Inspiring Life-long Learning for 25 Years

Please enjoy this preview of our Like Totally '80s Murder Mystery Dinner & Auction which will be on
Saturday, April 14th, 5:30-10:30 p.m.
If you've been wondering what this year's auction will have in store, wonder no longer! Here is the list of our Live Auction Items, Classroom Projects (completed by our students), and a quick smattering of other things that will be available in the Silent Auction and Fishbowl Auction. What are YOU excited to take home?!
Live Auction Items
"Weekend in the Driftless" - Foodies' Paradise Weekend
This prize package, offered by Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School, includes everything you'll need for a memorable weekend.
- Where you'll stay: A 3-bedroom, 2-bath eco-friendly contemporary farmhouse built in 2017 will be your base for the weekend, just 6 miles from Viroqua and 3 miles from neighboring Westby and set on 8 very private acres. Other features include fiberoptic internet and wifi throughout, outdoor living area, and a wood stove for cool autumn evenings.
- What you'll do: Depending on the season and your interests, we will arrange a morning activity... either canoeing the Kickapoo, trout fishing, a class with the Driftless Folk School, guided hike/skiing/snowshoeing through Kickapoo Valley Reserve, or a bike ride.
- Will you go hungry? No! You'll find a overflowing 'welcome' basket of fresh local produce, beverages, and food products and the house, and you'll enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner at James Beard finalist chef Luke Zahm's famous Driftless Cafe.
“Wisconsin has a lot of charming small towns. But only one of them boasts a James Beard-nominated chef, the largest organic farming cooperative in North America and one of the densest concentrations of organic farms in the country. Perched in the hilly part of northwestern Wisconsin known as the Driftless Area, Viroqua is a tiny town that’s gaining a nationwide reputation for fantastic food and so much more.” Source: Livability.com
7-Night Stay in San Diego/Ocean Beach Condo
2 BED, 1 BATH, Sleeps 5-6, Private yard, Steps to Beach, Valued at $2,350!
Spend your relaxing beach getaway in recently remodeled and updated 2 bedroom, 1 bath property on the water in San Diego's unique beach community of Ocean Beach. This lovely space includes a private, completely fenced back yard with patio and gas grill, off-street covered parking, private secure WiFi, and quick Dog Beach access. For your comfort and protection, ALL linens (sheets, pillowcases, mattress pads, zippered pillow covers, bedspreads, throws and throw rugs) are clean and fresh for each new guest. No black-out dates. Dogs welcome. See HomeAway.com property #359524. Donated by Brita Ferm and Richard Schneider
American Fare
The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade class will be preparing, cooking, and serving a dinner for 8. American Comfort Foods will be on the menu and everything from the drinks to the dessert will be made from scratch. Dinner will be served at Chris and Andy Ecklund's house in McHenry, IL on Friday April 27. Class Project
Music & a Meal
An enviable entry to extensive eats! Exhibiting an enticing apertif, enjoyable entrée and exquisite dessert all effortlessly offered exclusively of the endowment of exceptional expertise of our effervescent Elizabeth English. This elegant offering will materialize at the familial manor of Matt and Margaret Myren. This majorly munch-able meal will be made more merry when mixed with myriad medicinal mixtures of merit to moisten your mouth, and minstrels of music, with which to make much merriment! All measure of musicians and their music makers welcome! June 16, 2018, 6-10pm Donated by Matt & Margaret Myren & Elizabeth English
Detoxifying Dinner & Swedish Sauna
An evening for 4 beginning with a relaxing trip to a handmade Lithuanian/Swedish Sauna followed by healthy snacks and a detoxifying vegetarian/vegan dinner by the bonfire. *Date TBD Donated by Ausra Montvydaite & Vytas Janusonis
Captain Billy’s Booze Cruise
Come join the Jones’s for an adults only day of fun boating on the Chain of Lakes. The day will include relaxing on a pontoon full of your favorite drinks, music and snacks, making stops at Captain Billy’s favorite watering holes along the chain and dinner at El Puerto. *Mid-Summer 2018 Donated by Bill & Jennifer Jones
A Night of Persian Delights Dinner
Come and join us for a night of Persian food, music and dancing! Chef Shani (Ada and Vivienne’s grandmother) will WOW you with an authentic Persian meal. A night you will not want to miss! 10 seats, Date TBD. Donated by Amin and Caroline Setoodeh and Hosted by Christine Grafft
Tiki BBQ Pool Party
Bring your family out for an afternoon of fun at the Fetters’, featuring live music, splashing in the pool, food catered by BBQ Productions, and umbrellas in every drink. *Late Summer 2018 Donated by Grant & April Fetter
Classroom Projects
Wonder Garden - Wind Chimes
The Wonder Garden children and teachers joyfully painted contrasting ceramic tiles in both dark and vibrant colors. It was interesting to see what colors were chosen and blended by each child, as well as how each child chose to blend their colors. The tiles have been strung and hung up on a beautiful thick branch, creating an enchanting and colorful wind chime. This item is sure to bring a touch of light-hearted joy wherever it is displayed.
Apple Blossom Garden - Table Runner, Placemats and Napkins
The Apple Blossom Garden children learned a little bit about natural dyeing for their class auction project. The children were encouraged to bring in natural items such as acorns, walnut hulls, onion skins, oak bark, bay leaves, carrots, celery leaves, black tea bags, beets and beet greens, hibiscus tea, and cherries. The items brought in were added to the dye pot along with white cotton napkins, placemats and a table runner and the results are stunning. If you want to host a dinner, have gorgeous, naturally dyed cotton place settings for 8, along with a completely unique naturally dyed table runner, and be the talk of the community, you'll have to come bid on this set at the auction!
Sunflower Garden - Herb Garden
Sunflower Garden created a beautiful up-cycled wood pallet herb and succulent garden for this year's auction. Children and teachers, alike, carefully placed their hand and fingerprints on this lovingly-crafted, leaning wall garden, creating their own flowers with paint. The children also helped pour soil and place plants into their new homes of tiny garden beds. This class project is finished off with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "The Earth Laughs in Flowers." The finished garden is a joy to behold and a window to the soul.
First Grade - Knit Pillow
The First Grade class project is a sweet and cozy knit throw pillow cover (pillow included). Squares of yarn—lovingly and patiently knit by first grade hands—are stitched together, creating a one-of-a-kind, beautiful treasure that is sure to add warmth wherever its placed.
Second & Third Grades - Circular Weaving
The Second and Third Grade class has been weaving on a circular loom for most of the year. This piece holds within it countless, precious peaceful moments shared by many different hands and souls moving homemade yarns over, under and through, time and time again. A delightfully meditative creation and a wonderful item to bid on at the auction.
Fourth Grade - Rain Barrel
The Fourth Grade class worked together to create something wonderful for our school’s auction, and to give back to nature, through the painting of a delightful nature scene on a rain barrel. As the warmth and sunshine of summer creep ever closer, the winning bidder for this item will surely find themselves tending and watering their gardens with their newly captured rainwater, all the while being reminded of the compassion, tenderness and the promise for humanity’s future these precious children carry within their hearts. (Talk about a feel good item!)
Fifth Grade - Coaster Sets
The Fifth Grade class created four sets of 4 coasters out of a special type of inking process using acid-free ink that is fast drying. Mixed colors can create a vibrant marble effect. The children had an excellent time exploring the colors and were always surprised at how different they looked when dried. Each coaster has been sprayed so that it can be wiped down/washed. Do not put in the dishwasher or microwave. The class hopes they are enjoyed!
Sixth, Seventh & Eighth Grades - American Comfort Food Dinner
The Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades class project is quite the treat this year—a meal of American comfort food, prepared and served by the sixth, seventh and eighth grade children’s enthusiastic hands, and hosted at the Ecklund’s home. This item will be available for bids in the live auction.
And here is just a small selection of a few of the Silent Auction Items and Fishbowl Prizes...
- Tour and tasting for 12 at the Copper Fiddle Distillery
- One week Missouri vacation in the Ozarks featuring a St Louis Arch Tour and Riverboat Tour
- Blackhawks merch signed by Toews & Kane
- Cubs Baseball signed by Rizzo
- Authentic Game Ball and Mini-helmet signed by Jordan Howard of the Bears
- Tickets to see the B-52's and Culture Club at Ravinia (80's!)
- Cubs AND Sox Tickets
....and a ton more!
Don't forget - if the event isn't over it's not too late to attend! You can RSVP anytime until event day. We would love to have EVERYONE participate in this celebration of Da Vinci Waldorf School. Visit davinciwaldorfschool.org/benefit to RSVP.