Welcome

Central to Waldorf education is a deep respect for childhood. Our enriched curriculum is designed to meet children’s specific developmental needs. Movement and time in nature is built into every student’s daily rhythm. The Waldorf learning experience is hands-on, with unwired and low-tech classrooms. The arts — music, story, drawing, painting, and drama — are interwoven through all subjects. Students learn two second languages, French and German.

Every child attends music classes twice a week beginning in Grade 1. Though not an art school, the creation of beautiful work is part of each student’s day. Math, science, history, literature, and geography are experienced through art, movement, and story, which allows for a deep and rich understanding of the material.

Practical arts are an integral part of our programming. Handwork which includes sewing, knitting, felting, and embroidery is taught in Grades 1 to 5. Handwork teaches children to carry through with a task, a practice that is essential to the development of thinking. Beginning in Grade 5, students move into working with wood, metal, and leather in their practical arts classes.

Our commitment to the Principles of Waldorf education sets the Calgary Waldorf School apart from other independent and public schools.

Education of the whole child.
We strive to nurture the healthy, timely development of the whole being of the child: the willing or doing (hands), the feeling (heart), and the thinking (head). We impart an engaging, enlivened and balanced curriculum that challenges our students academically, artistically, and physically. It is not just what the child learns in facts and concepts that measure success, but the care, effort and thoughtfulness embedded in the learning processes and products that bring value and meaning to the child’s experiences.

The uniqueness of each child.
We aim to assist children to make the full use of their innate qualities, their skills, talents, ranges of abilities and unique potential, while empowering them to be proactive in their environment and adaptive to change. We seek to develop identifiable skills while nurturing each child’s capacity for living fully in whatever future unfolds for her or him.

Read: Five Ways Waldorf Education Will Help Your Child Succeed

Articles that emphasize the qualities of Waldorf education:

The Symphony of Science
What does music mean to you? Do you use it to help relieve stress, anxiety and fall asleep to? For many, the value of music is endless and scientists and Nobel Laureates are no exception. From seeing problems in a new way to fostering discipline, expressing creativity to working as a team, music has helped many laureates in both work and life.

Working With Your Hands Does Wonders for Your Brain
Activities that use your hands relieve stress and help you solve problems.

Is ‘AQ’ more important than intelligence?
“Learning to learn is mission critical. The ability to learn, change, grow, experiment will become far more important than subject expertise.”

Boys Who Sit Still Have A Harder Time Learning To Read

Seven Benefits of Waldorf’s “Writing to Read” Approach
Waldorf Education starts to set the foundation for reading in kindergarten.

Instead of rote learning useless facts, children should be taught wellbeing
To equip young people to face the challenges of the 21st century, they need to understand their minds and bodies.

How Multisensory Activities Enhance Reading Skills
Reading lessons can involve more than just our eyes and ears. Here’s how you can promote reading skills using all five senses.

More Green Time, Less Screen Time
A new collection of 186 studies show that high levels of time spent in nature are associated with positive mental health, cognitive functioning, and academic achievement benefits for children and adolescence, while high levels of screen time are associated with anxiety, stress, and poor self-regulation.

“One way to set up a child for success: Take some time every day to really see them for who they are, not for who you want them to be.”
From their book The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired, psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel and social worker Tina Payne Bryson discuss strategies for parents to help their children feel seen.

We invite you to explore our website to discover more and attend one of our upcoming school tours.