Our Mission
The Waldorf School Of Atlanta inspires in its students a life-long love of learning through a curriculum that balances academic, artistic, and practical life skills, providing an approach to education that respects the unique abilities of each child and fosters his or her ability to think with clarity, to feel with compassion, and to act with purpose and social responsibility in their world.
Our Values
~ We believe that students thrive when exposed to a hands-on, integrated curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and grounded in artistic and practical work.
~ We believe that all students must develop intellectual curiosity, social sensitivity, and physical stamina in order to meet their full potentials.
~ We believe that students who are exposed to world cultures through story and sensory experience will become thoughtful, clear-thinking adults who understand and take an interest in the world and its people.
~ We believe in the importance of a safe, inclusive learning environment where the interests and strengths of all students are honored and encouraged.
~ We believe that schools should awaken social responsibility, service to community, and stewardship of the earth.
~ We believe that open, clear and direct communication is critical for maintaining a supportive and productive educational community.
~ We believe that effective teachers are committed to building long-term relationships with students, while demonstrating enthusiasm and honest striving in the world.
~ We believe that cooperation and collaboration between parents and teachers plays a vital role in helping students meet their full potential.
~ We believe that strong schools rely on initiative and commitment from all members of the community.
~ We believe in the power of the human spirit to invoke positive change in the world.
Our Vision
We envision an independent, Pre-K-8, co-educational day school of 250 students from both culturally and economically diverse backgrounds.
We envision a dedicated and experienced faculty who recognize and bring forth the gifts in every child through clear and open communication, artistic teaching, and their own commitment to life-long learning.
We envision a dynamic leadership model supported by a fully staffed administrative team with strong commitments to Waldorf pedagogy, a vibrant community, and long-term financial viability - all defining our school as the southeastern beacon for Waldorf education in the United States.
We envision beautiful, spacious classroom buildings, wooded grounds threaded with organic gardens, a multi use gymnasium to support athletics as well as larger community gatherings, and a performing arts center alive with music, drama, and artistic presentations that will enrich the school and the greater community.
We envision students who are nurtured by the guidance and support they receive from their families, teachers and community. As the beneficiaries of this education, we envision graduates who are well rounded, intellectually curious, and socially responsible stewards of their community and their world.
(Adopted June, 2006)
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School Profile
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The mission of The Waldorf School of Atlanta is to inspire in its students a life-long love of learning through a curriculum which balances academic, artistic, and practical life skills. We provide an approach to education that respects the unique abilities of each child and fosters his or her capacity to think with clarity, feel with compassion, and act with purpose and social responsibility in the world. |
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Celebrating our twenty-second year in Decatur, The Waldorf School of Atlanta was founded in 1986 by a group of parents committed to implementing the educational theories and practices of Dr. Rudolf Steiner. |
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Almost 250 students are enrolled in preschool through Grade 8. The school also offers a parent/child program and a variety of summer programs. |
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The Waldorf School of Atlanta is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Southeastern Association for Independent Schools (SAIS), the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), and the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC). |
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While The Waldorf School of Atlanta maintains working relations with other Waldorf schools and professional associations, it is an independent institution governed by its own faculty and Board of Trustees. The Waldorf School of Atlanta is one of 900 Waldorf schools worldwide. |
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In addition to their rich and varied educational and professional backgrounds, all of our faculty are fully certified by accredited Waldorf teacher training institutes and participate in continuing education programs annually. |
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The administrative offices of The Waldorf School of Atlanta and one of our preschool/ kindergarten programs are housed at 827 Kirk Road in Decatur. Two additional preschool/kindergarten programs are located next door at 821 Kirk Road. |
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The school leases adjacent space for a fourth preschool/kindergarten class and our elementary and middle school classes from Columbia Presbyterian Church at 711 S. Columbia Drive. We also own five acres of land on Kirk Road, also adjacent to our current facilities, which will allow us to build permanent classrooms for our grade school in the future. |
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The Waldorf School of Atlanta is committed to having a diverse student body. The school considers applicants for admission without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin. |
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Approximately 18% of our student body is of African-American, Asian, or Hispanic origin. We also have a strong community of international families. |
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Our eighth grade graduates attend a wide variety of public and private schools, including Academe of the Oaks (the local Waldorf high school). |
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Our History
“The realm of feeling acts as a drawbridge between the head, and the part of us that is the ‘doer’. Without compassion, forgiveness, and humor, we cannot bring this rich pedagogy into the world. Love is the fulcrum on which the future is balanced.”
—Katie Reily
In 1980, Katie Reily, a speech therapist and educator, attended a eurythmy performance in
Knoxville, Tennessee by a traveling troupe from Stuttgart. A few months later, she visited a small
Waldorf kindergarten in the mountains of north Georgia. Struck by the nobility and originality of
these two manifestations of Rudolf Steiner, Katie began to research his lectures. In an effort to
share her discoveries about Steiner’s life and educational philosophies, Katie began conducting
adult study groups in her home in Atlanta. It was Katie’s knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication
that nurtured Atlanta’s first Waldorf community of parents. As a new mother, she also generously
extended the gift of Waldorf education to the young children in her Grant Park neighborhood.
Between 1984 and 1987, seven to nine children attended her playgroup each year.
Eventually convinced that the need and understanding were present to support a Waldorf kindergarten,
Katie invited Susan Jones, the accomplished teacher of that small rural school in Young Harris, Georgia
to move to Atlanta to teach. With Katie’s vision and Susan’s experience, together with the support of
devoted parents, the first Waldorf kindergarten, The Children’s Garden, was established in 1986.
After
parents and teacher transformed a leased Sunday school room on Ponce de Leon (what would be the
first of many church building renovations!), Ms. Jones led sixteen children through that pioneering
year. Along with the establishment of The Children’s Garden, The Georgia Waldorf Association, a nonprofit
organization, was founded. Its primary purpose was to build community awareness of Waldorf
education in an effort to organize and support a Waldorf school in Atlanta. An Association newsletter
was first published in 1986, esteemed Waldorf lecturers were sponsored, and various workshops were offered. As of October 1987, the Association boasted fifty members.
The kindergarten program experienced its first expansion in 1991: a three-day class for younger
children, co-taught by Theresa Moreno and Annamay Keeney, was formed in a second Decatur
location; Annie Sommerville-Hall and Cheri Munske, among others, continued the Waldorf playgroup
tradition by offering morning programs for very young children in their homes. In 1992,
our school, and particularly its faithful parents, took another inspired step and established our
first Grade I class: Susan Jones was the school’s founding grades teacher.
The name of our school was changed to The Waldorf School of Atlanta in 1993, to reflect the
growth of our community and our aspirations for the future. Susan Jones stayed with her “pioneer” class through Grade V.
The formative years of this school were impelled by three essential convictions: Susan stood for
the pedagogy, Katie stood for the community, and the parents stood for their children. These elements
represent, in essence, the head, the heart, and the hands: those aspects of the human being
which Steiner’s education faithfully seeks to develop in its students. These same forces continue to
define The Waldorf School of Atlanta as new Faculty members re-dedicate and enrich the curriculum,
as a diligent Board of Trustees strives for fiscal balance and integrity, as a dedicated parent
body perseveres to retain nurturing home lives and warm community friendships while supporting
the daily efforts of the school. We will continue to build on this foundation as we plan for a permanent
school campus at 827 Kirk Road in Decatur on property purchased in 2002. It is with
gratitude and respect that these named and unnamed individuals are always remembered, and
acknowledged, for establishing the living foundation of The Waldorf School of Atlanta.
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