Academic Calendar

We encourage families to use the calendar below to view weekly, monthly and seasonal school events, holidays, etc.

For more information about our festivals, please visit our School Festivals page.

2026-2027 Academic Calendar

Please note: Our calendar mostly aligns with ICSD’s calendar, but there are some differences:

  • We will take two weeks off (10 school days) for holiday break whereas ICSD only gives 7.5 days off

  • We’ve added one more week to the end of our year; still ending one week earlier in June than ICSD 

  • Our June 21-25 “Waldorf Week” is an optional ad-on for families who need care that week

  • ICSD is closed for Eid on March 10th–we are open that day to meet our required school day total

  • Bus-riders: when ICSD is closed, there will be no bus service to IWS, nor for IWS 12:45pm dismissals

Calendar Orientation

Key:

Gray - NO SCHOOL
Yellow - HALF DAY (12:45 dismissal, no lunch, no aftercare)
Pink - Required Events (generally for grades 1-8)
Purple - Optional Events
Green - Student-only in-school event

First Week of School:

  • We begin the Wednesday after Labor Day.

  • 9/9 is the first day for Grades 1-8 (no school for Early Childhood)

  • 9:00-9:45am First Day assembly 

  • sunflower ceremony for grades 1 and 8

  • introductions, music, story

  • EC and Grades families and students invited

  • 9/10 is the first school day for Early Childhood (EC)

  • The first 3 days of school are half days for students, with 12:45pm dismissal (no lunch)

  • *New students in grades 4-8 stay for orientation until 3pm

  • Optional afternoon care available 12:45-3pm for Grades 1-8

Required Events The following events are required for students and families:

  • First Day Assembly, Wednesday, Sept 9th 9:00am

  • All School Meeting, Monday, Oct. 5th 6-7pm

  • Elves’ Faire, Saturday, Dec. 12th 11am-4pm (parent-run event)

  • Winter Concert, Tuesday, Dec. 15th 6-7pm (required for Grades 2-8)

  • Winter Assembly, Friday, Dec. 18th 11:30-12:30 (required for Grades 1-8)

  • May Faire, Saturday, May 1st 10am-2pm (Grades 1-8 perform, parents volunteer)

  • Summer Concert, Tuesday, June 8th (required for Grades 1-8)

  • Summer Assembly, Thursday, June 17th 11:30-12:30 (required for Grades 1-8)

  • Your classroom’s Parent Evenings (3-4 or more over the school year, dates vary)

Additional events will be added to our calendar throughout the year. Please subscribe to our Google Calendar via the “events” tab and “academic calendar” page on www.ithacawaldorf.org and read our weekly Friday Flyer to receive updates on these events.

2026-2027 Google Calendar

2025-2026 Events Listing

(2026-2027 coming soon!)

August

8/2 and 8/3 Free Carousel Rides at Stewart Park

8/4-8 Summer Program Week 5

8/23 Swingset Rebuild by K class of ‘25

8/25-29 August Work Week for Faculty; Waldorf Week C

8/25 Grade 6/7 Back to School Picnic 5:30-7:30pm 

8/30 School Beautification Day 9am-2pm

     Grade 3 End of Summer Class Picnic 2-3pm

     Grade 1/2 Class Gathering 2:15-3:15pm

     Grade 4/5 Back to School Picnic 5pm

September

9/2 All-School Party at Ithaca Swim Club 11am-2pm

9/3 HALF DAY First day of school (Grades)

    First Day Assembly and Ribbon-cutting 8:30-9:30am

    onboarding of new Grade 4-8 students 12:30-3pm

9/4 HALF DAY First day of school (EC)

9/5 HALF DAY

9/9 EC Parent Evening 6:30-7:30pm

9/10 Grade 3 Parent Night 5pm

9/15 Board Meeting 5pm

9/21 IWS at Porchfest Ithaca

9/22 Grade 1/2 Caregiver Evening 6:30pm

9/23 NO SCHOOL - Rosh Hashana

9/24 Grade 6/7 Parent Night 6:30pm

9/25 Grade 4/5 Parent Evening 6-7:30pm

9/26 Festival of Courage (in-school, students only)

9/26 Grade 8 Parent Evening 7pm

9/27 Welcome Dance/Swap/Potluck 5-7pm

October

10/2 NO SCHOOL - Yom Kippur

10/6 All School Meeting (childcare provided)

10/13 NO SCHOOL - Indigenous People Day

10/23 Grade 1/2 Caregiver Evening 6:30pm

10/24 NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day 

10/27 Board Meeting in-person at IWS 5-7pm

10/31 Parent Council Meeting 8:30-10am in Cherry Blossom

10/31 Halloween (in-school, grades students only)

November

11/1 Healing From Home workshop 2-4pm

11/3 Dia de los Muertos (in-school, grades students only)

11/6 Lantern Walk (EC only) 5:45pm at IWS

11/7 HALF DAY (12:30 dismissal, no lunch) - Parent/Caregiver-Teacher conferences

11/10 NO SCHOOL - Parent/Caregiver-Teacher conferences

11/10 Lantern Walk for ALL IWS families and the public in Dewitt Park 6pm

11/11 NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day

11/14 Mr. Chad's Glassblowing

11/14 The Art of Drawing Presentation, 3:30-5pm

11/15 The Art of Drawing Workshop 9am-1pm

11/14-25 Eurythmy during the school day with Mr. Ebersole

11/17 Elves’ Faire Prep Playdate 3-4:30pm

11/17 Board Meeting 5pm

11/18 Grade 3 Parent Night 3:15pm

11/23 Elves’ Faire Prep Playdate 1-3pm

11/24 Grade 6/7 Parent Night 6:30pm

11/26-28 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

December

12/5 Winter Spiral (in-school 9am-1pm, families invited)

12/13 Elves Faire 11am-4pm

12/15 Board Meeting 5-7pm

12/18 Winter Concert 6pm

12/19 HALF DAY - Winter Assembly

12/20 Singing to the Cows 5pm

12/22 - 1/2 NO SCHOOL - Winter Break

January

1/5 School resumes

1/5 Enrollment for 2026-27 opens

1/7 Ice Skating Club begins 3:30-5pm

1/13 Bridge to 1st Grade (EC Parent Meeting) 6-7pm

1/14-15 Bridge to 1st Grade visiting days for rising 1st graders

1/14 Waldorf Community Choir for adults begins

1/19 NO SCHOOL - MLK day 

1/20 Grade 1/2 Caregiver Evening 6:30pm

1/21 Grade 4/5 Parent Evening 6-7:30pm

1/23 MLK Day Assembly (in-school, students only)

‍ ‍Grade 8 Parent Evening 7pm

1/26 Board Meeting 5pm

1/28 Creating Anxiety-Resilient Families, workshop for adults 4:30-5:30pm

February

2/2 All School Meeting 6-7:30pm

2/5 Coffee House 

2/6 NO SCHOOL FOR EC STUDENTS - professional development day for EC faculty

2/12 Peach Blossom Class Meeting 6-7pm

2/13 Grade 1/2 Class Play (time TBA)

2/16 - 2/20 February Break and Waldorf Week

2/22 Deadline for '26-'27 Financial Assistance applications for returning families

2/22 Deadline to sign up for March Lunch

2/23 Board Meeting in-person at IWS 5-7pm

2/25 Community Sing 2:45-3pm

2/25 Dr. Blanning online workshop for Parents 8:30pm

March

3/4 Grade 3 Parent Meeting 3:15pm

3/4 Grade 6/7 Parent Meeting 4:30-5:30

3/4 Grade 4/5 Parent Meeting 6-7pm

3/7 Open House 10-11am

3/11 Grade 1/2 Parent Meeting 6:30-7:30pm

3/13 NO SCHOOL - Professional Development

3/16 Board Meeting 5pm

3/18 Beating of the Bounds 2-4:30pm

3/19 HALF DAY - Parent Teacher conferences

3/20 NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher conferences

3/20 IWS Parent TED Talks

3/21 IWS at Ithaca Fairy Fest

3/25 Peach Blossom Parent Meeting 6-7pm

3/30 - 4/3 April Break and Waldorf Week

April

3/30 - 4/3 April Break and Waldorf Week

4/17 and 4/18 The Art of Storytelling, workshop for adults with Laura Hayes

4/20 Board Meeting 5pm

4/21 Grade 4/5 Parent Evening 6-7:30pm

4/24 and 4/25 Middle School Play

May

5/2 May Faire 10am-2pm

5/8 Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day

5/13 Grade 1/2 Caregiver Evening 6:30pm

5/15 8th Grade Project Presentations 6-7pm

5/16 The Power of Breathing workshop 9am-1pm

5/18 Ithaca Parade Prep Playdate

5/18 Board Meeting 5pm

5/21 Grade 3 Parent Night 5:30-6:30pm

5/25 NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

5/26 Ithaca Parade Prep Playdate

5/28 Ithaca Festival Parade

June

6/9 Summer Concert 6pm 

6/12 HALF DAY - Last Day of School, Summer Assembly and Picnic

6/13 Graduation of Class of 2025

6/15 - 6/18 June Work Week and Waldorf Week A

6/15 Board Meeting 5-7pm

6/17 Regents Exam: Algebra 1

6/18 Regents Exam: Earth Science

6/19 Juneteenth - School Closed

6/22 - 6/26 Waldorf Week B

July

7/6 - 7/10 Summer Week 1

7/13 - 7/17 Summer Week 2

7/20 - 7/24 Summer Week 3

7/20 Board Meeting 5-7pm

7/27 - 7/31 Summer Week 4

August

8/3-7 Summer Week 5

8/31-9/4 August Work Week and Waldorf Week C