Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings, who are able of themselves to impart purpose and meaning to their lives.”

– Rudolf Steiner

Welcome!

Our school is an independent, nonsectarian, co-educational school for children from birth to Grade 12. Our facilities include three separate historical buildings in the neighborhoods of Saratoga Springs, New York, a vibrant city with a rich cultural past. Founded in 1981, our school's mission is to cultivate academic knowledge, artistic work, and practical skills.

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs is a provisional member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and a full member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA).

For list of our current employment opportunities, please click here.

News

Forest Kindergarten Open House

Saturday, July 24th from 10am-12pm

45 Kaydeross Avenue

Come meet our teachers and view the beautiful site of our newest Kindergarten Program for children ages 3 through 6. Join us for activities, refreshments and an opportunity to discuss the program with our teachers. Guests will enjoy walking tours, a Forest Kindergarten slide show, circle time (at 10:30)and an opportunity for children to make their own walking sticks.

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs

Congratulates the Class of 2010

To view the recent Saratogian article covering our June 11th High School Graduation, please click here.

To view the full length video of our High School Graduation, please click here.

Summer Camp 2010

Registration for our 2010 Summer Camp Program has begun and we're thrilled to have some amazing offerings once again this year. For a complete list of programs, please click here. All registration forms must be returned to our Camp Director.

Thank you Saratogian Readers for naming

The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs

"Best Private School"!

Forest Kindergarten

Our new Forest Kindergarten program has been generating a lot of interesting conversations about education, the environment and our future thanks large in part to the November 30th edition of the New York Times article covered by writer, Liz Leyden and photographer, Nathaniel Brooks.

Since that time, Sandra McClellan of the local Hill Country Observer has also written about the program. To view the article, please click here.

We spent some time discussing the program on public radio with WAMC's Joe Donahue on "Roundtable" (to listen in, click here). The Saratogian's Spirit of Saratoga magazine also covered our program in their April,2010 issue.

If you are interested in giving to this program, please click here, scroll down and use PayPal's secure server to contribute. Please be sure to include the words "Forest Kindergarten" in the "message to the merchant" option in your transaction.

More about our program:

Forest Kindergarten, an early childhood program where the children are outside most (if not all) of the day, was started in Denmark in the 1950s and has recently grown in popularity all across Europe. The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs is proud to announce our undertaking of a Forest Kindergarten right here in Saratoga Springs. An article in the Fall/Winter 2008 edition of Land & People, a publication of the Trust for Public Lands, points out:

Research has shown that free play in nature increases childen's cognitive flexibility, emotional capacity, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, use of imagination, self-esteem, and self-discipline. It makes them smarter, more cooperative, happier and healthier.

Program details:

The Forest Kindergarten Program is located in Saratoga Springs at a site that includes a large farmhouse with an abundance of outdoor space.
Hours are from 8:30-1:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Aftercare is available daily until 5:30.
Daily snack and lunch are included in the supply fee.
Children, ages 3 1/2 - 6 spend the majority of the day outside during nice weather. Outdoor time during the winter months varies depending on the climate. Children are brought inside for warming breaks in the farmhouse.

For more information, visit the links below:

"All Outdoors, All The Time" The Christian Science Monitor May, 13, 2003

"Pioneer Nursery Stays Outdoors - In All Weathers" The Guardian, October 30, 2007

The Children and Nature Network

"Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder" by Richard Louv

Please click here for a full copy of our Press Release. Read recent articles from our local media.

If you are interested in learning more about this exciting new program, please contact our Admissions Office at 587-2224 or click here to send an email.

Gateway Books Program

Summer Book of the Month

Now in it's third year, the Gateway Books grant has allowed classroom teachers in grades 1-8 to purchase books for their classrooms. Now we are continuing to expand our literacy outreach, and have teamed up with Barefoot Books to offer our students beautiful books for their home libraries. Each week (each month in the summer) we will feature another title from the Barefoot collection that will support your child's Waldorf education at home. Each book you buy from Barefoot earns money for out Gateway Books program, allowing us to expand our classroom libraries year by year.

Our Summer Book of the Month:

The recent performances of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by the NYC Ballet at SPAC inspired us to make "The Barefoot Book of Faeries" our book for the month of July. Delight in the wonder of faerie lands with the poems, stories and legends in this colorful collection. Humor, fantasy, magic and wit all come together to introduce readers to the faerie realm. Book with CD editions include stories and poems read by Tanya Robyn Batt. This book and all other Barefoot Book titles are on sale until August 1st!

To purchase this or other Barefoot Books, please shop through this link, scroll down and click "support this event" and begin shopping! Currently, the Gateway Books Program receives 30% of your purchase.

Questions about Waldorf education?

Find answers at WhyWaldorfWorks.org.

WSSS Board of Directors: Heather Ward, Board President; Matt Beekman, Secretary; Rich Frank, Treasurer; Martin Cohen, Allen DiAlberto, Jeff DeWeese, Richard Fron, David Karp, Ed Mitzen, Nicholas Nachbur, Ardie Pierce, Katherine Scharff and Jan Zemba