After eight years of operating in the Valley, Saltwater Waldorf school is getting a new name.
鈥淲hen our school first opened, we couldn鈥檛 use the word Waldorf in our name as we were not yet a certified Waldorf School,鈥� explained co-founder Michelle Nagle. 鈥淭his title came a couple of years later, changing our name from Saltwater School to Saltwater Waldorf School.
鈥淣ow eight years later, as a more established school in the Comox Valley, we are changing our name to reflect this. In order to mitigate confusion with us being a sailing or water sports school and to literally land us on the map, beginning this school year our school will be the Comox Valley Waldorf School. Our families come from across the Valley, and we are thrilled to have a name that reflects that.鈥�
The non-profit school began in the homes of two of its founders in 2010, and moved into its first building in Courtenay鈥檚 Tin Town neighborhood in 2011. It now offers early childhood education and kindergarten through Grade 7 in its two Tin Town buildings.
The Comox Valley Waldorf School curriculum meets provincial curriculum criteria, and the teachers have B.C. teacher certificates as well as Waldorf certification. However, there are differences in how the B.C. curriculum is delivered. Arts, music and daily time outdoors are important components of the school week. Classes are smaller, so students get more individual attention.
A typical kindergarten day includes singing, a warm snack prepared in the classroom, and the daily activity, which ranges from painting to baking. Every day includes free play both indoors and outdoors. In the 鈥済rades,鈥� activities include languages, woodworking, theatre, cooking, knitting and sewing, and outdoor pursuits. Outdoor pursuits include winter sports, watersports, hiking, biking and outdoor games. The BC curriculum is delivered in large part through a daily 鈥渕ain lesson鈥� for two hours each morning, which focuses on teaching literacy and numeracy through project-based learning.
Waldorf is the fastest growing educational movement worldwide. Despite being a century old, the value of Waldorf philosophies and methods are increasingly recognized today. As the school grows, it is welcoming more Comox Valley families into its community. A tuition assistance program is available for families of limited means. For more information on tours and the application process, see www.comoxvalleywaldorf.com.
