Do you believe nature is one of life’s best teachers? Does your child love to be outside and moving? If so, then we have the perfect elementary school environment for you and your family!
Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm is starting our Farm Classroom in January 2020 — a place where a small group of students of mixed ages (6-10) will work, learn and grow together out on the farm for their school day.
Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm is fortunate enough to be home to a certified biodynamic farm on our 32-acre campus. Time in nature is proven to benefit students, which is why all our students enjoy outdoor education at SWSF. However, our Farm Classroom students will do a predominant amount of their learning outdoors on the farm.
The class will start its day outside with movement, working with the rhythms of the day, the seasons and the year on the farm. With Saskia Pothof as our lead teacher, we will move as a group in the mornings, engaging our hands and minds in work that organically arises out of caring for the land. When we return to the classroom, a cozy yurt perched on the edge of the farm, we will explore questions that arose of our morning’s work and relate these lessons to academic curriculum. Younger students will then end the day will end with lunch, whereas older students may join their grade level for afternoon classes.
The small group of mixed ages allows us to tailor and pace the academic and artistic work to the individual students, providing individually crafted lessons, assignments, and expectations so that each child is engaged and challenged at her/his particular level to help build confidence and skill. Through meaningful work, story-telling, writing, reading, measuring and calculating, drawing, painting, sculpting, baking bread, cutting and stacking firewood, caring for the space and for each other, the students develop a stronger sense of self and a deeper connection with learning.
How do I learn more?
To learn more about the program and take a tour, simply email our Admissions Director. Want to secure your child’s spot in the program? Please use our online application to start the process. We look forward to hearing from you!