Learn with head, hands and heart on the land
Orchard Valley Waldorf School is an independent day school in East Montpelier and Montpelier, Vermont, for children from birth to Grade 8.
How we see children
Orchard Valley began with a small group of families who wanted Waldorf education in central Vermont. In August 2003, the Grace Farm Campus was purchased at auction by dedicated supporters. Waldorf curriculum depends on a multi-sensory approach and gives musical experiences a central place, from early childhood on up.
Children take in the world through their senses, so lessons are built to be handled, heard and moved through. Music runs through the whole day, not just a single class period, and it starts in early childhood. Teachers stay with a group of children across the years, which lets them know each child well. Lessons come through story, song, movement and work with the hands.
Orchard Valley is an independent day school, licensed as a public water supply, and follows the Bay School Model. Families who want details on how the school meets those standards, and what they cover, can ask during a visit.
What you notice in practice
Teachers work with children through a multi-sensory approach, and music runs through it, from early childhood on up. Faculty and staff are an engaged, diverse, creative team. Their work is aimed at the best possible experience for each child.
Walk into a room and you hear laughter and learning as children settle into new classrooms and new rhythms. The goldenrod, the harvest, and foggy mornings mark the start of the school year.
How we work with families
Lottie Maker, the grade two/three teacher, greets her children each day with an audio greeting that goes over the work of the day. She keeps a Google file of weekly recorded songs and stories that families can access, and she checks in with each student at least once a week.
New children settle into new classrooms and new rhythms as the school year begins. The start of the year shows up in small ways: goldenrod, harvest, foggy mornings, laughter in the hallways and on the school grounds. Families are part of that settling too. The school thanks the community whose contributions keep it growing, and asks families to reach out with questions about their child's first weeks.
