After more than 30 years of teaching at City of Lakes Waldorf School, we had the bittersweet honor of celebrating and saying farewell to Mr. Kevin Kane as a full-time employee of our school. On Friday, December 20, we gathered at our annual Winter Festival to honor Kevin and all that he has given to our community.
Alumni, faculty, staff, students, and families came together to celebrate Kevin’s remarkable legacy. At 9:30 am, alumni gathered in the Music Room on the second floor to practice the song “What a Wonderful World”—a heartfelt tribute to Kevin, led by former Admissions Director and Choir Teacher Susan Sophocleus, with support from our current music teachers. Those who couldn’t join the rehearsal arrived at the church across the street by 10:30 am, where a section was reserved for alumni on the east side of the hall.
Following the Festival, the celebration continued back at CLWS in the Third Floor Commons, where everyone enjoyed refreshments and shared stories, laughter, and warm memories with Mr. Kane.
The festival space was filled with beauty and emotion—accompanied by Kevin’s own chalkboard drawing of two children standing in a snowy forest, gazing up at the sparkling stars above. It was a fitting reflection of Kevin’s artistic spirit and his deep reverence for the wonder of the world.
For those unable to attend in person, the For the Love of Kevin Kane Facebook group offered a place to share memories, photos, and words of gratitude. The outpouring of love from alumni, families, and colleagues truly showed the profound impact Kevin has had on generations of students and the entire CLWS community.
About Mr. Kane
Kevin Kane is truly a founding father of City of Lakes Waldorf School, and his work has been essential to the school’s growth and flourishing over the decades. Among his many contributions, Kevin was the school’s first Woodworking and Art Teacher and is beloved by generations of students. Many graduating classes have invited him to speak at their ceremonies, and when alumni return to visit, one of the most common questions they ask is, “Do you know where Mr. Kane is?”
Beyond his classroom teaching, Kevin led the CLWS faculty in artistic work during staff inservice days for many years. As an artist, woodworker, and the school’s Aesthetic Coordinator, he has been a guiding force in shaping our beautiful historic building at 2344 Nicollet Avenue South. Kevin has brought care and attention to every corner—creating handcrafted furniture for classrooms, framing art, selecting colors, designing stage sets and murals, and illustrating countless festival programs, Bike-a-thon and Circus posters, and t-shirts.
Kevin has also been a quiet caretaker of our festival life, thoughtfully preparing each space and attending to every meaningful detail—from the Rose Ceremony on the first day of school, to the Winter Spiral, Maypole, and 8th-grade graduation.
He is cherished not only for all that he does, but for how he does it—with warmth, patience, and wonder. Whether guiding a child’s hands in woodworking, painting alongside colleagues, or reading from Winnie the Pooh, Kevin draws others into his world, where beauty, kindness, and presence reign.
At our Winter Festival, we celebrated Kevin’s extraordinary gifts, his deep love and dedication, and the immeasurable ways he has shaped the heart and soul of City of Lakes Waldorf School. We are forever grateful to him for tending the flame of the Spirit of the School, and for nurturing our community with creativity, wisdom, and grace for more than 31 years.
