The Waldorf Difference

Our approach to elementary education has several qualities that distinguish it from other schools:

• Interdisciplinary:  We integrate art, music, drama and movement into core academics, giving students multiple perspectives and ways of grasping the material. Students more fully develop all their different abilities, and they appreciate each subject for its substance and beauty.

• Experiential:  Our students learn by doing. In science, experiments precede concepts; students don't simply confirm what they have read or been told. In math, art, music, and movement provide a whole-child foundation for experiencing and understanding number patterns.  Experiential learning permeates our curriculum.

• Relational: Children and young adults learn through relationship—with teachers and with peers. Waldorf education cultivates and establishes substantial relationships, developing social skill and moral character. Teacher works with students over many years and knows each student intimately. Each grade level class becomes a learning community that supports and encourages mutual growth.

• Imaginative: A strong imagination is a critical tool for academic success. Creative problem solving, wrestling with uncertainty, effectively communicating ideas verbally and visually are critical 21st century skills, and all require a well-developed imagination. Our educational approach specifically cultivates each student's imaginative capacity.

• Relevant:  Students learn most deeply when content fits their overall development and when the material is inherently meaningful to them.  Our curriculum thematically addresses physical, emotional and academic development, at each grade level, so our students are deeply engaged. An example: we teach revolutionary history (U.S., France, modern South Africa) in 8th grade, because 13- and 14-year-olds instinctively understand the impulse to overthrow the existing order.

• Spirited: Parents know their child has a spark that makes her unmistakably who she is. Our teachers look for the essential qualities and potential in each student and strive to nurture and animate the child's unique spirit.

We invite you to explore our curriculum. To see students and teachers at work, please schedule a private tour. We look forward to meeting you and sharing our passion for Waldorf education.