On this first day of spring, I feel excited about the amazing things happen­ing at Waverly!

These two weeks have brought the plant­ing of 27 baby apple trees at our beau­ti­ful farm to create a ​“fruit wall” along the front fence of our urban garden. Each elemen­tary class is plant­ing a class tree, often accom­pa­nied by apple-themed treats and cele­bra­tion, and tomor­row, a group of our middle and high school students are joining in the nature fun for an ​“Apple Tree Plant­ing Party” in the after­noon. What a wonder­ful way to welcome spring – with our own orchard!

Our annual Silent Auction this Satur­day promises to be an elegant adult affair, full of fantas­tic food and drink, visit­ing with fellow Waverly commu­nity members, and bidding on excep­tional items to raise money for this school which gives so much to all of our children.

Spring also brings wonder­ful perfor­mance oppor­tu­ni­ties for our middle and high school students and great enter­tain­ment for audi­ences to enjoy. Included are events show­cas­ing our Instru­men­tal Class elec­tive students as well as a formal vocal perfor­mance at Neigh­bor­hood Church on two special evenings. A Satur­day Perform­ing Arts Festi­val will feature every­thing from Bolly­wood Dance to musical numbers of all kinds to dramatic scenes. And let’s not forget the annual Rock Show in early June!

Spring also includes travel at our school. Waverly High students will travel to San Fran­cisco, raft on the Colorado River, and explore our own rich commu­nity right here in at home. Our fifth and sixth graders will enjoy llamas, hiking, and visit­ing our lovely So Cal beaches, ​“glamp­ing” near Santa Barbara. Many classes are field trip­ping to various places around South­ern Cali­for­nia, extend­ing their learn­ing and fun beyond the classroom.

We’ll wrap up an event-filled season with our Jog-a-thon at the end of April and Cele­bra­tions in 6th, 8th, and 12th grades, honor­ing students who are grad­u­at­ing to the next stage in their educa­tion and life jour­neys. All of our students, YK – 12th grades, will enter this summer having grown and changed. All have been touched by their time at Waverly this year. I am so grate­ful to Waverly teach­ers, staff, parents, and kids. For our family, this was a year of saying goodbye to elemen­tary for our 6th grader and hello to high school for our 9th grader. It was a year of commu­nity, learn­ing, and lead­er­ship for me… one I will never forget. Enjoy these days of spring and all they have to offer!

Danielle, 2011-12 WPO President