Community

Festivals

Throughout the world, celebrations reflecting nature’s rhythms, important transitions, and significant cultural moments mark turning points of the year. Our Waldorf community festivals serve to connect us with traditional cultures the world over, holding the space to observe not only nature’s changes but one’s own inner movement as well. Though modern life can insulate us from these natural rhythms (the changing of light, the efforts of harvest), festivals provide a real touchstone with the cycles of the earth and the soul-nurturing they provide. In Waldorf schools, the elements of festival – light, food, song, and story – permeate the classroom day to day; but the cadence of the year receives its form through festivals. In this way, we foster wonder, reverence, and gratitude.

Alumni

It’s natural for parents to wonder about life after SWS and how successful Waldorf school graduates are in higher education and beyond. If you know a student of Waldorf, chances are you’ll notice shared characteristics and values that distinguish them from their peers. The research bulletin Standing Out Without Standing Alone, which captures the results of a comprehensive study of Waldorf graduates, uses words like “ethical,” “self-reliant,” “life-long learning,” and “tolerance” to describe those who receive a Waldorf education. But our alumni tell it best—hear stories of their learning journey, and what their Waldorf education has brought to their adult life.