waldorf

Letters from the 3rd Grade Farm Trip

The developmental phase that third graders experience is called the “nine year change” and practical activities such as planting, harvesting, and animal care provide purposeful work that help the third grader feel part of the world around them. This is all thoughtfully woven into the 3rd Grade Waldorf curriculum, and culminates with a highly anticipated right of passage: the Third Grade Farm Trip.

Here at Richmond Waldorf School, our students travel to a working biodynamic farm in the Hudson Valley of New York for a week long immersive experience. Their teacher, Ms. Dawn Pollard, sent these lovely and inspiring letters to those of us back home detailing the class’s adventures. We hope you enjoy!

Monday, April 17th, 2023

Dear Parents,

What an eventful trip so far!

The train trip was long, but broken up into segments, which helped. We were so relieved to arrive at the farm yesterday around 4:00.

Each day at the farm is well planned and full of activities for the children. There is a Main Lesson each morning (today’s was about cheese and yogurt making). After a snack of popcorn and juice (this is the best juice they’ve ever had, according to one child), they are divided into small groups for morning activities.

One group made bread, another cared for and rode horses, and the third group cleaned out the horse stalls. Lunch (the big meal of the day) was rice, vegetables and tofu. After lunch is quiet time (which is lying in bed with a book for 20 minutes), then we have mail call. The children were delighted with their letters from you!

The afternoon has more activities: in the same groups (Maple, Elm, and Oak), the children make butter, hike or prepare soup for the evening meal. After that, the children will go help the farmers biodynamically prepare a field. We’ll have dinner, then draw. We’ll gather in a circle to reflect on our day, then I’ll read from The Dawn Treader and we’ll go to bed. There were a few tears last night after lights out, but after a few visits to my room, all was well. There were a lot of wiggles and giggles after lights out, but all were silent (and presumably asleep) by 9:00. I imagine they will settle in more easily tonight.

I am so proud of all of them. They rode on trains for 8 hours (with reasonable noise levels), took care of their own belongings, slept in a new place, tried new food, and energetically engaged in the activities presented to them. That’s a lot for a third grader!

Quote for the day: At our closing circle last night, one boy said “It feels like we’re one big family.” How wonderful.

Blessings,

Dawn

: making the trek from VA to NY

: veggie soup fresh from the garden

: quiet time letter writing to loved ones back home

: kneading bread for the group's next meal

Tuesday, April 18th, 2023

Dear Parents,

Greetings from cold NY! The high today is 49 and there is barely any sun. It certainly feels good to come inside and eat a hot meal! Today we had burritos for lunch. There were several children who tried them for the first time. Others tried the crispy kale and sweet potato medallions and enjoyed those.

This morning’s Main Lesson was about wool. The teacher was excellent. Through a series of questions, she led them to think about how people ate, built shelters and made clothes long ago, before there were farms. We then examined a single strand of sheep’s wool from a sheep that had been at the farm. After that she told a story about a famous sheep in New Zealand who didn’t want to be sheared (ask your child about the 60 lb fleece!). The children then did one of my favorite activities: wet felting (they have something to bring home that they made). The teacher was impressed with their skill and their knowledge of handwork.

The children have jobs each day: some are waiters, some wash dishes, some prepare the evening meal, some make the bread and butter and others feed the animals (the first feeding is at 6 am!). I am proud of how conscientiously they have done their jobs. The waiters make sure that the table has enough food and they bring out the hot dishes. The staff encourages us to try new food, but also to take only as much as we think we’ll eat. The idea of not wasting food is gently reinforced.

We had a unique experience in biodynamic farming yesterday. One of the farmers took us to a pasture (the farm and school own 900 acres!) across the street. He had prepared some water with cow dung that was buried in a cow horn in the spring. We used evergreen branches to spread the water across the field. This was extremely natural fertilizer! When I first heard about some of the methods of biodynamic farming, I thought it was a bit odd. But then I read studies showing its efficacy. And actually experiencing it was very peaceful and a lovely group activity. Now I think that keeping one’s mind open to different ways of working with the earth is more and more important.

The children slept soundly last night! I’m guessing tonight will be similar, after their time in the cold air.

Quote for the day: on the playground there are two climbing trees and one child said, “I’m learning things from the tree. I sit in its branches and listen, then touch its roots and listen.” The wisdom of children is heartwarming.

Blessings,

Dawn

: farm animals to tend to

: daily chores

: wet felting with sheep's wool

: feeding the farm's newest addition, which the class watched being born!

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023

Dear Parents,

What a lovely spring day it is here in NY! The children are so glad for the sunny skies and the warmer weather. They took a hike this morning up to “castle rock,” a large rock in the middle of the woods. (Apparently our children were not as impressed as other classes, I suppose we are used to large rocks in beautiful settings along the James River!) The hike was wonderful and the teacher told them about the history of how rocks move over long periods of time.

For lunch there was lasagna, with cheese that the children had made the day before. Needless to say, it was delicious! One child had 5 helpings – he had worked hard outdoors all morning. Breakfast this morning was buttermilk pancakes. When you’re talking with your child about the trip, perhaps you can ask them about one new dish they tried and liked. I know I expanded my palette! (Now if only I could cook that well!)

Each day after dinner we share something we enjoyed that day. Last night several children shared that they enjoyed feeding the newborn calf with a big bottle. Others said that they enjoyed milking the cows; specifically, they liked when the farmers squirted the milk right into their open mouths! Not every child wanted that experience, which is fine. One child said it was “warm and so good.”

We are leaving the farm tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. The staff is kindly packing us both breakfast and lunch to eat on the way. The children have expressed that they are both happy and sad to leave. They are obviously looking forward earnestly to seeing you again, but they also realize how quickly our time has sped by.

Quote for the day (from a child who has been homesick): “I’m glad I came. It’s been hard sometimes, but I’ve done so many new things.”

Exactly.

Blessings,

Dawn

Waldorf Education & the Adaptability Quotient: Educating for an Uncertain Future

Waldorf, Adaptability, & Creativity

With increasingly rapid changes in the nature of work, employers are interested not just in intelligence and social skills, but in an employee’s adaptability quotient–their ability to adjust to new challenges with flexibility, curiosity, courage, resilience, and problem-solving skills. In Waldorf education, we deepen rigorous academics by integrating art, outdoor education, music, theater, practical work, movement and hands-on learning. The depth and breadth of the Waldorf curriculum challenges students and develops crucial capacities that will help them adapt and thrive throughout their lives.

The premise of a Waldorf education is to provide a learning environment that promotes independent thinking, cultivates creativity, builds confidence, and develops practical skills. A holistic approach to education lays the foundation for a life full of meaning and purpose. We believe that when teaching core academic subjects, the most important thing for us to instill in our students is the ability to think critically and creatively, how to use their resources, and how to keep going. From the youngest children who spend two hours outdoors a day in the cold and rain, to the 8th grader who hikes along to the Appalachian trail carrying a heavy backpack for hours, the experiences challenge young people and affirm their ability to conquer a challenge. This is what Waldorf education is designed to do. Don’t we all want our children to face challenges head on, to work together as a team, and to find balance in their work and personal lives for a healthy, happy life?

What's the Adaptability Quotient?

The bbc article about “AQ”, or the Adaptability Quotient, affirms the types of qualitative skills that help people adapt. It talks about how, for years, we used IQ, or intelligence quotient, as the primary indicator for determining success in career and life. More recently, EQ, or the emotional intelligence, has been in the spotlight. This article states “Both IQ and EQ are considered important to our career success. But today, as technology redefines how we work, the skills we need to thrive in the job market are evolving too. Enter the adaptability quotient, or AQ, a subjective set of qualities loosely defined as the ability to pivot and flourish in an environment of fast and frequent change.

“IQ is the minimum you need to get a job, but AQ is how you will be successful over time,” says Natalie Fratto, a New York-based vice-president at Goldman Sachs who became interested in AQ when she was investing in tech start-ups. She has subsequently presented a popular TED talk on the subject.”

In the loving, safe environment of a Waldorf school, with long-term teachers who know them well, students can be pushed to their own individual limits, they can learn to rely on one another, and trust themselves.

For more information about the curriculum and how our educational philosophy instills adaptability and creativity, reach out to us!

Get to Know RWS

At Richmond Waldorf School, we recognize that our student’s physical, social and emotional well-being are a key part of their ability to learn and thrive. Our holistic approach to education prioritizes critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Choosing a school is a very important decision in a family’s life. Our admissions process is designed to give you as much information as you need to make an informed decision about enrolling your children. Whenever possible, we encourage all families to book a visit when considering Richmond Waldorf School. We want to meet you! It is just as important for us to know who you are and what you are looking for in a school, as it is for you to know who we are and what Waldorf education is about.

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

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Theater Develops Creativity, Empathy, and Confidence

The performing arts help children develop a range of beneficial life skills, such as quick thinking, problem solving, and building self confidence. Theater strengthens empathy by asking a child to embody what their character is feeling and experiencing, and putting on a play also requires students to work as a team. In Waldorf education, students are involved in class plays and musical performances every year. We see the wide-ranging positive impact on our students and the powerful boost to their self confidence that the performing arts provide.

In Waldorf schools, each grade does a play every year, and the theme of the play is often inspired by the curriculum. We give time and space for these performances and experiences because we recognize that participating in theater gives students confidence. As research supports, students who participate in theater during their formative school years reap more specific benefits as well. It gives children an opportunity to face and overcome anxiety, allows them to express new emotions, and can be an enormous boost to their self-esteem. As we see a child or a class grow over the years, it is truly impressive to watch the transformation and capacity-building happen in real time.

Feeling worried or anxious before even a small public speaking engagement is something most adults still struggle with. Children experience these feelings as well prior to a performance, but by giving them access to that uncomfortable feeling on a regular basis through theater, and teaching them skills to overcome it, can have a lasting effect on students. RWS creates these opportunities for discomfort and growth on a daily and weekly basis, as well as the annual play performance. During our Friday Gatherings, each class takes turns sharing things they are working on it class, be it a poem, a dance, a song, or even reports they’ve written. These opportunities to stand up in front of their peers can be nerve wracking and also teach important lessons. After a performance in which a child has overcome that feeling of anxiety, they will feel increasingly confident that they can feel an uncomfortable feeling and still move forward and be successful. What a great life lesson!

Furthermore, participating in theater also allows children to try on an entirely new persona, and potentially express emotions that they aren’t able to in their normal lives. A child who isn’t able to express a certain emotion, might be able to when in character, or it may open the door for parents and students to have a more open conversation about sensitive subjects that the child is experiencing through their theater opportunity. We know that these experiences are outlets for students to practice and process feelings, develop empathy, and open up conversations. The teachers can use those moments as opportunities to drive a point home.

Lastly, performing in a theater production can have a lasting effect on a child’s self-esteem. The group ensemble work that’s demanded of a theater production allows children to experience what it means to be a valued member of a group working towards the same end goal. There also is a sense of that instant positive feedback that comes from hearing the audience laugh at your line, or giving a standing ovation at the end of the show. That feeling can stick with a child for a lifetime!

Want to see how Richmond Waldorf School students bring drama into the curriculum? Check out our upcoming class plays! Seventh grade is gearing up for their performance of Wizard of Oz in a few weeks! It’s been fantastic to see how our Class Teacher, Music Teacher, and Movement Teacher are all coming together to support these students, provide meaningful experiences, and help our students to have a fantastic performance and boost to their confidence.

Get to Know RWS

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Art Improves Academic Performance in Children

Research shows that students who engage in the arts at school perform better in math, reading, and writing, and have an enhanced social and emotional experience. Waldorf education integrates an array of arts into the curriculum to support academic growth, develop communication and collaboration skills, and give children a well-rounded, joyful educational journey.

In Waldorf education, art is a part of every child’s day, from preschool through 8^th grade. We incorporate art into each academic subject in addition to practicing and creating art for its own sake. Each day students are not only creating their own art, but they see their teachers create art through drawings, songs, plays, and more. They are learning about great artists of the world and exploring how humans express themselves and share their stories through art. They learn that everyone is an artist, and that we all have something to share and to learn. At RWS, every student draws, paints, sculpts, knits, works with wood, performs in plays and concerts, plays an instrument and sings.

In Waldorf education, we feel that creating is the most experiential way to learn. Art helps with fine motor development, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the world around us, and allows students to imagine how things could be.

Entering elementary and middle school, Main Lessons incorporate rich drawings and artistic expression as the children study language arts, math, science, and history. The inclusion of art and the creative impulse into traditional academics helps to engage students and find new and deeper meaning in the content. As a recent article from PrivateSchoolReview.com affirms, there are significant academic benefits for students who engage in the study of the arts. “The Arts Education Partnership performed a meta-analysis of 62 studies that revealed that students who study music have increased achievement and proficiency in math. Reading and cognitive development were found to increase, as were verbal SAT scores.”

Not only are the academic benefits significant, but studies show that there are behavioral benefits as well. Using art as a tool helps to improve student attendance, and studies also show better long-term outcomes socially, academically, and in their future occupations.

Further, Richmond Waldorf School alums consistently reflect that the art education they received helped to instill balance, mental health, creativity, and an artistic outlet for our students. As they pursue college degrees and enter the workforce in a variety of fields, the exposure to visual, performing, and literary art has lended a fresh perspective and new ideas for the Waldorf alums to find meaning and purpose in their lives. As Rudolph Steiner said, ‘our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who, of themselves, are able to give purpose and direction to their lives.’ It is with this in mind that we integrate artistic opportunities throughout the curriculum.

For more information about how this works in the classroom, reach out to us by filling out an inquiry!

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Better Field Trips = Better Academics

New research shows that field trips aren’t just fun and disruptive “extras”; these trips have strong academic and behavioral benefits. A recent study showed that students who went on multiple field trips performed better academically and were less likely to miss school or have behavioral issues than their peers. Waldorf schools value engaging students with the world through hands-on experiences, and have specific cultural, community service and outdoor education trips built into our curriculum to further enrich and enliven our students’ education.

When students can explore new environments, apply knowledge or skills they have gained, and have the space to draw new connections, learning is infinitely more meaningful. With Waldorf education, meaningful experiences are fundamental to developing the type of students who are cuirious, creative, and critical thinkers. Field trips are the perfect way to support these developing people.

As a recent article from Edutopia explains, “Field trips aren’t a threat to in-class instruction, they’re a tool to help bolster engagement and expand students’ horizons. “It’s possible to expose students to a broader world and have a culturally enriching curriculum without sacrificing academic outcomes, and it may actually improve academic outcomes,” Erickson says. Far from harming test scores, the researchers found that culturally rich excursions reinforce academics and ‘students who participated in these field trips were doing better in class.’ “

In a world where educational environments feel the pressure to keep pace and prepare for standardized tests, Waldorf education offers a different approach. We intentionally incorporate trips, both locally and further away. These experiences not only support the academic content that students are learning, but are also intended to bolster social/emotional development such as community building, self-confidence, and resiliency.

From 1st grade, seasonal field trips to apple orchards, the James River, and other parks help them connect to the natural world and learn how to be a group of students outside the school setting. These trips create opportunities for fundamental interpersonal skills and strengthen the child’s self sufficiency, independence, and confidence.

3rd Grade Farm Trip to upstate NY offers real life experiences to our students.

Third grade in Waldorf education is the time when children take their first overnight trip, away from parents! We spend a week in upstate New York at another Waldorf School and biodynamic farm. The Farm Trip is truly the perfect experience to apply the knowledge gained over the course of the year, but also to learn new lessons in adventure, resiliency, friendship, and community.

Outdoor, overnight trips become part of the annual calendar in grades 3 through 8. Our students boat along the James River, visit nearby indigenous tribes, study botany and beekeeping, go spalunking (that’s caving), try their hand at ropes courses. We also visit local museums, including the VMFA, Science Museum, and VA History Museum. Our middle schooelrs also visit the National Gallery in Washington, DC and travel by train to get there. All of these experiences, from figuring out what to pack, how to navigate the bus or train station, setting up your tent, to cooking meals and managing homesickness, all help our students be the type of person who is resourceful, resilient, and who has a sense of wonder about the world.

RWS 8th grade class trip on the Appalachian Trail.

We culminate our field trips with the 8th grade class trip, which is planned in coordination with the students. This final trip is a true adventure, a challenge, and huge accomplishment that truly sends them off to High School with confidence and incredible stories. Expect to see 8th graders going sailing along the Chesapeake Bay, perhaps doing some backpacking along the Appalachian Trail, or an adventurous rivier trip. In Waldorf education, these field trips play critical roles in the curriculum, where life lessons are taught and the classroom content comes to life.

To learn more about the Waldorf approach to science education, and how we bring meaning and inspiration to the learning environment, submit an online inquiry here.

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Time in Nature can Spark a Lifetime of Science Curiosity

Being outdoors helps children develop the curiosity that is the essence of science later in life. Time in nature helps students cultivate their independence, imagination and sense of wonder, while helping them feel less stressed and more confident in themselves. That’s one reason why outdoor education and play are core components of Waldorf education.

At Richmond Waldorf School, outdoor time is a priority for every enrolled student, from age 3 through 8th grade. We understand that to develop free-thinking, balanced, and curious human beings, educators should value the robust learning opportunities that occur when children are allowed to be outdoors in both structured and unstructured times. As a recent article from CNN argues, time outside “helps kindle curiosity that is the essence of science.” “If you are fascinated by clouds or the spots on a ladybug’s back; if you like to split open rocks and see what’s inside, then you’re already an outdoor scientist,” Grandin wrote.

The child’s school environment can also play an important role in helping spark and nurture that curiosity. Waldorf education is known for a holistic approach that emphasizes integrating the natural world into the curriculum. Our preschoolers and Kindergarteners spend at least two hours outdoors every day, in all weather and seasons. You’ll see children bundled up and playing elaborate games, exploring, working, and even eating meals outside through all types of weather – rain, snow, or shine! This actively builds resilience as they learn how to work together to stay warm on cold or wet days, or to develop a curiosity in the changing seasons and the insects, birds, and other animals that live amongst us, and also learning how that there is no such thing as bad weather since wearing the right clothing makes all the difference. We firmly believe that these outdoor experiences are building a foundation of scientific curiosity, honing observational skills, and giving children a space where there is joy and fun throughout the school day.

As students enter the lower elementary grades, Waldorf students continue to have ample unstructured outdoor times through recess, movement classes, biking class, and even through the course of their academic studies. Waldorf education uses observation of nature as a way to unfold the science curriculum. Regular field trips to local farms, orchards, and parks allow students to deepen their love and appreciation of nature. They also have regular classes in bicycling, movement and games, and will draw, paint, sculpt, and write about all the academic subjects.

As they move into upper elementary and middle school, students study botany, geology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, and anatomy. Our teachers plan adventurous field trips to the mountains for camping, caving, kayaking, and truly experiencing the natural world as a way to teach and provide a sense of wonder. This translates into stewardship of the earth and a strong sense of environmentalism in Waldorf students. The Waldorf students deeply appreciate the beauty of nature, and as the students progress through adolescence, graduate Richmond Waldorf and move into high school and college, we see that these experiences often bloom into a strong sense to protect and preserve nature, as well as a desire to continue to have outdoor time throughout their adulthood.

To learn more about the Waldorf approach to science education, and how we bring meaning and inspiration to the learning environment, submit an online inquiry here.

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Waldorf Education: A Supportive Community for the Whole Family

Raising children who will become happy, healthy, thriving adults is one of the most challenging and important roles anyone can have. In Waldorf education, our schools are designed to engage not only the student but their families as well. We believe in meaningful relationships, where our trained teachers work with families over multiple years to understand how to best support each child. Our in-depth narrative grading system, our ongoing adult education and volunteer opportunities, and our rich cultural and festival life all serve to create a welcoming community where families feel supported and engaged.

Events like our annual May Faire are a perfect example of the Waldorf community coming together to celebrate, contribute, and model for our children the importance of being a part of a connected community. Every person – teacher, parent, grandparent, student – plays a role to make our May Faire a success. The Parents Association is a strong, connected group where parent voices are heard, volunteers are coordinated, and friendships are made.

We know that working in close relationship to parents is a powerful and important way to connect school-life and home-life. From home visits before the school year starts, to class meetings with parents, to parent-teacher conferencese, these are all opportunities to support the whole family and further the education of our students.

The Importance of Parent Education: From CNN.com

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the-importance-of-parent-education

Written by Tracy Trautner, Michigan State University Extension – October 03, 2019

Parenting, for many, is the most important and challenging job to ever have and a role that gets little recognition. Parents and other primary caregivers of all types (foster parents, grandparents, adoptive parents, etc.) can all use an opportunity to learn tips and new strategies to relate with our children and enjoy being with them. It also allows an opportunity to engage with other parents that may be having similar issues and struggles.

oday, there are new parenting challenges to overcome. Skills, routines and values were passed from generation to generation and parents could rely on networks of support to help them parent. Compared to past generations, many parents and families have become isolated and are raising children in silos. These parents are trying to figure it out alone. The skills a child needs to be successful have changed as well.

Over the years, each generation sees a change in what society considers parenting issues. Currently, families struggle with behavior management issues including lack of expectations, child supervision and excessively severe and inconsistent punishment on behalf of the parent. According to John Geldhoff, an Oregon University assistant professor of behavioral and health science, all parents—high income, low income, mandated and non–mandated—can benefit from evidence-based parenting education. Parents who have attended classes and learned effective discipline and parenting techniques report having children with higher grades, fewer behavior problems, less substance abuse issues, better mental health and greater social competence.

Parent Ed at a Waldorf School

With all this in mind, we know that parents know their children better than anyone. The Waldorf teacher works with the parents to better understand how and why a child engages in the way they do. The teacher can also help provide advice and support to parents to educate and support them in creating consistent habits and routines that support the child at both school and home.

In a Waldorf school, one of the most frequent topics we work with parents on is how much media usage and screen times in best for children. Parents come to the Waldorf school with an understanding an appreciation that we do not use screens and technology as an instructional tool or as a support in the classroom. We see how children’s imaginations, attention span, and social/emotional learning flourishes in an environment where they are learning in a direct person-to-person environment. Our teachers work extensively with parents to help them release the grip that screens and media have on the young child. We find that with boundaries and practice, the children quicklyl let go of those habits and instead begin activities that they have learned at school – knitting, sewing, bike riding, singing, drawing, and playing outside, just to name a few!

Richmond Waldorf School also offers a regular Parent Education series, where we discuss topics such as –

How teaching the head, heart, and hands builds tolerance, resiliency, and flexibility in students
Why Waldorf waits on academics
How to introduce a “Simplicity Parenting” approach in your home
Waldorf’s approach to media and technology
and more!

During parent teacher conferences and throughout the school year, it’s not uncommon for a Waldorf teacher to address topics with parents that seem outside of the academic realm, such as sleep habits, meal times and diet, screen usage, or homelife and daily routines. We do this because we see the inherent value in collaborating and supporting the child both in school and at home.

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Outdoor Play Foundational for Science Education

New research highlights the foundational role that nature-based play has in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. The natural world provides an incredibly rich environment for children to explore and learn about through play. They build, climb, investigate, experiment, and through that exploration acquire language and concepts that form a strong basis for more formal STEM learning. They also develop the curiosity and habit of experimentation that forms the core of scientific inquiry. That is why science education in Waldorf Schools starts with a solid foundation of nature-based play beginning in preschool, and uses a hands-on and nature-enhanced approach throughout the grades to engage students in learning.

Waldorf education understands that balance and a rhythm to the day is the best way to keep our students engaged. We want to meet their current developmental phase with experiences that support their growing minds, hearts, and bodies. In the photo above, 5th graders take some time for fun and games while on an overnight field trip to a VA beekeeping sanctuary. That balance of play and work, exploring and learning, helps hone important skills that will support continued academic rigor while maintaining balance, fostering self-sufficiency, and valuing self care.

Starting in Early Childhood, play is the foundation of learning, and both our preschool and Kindergarten students spend at least two hours outside each day – in all weather and seasons! We firmly believe that this unstructured play in nature is an incredible foundation for children to learn important social, emotional, and physical lessons. Their imaginations run wild with the freedom to turn any number of natural materials into wands, cars, or any number of creative applications. This experimentation is the beginning of scientific inquiry!

The lower elementary grades also focus on the importance of outdoor play to develop curious, observant students. We notice the patterns of the seasons, the changes of the weather and how it affects the playground equipment and our bodies, observe what plants and animals appear throughout the course of the year.

Two recesses per day in grades 1 through 8 offer all students the opportunity to stretch their bodies and minds, and to play! Unstructured time in nature teaches self care to our students in a practical and hands on way.

Even as the students move through middle school, overnight field trips in nature that include camping, caving, kayaking, and more – all allow that freedom to play, to explore, to engage, and to relax in the great outdoors.

What the Article says: NaturalStart.org

https://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/learning-doing-how-outdoor-play-prepares-kids-achievement-stem

Written by Gwen Dewar, PhD

Research suggests that active exploration wires the brain, and helps kids develop powerful intuitions about concepts central to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

What happens in a child’s brain when he or she plays outdoors? What do kids learn by sticking their hands in a rushing brook, or dropping seeds into the wind?

You’ve heard that children sharpen their spatial skills by playing with construction toys and jigsaw puzzles. The rationale is easy to grasp: Hands-on activities allow kids to inspect shapes from different visual angles and perspectives. So they don’t just improve fine motor skills. Through practice, they train their brains to imagine and rotate shapes in their own, internal, 3-D simulator. They learn to see with the mind’s eye.

It makes sense, and so we recognize the value of puzzles and building blocks for early cognitive development. But spatial toys aren’t the only materials that children can learn from, and hands-on activities can do more than improve a child’s mental rotation abilities. Active, outdoor play can enhance learning, and spark insights about the physical world.

We would love you to explore if the Waldorf approach is right for your child! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Stanford: Why Waldorf Math Works

An in-depth study by Stanford University of the Waldorf educational method in place at a public school in Sacramento, CA found that those students outperformed their peers in other public schools in their district in math, with the most gains among African American, Latino, economically disadvantaged students and other traditionally underserved students. The researchers found that in Waldorf education math is taught in multiple ways. Students move their math, sing their math, paint, draw and build their math, and it is brought into other lessons like history. This way of teaching is more approachable and enjoyable for all students.

Why is singing math, moving to math, painting or drawing math so important? Because it keeps students engaged and thinking about the various ways these important skills can be represented and applied. In Waldorf education, subjects are woven together and presented in lively, experiential Main Lessons. The photo above shows our 2nd grade class learning their multiplication tables – what you can’t hear is their voices chanting the facts in unison while clapping and moving in time. It is activities like these where we see our students fully engaged and having so much fun, they don’t realize how much they are learning.

As students approach the upper elementary grades, complex fractions, business math, long division, and more are presented in both practical and creative ways. Waldorf teachers take care to compose a lesson that is full of active learning, followed by quiet reflection as the students create Main Lesson book pages to reflect the days’ lessons. The interdisciplinary approach is part and parcel to the Waldorf classroom.

Read more about Stanford’s study and their findings of how a public Waldorf school stood against its traditional counterpart here:

https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/library/publications/1386

Alice Birney Waldorf-Inspired School, a public K-8 school of choice within the Sacramento City Unified School District, provides a powerful example of an alternative educational approach within a public system. Rather than focusing on preparation for standardized tests, Waldorf students are deeply involved in a full range of expressive arts – ranging from watercolors and music to knitting and physical activity; they learn science by gardening and investigating natural phenomena, mathematics by designing and building things of practical value, history from studying biography and the human meaning of historical events, English language arts by writing their own books and extended accounts of what they are learning. The school’s attention to comprehensive student development, including their social-emotional, physical and artistic development has profoundly shaped its graduates into young adults.

A study, “Growing a Waldorf-Inspired Approach in a Public School District,” produced by the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), details the specific practices of a Waldorf-inspired approach at Alice Birney and their outcomes for students. The study also examines the district’s role in supporting alternative models of education while working to ensure equitable access to a high quality education for all its students.

The study documents how the instructional approaches at Birney lead to strong student outcomes. Quantitative analysis of student record data compared to similar students in other district schools reveals that Birney students have low transiency and suspension rates and positive student achievement outcomes on standardized state assessments, particularly for African American, Latino and socio-economically disadvantaged students.

Beyond being a study of one individual school, this study illustrates the power of a school district in supporting and enabling a school’s fidelity to its approach and sustainability. Finally, at a more macro level, this study provides insight into how to create space in public schools for a broader definition of education, without forcing these models out into the charter school space. It sheds light on the policy conditions necessary to achieve this broader goal.

The study of Alice Birney Waldorf-inspired School was funded by Rudolf Steiner College.

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

Nature Brings Out the Best in Children

How important is the environment that children play in for the quality of learning? A comprehensive study shows that children who play in unstructured outdoor environments with natural materials engage in a much wider variety of beneficial types of play, which leads to increased cognitive and developmental benefits. Researchers found that those children were more likely to be inspired to build with found materials, to engage in imaginative play, and to examine objects deeply through the senses. They also found that the children were more joyful and participated in more cooperative play. That’s why in Waldorf education we prioritize giving children access to outdoor play spaces with natural materials that encourage creative and open-ended imaginative play.

Get to know if the Waldorf approach is right for you! Join an information session or meet with our Enrollment Administrator to learn more about Richmond Waldorf School.

Get to Know RWS

Valerie Hogan
Enrollment & Marketing Administrator
| 804-377-8024 ext 3

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