Imagine a school day that starts with farm chores instead of classwork and screens. That’s part of the vision behind Waldorf-inspired private school Rooted Meadows opening in Rigby this fall.
Founder Rachael Sparhawk said the approach is needed more than ever in a fast-paced and screen-saturated learning environment.
Sparhawk learned about the Waldorf teaching style — a hands-on, arts-integrated approach that emphasizes creativity, practical skills and child development — while living in South America, where she once homeschooled her daughters. She wanted to immerse them in the Spanish, which led her a to school that let them attend for three hours a day.
“They were so hands-on, like learning was not sitting at a desk filling out worksheets,” Sparhawk said. “It was very engaging with lots of music and art.”
She realized it was a Waldorf school and began researching the learning model.
After COVID-19, Sparhawk and her family returned to the United States and enrolled her kids in Whatcom Hills Waldorf School in Geneva, Washington. The model had spread, which encouraged her to start a Waldorf school serving first- through eighth-grade students. The family eventually ended up in East Idaho, where they decided to open a school.
There are two Waldorf charter schools in Idaho: Boise-based Peace Valley Charter and Syringa Mountain School in Hailey.
Sparhawk’s goal is to help connect those interested in the learning model — what she calls a “force for goodness.”
“We want children who grow up to give back to their communities and make a world a better place,” she said.
But even with applications for Idaho’s private education tax credit still open, starting a private school with an alternative learning approach has challenges. Rooted Meadows’ tuition for the first year is $7,200. The state’s private school tax credit allows parents to apply for a private school state tax credit of $5,000 per child for most students. Still, the school has enrolled 10 students, Sparhawk said, with room for 20 more.
The school received a $50,000 donation, Sparhawk said, but she is still raising funds for a permanent facility — and searching for a building to rent for the first year. She wants land for a permanent school in the countryside.
Eighth graders are not eligible for enrollment for the school’s first year starting this fall, since it would be hard for them to transfer for one year and then head to high school, Sparhawk said.
Two classroom teachers and a handwork instructor have been hired, Sparhawk said. Handwork includes activities such as knitting, sewing and weaving. Sparhawk is still looking for farm and cooking teachers.
For more information on cost and how to apply for Rooted Meadows, click here. The deadline is June 30.
Here are more details on the school and learning model:
Day-to-day schedule
Rooted Meadows will operate from Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday is optional, and students can choose between available electives.
Students will start their mornings with half an hour of chores on the farm, including a song to start the day.
Chores include:
- Feeding animals
- Letting animals out
- Cleaning
- Watering plants
- Picking fruit or veggies
There will be a 120- to 150-minute daily block for main lessons and core subjects. Students will engage in four-week units. For instance, they may learn about astronomy for four weeks and then fractions the next cycle — a setup that Sparhawk said reduces staffing needs by half.
Students will have two additional classes per day that support wellness and learning. Some will have handwork and cooking Monday and Wednesday, for example.
There will be a 45 minute block for lunch and recess. To further instill responsibility and work ethic, Sparhawk will devote the last 15 minutes of the day to classroom cleanup.
“We strongly believe that having good habits, learning to care for things, and taking responsibility for thorough chores will aid children and their schoolwork,” Sparhawk said.
Grading and testing
The Waldorf style doesn’t view testing as an effective measure for child development. Instead, schools largely use projects, and kids often create their own textbooks based on what they’re learning.
Some of the questions in a Waldorf learning report include:
- How well did they persist in solving a challenge?
- How did they perform?
- Were they able to take what they learned in this concept and apply it in a new angle?
- How well were they able to explain and teach back something to another student?
Some critics worry kids who attended a Waldorf school for their whole childhood won’t be ready for a traditional high school setting and beyond. However, there will be job-shadowing and workshop opportunities for the school’s eighth graders. Others have raised concerns that its limited use of technology would also hinder students. Supporters of Waldorf education, however, say the approach builds strong critical thinking, creativity and independence that can help students adapt to different academic settings.
More on the Waldorf teaching style
Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner developed the movement nearly 100 years ago for children of workers at the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Germany, which gave the approach its name.
The three main principles are engaging the body, mind and soul. Students often learn through storytelling, music, art, movement and hands-on activities, rather than technology.
According to the Waldorf model, effective learning engages the three main principles through a combination of academic study and hands-on experiences. It also divides students into developmental stages that tailor teaching methods to different age groups.
The curriculum is designed to align subjects with those stages. For instance, Waldorf educators may introduce the study of ancient Rome in the middle grades because students become more focused on rules, structure and organization. The teaching method emphasizes historical themes connected with a child’s development stage.
Today, Waldorf education is represented in about 1,000 schools worldwide and nearly 2,000 childhood programs, according to Sunbridge Institute, a training and research organization focused on Waldorf education.
