Classroom Insights, Social Justice
Beth Riungu
Diversifying Our Curriculum

Rudolf Steiner used an archetypal picture of the developing human being to form the guiding principles of his pedagogical approach. These timeless principles provide a solid foundation for re-envisioning the content of our lessons. Our goal is to include more diverse representation in support of racial justice while enhancing the unique essence that makes Waldorf education so powerful.

Diversifying Our Curriculum

Finding Balance: Honoring Childhood While Educating for the Future

Waldorf Education, founded in 1919 and based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, achieves a balanced education by offering a developmentally appropriate curriculum that both supports children where they are in the moment, and prepares them for their next phase of development. This curriculum unites academics with the arts, movement, practical work, and a deep respect for the natural world.

The Freedom of a Waldorf Education

Andrew Gilligan began his discussion about the importance of Waldorf Education in the world and what it means by asking us to think about the word freedom. As parents, we exercise our freedom to choose the type of education that best fits the needs of our child.

A Different Approach to Financial Aid

Part of the Mission Statement of the Meadowbrook Waldorf School reads, “We strive to offer this education to those who seek it here…” One of the ways MWS supports this part of the mission is through financial aid, and like many things at a Waldorf School, we do it a little differently. For one thing, we call it “adjustment” not “aid,” and this is quite purposeful.

The Art of Story Telling to the Preschool Child

One special part of a Waldorf Early Childhood experience is the use of puppetry to tell a story. The teacher is able to express a variety of deep story themes and soul moods with the simplest of gestures. The magic for the viewer, whether they are young or old, is that the atmosphere surrounding the story is held with complete reverence and respect. Lighting a candle and singing a simple song marks the beginning of this special time.

What Makes Our School Unique

We are proud of our school and the quality of the education we offer here and it’s a pleasure to be able to share it with those who visit us to attend an Open House, Visitor Day and other community events. Meadowbrook was recently granted accreditation by both AWSNA (Association of Waldorf Schools in North America) and NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). AWSNA is the national affiliate of the worldwide Waldorf Education movement and NEASC is the oldest accrediting institution in this country. We’ve always known by the quality and character of our graduates that we are doing a worthy job of educating children however it is very satisfying to have an independent group of educators and administrators validate our work.