturday and look for communication from your room parents on how you can help make this a spook-tacular experience for our kids.

The Class of 2019 came back for a virtual Young Alumni Panel this week to share about their middle school transition and experiences with our current 6th grade students. Big thanks to the Pearly Mussels for sharing your wisdoms! #youcanalwayscomehometowalden

4/5 students made Arepas in Spanish class with Marinés and practiced their vocabulary while learning about this popular Venezuelan and Colombian dish!

Before the Class of 2020 embarked on their middle school adventures this fall, the Axolotls and their parents created a beautiful gift for each other and our school: a Walden Survival Guide, jam-packed with stories and how-tos about all things Walden. Each graduate also imagined their future selves, and their talented parents created these amazing pictures showing every student in their most likely career. Bravo, Axolotls! We are so proud of the forthright, resilient, insightful, and passionate humans you've become. You are off to great places.

Students in Janet and Sam’s 2/3 cohorts created these fun and inventive self-portraits with objects found in nature and around their house.

Connecting with our community at morning assembly for a shared moment of mindfulness and learning is the best fuel for the day. #wearewalden

Today was the first full day of classes for all grades! While we can't all be together on campus, we are inspired to see so many joyful faces diving right into learning and connecting with teachers and classmates today. Thank you to everyone who shared their photos! If you'd like to share yours, please upload them to the first-week-of-school folder in Vidigami.

Thank you to all families who supported our food drive for Friends in Deed at the supply pick-up. @fid_pasadena

Seeing our students and families for a brief moment during the first drive-by supply pick-up today lit up our faces with smiles despite the smoky skies! Please stay safe, Walden.

Teachers are getting ready for the drive-by supply pick-ups tomorrow and Friday! We can’t wait to see you all soon, Walden!

In additionto curriculumworkshops and classroom planning time, in-service week not only included new Covid-safety presentations but also CPR and First Aid trainings to make sure our faculty and staff are current on all things student health and safety once we are able to return to campus. Usually a biannual all-staff training with everyone gathered together in the Community Room, this year we met in small groups and kept our on while refreshing our knowledge on resuscitation, using AEDs, and handling injuries. #learn #adjust #adapt