Wallowing in Waldorf...

In 1980 a one room school opened with 3 students and a teacher in the small rural town of Viroqua, Wisconsin. The school, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School has since moved to a larger facility in an old school serving a student population (K-8) of about 200. Its reputation and rural setting has attracted families from across the U.S. In fact, I met a Mom on Saturday who after reading about the school in the publication UTNE, picked up and moved her family from Washington D.C. just for this school. This is not an uncommon story and its families definitely provide this rural area with diversity. 

The website states the Pleasant Ridge Waldorf "offers an educational experience that instills in children a reverence for nature, a strong sense of community, and an abiding appreciation for the values of service. The curriculum inspires imagination, cultivates creativity, encourages freedom of thought and expression, and promotes problem solving."  What's not to like in that description?

This past weekend was Pleasant Ridge's Annual Holiday Faire with child centered activities, story telling, puppet shows, music besides the fundraising faire of an organic lunch, silent raffle items and area artisans.

It also offered attendees an  opportunity to see what's going on in this educational setting. Natural decorations adorned entryways, hallways and classrooms. Boughs of local greenery swathed  the lockers and ledges in the cafeteria/gym area where we enjoyed area musicians and chowed down on an amazing organic meal of polenta topped with roasted root vegetables, greens/beef stew with flat bread. Interesting table conversation with school parents and my 2 partners in crime for the day. There was a bake sale with vegan options and even the smoothies showed Waldorf values sans electricity. 

Nancy and Lynn -partners in crime

We walked the halls and visited classrooms filled with natural products both edible and not... crafts of fiber, wood, clay, etc.   A doll artist   boast that the fiber nest with birds  was one of her children's favorites. The items really did make you want to touch/ play with them. 

Sale proceeds help local artisans as well as the school and it's great PR...

Did your blackboards look like this when you went to school?

Recently I visited with a past student who now has a young family and was investigating the Waldorf system where she will be moving. The pedagogy is not for everyone but if you want to supplement, your child will receive a very different kind of education. Which should come first a respect for Nature / readiness to read? 

Waldorf also has a religious component ... there's a link below if you're interested to read more about the Waldorf system... 

Upon completion of 8th grade Viroqua Pleasant Ridge families can choose to enter the public schools/ continue in the Youth Initiative High School next door. No matter what path is chosen there's no denying this school has added community wealth in the people it has attracted. 

Here's a link to read more about Waldorf: 

Exploring Waldorf