Overview

Students experience a living, breathing education that supports academic inquiry and deep learning.

305

number of students

8:1

student-teacher ratio

1:1

college guidance support

years of building community

Welcome

Contact Admissions

Rear view of main school building with children walking in groups away from camera

side view of main school building in summer highlighting some of the plantings

View of early childhood building in summer

The beautiful crystal clear Agawamuck Creek runs behind the school. In this photo there is a group of small children and adults exploring the creek in the distance

Warmest greetings from Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School. Thank you for your interest in our school – we look forward to helping you through the application process.

Whether you are the parent of a young child looking for a kindergarten where creative play is the true “work” of childhood, or a high school student interested in engaging with your curriculum in new and stimulating ways, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School is here for you.

Please let us know if we can answer any questions or help you in any way, and please contact us to schedule a time to talk and schedule a tour.

We look forward to meeting you, and sharing more about our school with you!

Sincerely,
The Admissions Team
518-672-7092 x 111

We are committed to experential education which inspires students to actively engage in their learning.

Boarding and Exchange Students

Our High School has a rich student exchange program. Tenth and eleventh graders have the opportunity to experience Waldorf education—from three months to one year—in other countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Croatia, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Japan, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand. By participating in this program, Hawthorne Valley students not only develop fluency in another language but also gain direct experience of another culture. Students who currently attend a Waldorf high school in another country may send a letter of intention and request an opportunity for exchange with a student from Hawthorne Valley. These are true exchanges with the students and families partnering in their exchange experience. For more information about our student exchange program, please contact our Program Coordinator, Eileen Lee.

All are invited to attend and learn…

What is the school’s mission or educational philosophy?

Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School offers an experience-based education rooted in a traditional Waldorf curriculum that is enriched by outdoor opportunities provided by our farm, forest trails, and extensive outdoor campus. We honor each phase of child development with programming intentionally designed to meet each grade’s needs. Our pedagogy does not rush through childhood but seeks with intention to engage students in the world by encouraging them to open their senses and take in their surroundings, fostering a sense of curiosity and an experience of reverence for the beauty, truth and goodness inherent in our world. Our school integrates artistic and practical learning experiences into our academics with an understanding that by engaging the head, heart, and hands of our students, we better cultivate their human capacities for clear thinking, creative collaboration, and meaningful work in the world. Our teachers support students to become more balanced and to develop a sense of belonging necessary to allow them to flourish academically. We value and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at our school, as hallmarks of an ethical society and as integral to sound learning.

What are the first steps in the Admissions process?

We encourage all interested families to reach out by phone (518) 672-7092 x 111, or email to speak with an Admissions staff member, and to register for a tour. Tours are given on Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM. Those interested in applying can also begin the process by creating an account in Blackbaud and completing the online application form. After an application has been submitted, along with any other pertinent forms, an Admissions staff member will reach out to you to answer any questions, schedule a tour if you haven’t visited already, set up a class visit for your child (Grades 2-12), then arrange for a meeting with the class teacher.

Does the school offer any financial assistance for tuition?

Yes. We are committed to socio-economic diversity at Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School. We strive to keep our school accessible to any family seeking a Waldorf education for their child. We offer an adjusted tuition based on common criteria including family income, assets, expenses, and any particular individual circumstances to assess need. The Tuition Adjustment (TA) application form is a separate Blackbaud account, different from the parent portal and admissions website. Please be aware that eligible applicants for Grades 1 through 12 are expected to meet a minimum 35% of the tuition costs while applicants for Nursery and Kindergarten have a flat minimum fee of $6,500.

Is the school accredited, and if so, by what accrediting agency?

Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School is accredited by both the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North American (AWSNA). Our most recent accreditation review, with both agencies, was completed and approved in June 2023 and is valid for a ten-year period.

10 Reasons to attend our school

Childhood flourishes here.

Children should be given the space to explore childhood, the foundation for creative thinking. A growing body of research confirms what we already know: high-stakes testing does little to prepare students for the true rigors of higher education and life beyond school.

Young girl with long hair in the midst of jumping rope in an early childhood classroom; classmates observe in the background; light-filled room with lots of windows

Your child will find a welcoming place to put down roots.

By staying with a class for several years, our teachers build a culture that allows a child to be seen and to grow confident. Our students establish roots in our beautiful valley, forming deep connections to their class, school, farm, and ultimately to our world.

two smiling girls wearing winter hats and coats in snowy outdoors look directly into the camera

Your child will learn to open their senses to better take in their environment.

Overstimulated by media and technology, many children today struggle to focus and learn. By slowing down, our students are able to open their senses to see, hear, and notice their world, allowing them to draw clearer conclusions.

Three young children wearing winter gear peer into sap bucket hanging off a tree outdoors in the winter.

The unique gifts of each age will be honored.

The needs of a kindergartener are different from those of a 9-year-old, 12-year-old, or 17-year-old. Our developmental curriculum is designed to meet the specific questions of each age.

Middle school student in classroom engaged in class discussion with gesturing hands. It is a light-filled room with windows in the background

Your child’s artistic and public speaking capacities will be nurtured.

Humans are expressive beings and the arts provide a valuable opportunity to explore our feelings in life and communicate them. Engaging artistically with complex issues strengthens thinking by deepening perspective. Students hone skills in drawing, sculpting, painting, acting, and movement classes.

High school student engaged with art teacher who is demonstrating a technique on large paper.

Your child will experience the gift of music.

By our very nature, humans are musical: why not develop this innate capacity? Making music together reinforces social relations as we blend our voices. Research shows that music stimulates our brains, building synaptic connections that enhance creative thinking skills. Our students begin learning an instrument in Grade 1 and continue through Middle School and High School. They also participate in singing classes and chorus.

Middle school strings students ready to perform under school's outdoor pavilion. A male student with a bass is looking directly into the camera and smiling. The scene is sunlit.

Your child’s empathy and sense of international citizenship will be encouraged by foreign language study.

After learning both Spanish and German in Grades 1 through 8, our high school students choose one language to continue studying. They participate in foreign exchange programs with Waldorf students from around the world.

Female high school student with long hair sits at her desk listening to lecture. She has one hand on her chin and the other extended in front of her on the desk. Other students are in the background.

Classes in practical arts will give your child agency and lead to skill building accomplishments.

We live in an age where the future is unclear, which can lead to anxiety, stress, and apathy. At HVS, we aim to give our students a sense that there is beauty, truth, and goodness in the world. Engagement in practical arts such as handwork, farming, forging, weaving, building, and orienteering, supports a sense that their choices and actions matter.

Close up of high school student's hands as they work with a loom.

Your child’s intellect and imagination will be fed by dynamic main lesson subjects.

With blocks that last 3-4 weeks, our two-hour long daily main lessons range from World Mythology, Botany, Astronomy, Geometry, Ancient History, Physics, and Meteorology.

Middle school male student taking a close up look at a pulley during a physics lesson.

Your child will receive a generative education.

By sparking an interest in learning, we prepare students to meet the rigors of higher education by developing the capacity to ask further questions in the subjects to which they are drawn. Our goal is to create self-motivated, life-long learners.