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A
painting by a Waldorf School Kindergarten student. |
The Waldorf Educational Philosophy
The Lake Champlain Waldorf School is part of the international,
independent Waldorf School movement, committed to realizing
the unique possibilities of each child.
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), the Austrian-born scientist,
philosopher, artist and educator, founded the first Waldorf
school in Stuttgart, Germany in 1919. Steiner conceived
the curriculum to nourish children's love of learning
and to develop in them the necessary strength and flexibility
to meet the challenges of adulthood in a difficult time
in history. Since then, Steiner's innovative, educational
system has grown into a worldwide movement. Today there
are more than 750 Waldorf schools in over 48 countries,
each one created by its own faculty and parents. What
joins these schools is the teachers' shared dedication
to the Waldorf curriculum and the parents' conviction
that their children are receiving the best possible education,
helping them become socially responsible, clear-thinking,
free individuals.
The Lake Champlain Waldorf School offers a classical education
with a clearly defined curriculum that develops and balances
all aspects of the student: intellectual, emotional, physical
and spiritual. Academics are taught in three-week blocks
during which the children create their own text or 'main
lesson books.' The teachers interweave their lessons with
regular artistic activities such as painting, movement,
drawing, recorder playing and singing. Instrumental and
choral instruction play a key role in the artistic work.
From first through eighth grade, the students learn two
foreign languages, French and German. Physical education
begins in kindergarten with games and daily periods outside.
In the older grades, students participate in team sports
and outdoor adventure programs. Students also learn handwork
skills such as knitting and sewing, and woodworking. The
spiritual aspect of the child is nourished through the
teachers' shared understanding of each child as a spiritual
being.
A key aspect of the Waldorf philosophy lies in Steiner's
curriculum designed to complement and enhance the three
major stages of childhood as he distinguished them. A
Waldorf teacher appreciates the rhythms and cycles that
govern the growth of the child, and introduces elements
of the curriculum to match not only the children's intellectual
needs but also their emotional and physical needs.
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Copyright
© 2003 Lake Champlain Waldorf School. All rights
reserved.
Shelburne Campus: 359 Turtle Lane, Shelburne,
VT 05482
Phone: 802-985-2827 / Fax: 802-985-2834 / Email: info@lcwaldorf.org
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