35th Anniversary Spotlight: Alum Lili Thomas-Brumme
We are celebrating 35 years of Susquehanna Waldorf School this year! In honor of our 35th anniversary, we’re interviewing members of our community to share why they love SWS. Class of 2006 Alum, Lili Thomas-Brumme, sat down with us to talk about her time at SWS.
Time at SWS and where she is now...
I was a student at SWS from 5th through 8th grade and I graduated in 2006. Four formative years. Now I work as a set decorator, set dresser, and art department for film/commercial/TV in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Favorite memories of SWS?
The memories that pop into my head are very incidental times in our classroom. Of course there were the amazing field trips. We went to Rome in 8th grade which was great. Who else can say that!? But the times of just sitting and talking and playing games are my favorite memories. Mr. Martino would let us play a board game before main lesson started, and it's that kind of incidental time, growing close with people without there being too much structure, that I think of really fondly. You don’t really get that in other forms of education. There can be an expectation to be performing in a certain way but we were allowed to just be with each other.
How did SWS prepare you for your path?
Having confidence in who I am. When I was in public elementary school, it was like anybody who didn't fit the mold, anyone who didn't get these grades on standardized testing was wrong. It was all about how you performed in numbers and how you could conform. And if you didn't conform, if you were the cog that didn't fit in the wheel, it was a problem with the public school because they had to come up with a whole personalized education plan just to help you because you were the one that didn't fit. I just always felt wrong and broken in a lot of ways.
Coming to SWS, it was a total 180. I was offered support. “We are here for you and for how you grow. We’re going to work with the skills and the learning that you have and that you need and we’re going to do this together.” It wasn't just the teachers and the students. When I was having trouble in math, my teacher would take the kid who was really good at math and tell us to study together. And so it was the confidence of knowing that I wasn’t broken, I wasn’t the problem, I am strong for having the mind and the skills that I have. These are the things that make me the person that I am. For me, personally, that was huge. I say sometimes that Waldorf education totally saved my life. And it feels really dramatic but I really believe it to be true. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t grow up having that support and confidence. I wouldn’t be where I am.
Has your perspective of your education at SWS shifted over the years?
I think even when I was at SWS, I loved it and knew that it was better than anything else that I could be doing. Elementary education ended at 4th grade at the public school I was at before SWS and three different elementary schools were combined for middle school. I was terrified. Of the amount of people, of going to a new place, and since I already had trouble in elementary school. I was told, “You can’t take a test with everyone else, we’ll send you to a different room.” I was already the weird kid. I remember telling my mom, “I am not going to 5th grade, I’m going to fail 4th grade” and she was like “hm, okay, let’s find something else.”
Going to SWS, without having words for it at the time, I remember the feeling of being alive. And, even though I couldn’t say why or what, I just felt different. I felt brighter. And I think that that perspective has gotten deeper over the years. With age, I’ve been able to actually understand and pinpoint the reasons why, and know myself in a more concrete way, this is why it worked, this is why it’s good, this is what it did for me.
What makes SWS special?
I think the community aspect of it is huge. Specifically at SWS because it’s so small and concentrated. It was really amazing to be there and to know people so deeply. The community and the support to grow into who you’re meant to be and how everyone is supporting each other doing that is so special. On a broad scale of Waldorf education, when I meet another Waldorf kid out in the world, we’re both like “Wowwww!!!” Even from an entirely different state, there’s a deep level of connection. Individualism is a very American perspective, like "head down, concentrate on your own, take care of only yourself," and Waldorf education teaches something different from that. It's about bringing people together.
Hippity Hoppity Hoo! Welcome Baby Landon & Bunny Nora!
Written by Dandelion Kindergarten teacher, Nikki Hill.
What a fun and exciting time for the Dandelion classroom. So many babies were born, making some of our classmates big brothers to little sisters and others big brothers to little brothers. It has been a joy to welcome new life into the world and into our hearts.
Welcome to the newest members of the Dandelion classroom: Miss Nikki's son, Landon, and Nora, our baby bunny. Although Landon does not come to the classroom very often, all the children saw Miss Nikki's tummy grow and grow and grow throughout last year's adventures and now there is a little picture of Landon in the classroom that the kiddos can see. The other exciting member has been our dear baby bunny, Nora. Nora has been enjoying all the snuggles, pets, and treats the kiddos have been giving her on a daily basis.
Nora's favorite day so far has been Tuesday soup day because she is almost guaranteed to get a nibble of a juicy carrot or some little scraps of sweet potatoes that have escaped the chopping board and made their way to the floor. She also likes when the children all snuggle up on our new couch in the classroom and give her lots of love and sweet snuggles. Most mornings she is freely hopping around the Dandelion classroom, exploring all the toys, nooks, and crannies, just like the Dandelion children are. At circle time, she sometimes observes the children from her high perch in the loft looking out over us, ensuring that we are using our sturdy feet, kind hands, and beautiful singing voices. Nora is quite the explorer and loves visitors and snuggles. If you ever want to say hi to her and give her some pets, snuggles, and love, please let Miss Nikki know and she would be happy to have you visit.
Looking Into the Mirror: A Peek Into the First Weeks of 2nd Grade
Written by Second Grade Teacher, Michele Calabretta.
Second grade is a busy time for a young child! We are beginning to read and to approach math with much larger numbers, while (constantly) questioning the duality of life! This can be cumbersome for some adults, so just imagine being a 7 or 8 year old without all of the context of an adult. How on earth do we approach this with such young, energetic, and eager beings? Well, we sing and dance to help settle the soul. We do our very best to work together, in unison at times and, at other times, as an opposing reflection or mirror. What better way to learn than from our own life lessons or from observing lessons learned by others! Admit it, when someone else makes a mistake, it’s much easier to call out their mistake than to recognize when we ourselves have made one. By the end of second grade we hope to be able to do both but with grace, acceptance, and, perhaps, a helping hand. However, it’s only week four so back to learning we go!
In Waldorf education, fables are told to illustrate the extremes of folly in our lives. What happens when one doesn’t prepare ahead for a deadline? Well, if one is a grasshopper who played a fiddle all summer, one might find oneself very hungry and envious of the industrious ants when winter arrives. We gently see the mistake by observing such folly in these animal fables. “Poor silly grasshopper, why didn’t he do a little work instead of play all day?” The questions and giggles and accusations come out verbally and in fun. However, the lesson is also taken inwardly and can be a good reference point later when a human situation arises for us on the playground or during a class. After writing the story in our Main Lesson books and illustrating the main idea, Class 2 set to work on creating the story with beeswax figures - tiny fingers can make such tiny ants!
35th Anniversary Spotlight: Alum Noah Fitz
We are celebrating 35 years of Susquehanna Waldorf School this year! In honor of our 35th anniversary, we’re interviewing members of our community to share why they love SWS. Class of 2019 Alum, Noah Fitz, sat down with us to talk about his time at SWS.
Time at SWS and where he is now...
I started at SWS in kindergarten and went grade through grade up until 8th grade. I graduated from SWS in 2019. Now I am in Donegal High school going into my senior year and proceeding to college soon which I greatly look forward to. So big steps ahead and a big past here.
Favorite memories of SWS?
I have a lot. What pops into my head most recently is our Bahamas class trip with our class and our teacher. There are so many memories from that trip but I remember playing cards below deck while traveling in this picture perfect scenery that you could only imagine. We had such a close knit group and it really impacted my experience at Susquehanna Waldorf School.
I don’t think I can bond with a group more than I bonded with my classmates. I have extremely close connections to a lot of them. Some of us have gone our own ways but the majority of us have stayed closely connected. We still do, 3 or 4 times a year, big get togethers as a group to maintain our friendships. I think they’re here to stay. That’s a powerful thing to have growing up. The same group of people who were always with me throughout my education. The ways we connected at SWS were not solely through education but also through the play that Waldorf education introduces. It wasn’t just education time and play time. It was a mix of both through the education, through experiments, and hands on learning that we got to know each other and got to know our teacher. We grew as a group through learning, through playing, and through the combination of both.
How did SWS prepare you for high school? How has it impacted your college application process?
Going from Waldorf into high school was a scarier transition in thought than what it actually turned out to be. I was afraid that I wouldn’t know anyone. I was afraid that I wouldn’t get along with anyone. I realized that it depended on me too. I was taught through Waldorf to put my skills and interests to work and it took me awhile to remember that but in 10th grade, once COVID was kind of wrapping up in our education at Donegal, I utilized my many resources in clubs and classes. I found out how I can get engaged in the education. SWS prepared me for this by having an open mind and teaching me that I have a wide range of skills that don't pertain to one academic interest or one skill set. I can be an artist and I can be a mathematician. I can be into science but I can also love English. So much beyond that, Waldorf taught me to get engaged and explore my interests. So when I started taking advantage of that opportunity in high school, I found myself much more accepted and accepting of myself at this new location.
The way Waldorf education is projecting me toward college is a different topic in its own. I see myself learning, through high school and my experience at SWS, what way I learn best and what way I can best achieve my goals and be successful. That has helped me look for a school with a certain value set that is very closely connected to how Waldorf education shaped me. I'm able to see all of the potential I have to further my academic interests through the teachers at SWS, being a well-rounded person, and trying to utilize everything I have.
Do you know what you'd like to study in college?
I don’t want to speak for everyone but going towards college, we think about what major we're applying to. So many of my Waldorf classmates agree with me that it’s hard to pick one. I see my peers in public school go through their high school experience knowing what they want to do, "this is what I’m good at, this is what I’m going to pursue." There is a thought process that you have to focus on one area to be successful and have one career. Waldorf teaches us to think with a different perspective. We can do so much more beyond just what we're good at. Therefore, I am very much undecided, but I have so many interests that I’ve thought about and explored in the colleges I’m looking at such as finance, economics, international studies, and, even, fashion design.
What is your perspective on your Waldorf education years since entering high school and preparing for college?
I’ve grown to become proud of the educational background that Waldorf provided me. Not to boast about it but to accept that the education I was given is so valuable to me as an individual. For some it doesn’t work but for many it does. And for everyone it does, we can really appreciate it. Through time I’ve acknowledged that learning in a small community has been so evident in my life. I’m always drawn back to one. No matter what it is, I always want that small community. I try to make them, I try to build them, I try to make these connections wherever I am. That’s an aspect of my education that I’ve grown so appreciative of through my reflections.
Another strange little thing is the importance of a simple greeting. Shaking one’s hand and an intentional greeting at a door, at a threshold of meeting someone, is a very simple tradition. We greeted our teacher every morning at SWS and it has taught me a lot about the professional world. Not only that but simple relationships and communications basics that have helped me along my path in high school. The appreciation for all of the things that I learned is growing and I think it will continue to grow.
It’s a big part of my applications for college. It’s a big part of who I am and it always will be. That's why I’m tying it into my resumes and introductions as I apply for college. Waldorf education has made me a different person from who I would’ve been. Respecting and appreciating that has been a big part of understanding the difference between my experience in public high school and Waldorf education.
What makes SWS special?
I think the biggest thing that stands out to me is the small class size that follows along with one teacher from grade one through eight. That community and connection between the 12 of us and our teacher that waxed and waned throughout the years was something so unique to Waldorf that I don’t know who I would be without it. It’s a funny thing to know your teacher so well that she knows exactly who you are, how you learn, how you play, how you socialize, how you interact with your education and with your environment. That teacher aids you and caters her/his/their ability to your best learning interests. Not just so we’re the most successful but to challenge us and become our best as a person. Through this interaction, we grew, got to know each other and have stayed connected, me and my teacher as well as my class. I think it’ll always be a connection that I cherish and value. So through this eight year long journey with my teacher, that’s what makes Waldorf so very special and unique to me.
The 2022-23 School Year Begins!
We received some much needed rain here in the Susquehanna Valley as we welcomed in the 22-23 school year. There was a buzz in the air as students and parents arrived. The playground was ready to be enjoyed, the classrooms were ready to welcome in the students, and the gym was prepared for the Rose Ceremony. A lot of time, love, and energy was put into ensuring that the school year started with ease and joy.
SWS families, teachers, and staff came together on the last weekend in August for SWS's annual playground cleanup day. There were alums painting playground structures, families weeding, and students getting some much needed social time after a summer apart. Everyone pitched in to make our playground ready for the school year! The day ended with Italian ice and popsicles thanks to Mrs. McIntyre.
A couple days later, SWS teachers and staff gathered for Back to School meetings in preparation for the school year. Everyone participated in a "Contextualizing Curriculum" workshop with Alma Partners, where faculty and staff discussed anti-bias education, wrote "Where I'm From" poems, and planned for the next workshop in October, during which faculty will delve into how to create more diverse and inclusive curriculums. Faculty members discussed the summer training they participated in focusing on such areas as preparation for the grades, painting, singing, woodworking, World Languages and Healing Arts. It was three fun days of learning, singing, discussion, and even charades! All agreed that it was great for everyone to be back together again.
On September 6th, it was time for school to officially begin! Parents and caregivers were greeted by members of the SWS Parent Guild with coffee, tea, and snacks which provided a wonderful opportunity to welcome new families and reconnect with returning ones. The first graders eagerly waited with their class teacher, Mrs. Larson, until the moment their Rose Ceremony would be celebrated. Ms. Tucker, the eighth grade teacher, and Miss Tabea, an Early Childhood teacher, greeted the crowd in the SWS gym with the first lines of a welcome song and were soon joined in song by all the faculty and staff. Afterwards, Ms. Tucker introduced Mrs. Larson to an appreciative audience and the moment had then arrived for the first graders to walk across the Rainbow Bridge to receive their roses and enter their new world as grade students. Mrs. Larson called each student one by one and each was led to the Rainbow Bridge by their kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Larson shook their hands on the other side of the bridge, and their 8th grade buddies greeted each one with a red rose, the petals of which symbolize the journey they are each beginning as first graders. When the eleventh student received her rose, Mrs. Larson introduced the Class of 2030 to much applause! Sitting together and listening intently to Mrs. Larson, the children received a story which illustrated the beginning of their journey (pictured above). Welcome to the class of 2030 and the 2022-23 school year!
35th Anniversary Spotlight: Teacher and Alum Parent Barbara Freiberg
We are celebrating 35 years of Susquehanna Waldorf School this year! In honor of our 35th anniversary, we’re interviewing members of our community to share why they love SWS. Former teacher and alum parent, Barbara Freiberg, sat down with us to talk about her time at SWS.
On her many roles at SWS...
I arrived to Susquehanna Waldorf School as a parent in the 90s. After being there for a year, I started working with Miss Linda as a Kindergarten Assistant. I had worked at Sunday School churches but working in Waldorf education was different. I ended up in a lot of different roles at SWS over the years. I taught afternoon care and just loved it. We’d have spaghetti and play until their parents could pick them up at 6pm. I wanted to learn more about Waldorf education so I studied eurythmy, painting, administration, and handwork. I was the receptionist for a couple of years before we had an intercom system. So I answered the phone and had to take it to the office. That took patience and it was sweet. I always really loved working with the children, though. They always find a way to be creative.
I worked at SWS off and on for 25 years. There was always something to come back to. The beauty of the building and the people brought me back. I learned so much at the faculty meetings. We were given so many tools to process the work we were doing. We studied anthroposophy. There was beauty in the education for our students, but also for everyone who worked there. There are talented people at SWS. They have that little something extra.
Why Waldorf?
We loved the curriculum at SWS. I was first introduced to Waldorf education at an exercise class I used to teach. A couple came in and started talking about SWS. How they presented their curriculum artistically: chalkboards, students writing their own books, teachers wrote their own plays. My husband knew about SWS from an independent newspaper. We visited and the environment really caught our attention. My husband loved that there was no plastic. He came home and threw away all of our tupperware. There was a nature play table and the teacher made it so fun and magical. I saw how lively these very basic stones and sticks could become. How they became toys but with reverence and respect.
Studying all of the world’s religions was really important to us. I was Catholic and my husband’s Lutheran. They studied religion as a philosophy and it kept our children very open minded. We traveled a lot and loved that Dela studied German and French. It’s a worldly curriculum. They had a lot of cooperative games. They were exposed to healthy foods in Kindergarten, which created a really good foundation for us as a family.
Favorite Memories?
The best days were all of the days. I can’t think of any bad days, I really can’t.
I remember this day. It was Three Kings Day and the fire alarm went off. There were three fire trucks at the school. “Oh my god, it’s Three King’s Day, look at the three fire trucks! The kings are here! The kings arrived!”
It’s been sweet watching my grandchildren go to school there. My children are 35 and 33 and they have children now. It’s comforting to see where they are. Students come out of the school with so many life skills. The languages, music, and handwork.
What does a SWS education mean to you and your family?
Waldorf education formed my family. Before our children started at SWS, we didn’t know many people here. We didn’t have much community. The people were so friendly at SWS. There were potlucks and other events to meet people. I made some dear friends who I’m still friends with today. We went on trips together. Our children are in their mid-30s now but we’ve stayed friends.
We enjoyed bringing culture and music into our home. Dela really loved the flute. Waldorf really helped with healthy food choices and brought more conversations around our dinner table. All of that was reinforced by me working at the school. As a teacher and employee, I really needed to walk the talk. We were caring for everything around us and that was lovely. I brought that into my home. We had a lot more care for things. You end up with a lot of rocks in your house. It was just great.
What makes SWS special?
Those wooden floors are beautiful. The old brick building. The river, the parks, and the walk. It’s a village. The people that are there make it so special. I’ve seen people come and go over the years but the people who work there are sincere in wanting to teach. The community that the teachers and staff build is reinforced by a common ground of study. Not what they teach the children but what they study in faculty meetings. It makes them a unit.
SWS has been good to us and now it’s being good to my grandkids. It’s a well-rounded education with exposure to so many different things. It’s three dimensional. I always hope it will be here. I always hope there will be Waldorf education in the Susquehanna Valley.
Third Grade Farming Trip
Written by Class 4 Teacher, Melissa McIntyre
In third grade at Susquehanna Waldorf School we are fortunate to partner and participate in farming skills with local farms. The ability to get our hands, feet, faces, and whole bodies actively working with the earth beneath our feet, as a means of sustaining ourselves by cultivating our own food, is perhaps some of the most grounding work we can do as human beings. This is especially true for the third grader who is starting to discover their own independence and their own place in the world.
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. All of these lessons and activities lead to the culminating event of the year, the Third Grade Farm Trip.
The Third Grade Farm Trip is a rite of passage as the class goes away for several days to work on a farm. Third graders visited Pearlstone Center in Maryland for their 21-22 farm trip. For many students it is their first time away from home and the trip provides concrete experiences for them to test their "how to" knowledge and support their healthy, growing independence. Students made cords from Yukka plants, built their own shelters, spent time with animals, planted tomatoes and peppers, and enjoyed campfires.
Special thanks to Heritage Creek Farm Camp and the Pearlstone Center for providing such wonderful education opportunities for our students!
A Glimpse into Stepping Stones in Springtime
Written by Stepping Stones teacher, Tabea Steinbesser-Fitz.
What better way to start each school day than being outside on our little playground behind the school, enjoying the warm sunshine, or even spring rain splashing in our faces? Our Stepping Stones children were very busy the last few weeks of school with planting our garden boxes with plants we can harvest in the fall when school resumes: ground cherries, kale, snack peppers, garlic, potatoes, lavender, parsley, and marigolds for the silk-dyeing of our "golden capes of courage" for Michaelmas. The children loved digging in the soil and finding earthworms and other critters, and of course, watering the plants (while often getting wet themselves!). We were overjoyed that many sunflower seeds which we had peeled from large wilted sunflower heads in the fall and sprinkled along our garden fence came up all over the yard. We fenced off an area for our "sunflower garden" to grow.
Our big round swing was the most beloved place to hang out, with lots of laughter, giggles and singing songs, while others preferred baking birthday cakes and serving "hot ice cream", climbing over the obstacle stump course, or engaging in hide and seek games. We did our water coloring outside and created beautiful covers for the Stepping Stones Recipe booklets which were our Mother's Day gifts (also freshly baked scones).
One day we noticed that a mommy and daddy bird had begun to build a nest in the hole of the school's brick wall using dried grasses and even pieces of yarn (only at a Waldorf School will birds find these useful treasures on the playground!). In the following weeks, we got to experience the nest building, the uncertainty of baby birds hatching, hearing the cheerful chirping sounds from the brick hole, and the busy parents flying in and out to get food. We got to witness the little birdies taking their first flights over our playground!
Inside the classroom, the children became experts over the course of the year in building large obstacle courses across the whole room as well as hide-outs created with play stands, sheets as roofs, stumps and chairs and doors, and sheepskins, silks, blankets, and pillows served as cozy beds. It was always busy in the play kitchen and our baby dolls, and even us teachers, were fed well. We stacked chairs lengthwise on the floor to build long trains and one of the stops was usually at Molly's Cafe. Our knitted barn animals and the big fuzzy momma cat were the most beloved toys in the classroom. They received so much love and care but also pulling and grabbing. When they got injured, the children wrapped them very carefully in silk and held them in their lap or hands until they got better again.
It can get bumpy during play sometimes. This is the age where everything speaks "mine!" to the 2 and 3 year olds. By the end of the year, the children developed a larger vocabulary, more patience, and some tools on how to use their words, and even began negotiating. These years are very important for developing first social and self-regulating skills.
The best part is that the children have all developed such love for each other and often made their first friendships in school. It is such a joy to see spontaneous big hugs from the children (that sometimes lead to tumbling over). When we teachers get those hugs and a whisper "I love you!", then I know that all of my efforts in helping the children grow into compassionate, understanding, and kind human beings are absolutely worth it.
Congratulations SWS Class of 2022!
Graduation from the Susquehanna Waldorf School is a momentous occasion. Our small class sizes mean that most of our graduating students have been learning and growing together since first grade. For the class of 2022, most have been together since pre-K. They lamented this spring, “We’ve been at this school for our entire lives. How can we leave??”
As the end of the school year approached, 8th graders went on their class trip to Florida and performed their last Waldorf school play. Both are significant parts of Waldorf education. The 8th grade class trip is a time to honor the years they’ve spent together and it marks their transition into high school. 8th graders snorkeled with manatees, kayaked, went fishing, learned about local wildlife, and even wrote an original song about manatees, which they performed at graduation!
Waldorf students perform a class play each year, first through eighth grade, so by the time they reach the 8th grade they’ve been performing together for years. The class of 2022 channeled their vibrant energy into performing Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and what a performance it was! There were circus tricks, dancing, 3 characters in 1, laughter, and lots and lots of applause.
The entire school gathered on the last day of school for an End of Year Ceremony. First graders performed a very special song for the 8th grade and presented their 8th grade buddies with a yellow rose. The 1st graders received a rose from an 8th grader welcoming them to SWS when they began their school year, and they were paired with an 8th grade buddy for the entire year. A very special bond develops between our 1st and 8th grade students and this year was no exception.
Faculty, Staff, parents, and loved ones gathered together on Sunday, June 8th to celebrate and honor the Class of 2022 at their graduation. It was a beautiful, sunny day at a picturesque location along the Susquehanna River. The graduation ceremony was a perfect representation of this incredibly gifted group of students. They serenaded the crowd with Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, and their original, The Manatee Song. They spoke thoughtful tributes to all who made their education journey so special. Mrs. Radanovic spoke of her admiration for the class, Ms. McGrew shared a rhyme about each student and Ms. Satterlee presented each student with heartfelt words and diplomas. The 7th grade orchestra played as the ceremony came to a close and we wished the 8th graders well. It was a creative, funny, and deeply touching ceremony. Thank you to all who made it so special, especially Ms. Satterlee, Mr. Cameron, and 8th grade class parents!
Congratulations Class of 2022 and blessings on your journeys ahead!
35th Anniversary Spotlight: Alum Parent Jon Darby
We are celebrating 35 years of Susquehanna Waldorf School this year! In honor of our 35th anniversary, we’re interviewing members of our community to share why they love SWS. Alum Parent, Jon Darby, sat down to talk with us about his time as a parent at SWS.
On Time at SWS…
So we have two children, Elliott and Abram, both of them have been at SWS in various capacities at different times. Abram graduated from 8th grade in 2019. He’s a junior in high school now.
We were introduced to the school early on when we moved from Maryland back to Pennsylvania. We were looking for schooling options for our kids that weren’t the standard. We came to Susquehanna Waldorf and fell in love immediately. Our first encounter at SWS was parking in the parking lot, getting out of our cars, and literally hearing children singing coming out of the windows. It almost didn’t feel real. My school experience was very different from that. And I was like, “Wow, is this a real thing?” So that was really magical. We walked in here and between the imagery, the colors, the people, the singing, there was really no going back from there.
When our kids started here, my daughter was in kindergarten and my son joined Miss Jackie’s parent/child class. Because my wife was teaching, I was the one who took him to parent/child every week so I felt like I was getting an education in the process. I mean, I don’t think I was, I definitely was. It changed the kind of father I was and it changed my whole parenting style.
We stayed through early childhood and, largely because of finances, we decided to homeschool for a few years. Around the time my son was heading into 5th grade, he was missing that social side of school. He was at SWS in kindergarten and early childhood, so he had these friends he stayed in touch with. So he seamlessly floated back into 5th grade at SWS, already knowing half of the class that he was joining. It was almost like he had never left and it was really an amazing experience. So he was there 5th through 8th and graduated in 8th grade with Ms. McIntyre.
Why Waldorf?
Initially, it was really the heavy emphasis that we saw being placed on music, art, and nature. And the natural rhythms and really focusing on the way children actually develop. I found out that Waldorf was looking at how brain development happens in children. How children will naturally start to read at ages 5-9 and that’s normal. Whereas in a public school, if your child isn’t reading really well by 1st grade, then they’re sectioned off into the slow kid track. It’s not honoring the children.
Seeing that Waldorf was really putting the emphasis on the natural rhythms of the child, the natural rhythms of the year seasonally, the heavy concentration on nature, there’s art everywhere, obviously, getting out of the car and hearing music, it really felt like a much more holistic system than my personal schooling experience in the public school system.
I saw Waldorf as a structure designed to reconnect, and build relationships with the seasons and the land. It’s the complete antithesis and antidote to what the dominant culture is offering.
Experience as a Parent at SWS
Miss Jackie was our parent/child teacher and one of my main first introductions to Waldorf. She totally changed the way I parent. I was pretty young. I had good intentions but had never really spent time with small children. So, like everybody, I was modeling and mimicking my own childhood and how I was parented, and despite having wonderful parents, it was very discipline based and that was all I knew. That’s what I was expecting I’d do as a parent and so I was able to see this completely different paradigm in Miss Jackie’s classroom. It’s hard for me to really put it into words, but we were honoring the child but also redirecting the child. Like, when a child is doing something they shouldn’t be doing, rather than yelling “No, don’t do that,” it’s, "Let’s redirect you over here." The more I began to understand how their little brains work, it made so much more sense.
Not only were the children there but the parents were there and I got to speak to other parents and talk about challenges and what’s working. And it was me, the dad in the room, with 5 other moms and that was a cool dynamic. I was in charge of removing spiders from the room if they showed up. I got to see the emphasis on the handwork and the story time and how the children really reacted to these simple stories with little puppets. It really was an enchanting and magical way to see a child progress.
The one thing that has always struck me. It struck me when my children were young with Miss Linda. It equally struck me with Ms. McIntyre when we went to the parent/teacher conferences, is to have a teacher talk about your child (I get choked up just talking about it) talk about your child and who they are and have it be so accurate. “How does this woman know my child as well as I do?” It was always really stunning to me. Her ability to read the children and understand who they are and what they need and to really see them. Trying to meet them where they were and push them further. For me, that’s been, more than anything else, that’s the thing that’s always hit me the hardest that I can’t talk about without getting choked up. That kind of connection to your children, and I don’t know if that’d be possible without the teacher following them through the schooling years, but at the same time Abram came back in 5th grade and within that same year she was so in tune with our child and it was really amazing.
I remember when we met with Miss Linda and Abram was in her class for the first time and, I don’t remember exactly how she worded it but, she said she was first and foremost an advocate for our child. And she said it in a way that was almost like, let’s talk but just be clear, I’m not here for you. He comes first. And I’m going to hold that ahead of what you want. That was really amazing too. To really feel that.
Impacts of Waldorf Education on Children
With Abram, I feel like he came out of Waldorf as a super confident kid and really knowing who he is. Like I’ve never been worried about him with peer pressure and getting into stuff with kids he shouldn’t be because he came out of Waldorf with such a strong sense of self that’s not really shiftable for him, at least not from a peer group. He’s super smart and super deep thinking and I really feel like that has a lot to do with the way that Waldorf educates kids.
It’s funny because he kind of grumbles about Waldorf a bit. “I didn’t get this or that” and I hear other teenagers feel the same way but I also feel like he knows better than that. I feel like he would absolutely not be who he is if he went through the public school system. He has a strong sense of the world and he cares about stuff. He’s a super smart kid and has done extremely well at Lancaster Mennonite.
The other thing that I think is amazing watching him with his peers is that he’s still connected with all the kids he graduated with from SWS. They all just planned a trip to Philly. They all took the train down and spent the day in Philadelphia. I hardly know anyone I went to high school with. I never made friend connections like that. To see him keeping in touch with those people, how he considers them family, that speaks volumes to me about how the classes are organized and run. I think having the teacher hold the children in reverence, treating each one like an individual, and essentially modeling that behavior, helps them do that for each other. There is no pecking order that gets handed down from above that can happen in other situations.
I have no doubt he’ll come around in his early 20s and be like "Wow, Waldorf made me who I am and it was amazing."
What Makes SWS Special?
First and foremost, the actual human beings that are there doing the work. So many people that we hold in such high regard we know through this school. Not only our friend circles but the teachers, Ms McIntyre, Miss Jackie, Miss Linda, the staff. So many people we’ve encountered and have been along on this journey with us are amazing people. So it’s an amazing community. Probably secondly, is the proximity to the Susquehanna River. Having the kids be able to walk down to the river and really get to know the river. That river to me is super important. Having that as a backdrop to the school is a pretty powerful source of energy and inspiration and love.