Emerson Waldorf School

Our oldest daughter has been attending the EWS since Kindergarten. Children thrive in a warm, home-like environment and from what I see, they enjoy very much studying here! Academics are strong, and the same teacher stays with the class throughout the years. Children are treated with respect, curriculum is age-appropriate and most importantly, the school's environment helps children to develop critical thinking skills. Kids are growing together from Kindergarten through grades, thus creating a life-long friendships.
5 11 years ago (24-08-2015)

I was initially skeptical about private school in general, especially since Chapel Hill schools are excellent. But 14 years and 4 children later, I'm a believer. All 4 of our children have gone to this school and they have benefited immensely from the experience. As a professional geek, I'm not against technology, but I love the way the school emphasizes nature, natural toys and materials, and starting from the fundamentals and working upward. Technology is used in later grades, but in this world of endless gadgets and distractions (which I also have), I think it's really important for the development of creativity to start with the wonder of water painting, oil crayons, integrating movement with learning math, etc, to keep the wonder of learning alive. One of the most important skills I look for in hiring people in high tech is creativity and the ability to think outside the box-- Waldorf nurtures this ability brilliantly. And while it might seem that this approach doesn't prepare children for the 'real world', I'll argue just the opposite: By providing a structured, disciplined academic setting that keeps the love of learning alive and encourages a mindful approach to life, the school prepares children incredibly well for a world that is changing faster every day.
5 14 years ago (07-05-2013)

The environment at Emerson Waldorf School is so caring and nurturing in every aspect, that we feel the children get holistic whole education, unlike many places that focus on grades, scores and kids as numbers rather than unique individuals. Parents learn how to deal with challenging issues in their children through observing & interacting with the very special teachers this school has, in addition to many educational circles that are held and community discussion groups. IT feels like a fantastic healthy large family; finally there is what "IT Takes a Village to Raise a Child".
5 14 years ago (02-05-2013)

Last year we graduated our second daughter from the Emerson Waldorf School High School, after attending the school for fifteen years. Our eldest daughter graduated from EWS High School after attending since fourth grade. I can not be happier with the outcomes. Our eldest daughter was just accepted into a masters program at Emory University. She is in the midwifery program, which is one of the top ten programs in the country. The first test the students in the program receive is a critical thinking test. My daughter scored in the upper 94% of all students in the country and I give all the credit of this score to the Waldorf educational process. My second daughter was accepted into six out of six colleges which she applied to, including highly competitive Kenyon College, and received merit scholarships to five of the six schools. After her first year at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania (founded in 1869), she made dean's list and received a fellowship to teach in the writing center at the school. If you have any question to whether the educational system works at Emerson Waldorf School, I hope these outcome examples are of help to you.
5 11 years ago (18-06-2015)

From the moment my family walked on to campus we knew this was a wonderful school. The more we learned the more we knew we had found a good place for our kids to get a solid foundation of skills and confidence to take with them as they grew up and ventured into the wider world. Emerson Waldorf teaches kids to think without over working them. It teaches them that they can be musicians, artists, scientists or teachers and that they can do whatever they set out to do if they are willing to work hard and learn from others. The teachers at Emerson Waldorf are wonderful and become more than just teachers to these kids - they are role models and mentors. The setting is beautiful, the curriculum teaches the whole child, and the fruits are visible in Waldorf graduates that have come before - self confidence, curiosity, warmth, well-roundedness, success in college and a broad array of careers!
5 14 years ago (04-05-2013)