welcome

Located in the scenic riverside town of Marietta, the Susquehanna Waldorf School draws families from the Lancaster, York and Harrisburg communities and their surrounding counties on both sides of the river.  Our lovely old turn-of-the-century building houses parent/child, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and elementary programs through grade eight.

The Waldorf School offers a broad, comprehensive survey of the knowledge that mankind has gained throughout history. The curriculum is designed to give the child a secure basis in the liberal arts, mathematics, sciences and foreign languages. The fine arts are considered equally essential and are used to bring the student into direct, personal relationship with the subject content. The distinguishing characteristic of the Waldorf curriculum lies in the intent and in the manner of its presentation.

The curriculum is used consciously to address the differing and changing phases that occur in the developing child between the ages of seven and fourteen years. Subjects are introduced at a time and in a way to best facilitate a healthy growth and balance in the child's physical, emotional and intellectual development, and between a growing individualism and a sense for community. For these reasons a firm structure of clear rhythms is provided.

The children learn their main subjects in three-to-six week blocks which rotate throughout the year. They engage in activities as members of a group, but they are responsible as individuals for their own created textbook for each subject. The teacher strives to relate each subject to the human being so that the children understand intimately the interconnectedness of the subjects as well as their relationship to them. Thus the curriculum is intended as an instrument of inspiration as well as instruction. The approach and indications for what is taught are based on Dr. Rudolf Steiner's research which challenges the individual teacher to work out the specifics.

Our Mission Statement

We, the Susquehanna Waldorf School, are an independent school rooted in the international movement and philosophy of Waldorf education. Our mission is to provide a nurturing and challenging environment that inspires our students to reach the highest levels of intellectual, spiritual, artistic and physical achievement. The faculty and staff work in partnership with the larger school community to keep this environment vital, dynamic and diverse. Through the integration of academic and artistic pursuits, we honor the potential within each child to fully develop his/her unique abilities. Our students acquire a lifelong love of learning and a sense of compassion and joy that benefits them, their community and their world at large.