By Sarah Valek
As kids settle into the traditional school rigamarole, there is a group of parents working to create a whole new school experience in Cleveland Heights — one that is revolutionary in its simplicity and back-to-roots ideology.
Their goal: To create the first Waldorf school in the Cleveland area. (Currently the closest Waldorf school is the wonderful, yet Akron-based, Spring Garden Waldorf School in Copley.) Past generations of parents committed to Waldorf education have worked hard to create a school in Cleveland but for various reasons were not successful.
The current group hopes to build on that long-standing desire to create a Waldorf school while bringing fresh energy and momentum to the cause. They hope to finally pave the way to establish an independent preschool and K-8 school — Heights Waldorf School — to be housed in Cleveland Heights with a planned opening of the early childhood and lower grades in Fall 2013.
So, what’s so special about Waldorf? Besides being one of the “fastest growing best kept secrets in education,” Waldorf is surprisingly unique in its belief of educating the whole child. Based on the work of Austrian scientist and thinker Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf pedagogy develops all aspects of a child – the “head, heart and hands” – to cultivate independent, critical thinking. In the early years this is achieved through rhythm, routine and free play in the natural world.
Teachers and students develop deep relationships, as the main teacher stays with his or her class from 1st through 8th grade. This gives teachers a deep understanding of their students, allowing them to “read the class” and to teach the right thing at the right time. If students show up to class sleepy, the teacher will see this and have them start the day with invigorating activity.
Every day begins outside (with obvious safety exceptions), observing the natural world and breathing in the fresh air. Teachers greet the children one by one and, instead of saying the Pledge of Allegiance, recite a verse based on the natural world.
Lessons are taught in “main lesson blocks” and kids create their own main lesson books based on their teacher’s presentations instead of learning from a text book. “Handwork” is incorporated into each day. In Spring Garden Waldorf School, students engage in a variety of hands-on activities: baking bread and painting for the younger grades, woodworking and hand knitting for older kids. Technology such as computers are not introduced until the later grades.
Amy Marquit-Renwald, a member of the Heights Waldorf core working group, currently sends her kids to public school but has been looking for a different model — one that she believes will “fully engage her three children, feed their sense of wonder, and develop their capacities for creative thinking.” She is not convinced that the current outcome-based models of education will encourage the kind of thinkers she sees lacking in our society.
According to Marquit-Renwald, Heights Waldorf School will not only offer a unique and outstanding education, it will benefit Cleveland itself. She sees it as an economic development tool for the Greater Cleveland area that hopefully will draw people into the city, as families familiar with Waldorf education will often relocate to cities offering it.
Intrigued? The Heights Waldorf working group holds monthly information sessions around the city. Group members are currently looking for teachers and volunteers. Find out more about Heights Waldorf School on their blog and Facebook page.
http://HeightsWaldorf.wordpress.com
[Photos from Spring Garden Waldorf School]
Cool Cleveland editor Sarah Valek graduated from Ithaca College with a double-major in arts and writing. After graduation, she came back to her beloved city and served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She currently spends her days chasing after her son, seeking soy lattes and digging up the coolest events around town. Contact her at CoolEditorATCoolCleveland.com.
One Response to “Another School is Possible”
Miriam Schuman
We’re delighted to share information with the community about the opening of the new Waldorf inspired school. Please contact us at heightswaldorf@gmail.com