| Date | Who | Comments |
| 9/12/2012 | parent | Charlottesville Waldorf School is the best school in Charlottesville. I have several kids that span several grades, and the teachers are fabulous and dedicated and really know and love my children, the campus is beautiful and serene, and each child gets the individual attention that they need to learn successfully. The curriculum is so rich with hands on learning, engagement with the imagination and critical thinking, I love it! |
| 9/12/2012 | parent | My son just started 1st grade at CWS, and every day I'm amazed at the wholeness of his experience, and the way he is learning to see the world. The dedication and expertise of the teachers also sets this school apart. This method, in my opinion, is the future of education, and it gives children the skills the future job market needs - critical thinking skills, flexibility, collaboration skills, performance arts, and an appreciation of beauty. |
| 9/11/2012 | parent | I just came home from a class meeting at CWS and am totally in awe of how much our teachers care and know the children and...how much they have completed in the first couple of weeks at school! How inspiring. How I wish school looked like this when I was a kid. We are so lucky to have such an amazing school nearby. My children are so engaged with their classes and love their teachers. Thank you, CWS!!! |
| 8/10/2012 | parent | Funny how most of the reviews here are about Waldorf philosophy and not the actual school at Charlottesville. We had a horrible experience at this school. First off, don't let them fool you into thinking this school is exclusive in any way. They will take anyone that will write a check. That said we were subjected to kids with behaviorial issues, impluse control, constant disruptions and outbursts and virtually no disipline. My child learned many negative behaviors and minimal positives. We chose to attend a school in the future where this type of behavior is not tolerated. I expected way more for the price and was totally disappointed. |
| 11/29/2010 | parent | An incredible holistic education for my children! |
| 11/10/2010 | parent | The Charlottesville Waldorf School holds children in the highest regard by respecting their developmental stages in a comprehensive curriculum the weaves art, history, language, physical education, and more into their life experience. You also will not find more dedicated teachers than those at CWS. |
| 11/9/2010 | parent | We have had our children in this school for 13 years. This school is truly the only place where learning occurs from the inside out. Information is not just thrown at the students. Children learn by doing, thinking and living what they study. The teachers are the most dedicated and caring individuals who truly do see each student as an individual. This school has functioned on very low budgets for too long and deserve the opportunity to grow and provide the best possible environment for waldorf education. |
| 11/8/2010 | other | I am delighted that my grandchildren are in a learning environment which emphasizes emotional development and teaches them to explore their own creative potential. I believe the children benefit from the warm inviting classrooms, as well as the beautiful grounds. The teachers are impressive with their obvious commitment to learning and caring for the students. |
| 11/7/2010 | parent | Each child is given the opportunity to grow and develop into the person s/he is meant to be and learns how to be a part of the world. |
| 11/6/2010 | parent | It has the best educational environment available anywhere. The community that surrounds, supports and enlivens CWS is truely unsurpassed in it's dedication to nurturing the whole child. |
| 11/6/2010 | parent | In depth education.....not in a hurry to teach |
| 11/6/2010 | teacher | a wonderful alternative, one that respects and nurtures each child as they grow. |
| 11/6/2010 | teacher | The Waldorf curriculum has a strong emphasis on active, hands-on learning. As the children create handwork pieces, complete science projects, develop written (and artistic) reports, play in the orchestra, paint,sing and play outside, they gain confidence in themselves and appreciation for their classmates. |
| 11/5/2010 | parent | They allow the kids be kids....and EC advocate learning through PLAY. |
| 11/5/2010 | parent | We love the whole body learning experience! |
| 11/5/2010 | parent | Because it respects the whole development of the child |
| 11/5/2010 | parent | CWS is a unique and beautiful community of playful learners. The school's curriculum is rigorous and relevant to the holistic development of each child, engaging the whole human being in the dynamic process of exploring the world as well as the individual - a process of discovery which entails a lot of physical movement. Teachers are passionately committed to helping students develop self-confidence and a strong sense of responsibility so that students will grow to find their place as creative, capable, free-willed adults in society. Additionally, the school community is environmentally conscious, incorporating recycling and composting into classroom chores and emphasizing "green living" as important to being good stewards of the earth. On Nov. 12th the school will hold a dedication ceremony to officially open its new performance pavilion and library arts building - "the first passive house school building in America and the latest addition to its Greenest School Campus in America." |
| 11/5/2010 | parent | Great curriculum, teachers, and community. Innovative ecological designs in new buildings. |
| 10/26/2010 | parent | Comprehensive and holistic approach to educating the whole child. My children love to learn as a result of this developmentally based system of education. Both of my sons transitioned after graduating to non-Waldorf high schools (public and private) and went on to complete their undergraduate college degrees at top ranked universities (Ivy League). |
| 10/25/2010 | parent | Waldorf Education is based on Rudolf Steiner's ideas on child development which put emphasis on emotional development during the second 7-year stage of development. At this stage learning is best achieved through the use of story telling, music/rhythmn making, memorization of poems and dance. The traditional "headwork" of analysis and calculation are postponed until the third 7-year stage. |
| 10/21/2010 | parent | it is a wonderfully humane school that continues to place great value on music, art, storytelling in addition to traditional school subjects. Gratefully, the school does not teach to any tests; it teaches students to be better human beings! |
| 10/20/2010 | parent | I love this school because it nutures the mind, boday, and soul. CWS celebrates the natural world, helping our children appreciate the planet in all ways. |
| 10/20/2010 | parent | Nurturing environment. Attention to the well being of the whole student: Body mind and spirit. Allows the child to have an imagination and explore the world in their own way. |
| 10/19/2010 | parent | The curriculum is rich and classical, independent of instructional fads; it is developmentally appropriate--cognitively, socially, emotionally. Academic work is integrated with physical activities, the arts, handwork, and service. The teachers are dedicated. Along with their hard work, they keep the tone warm and light. The new LEED-certified buildings are a testament to the dedication of the local Waldorf community to beauty, practically, and reverence for nature. |
| 10/19/2010 | parent | Waldorf nurtures a child's appreciation of knowledge - both intellectual, physical, spiritual, social, as well as a child's appreciation of experience. It is a beautiful education which preserves the essence of childhood and healthy exploration of the natural environment. |
| 10/19/2010 | parent | A wonderful community and a great school! Building the greenest school in America (really!) on a new campus in town. |
| 10/19/2010 | other | I would not be nearly the person if it were not for this beautiful place |
| 10/19/2010 | other | This school is great because it gives children the resources to be well-rounded individual. |
| 10/18/2010 | teacher | Because it is such a gentle and caring environment. |
| 10/18/2010 | teacher | Charlottesville Waldorf School is a school with a very big heart. We do our utmost to bring a well-balanced, meaningful education to the children, to nurture them as they grow and develop, and to help provide an enriching community experience to parents. Our school is in its 26th year and is one of over 1000 Waldorf schools and preschools around the world. Waldorf is an education for the future, designed to foster health, creativity and compassion in the children so that they can meet the challenges ahead. The emphasis is on enabling each child to discover and achieve his best through collaboration, not competition. The subjects taught are imbued with life and relevance, with the arts interwoven throughout all areas. Every child learns to knit, to read, to play violin, to solve algebraic equations, to throw a javelin, and so much more! It becomes clear that they are all gifted in some way or other. Each and every one! |
| 10/18/2010 | parent | Quality education Nursery through 8th Grade. |
| 10/18/2010 | parent | I like the Waldorf philosophy and the dedication of the teachers.. |
| 10/18/2010 | other | The Charlottesville Waldorf School does an amazing job at letting kids be who they are while opening their horizons through a unique approach that integrates the mind and body. |
| 10/17/2010 | parent | My son has been at the Waldorf school for a year now. He has been blossoming ever since he has been there. The curriculum and the way it is taught is inspiring, challenging and fun. I do not know how his teacher manages to do it. I have not met a teacher with as much dedication before ( and my son is in middle school and I have a child in high school as well). The srudents are treated very respectfully by the teacher and it is expected that the students treat each other with respect as well. The children at CWS are courteous and kind to children of various ages. It is always a pleasure to come to the school. My experience has been that the teachers truly care about every individual child and help them to achieve their potential through close interaction, supervision and exciting lessons. I wish I had had a school experience like it. |
| 10/17/2010 | parent | It is a school that stands on its principles to educated its students by being a leading example as a green school. |
| 10/15/2010 | parent | Teachers and parents that really care about kids, small class size, cooperation rather than competition between kids, emphasis on arts |
| 10/15/2010 | parent | My daughter has thrived in the CWS environment. The curriculum includes language, arts, hand-work, and music, along with the typical subjects that are taught. This has provided a balanced learning experience. The parent involvement has also been outstanding, as all the parents in my child's class know each other and communicate regularly. |
| 10/3/2009 | teacher | A small school with a huge heart. Amazing, gifted, dedicated teachers who strive to regard and care for each child as an individual. The curriculum is designed to address all of the needs of the developing child, not just the intellect. Children at our school become well-rounded, resourceful, balanced, strong, productive, caring citizens, something we desperately need in this day and age. |
| 2/13/2009 | parent | The Charlottesville Waldorf School takes a head, hands and hearts approach to learning. The child learns in a creative environment that nurtures and celebrates the whole child, intellectually, socially and developmentally. There is a strong commitment to inserting nature and the arts in daily lessons. My child is thriving in the CWS environment and loves to learn. |
| 2/12/2009 | parent | The Charlottesville Waldorf School is cultivating in my children a sense of wonder. As Socrates said, 'Wisdom beings in wonder.' The children at this school have a passion for learning and an eagerness to innovate; they are honored for who they are and at the same time challenged to be balanced individuals who recognize their contribution and value to the group. There is a sacredness about its curriculum without being sectarian; there is a reverence for learning I haven't seen anywhere else. I am confident that my children will be prepared for the future because of their experience at CWS. Marie Hulme Adam |
