a message about the 2020-2021 school year
Due to a steep drop in enrollment, we are saddened to announce that Cedar Springs does not have the financial resources to open our campus for in person attendance for grades 1-8 in the Fall as planned. While some families felt comfortable with sending their children to school with significant COVID-19 health and safety measures in place, others worried that the measures wouldn't be enough to keep their families safe, while other families were concerned about the effects extended mask use and physical distancing would have on the wellbeing of their child(ren). Though the Board, Faculty and Administration explored a variety of options, they were unable to find a solution to accommodate all these needs and so made the difficult decision to close the grades program for the 2020-2021 school year.
Our primary long-term goal is to return to campus for the 2021-2022 school year! In support of that, for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, some of our Faculty are willing to offer direct support to homeschooling families and groups to help keep the children with their friends and maintain class and school cohesion to return the following year. This will not be provided through CSWS and will not require enrollment with the school. If you are interested in this option, you will find contact information for available teachers below:
Class Teachers
Specialty Teachers
In addition, Cedar Springs is one of five Waldorf Schools in the Sacramento Region. In unity with Cedar Springs, the other four Waldorf Schools in the Sacramento Region have extended their support to offer Cedar Springs families a robust Distance Learning program or in-person classroom, where available, program for the 2020-2021 school year at one of their schools (see letter below). This offer is made by our sister schools for those parents who have the intention of returning to Cedar Springs for the 2021-2022 school year upon the re-opening of our campus. Contact information for our sister schools is available below.
Camelia Waldorf School: Contact Sidonie Ospina, sospina@camelliawaldorf.org
Davis Waldorf School: Contact Nick Broad, development@daviswaldorf.org
Live Oak Waldorf School: Contact Jane Hunt Griggs, admissions@liveoakwaldorf.org
Sacramento Waldorf School: Contact Cindi Bradshaw, admissions@sacwaldorf.org
Our primary long-term goal is to return to campus for the 2021-2022 school year! In support of that, for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year, some of our Faculty are willing to offer direct support to homeschooling families and groups to help keep the children with their friends and maintain class and school cohesion to return the following year. This will not be provided through CSWS and will not require enrollment with the school. If you are interested in this option, you will find contact information for available teachers below:
Class Teachers
- Robin Schulz (supporting 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades): classof2027@cedarspringswaldorf.org
- Jeff Jackson (supporting 6th, 7th and 8th grades): classof2022@cedarspringswaldorf.org
Specialty Teachers
- Mr. K, Strings (giorgimt@yahoo.com)
- Christine Land, Upper Grades Math (christine.land.tutoring@gmail.com)
- Ananda Gunasekara, Gardening (619-740-9748)
- Clemencia Massa, Spanish (all grades) (clemmass@pacbell.net or 925-984-6372)
In addition, Cedar Springs is one of five Waldorf Schools in the Sacramento Region. In unity with Cedar Springs, the other four Waldorf Schools in the Sacramento Region have extended their support to offer Cedar Springs families a robust Distance Learning program or in-person classroom, where available, program for the 2020-2021 school year at one of their schools (see letter below). This offer is made by our sister schools for those parents who have the intention of returning to Cedar Springs for the 2021-2022 school year upon the re-opening of our campus. Contact information for our sister schools is available below.
Camelia Waldorf School: Contact Sidonie Ospina, sospina@camelliawaldorf.org
Davis Waldorf School: Contact Nick Broad, development@daviswaldorf.org
Live Oak Waldorf School: Contact Jane Hunt Griggs, admissions@liveoakwaldorf.org
Sacramento Waldorf School: Contact Cindi Bradshaw, admissions@sacwaldorf.org
administration contact information
|
Board of Trustees
board@cedarspringswaldorf.org Donna Soldano Enrollment Coordinator enrollment@cedarspringswaldorf.org |
Lisa Steinmetz
Operations Coordinator operations@cedarspringswaldorf.org Jordan Tanaka Systems Specialist systems@cedarspringswaldorf.org |
resources
CDC
California Department of Public Health
El Dorado County Health and Human Services
AWSNA
CA Dept of Education Help for Students in Crisis
California Department of Public Health
El Dorado County Health and Human Services
AWSNA
CA Dept of Education Help for Students in Crisis
faq
In our continued effort to meet the needs of our community please see answers to some of the most common questions we’ve received from our school community in recent days.
Updated April 23, 2020
Updated April 23, 2020
What is the financial health of our school? Is CSWS in danger of closing?
We are happy to report that CSWS is financially sound and will continue to provide our distance learning program throughout the end of the school year. Additionally, we plan to reconvene on campus classes in the fall for the 2020/2021 school year as conditions allow. Our school has historically operated with financial frugality ensuring a small savings was held in reserve for times like these. Additionally, CSWS applied for and secured a loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. This program provides loans, essentially acting as grants, to provide businesses with capital necessary to keep their workforce employed during this crisis. The secured debt relief will be utilized to provide pay and benefits for our faculty and staff and benefit our community through continued tuition reduction and discounts. The loan is limited to 8 weeks of operating expenses therefore tuition is still important to ensure we remain financially sound into the 2020/2021 school year. We are hopeful and optimistic about the future and confident that we will become more resilient through this process.
Can CSWS provide childcare while campus is closed?
We are investigating options that would allow CSWS to offer childcare for the benefit of our community during campus closure and will share the findings with you once confirmed.
Will hourly employees continue to be paid?
All hourly employees will be paid their regular hours for the first two weeks of campus closure, commenced on March 16, with or without actual time worked. After the first two weeks hourly employees will be paid on an hours worked basis as our financial situation allows. We are working to reduce costs while continuing to support the faculty and staff who are working to redesign our traditional curriculum delivery into a successful distance learning program.
Will tuition obligations be adjusted to account for time impacted by the statewide school closure? Has the BOT considered closing the school for the year, laying off employees and refunding or forgiving a portion of unpaid tuition? Are there any loans available for non-profits similar to small businesses with the passage of recent stimulus package/bills?
Recognizing our families’ challenges, we implemented immediate financial relief by providing a 25% reduction on all monthly tuition payments, automatically applied through FACTS management starting April 1. If you made your tuition payment in full, we are offering a credit, equivalent to the 25% tuition reduction offered, toward next year’s tuition. Since our initial tuition reduction, we secured debt relief through the Small Business Association’s (SBA) Paycheck Project Program. Our finance committee is evaluating options to provide further discounts and reductions to our community once the loan is funded.
A complete school closure would likely necessitate many faculty and staff to seek alternative employment and put our Payroll Protection Loan in jeopardy. Retention of families and employees is critical to our maintaining a strong school. Additionally, school closure fails to meet CSWS’s mission, vision and values. It is for these reasons that complete school closure was not pursued.
We continue to work diligently ensuring the financial security of our school is sustained by reducing expenses where possible while holding the wellbeing of our employees, students and parents in the forefront of each decision. During a normal fiscal year, more than 75% of our operating budget consists of payroll expenses. In addition, the SBA loan is limited to 8 weeks of operating expenses. For these reasons, tuition remains important. If you are able to continue to pay your full tuition, we encourage you to do so. If you cannot pay your full or the 25% reduced tuition offered, we encourage you to reach out to us. A form is now available on the CSWS website in the COVID-19 section to apply for emergency tuition relief related to the pandemic.
A complete school closure would likely necessitate many faculty and staff to seek alternative employment and put our Payroll Protection Loan in jeopardy. Retention of families and employees is critical to our maintaining a strong school. Additionally, school closure fails to meet CSWS’s mission, vision and values. It is for these reasons that complete school closure was not pursued.
We continue to work diligently ensuring the financial security of our school is sustained by reducing expenses where possible while holding the wellbeing of our employees, students and parents in the forefront of each decision. During a normal fiscal year, more than 75% of our operating budget consists of payroll expenses. In addition, the SBA loan is limited to 8 weeks of operating expenses. For these reasons, tuition remains important. If you are able to continue to pay your full tuition, we encourage you to do so. If you cannot pay your full or the 25% reduced tuition offered, we encourage you to reach out to us. A form is now available on the CSWS website in the COVID-19 section to apply for emergency tuition relief related to the pandemic.
On March 27 it was announced that all 13 Sacramento school districts and the Sacramento County Office of Education are extending the period of school closures through Friday, May 1, 2020. Is Cedar Springs planning to close through May 1, 2020?
On April 1 El Dorado County Office of Education (EDCOE) announced their decision to extend the county wide school closures through the end of the 2019/2020 school year. As CSWS school closures follow EDCOE’s direction, the decision was made to extend CSWS campus closure through the end of the school consistent with county wide school closures. Our goal is to continue to meet the needs of our students during this crisis while delivering the best possible educational program. Teachers are working hard to make our distance learning program more robust and valued while staying true to the Waldorf Philosophy. We encourage you to be in close communication with your teacher with feedback of what works for your family.
I called the school, and no one answered. Who can I call when I have questions?
We apologize that our office has not been staffed during normal business hours to answer phone calls. Nothing is more important than the safety of our faculty, staff, students and families. Therefore, administrative staff are working both on site and remotely to support the essential functions of the school and meet the needs of their families. Administrative staff continue to check voice mail daily and take care of essential needs. If you need to speak to someone please leave your name and the number you wish to be reached and we will return your call within one business day. You may also reach us by email.
- For tuition questions contact Jason Grace, Business Administrator, business@cedarspringswaldorf.org
- For records and administrative questions contact Lisa Steinmeitz, operations@cedarspringswaldorf.org
- For enrollment questions contact Donna Soldano, Enrollment Coordinator at enrollment@cedarspringswaldfor.org
- For questions regarding LMS contact Jordan Tanaka at systems@cedarspringswaldorf.org
- For questions regarding Parent Guild Steering Committee contact pgsc@cedarspringswaldorf.org
When will teachers provide their intentions for next year?
As our community is wrestling with uncertainty, so is our faculty. We are hopeful for a full complement of classes and staffing for next year and will provide more information as soon as we can.