FAQ

“Inspired by Waldorf” describes our pedagogy as it is rooted in Waldorf Education. You can learn more about Waldorf philosophy on our website page here.

To officially claim the title of “Waldorf School”, a school must be accredited through the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. City of Fountains has taken this accreditation into consideration, but has presently chosen to maintain an independent path. We continue to consider and seek other forms of accreditation for the future.

The short answer is yes and no. Waldorf and Montessori philosophies both emphasize educating the whole child, teaching practical life skills, utilizing natural, beautiful materials and extending their pedagogies into the grade school years. All three philosophies share the goal of instilling a natural curiosity and love of learning through experience. They also share practices of (some degree of) child-led learning, mixed-age classrooms, interaction with the natural world and reliance upon interdependent relationships in the child’s life (harmony amongst school, family and community). However, all three philosophies diverge on a number of practices beyond this, including the role of imagination and fantasy, the degree of child-led versus teacher-led activity, and the role of a spiritual life. You can learn more on the subject here and here.

You can learn about the school’s history here.

Our school is nonsectarian and nondenominational. Our program does not embrace any one particular religious doctrine but honors the spiritual dimension of the human being and of life. The truth and relevancy of all religions and beliefs are honored with the common ideal of bringing forth social renewal and wisdom.

At times, the words and imagery of angels and God-representations from a variety of religions and cultures are used in poetry or stories in the classroom. This is a seeking for what is good, beautiful and true within the self and the world, not in a dogmatic way. In this same light, our school celebrates festivals within our community life. These celebrations are relevant to our culture and are a reflection of the current student body.

Our programs are holistic in nature, with respect and reverence for life, natural resources and human expression. Art is not seen as an extracurricular but as integral to all learning. Every day, students draw, paint, sculpt, sing or move to further explore and deepen their understanding of the academic material presented. Students make their own beautifully illustrated textbooks, rather than relying on printed textbooks for learning, bringing the material they have learned to life with their will.

Our curriculum is academically rigorous and holistically balanced so that both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are strongly developed, and executive functioning is nurtured.

Children who have an education inspired by Waldorf are often ahead of their peers in conventional schools in both core knowledge and comprehension, and are generally well-rounded and socially secure.

While there is a set academic curriculum, we also acknowledge the “teacher as curriculum” for the growing child, meaning that the teacher’s own being, their example,  has a great influence upon the child.

While it is true that writing and reading are not taught explicitly, it is a widespread misunderstanding that Waldorf early childhood does nothing to prepare students for writing and reading in the grades. What sets the Waldorf early childhood classroom apart from conventional schools is not just the lack of group-readings of “morning messages” or letter worksheets but the quality of spoken language children are immersed in throughout their day.

Instead of the rudimentary dialogue and sentence structure found in Pete the Cat and other popular easy readers, the Waldorf kindergartener is immersed in the carefully selected, rich language of nursery rhymes, folktales, fairy tales, nature stories and poetry. Original language is preserved, and these stories and verses are brought in repetition, often for three to four weeks at a time. Children learn these verses and stories “by heart” and retain not just the words, but implicitly learn cadence and rhythm, sentence structure and grammar, mood and tone, and more. Later in first grade, children naturally make the connections between these literary elements and their own writing and reading.

In addition to the literary capacities they are developing, Waldorf kindergarteners are also spending a great amount of time building upon fine motor skills needed for pencil grip and handwriting later on. The kindergarten week involves children in practical activities as well as artistic activities, such as drawing, finger knitting and sewing, that call upon these motor skills.

Around the age of seven, children reach a point of maturity in their bodies, their brain development, and the ability to make inner-pictures that together indicate readiness for the more formalized process of learning to write and read in first grade.

“Teacher looping” refers to a practice common to Waldorf schools, in which a lead teacher remains with their students for all eight years of their primary education rather than switching of teacher from year to year as most traditional schools do.

At City of Fountains, the faculty works in collaboration to determine whether it is appropriate for any given class to remain with their lead teacher for five or eight years. Sometimes we find it is helpful for a class to receive a new teacher for their middle school experience.

In either situation, close relationships are formed with the students that provide them with a sense of security and trust that carries them through their most challenging transitions in childhood and serves them for life. The closeness gained through this relationship allows for teachers to maximally meet students’ individual needs and inspire their greatest potential.

The growth and strengthening of the child’s own image-making capacity and imagination is imperative. This allows for the healthy development of creative and critical thinking in adolescence. A child that is exposed to a lot of media (especially in early childhood, birth through 7 years) may experience difficulty in envisioning their own creative images from written and spoken word, as well as in their own creative play.

The American Academy of Pediatrics indicates "Because of their immature symbolic, memory and attentional skills, infants and toddlers cannot learn from traditional digital media as they do from interactions with caregivers, and they have difficulty transferring that knowledge to their 3-dimensional experience."*

The same type of limitations still pertain to 3-5 year old children, and the AAP emphasizes that "the higher-order thinking skills and executive functions essential for school success, such as task persistence, impulse control, emotion regulation, and creative, flexible thinking, are best taught through unstructured and social (not digital) play, as well as responsive parent-child interactions."

Furthermore, it is explained that, on the whole, educational apps and the majority of television shows available for public use or viewing are not equipped to benefit a child's language and educational development. And in fact, ebooks that come with interactive enhancements "may decrease child comprehension of content.”

Brain imaging and neurological studies involving long-term media use also indicate the strong negative impact that media use has on brain development. These include, but are not limited to, hinderances to executive functioning, behavior control, and emotional responses, as well as interference to communication between the brain and body.

At City of Fountains we highly regard modern medical studies as well as our own professional experience with young children in consideration of the role media plays in the life of children. We require that families limit and appropriately censor** media of all kinds (television, video games, radio, movies, computers, phones, tablets) for all students. We strongly request that children are not exposed to media in the evening before a school day and in the morning prior to arriving at the school.

*See Media and Young Minds: Council on Communications and Media (American Academy of Pediatrics) for more information.

**Common Sense Media is a nonprofit resource for parents that rates movies, TV shows, podcasts, books, and more for their appropriateness for children and teens. It has been a well trusted resource for families since 2003. Common Sense is also a great resource for research and how to manage media with children.

Seasonal festivals are an integral part of school life within the Waldorf philosophy. These celebrations serve as special milestones in the passing year. Our festivals are an expression of reverence for the beauty found in the natural world. We look forward to festivals as an opportunity to build and strengthen our community, establish a yearly rhythm for the children and nourish our souls by sharing stories, food, songs and activities. A rich festival life serves to deepen the soul and spiritual life of our community, cultivating in all of us with resilience, vitality, connection and joy- more of what we all need for life in the modern world!

At City of Fountains, we celebrate five festivals throughout the year: Michaelmas, the Lantern Festival, Spiral of Light, MayFest and the Midsummer Bonfire. Each of these events is planned by the faculty and executed collaboratively with the parent body. They are all eagerly anticipated heavily attended.

We encourage an actively engaged partnership with our students’ families. Not only does parent involvement help our school to fulfill its needs, but also has a direct impact on the quality of the community that nurtures our children.

Lead teachers independently offer opportunities to be involved with their classes through Class Representatives. Occasionally we partner with parents who have specialized skills to teach short blocks of class to our middle schoolers. And, fundraising and collaborative planning becomes crucial in the middle school years in preparation for class trips and graduation.

Furthermore, we offer a variety of opportunities for volunteering at large:

• Beautification: Preparation of classrooms for the coming school year and as needed throughout the year (cleaning, mopping, painting, repairs as needed), sweeping the walkways, hospitality at school meetings (i.e., setting up tables and chairs, providing snacks).

• Community Outreach: Create and distribute general school flyers, posters or brochures, website improvements, school photography service and storage/organization.

• Fundraising: Plan and carry out fundraisers for the school during the school year.

• Festivals: Assisting teachers and administrator with preparation and cleanup of festivals.

Right this way!