Our School
Halton Waldorf school offers an education that inspires a love of learning, and fosters in our students qualities of confidence, independence and intelligence. Founded in 1984, our school is located on five forested acres in north-east Burlington. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for students to engage in their learning and to fully develop their individual capacities. By integrating academics and the arts, the Waldorf curriculum responds to the developmental needs of the child, focusing not only on what children learn, but how they learn.
Vision
Halton Waldorf School is a school community in which students become thoughtful, resourceful, confident young people who are prepared to navigate the world with resilience and a sense of purpose and belonging. We provide a holistic educational program of humanities, maths, sciences, world languages, music, and movement, as well as fine, practical, and performing arts, in a vibrant experiential learning environment that is connected to nature and community.
Values
We are committed to being an inclusive community rich in diversity of spiritual, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Faculty and board work actively with the insights of anthroposophy as expressed by Rudolf Steiner, pertaining to child development, pedagogy and curriculum, self-development, and governance. Through what Rudolf Steiner described as the art of teaching, our teachers cultivate a sense of wonder in their students. Based on knowledge, observation, and inspiration, they provide opportunities for active engagement, authentic experiences, mastery of skills, and joyful learning. This supports the development of physical, social, emotional, artistic, and intellectual capacities.
What is Waldorf Education?
In North America, Waldorf Education has been available since 1928. It has its roots in the spiritual-scientific research of the Austrian scientist and thinker Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). According to Steiner’s philosophy, anthroposophy, the human being is a threefold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capacities unfold in three developmental stages on the path to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. Today, there are more than 1,100 Waldorf schools and over 1,700 kindergartens in 80 countries worldwide. These schools exist in large cities and small towns, suburbs and rural enclaves. They have grown in response to the demand for education that truly meets the needs of childhood at all developmental levels. Waldorf education is the fastest growing education in the world.