The Waldorf Experience: Parent Perspective

Our family has been involved in Waldorf education for eleven years. When our family first stepped into a small Waldorf school in Connecticut, we knew that it was this education model we wanted for our three young daughters. During these past years, we have experienced the full range of a Waldorf education: from beautiful Parent-Tot classes, Waldorf preschool, and mixed-age kindergartens all the way through the Grades. From tiny hands making bread to our oldest daughter’s 8th-grade photography project and everything in between — we have felt so grateful to be involved with both the education and the community at our Waldorf schools.

We have had our daughters enrolled at Waldorf School of Bend since 2013, from First Grade through Eighth Grade. We have treasured our time here, making great friends and being involved in the growth and development of WSB. Our girls have grown up at WSB, and the school is truly their second home. Our girls are excited each day to get to school (and we better be not only on time but early!).

Our experience through the Grades at WSB as a family has been joyful, inspiring and educational. First grade has was full of excitement and pride when our daughters learned their letters and numbers, started to read and forged relationships with their teacher and classmates. The stories of the Saints in Second Grade, and the tales of archetypal “good and evil”, especially the tale of St. Michael & the Dragon, held a fascination and wonder for each of our daughters. In Fifth Grade, the study of Greece with the culmination of The Olympiad gave each our daughters the wonderful experiences of learning new skills, such as javelin and discus, and understanding teamwork in sports. The pride our daughters took in their newfound physical abilities, as well as the supportive atmosphere of their classmates was truly beautiful. The Medieval Games, full of mystery and excitement, gave our 6th Graders further confidence through team building skills, physical challenges, and successes as each of the tasks were completed. When the Eighth Grade class returned from their week-long trip to Costa Rica, my eldest daughter, Madeleine, seemed to stand taller, be more mature and confident from her experience of traveling abroad with her class.

Madeleine is now in 9th grade attending Bend Senior High School and we could not be happier with her transition from Waldorf School of Bend. She is confident, knows herself well and is fully engaged in her coursework. She loves the new social opportunities, the challenges of her honors classes and the ability to take specialty courses such as Theater Arts. Waldorf education has helped give her a foundational love of learning, a true understanding of, and confidence in, her own abilities and the social skills to navigate a large, bustling high school.

Our journey through Waldorf education has been magical not only for our children but for our entire family, full of learning, community, and love. Each of our daughters, as their own unique individuals, have had the amazing opportunity to be supported yet challenged in their physical, emotional and social development. They have each become confident and capable young women, and we could not be more pleased with our choice of Waldorf education. As parents, we feel the most grateful for the love of learning that has been fostered in our children at WSB. We are thrilled that each of our daughters (even our high-schooler!) cannot wait to get to school each day, excited about what her education and the world will offer her.

We are often asked to explain Waldorf education but it is difficult, if not impossible, to distill this education into a few simple words. Joyful, supportive, inspiring, warm, challenging, creative, soulful, energetic, rich, beautiful, engaging and socially responsible are a few adjectives that instantly come to mind. But the only way to truly understand this amazing education is to experience it and to see the education embodied in a deep and meaningful way for your child.