Founded in 1947, The Waldorf School of Garden City is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for students age three through twelfth grade. Our philosophy is based on the values of imagination, integrity, hard work, kindness, personal and social responsibility, and mutual respect. We are dedicated to providing a rigorous, liberal arts education that focuses on the development of the whole human being. Emphasis is placed on a multidisciplinary approach to learning through a curriculum that balances the physical, artistic, social and intellectual needs of our students. Our nurturing environment and diverse community enable our students to excel as educated and compassionate individuals whose lives are enriched by their lifelong passion for learning.

Welcome

Established in 1947, the Waldorf School of Garden City has been preparing students for college and beyond for almost sixty-five years. At the heart of our curriculum is a fundamental understanding of child development fostered through our dedicated and highly qualified teaching staff. With our farm campus in New Hampshire, students’ learning is enriched through direct contact with the natural world. We invite you to discover more about our school’s philosophy and curriculum through our website.

The Waldorf School of Garden City offers a community for the whole family. Parents participate in a range of activities – from doll making workshops to independent film screenings – and share in a desire for their children to develop into sensitive individuals who can make a difference in the world.

Early Childhood Programs

For parents of younger children, our early childhood programs stress the importance of rhythm and security, the need for sensory encounters, and the centrality of play in early childhood. The child’s physical wellbeing is the central feature, with an emphasis on warm clothing, organic food, and carefully chosen sensory experiences. Childhood is honored, respected and patiently experienced.

Elementary School

At the Waldorf School of Garden City the content and teaching methods are designed to serve the needs of the child, not for the child to meet the demands of the curriculum. Our lower school program engages students artistically, descriptively, and dramatically. Specific skills such as reading, spelling, grammar, expository writing, and arithmetic are reinforced through daily English and math periods. Oral language skills are carefully developed throughout the elementary school through choral speaking, individual presentations and dramatic productions. Specialty teachers work with the children in French, German, singing, orchestra, movement, art, and physical education.

HIGH SCHOOL

In our high school, a demanding academic program helps students to develop an independent and disciplined approach to learning. In subject matter, the high school program offers a solid and rigorous liberal arts curriculum. When it comes to college, our students regularly go on to four year institutions of choice. With a thoughtful curriculum and inclusive athletic program that emphasizes healthy child development, the Waldorf School of Garden City’s physical education and after-school sports program allow all students to see themselves as athletes—strong, cooperative and disciplined individuals, capable of contributing in meaningful ways to the larger effort of their team.

PARENT AND CHILD CLASSES

The Parent and Child program is designed for children aged 12 months to 3 years old attending with a parent or caregiver. These two-hour classes meet once a week.  Children play with others their age with the security and comfort of a trusted adult nearby.

Adults discuss parenting issues and explore the Waldorf approach to raising young children. An experienced Waldorf Teacher leads the class, meeting the needs of both children and parents.  For more cost and schedule information please go to:  http://www.waldorfgarden.org/page.cfm?p=388

GREEN EFFORTS

Since the 1940s, our Garden City on-campus garden and farm campus in New Hampshire’s Glen Brook farm have taught students about work, responsibility, and sustainable living. Beginning in the earliest classes, students are brought into nature for phenomenological observation and study. Understanding our actions and their consequences for our planet are woven into the culture of the community. Students learn respect for all of earth’s creatures, the benefits of local food sources, biodynamic farming, and other aspects of sustainable living.

The daily life of School observes decades-long practices of recycling, repurposing, and otherwise using what we have and making what we need. Glen Brook’s farm includes a small herd of sheep and is a certified tree farm.   Harvested wool, shorn from the herd in April prior to lambing, is washed and carded and used in classrooms at the Waldorf School of Garden City. Food has since emerged as a valuable focal point for all our programs: at Glen Brook students make maple syrup, press apple cider, grow vegetables, and raise animals. The children are involved in every step of the process, being nourished by the food that they have grown themselves.

In short, we teach environmental stewardship by modeling responsible behavior.  Our institutional values and unique program position us well to serve as a resource for others, even as we continue to improve our own practices.

R. Louv the author of No Child Left in the Woods wrote “Nature is nurture.” At the Waldorf School of Garden City we agree. Alumni regularly recount Glen Brook trips as the highlight of their educational experience. These ‘rites of passage’ foster self-confidence, an appreciation for group effort and a capacity for engagement.

ORGANIC, NATURAL FOOD

The Waldorf School of Garden City is committed to providing fresh and healthy foods, free of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.  The cafeteria staff prepares the majority of meals from scratch.   Most meats are free range and the fish are wild.  A well-balanced meal of whole-grain carbohydrates, proteins and plenty of vegetables are all part of the schools well-balanced approach to cooking.

Day in and day out the cafeteria staff prepare a variety of soups (including a vegan option), breads, entrees (at least one of which is vegetarian) as well as the fresh salad bar.  Cafeteria chef Mrs. Gill says:  “I approach each meal as if I make it in my own kitchen.  Love is always the main ingredient.”

The Waldorf  School is located at 225 Cambridge Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530

The School day is from 8:10-3:30

Visit our website at www.waldorfgarden.org or call us for more information 516-742-3434