The 2025-2026 school year has been quite the year… From the Ice Cream Social and Rose Ceremony at the beginning of the year, we journeyed into the darkest nights of the year together as a community with Lantern Walks, Advent Assemblies and the Candlelight Sing. We emerged this spring to celebrate the beauty of our natural world with May Day and May Faire, Pentathlon, and even the cherished “cow day”. Our students have grown, learned and appreciated the world around them, both this year, and over the decades. We’ll soon send off our newest graduates, the Class of 2026, and welcome them into the halls of our alumni.

Thank you for being a part of our community!

Reflections
by Valerie Burritt

Current KWS Parent

Choosing An Education that Honors Childhood

When we chose a preschool for our daughter Annabelle, we ended up at a small neighborhood school that was very convenient. But after a few weeks, we started noticing what she was bringing home—worksheets. Lots of them. After just a half day, she’d have pages of traced letters and carefully colored shapes. The teachers were so proud of how they were “preparing” the children for kindergarten and making sure they’d meet all the early academic benchmarks. But to us, it felt wrong. We wanted her to play, to socialize, to explore, to use her imagination—not to sit and trace the letter B thirty times.  We couldn’t shake the feeling that something essential about childhood was being overlooked. Around the same time, we started hearing more about how media and screens were being introduced in early education, and that concern pushed us to start looking for a different kind of school—one that aligned with what we truly valued for our children.

Luckily, we discovered KWS and were immediately drawn to the completely different approach to learning. We were thrilled that instead of worksheets, Annabelle and her younger sister Lily were now bringing home a million finger knittings and even gemstones left by fairies in the play yard.  Moreover, our children were coming home happy, curious, and at ease with themselves, and that told us everything we needed to know. 

Now that our kids are in first and second grade, we are still impressed by the balance between academics, creativity, and play—it all feels intentional and whole. For us, there’s such comfort in knowing that the approach stays steady and rooted in a deep understanding of how our children learn, grow, and thrive. At KWS, we don’t have to worry about being caught up in the latest educational trend because the curriculum is based on something deeper and more meaningful. We are grateful that KWS gives our family not just an education, but a sense of peace in how our kids are growing up.

This was originally written for Kimberton Waldorf School’s 2024-2025 Annual Report. Click here to see the full report.

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The 2024-2025 school year has been an incredible one for Kimberton Waldorf School. From the Ice Cream Social and Rose Ceremony at the beginning of the year, we journeyed into the darkest nights of the year together as a community with Lantern Walks, Advent Assemblies and the Candlelight Sing. We emerged this spring to celebrate the beauty of our natural world with May Day and May Faire, Pentathlon, and even the cherished “cow day”. Our students have grown, learned and appreciated the world around them, both this year, and over the decades. We’ll soon send off our newest graduates, the Class of 2025, and welcome them into the halls of our alumni.

Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary community!

Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy and Waldorf education, emphasized the holistic development of individuals, integrating intellectual, artistic, and practical aspects of education. Regarding high school sports, Steiner believed that physical activities and sports play a crucial role in a student’s life and development.

1. Holistic Development: Steiner believed that education should foster not just academic skills but also physical, emotional, and social development. He saw sports as a valuable tool for developing teamwork, discipline, and physical health.
2. Movement as Learning: He often spoke about the importance of movement in education, aligning physical activities, including sports, with cognitive and emotional learning.
3. Youth and Creativity: Steiner valued the creativity and individuality of students, encouraging activities that allow for self-expression and initiative, which can often be found in sports and physical education.
4. Balance in Education: He advocated for a balanced curriculum that integrates physic artistic, and academic studies, promoting sports as a vital component of overall education.
5. Physical Development: Steiner viewed physical activity as essential for healthy development. Engaging in sports promotes physical fitness, coordination, and well-being, all of which contribute to a balanced and healthy life.
6. Social Skills: Participating in team sports fosters cooperation, teamwork, and communication among students. Steiner believed these social interactions help develop interpersonal skills and a sense of community.
7. Character Building: Steiner emphasized that sports could teach important life lessons such as discipline, resilience, and fair play. These experiences can cultivate strong character traits and prepare individuals for challenges outside of sports.
8. Emotional Well-Being: Engaging in physical activities can enhance emotional health by providing a constructive outlet for stress and anxiety. Steiner believed that sports foster joy and enthusiasm, which are vital for a balanced emotional state.
9. Integration of Mind and Body: Steiner advocated for the integration of intellectual and physical education, arguing that high school sports help to unify the mind and body, leading to a more well-rounded individual. This holistic approach aligns with his vision of nurturing not just academic skills but also physical and emotional aspects of students.

In summary, Steiner emphasized the holistic development of a child, recognizing that physical activity is not only a means of promoting health but also a pathway to building character, resilience, and teamwork. While the extended practices and dismissal times may seem daunting, it is essential to remember the profound benefits that participating in sports offers.

Here at the Kimberton Waldorf School, we prioritize movement and games classes, outdoor education, outdoor play time, and our Athletics department. Together, we nurture not just student athletes, but well-rounded individuals prepared to face life’s challenges with confidence.

Written by Anwar Abernathy, Athletics Director at Kimberton Waldorf School

This article was originally published in County Lines Magazine, and features quotes from two of our teachers: Ms. Maggie Kincheloe and Ms. Ona Wetherall-O’Hara

Written by Cara Corridoni

New student test data has again raised concerns over the lingering effects on students of the adaptations used by school during the pandemic, including such things as remote learning, mask mandates and a loss of extracurricular activities. While earlier improvements after return to classes had many educators hoping the worst was behind them, test scores from last winter and spring show this isn’t the case.

“Unfortunately, data from the past two school years no longer supports this conclusion,” testing company NWEA told the Washington Post in July. NWEA tests pre-K to grade 12 students in math, reading, language and science.

Maggie Kincheloe, a teacher at the Kimberton Waldorf School in Phoenixville, has a unique view of pandemic impacts. It’s common in the Waldorf tradition for teachers to “loop” through the lower grades, staying with their students for a few years. Teachers start in first grade and then teach that same student group through fifth or eighth grade. In 2020, Kincheloe welcomed a cohort of first graders. This year, she’ll shepherd those same students through fifth grade.

“I’ve thought about this a lot,” she said. “Every year I look at my students and ask, ‘Are they where I want them to be?’” And for the most part, she said, they are. “Because we were open throughout it all. I can’t draw any lines between the kids needing academic support and the pandemic,” she said.

The effects of the pandemic measures seem to swing like this, from worrisome to barely there to, dare we say, positive. Several local educators reflect on the lingering impacts of the pandemic and show that even the darkest clouds have a silver lining.

Lessons That Carry

Mindy Wawrzyniak can attest to that swing. As Head of School at the Center School, an Abington-based school that specializes in supporting students with educational gaps, she’s seen student struggles firsthand.

“The learning losses are great, and they’re really across the board,” she said. Wawrzyniak reported welcoming middle school students who can’t read, some who don’t know all their letters. “When a child is very far behind, it’s not only difficult [because of the amount of educational ground that needs to be covered], but they tend to be a little more resistant,” she said.

Dr. Jon Hall, Head of School at Media-Providence Friends School, agreed. “The attitude children have towards school is formed primarily in the younger grades,” he said. “With the exception of the rare few for whom virtual school was aligned with who they are as a learner, the experience made school harder and more stressful for kids. And the challenge schools face today is changing that attitude.”

To close learning gaps, schools must tackle academics while limiting stress. At the Center School, they start by grouping students by level. They also work to promote project-based learning and strengthen learning strategies. “We have to learn to break [bad] habits in a caring, understanding way and teach them new habits,” said Wawrzyniak.

Dr. Kim Wagner, Head of Lower School at Tatnall School in Wilmington, has found that sometimes it’s the teachers who have to break old habits. In helping to recuperate missing skills in reading, they found proficiency to be an even better basis for advancement than mastery. “Why that works,” said Wagner, “is the skills don’t go away when you move up.” Using this method, they’ve found they can more efficiently progress through foundational skills and get students to critical thinking skills more quickly.

Sister Margaret Fagan, principal at Bryn Mawr’s St. Aloysius Academy, said they made the most of their natural assets when things got tense. “We’ve tried to use the campus we have to get the boys outside,” Sister Margaret said of the school’s 42 acres. “Science outside. Reading outside. Playing games while learning.” The shift seems to have worked. “Academically there was a little slip, but our boys are back and better,” she said.

Social-Emotional Skills

In addition to remote learning, students also faced periods of limited socialization and increased levels of stress and anxiety, especially during the height of the pandemic. These experiences may have led to lagging social-emotional development.

“I’ve been a teacher for 20 years,” said Wagner. “[Every year] I’ve seen boys fight over a game of football, but now the emotions are so much larger.”

Wawrzyniak at the Center School agreed. “We’re seeing more kids with anxiety and difficulty managing stress,” she said. “Our curriculum is definitely geared toward skills academically, as well as socially and emotionally.”

Kimberton Waldorf, too, has expanded its mental health support system. At Tatnall, they have a social-emotional teacher and curriculum. “I think schools are looking at social-emotional needs more than we were before,” said Tatnall’s Wagner.

Ona Wetherall O’Hara, Kimberton Waldorf Early Childhood Section Leader, has even noticed a change among the school’s youngest students. “Many of our incoming students over the last two years have been ‘Covid babies,’” she said.

Compared to their predecessors, the so-called Covid babies are more likely to have a single caretaker, usually a grandparent or a long-term babysitter. These kids, O’Hara has found, are more likely to observe rather than enter directly into the action. There can also be a slight lag in speech, communication and skills like cooperative play. Yet these gaps tend to close naturally once the kids adjust to the classroom environment. “The kids are super eager and really excited to be with each other,” she said.

At St. Aloysius, they’ve increased the number of early elementary extracurricular activities offered. Cross-country running is now available to students as young as kindergarten, and this fall they added firstand second-grade flag football teams.

“To see those kids running up [the campus] hill away from their computers and enjoying each other. It’s great to see,” said Sister Margaret.

A Greater Good

Has Covid left a permanent mark on our students? Nearly all educators agree it has but not necessarily in the ways that tend to make headlines.

Technology in the classroom has found its place, which is often now in the background.

“We’re pushing back [on technology use] here at Tatnall,” said Wagner. “We’re only using screens if the screens have a real impact. I’m hoping to see that more. Teachers taking back the classroom.”

Some surprising benefits remain. “They became excellent handwashers,” said Kimberton Waldorf ’s Kincheloe of her nowfifth graders. “I think this generation of kids is going to view illness in a new way. I think there’s more of a tendency to be empathetic.”

Most educators have also reported a renewed appreciation for the school community. “We all thought about quality of life during Covid. There was a real longing for those social activities that were taken away from us,” said Wagner.

Now that they’re back in school, parents and students are not just showing up, they’re happy to be there. “When you work really hard to get through something together, I think you have a new understanding and appreciation for each other,” said O’Hara.

It also means you don’t have to go it alone.

“[The students] aren’t afraid to say ‘I need help,’” added Sister Margaret. “They’ve learned to lean on one another, and that’s what community is all about.”

Juliana Davis (’15), KWS Gardening, Art, and Handwork Teacher

It is evening, I am driving with all the windows down; horizontal rays of sunshine cut through the humid July air, signaling the end of another day. The day had been scorching hot, I had left the garden at noon to escape the heat. Now, as I pull into the driveway, I feel a cool breeze as the sun starts to dip below the tree-lined horizon. Fields of winter rye and wheat glow a fiery shade of gold and a couple of barn swallows dive for insects. Returning to the garden at this hour feels magical. The colors have returned, no longer washed out by the white-hot sun.

With my pruners in hand, I go out to the row of tomatoes planted a week or two prior. Crouching down, I give each plant my attention, removing the suckers (which grow between the main stem and the tomato’s branches) and any dead leaves. When I look up from my work, the sky is a striking shade of lavender. Plumes of fluffy clouds radiate from a fuchsia glow feathering out into shades peach and rose. This is the gift of spending every day in the garden, with each passing moment the natural world shifts and changes revealing something new.

As a child, Waldorf education helped me to continually connect with my sense of wonder in the world. Whether observing the surface of a lake in a physics class, finding beautiful patterns in geometry, or uncovering hidden meanings in poetry, classes at KWS connected wonder and curiosity to inquiry and discovery. As a student I became aware of the interconnected quality of many disciplines, allowing my classmates and I to make connections between math and art, or science and history.

After graduating KWS in 2015, I earned my BA in Studio Art from the College of Wooster, all-the-while farming in the summers. In 2019 I spent a full season on an organic vegetable farm in New York. In 2020 I moved back to Pennsylvania and accepted a part-time gardening position at Longwood Gardens. I loved gardening, but I dearly missed creating artwork with other people, and in 2021 I accepted a place in Tyler School of Art’s M.Ed. in Art Education program. In 2021 I also joined KWS as a staff member for the first time, assisting Annaleena Hoffman with Handwork for a year. Over the course of three years, I taught in different schools and settings, all the while continuing my work at Longwood Gardens. In May of 2024 I graduated with my M.Ed. in Art Education, and I could not be more delighted to return to Kimberton Waldorf School!

As gardening teacher, I am excited to share my passion for the natural world with each of my students. Together we will make connections between what we grow in the garden to art, science, culture, and more. I especially look forward to sharing that feeling of wonder revealed in each day.

The 2023-2024 school year has been an incredible one for Kimberton Waldorf School. From the Ice Cream Social and Rose Ceremony at the beginning of the year, we journeyed into the darkest nights of the year together as a community with Lantern Walks, Advent Assemblies and the Candlelight Sing. We emerged this spring to celebrate the beauty of our natural world with May Day and May Faire, Pentathlon, and even the cherished “cow day”. Our students have grown, learned and appreciated the world around them, both this year, and over the decades. We’ll soon send off our newest graduates, the Class of 2024, with joy and excitement. What a year!

All of this is made possible by tuition, EITC donations, Annual Fund donations, sponsorships and so much more. Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary community!

In appreciation and gratitude, we invite you to view the highlights from this year, set to a performance by KWS Middle and High School students of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.

Dr. Eva Goedhart, KWS Mathematics Teacher

Dr. Eva Goedhart is a Research Associate in the Mathematics Department at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr and a Mathematics Teacher in the Middle & High School at Kimberton Waldorf School.

Her research focuses on Algebraic Number Theory, with particular interest in Diophantine equations, Thue equations, and related inequalities. In addition to her work at Bryn Mawr College, Dr. Goedhart collaborates on an ongoing research project with a professor at Millersville University and a former student now at Franklin & Marshall College. Her published work includes A Tree Approach to the Happy Function in La Matematica and an article titled On the Diophantine Equation published in ScienceDirect.

Dr. Goedhart helps lead the annual West Coast Number Theory Conference in Pacific Grove, California, and participates in MathFest and has run the Purple Math Competition at Kimberton Waldorf School — events dedicated to celebrating and advancing mathematics.

At Kimberton Waldorf School, Dr. Goedhart teaches Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Number Theory, and 6th Grade Math.

What draws you to the Waldorf approach to education? And in particular, to teaching Math in a Waldorf School?

When I started out I was certain that I would pursue art. I loved the creativity of color, of form, and of medium for each of my pieces of work. I quickly decided that as a career, finding price value for my work was a talent I possessed. In my explorations for other careers, I discovered that mathematics required just as much creativity to solve and uncover new results.

I started school in Kindergarten through First Grade at a Waldorf School in the Netherlands. I have vivid memories of loving the May Faire, acting in the school play, learning to knit and spending lots of time outside with my friends.

When I had children of my own, I found Kimberton Waldorf School through a friend and after taking one step into Rosebud, I knew I was where my children needed to be.

My children continue to grow at Kimberton with strong social connections to their classmates and to the land around them. I also see how they learn science, history, writing, art, and music through experiences and I want to be a part of that by sharing my love and creativity in math in a similar way.

In your opinion, what makes our school unique and special?

KWS is unique in that we have a Pre-K through 12 program taught by exceptional teachers, set on a campus surrounded by farm, forest and creeks that I have not seen matched anywhere.

You have 3 children at KWS. In what ways has Kimberton and Waldorf education impacted them as students and/or as individuals?

From a very young age, my children have always felt more at home and more settled when they spend time outside. Surrounding them with natural materials and time outside has really allowed them to settle into themselves. Over the past year working at the school, I’ve seen first hand how each of my children have grown into clever, kind, self-confident students.

In your first year as a full time staff member, is there a particular highlight that stands out?

One thing that stands out to me, especially in this first year working at KWS is that I can bring my whole self to my work and every aspect of that is respected and appreciated.

Summarized by Elisabeth Burgess 

In the competitive landscape of academic excellence, Waldorf students have consistently demonstrated remarkable success. A striking example comes from Hamburg, Germany, where Waldorf students outperformed their peers across the city, securing the highest average grades in the challenging “Abitur” exams—a prerequisite for university admission in Germany. But what factors contribute to the success of these students?

Last year, the Rudolf-Steiner-Schule Bergstedt in Hamburg showcased an extraordinary achievement. Their students achieved an average grade of 1.8 in the Abitur exams, surpassing the national average of 2.31. This feat was not unnoticed, drawing attention from the “Hamburger Abendblatt,” which sought insights from the school’s faculty and administrative team.

The success of these students can be attributed to several key factors, deeply embedded in the Waldorf educational philosophy:

• Long-term Cohesion: Two-thirds of the graduating class had been learning together since the first grade, fostering a continuity of the learning environment.
• Self and Mutual Understanding: Students develop a deep understanding of themselves and each other, recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses, and building trust.
• School Community: The school’s intimate size encourages close relationships between students and faculty, steering clear of anonymity.
• Parental Involvement: There’s a strong emphasis on collaboration with parents, enhancing the educational journey.
• Holistic Curriculum: Waldorf schools are known for their broad curriculum that not only emphasizes academic subjects but also includes practical and performing arts.
• Continuous Teacher Collaboration: Teachers engage in ongoing dialogues about the collective needs of the class and the specific needs of individual students.
• Introduction of Grades: Notably, formal grading begins only in high school, allowing younger students to focus on learning without the pressure of constant assessment.

The achievements of Waldorf students in Hamburg resonate with our core values and aspirations here at Kimberton Waldorf School. Our commitment to fostering a supportive, enriching, and holistic educational environment mirrors the dedication seen in our German counterparts. We believe that these elements are crucial in nurturing not only academically successful students but well-rounded individuals ready to make their mark on the world.

For those interested in delving deeper into this remarkable story of success and the methodology behind it, and if you can read German, we encourage you to read the full article here.

Lesya Parashchuk, 6th Grade Class Teacher

Stargazing with 6th Grade

I am drawn to Waldorf education by its holistic approach to guiding children on their life path. I love everything about it–the nurturing feeling of a Waldorf kindergarten, the captivating storytelling of a Waldorf lower school classroom, and the thought-provoking atmosphere of a Waldorf high school. I am delighted that Waldorf education provides children with the opportunity to be children and that it cultivates their will, fosters their imagination, and empowers their thinking. This is especially evident in the child’s journey through the lower school years, which is why I became a class teacher.  I am profoundly thankful that my life path led me to Kimberton Waldorf School: to its supportive community, breathtaking campus, and most importantly, to the students whom I have the honor to teach. 

We started this school year with the study of astronomy, which is traditionally approached in sixth grade geocentrically, from the vantage point of the unaided eye. It was rewarding to see how the students gradually became enthusiastic about learning to “read” the night sky. But where do you get the night sky during the morning lesson portion of your school day? At first, we imagined it. Then we decided to change the time of our morning lesson and do it when the night sky was readily available. On September 21, the sixth grade had a stargazing sleepover at our beautiful garden building. 

We could not ask for better weather. The sky was clear, the moon was shining but not overpowering the beauty of the stars. We watched the sunset, witnessed evening twilight, and observed the stunning waxing crescent moon. Later in the evening, the sixth graders were proud to be able to identify the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the North Star. They also recognized such circumpolar constellations as Cassiopeia and Cepheus, as well as the stars of the impressive Summer Triangle. 

After playing a few games and enjoying hot cocoa, the students turned their gaze to the night sky again. To their surprise, they saw that the position of the stars and the moon changed. The celestial dome seemed to move. Many students lay down on the tarp-covered grass and enjoyed the magical beauty of the starry sky. Several students woke up early the next morning to observe the queen of morning twilight–Venus.

For a teacher, there is rarely anything more rewarding and encouraging than students’ enthusiasm to learn. Waldorf education ignites the love of learning in students from an early age, and I hope that that spark never goes out and keeps inspiring children to stay curious about themselves and the world they live in.