Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm
A woman in a sunhat gently pushes a young boy on a rope swing hanging from an oak branch, with picnic tables and grazing cows behind a fence in the background

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Why Choose Summerfield Waldorf

Summerfield Waldorf challenges children in such a way that the emergent ability of independent thinking can lead to a true experience of meaning. This process begins with the hands-on experience of ‘meaning’ in preschool, and progresses with various academic and practical arts & skills learning in the lower grades, culminating in a search for individual meaning in high school.

We nurture the whole child — hands, heart, and head — through a rich curriculum spanning birth to 18 years old

In the video below, you’ll hear directly from a few of our longtime teachers who in their own words share what makes a Summerfield education so unique. Through an active and immersive approach to Waldorf education, we engage all the senses to create a transformative learning experience.

What current families say about Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm

Woodwork class at the outdoor bench.
Woodwork class at the outdoor bench.

We came for the no-screen policy — Dr. Jane, PSY.D., G2 parent

We really wanted to be part of a community that prioritized real world engagement, as we knew we couldn’t do it alone. It wouldn’t work to be the one weird family that single handedly avoided the allure of screens. We needed a village that would also put their phones down, turn their TVs off, and collectively embrace relating with ourselves and each other in real time and space.

In this past year, our vitality has not only returned but grown, with each of us benefitting from the dramatic changes we made to our relationships with devices. Instead of failing alone in our desire to turn away from screens, we are grateful for the opportunity to be part of a culture that doesn’t need them… Summerfield’s policy was a deep gift to our family.

From Laura, parent of G4 & G7 students

It has been a year since we moved our family from the East Bay in the middle of the school year. One of the reasons we moved is because the use of screens in schools was so rampant. We came here in search of a group of people who felt the same way we did — who wanted children to have a childhood, run wildly, get muddy, connect with each other in person and experience the world with their senses. Our year has exceeded our expectations. What has stood out as we have gotten to know the students even better is seeing them thrive, free from early media influence.

Two students racing down the gravel path. Splashing in winter puddles.

On the swings in the kindergarten yard.
On the swings in the kindergarten yard.

From Becky, parent of 2 Summerfield students

My older child has been at Summerfield for three years and this school has been essential in our kindergartner’s physical development and whimsical, creative play. I have never seen a child happier and more proud of herself than when she came home with blistered palms, elated to have finally made it across the monkey bars.

The teachers really see the children for their uniqueness and strive to meet the children where they are developmentally. My younger daughter is enrolled in the Parent & Child program. Her teacher saw that she needed more stimulated play and crafted activities to keep her engaged and happy.

We are grateful for the connections we have made and appreciate being around families that are like-minded regarding media. We are fortunate to have found Summerfield. Not only for the amazing teachers, but for the community our family is now a part of.

  • Two lower-school students sit at a wooden desk writing with colored pencils in a sunlit classroom, with more students and open art-supply rolls visible around the room
  • A high school student in a cream sweater raises her hand to answer a question in a science classroom, with classmates seated at lab tables in front of her

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

  • What is Waldorf Education and how is it different?

    Central to Waldorf Education is a recognition of and a respect for the child’s unfolding individuality. The curriculum is designed to meet the child’s specific developmental needs–where they are in their developmental stage– from the preschool through to high school. Rudolf Steiner maintained that “all education is self-education,” and therefore the task of the teacher lies in creating a learning environment in which the child can find age-appropriate nourishment and challenge. In a world in which education is focused on normative, quantifiable outcomes, the uniqueness of the individual child’s gifts and challenges often has to take a backseat to the pressure of general societal expectations.

    Waldorf Education values difference and strives to support developing children and adolescents in such a way that they can bring their gifts to fruition while, at the same time, learn to cope with their challenges. All of Waldorf Education is focused on challenging children in such a way that the emergent ability of independent thinking can lead to a true experience of meaning. As Steiner puts it, the earliest experiences that the world is good and worthy of imitation, followed by the cultivation of a deep sense of wonder for the beauty to be found in all things, will establish the foundation upon which the teenager will learn to discover truth in the world.

    Learn more here.

  • What makes Summerfield Waldorf High School different from other high schools in the area?

    Because we are an independent and private school supported by tuition, we are able to innovate and respond to our students to meet them at their individual developmental level. We facilitate a school culture that is initiative based with a high level of student participation. We welcome parents from area schools to visit Summerfield and see our campus. Our tuition is significantly lower than other private schools and over 60% of our high school families receive financial aid.

    • Our Campus & Biodynamic® farm: Our 38-acre campus includes a working, Biodynamic® farm. Students work on the farm and use the campus in their studies. Summerfield offers a daily hot lunch program, which often includes produce from our farm.
    • Class Ratios: Our student to faculty ratio is 6:1, ensuring that our teachers really get to know every student and work closely with them to support their unique individual needs.
    • Student Support: Students are supported by a dedicated high school counselor and professional college counselor who truly know and encourage our students to strive for their own personal and academic best.
    • Freedom from Standardized Testing: Independence from “high stakes” standardized state testing means that teachers have the freedom to decide how to best meet the class – and the individual – while delivering a rigorous curriculum.
    • Student Connections across the Grades: Summerfield is an intergenerational campus and the high school students are connected to other grades through campus traditions like the Rose Ceremony. This connection to younger students helps older students take leadership roles and to see their own trajectory through the grades in a unique perspective.
    • A Smart Device Policy for Undistracted Learning: We are a Smart Device-free campus. We have found that refraining from all electronics and Smart Device use while at school allows students to be fully present with their peers, teachers and themselves.
    • SRJC Cross-study Program: High school students engage in a variety of research projects and have access to the Santa Rosa Junior College for coursework, which supports individual courses of study.
    • International/Exchange Student Program: Summerfield offers a foreign exchange student program, which is available to every high school student and is included (outside of air fare and other travel expenses) with tuition.
    • Drug & Alcohol-Free Students: Summerfield upholds an agreement with its students to strive to be drug and alcohol free during their time at our school. We engage parents in support of this agreement and work with the concept of accessing a deeper sense of self-awareness and interest in the world around us so that life in itself is the most pleasurable, meaningful, and enriching experience an individual can have.

  • What role does technology play in the the lower and upper grades?

    The quality of student engagement deepens with hands-on, face-to-face work with teachers, peers, and course material. We engage in ethical conversations about Smart Device and Social Media use, study comprehensive online research methodologies, and learn budgeting & spreadsheets.

    Because digital technology evolves so rapidly, we find that teaching students critical thinking and learning skills better prepares them for life in a high tech world than teaching specific technology programs. Alumni have shared that based on their life experiences after high school, they were able to easily pick up the technology they needed for college & their careers.

    Please read our Smart Device Policy and Social Media Recommendations.

More answers on our full FAQ page.

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