A Community of Care

When we ask alums to look back on their time spent at WSB and reflect on what distinguished their elementary years from later schooling, a common phrase is often repeated: it just felt like everyone there really CARED.

It’s true…and it matters.

Not only is a joyful, connected and moral approach to education more enjoyable, but studies have shown that students who know that their teachers and school community care deeply about them are more likely to be engaged and learning at a high level.

Grade Five Play

Earlier this morning, elementary grades three through eight were treated to an original and spirited portrayal of the story of Isis and Osiris, performed by the fifth grade, a culmination of their learning the wonders of Egyptian culture.

The performance was unique in more ways than one. For starters, the students co-wrote the script with their class teacher, Ms. Brenda Wolf Smith, cobbling together three different versions of the infamous story and interjecting original lines (and raps) throughout.

Black History Month Blog Series

As part of our school-wide honoring of Black History Month, throughout the month of February we will be highlighting some of our spectacular Black and African American faculty and staff. Today, we talk with the superb Ms. Sudip Saunders - WSB Eurythmy teacher, movement artist, painter, muralist, friend, daughter, wife and all around exceptional human.

How has your background/influences brought you to this position, and what drew you to Eurythmy ?

Our school began as the New Morning School, opening its doors to 15 preschool children in 1971. Originally housed in property rented from the City of Baltimore, this little school set off on a big journey.

A look back at the history of the Waldorf School of Baltimore (so named in 1978) reveals 50 years of progress and achievement. Strong grounding principles, responsible innovations, community support and social responsibility have led the School to grow and to flourish.

Snow days have arrived, and with them all kinds of seasonal fun, from snow castles to sledding, snowballs to snow angels. This week, students of every age and grade were unable to resist the inherent joy found in 3-4 inches fresh snowfall. >

"This is the BEST DAY of my LIFE" exclaimed one exuberant first grader, "This is amazing!" laughed a nearby third grader, speeding down the hillside on a sled.

The Waldorf School of Baltimore’s rich festival life connects our community with cultures the world over, by celebrating seasonal rhythms, important moments in history, and spiritual traditions. Families at WSB celebrate December’s season of long nights by bringing warmth and light through rich and reverent celebrations.

A unique and wonderful part of Waldorf Education, which speaks to to the beauty and breadth of the philosophy as a whole, is Woodworking. Who better then to quote, then Ms. Edna Emmett who has graced us with her teaching talent as the art/woodwork teacher (as well as board Member, collegium member and past parent) at WSB for an incredible 30 years.

This September, Waldorf students throughout the world will breathe a fiery collective outbreath and come together with their communities in celebration of the powerful themes of strength, courage and bravery. At the Waldorf School of Baltimore, we too will take up this task, though as you may expect, it will look a little different than it has in years past.

Form drawing, or Dynamic Drawing, as it was originally termed by Waldorf Education’s founder, Rudolf Steiner, is an interesting and integral part of the Waldorf Curriculum. Starting with the simplest of forms in first grade as a type of pre-writing exercise, WSB students advance to complicated geometric drawings by their middle school years. A recent visit to Ms. Angelie Guilbaud’ s first grade main lesson block finds us at the very beginning of that exciting trajectory with an exploration of straight and curved lines.

Handwork is an important part of the Waldorf curriculum -- for good reason. Far from frivolous, the Waldorf School of Baltimore’s fiber arts program instills powerful personal lessons. Children build confidence as they develop a gradual mastery of skills, learn to problem solve and correct mistakes, and engage in critical thinking and spatial conceptualization.