Grade 12 projects: a culmination of a journey.

By their senior year, Whistler Waldorf Grade 12 students are practiced at relating to multiple points of view simultaneously in order to create an integrated picture of the world and their place in it. Our students’ final year is a time for them to synthesize and bring everything together—reflected in their capstone senior project. It’s from this solid place of self-knowing that they discover and pursue their purpose in a world that desperately needs their creative and innovative thinking.

Each year our high school seniors do independent research and year-long projects in areas that uniquely intrigue each one of them, from social justice to activism, to exploring the deeper roots of the human psyche to building motorcycles and more.  These capstone projects strengthen skills of independent thought and study that last a lifetime.

If you’ve ever wondered what the “end result” of a full Waldorf education is, this is a great opportunity to see it, and share it with your friends and family.

– Rubeena Sandhu, Director of Education

Building a ‘community school’ with events to connect

What does a healthy, successful school look like? 

What’s the most accurate predictor of academic achievement? It’s not socioeconomic status, nor how prestigious the school is that a child attends. One of the best predictors of student success is the extent to which parents and teachers engage.  The measure of a healthy school depends on the quality of relationships–chiefly the relationships among students, teachers, and parents.

Teachers who connect with parents about their children’s education often see a profound change in their classrooms. Engaged parents tend to think highly of teachers, which improves teacher and student morale. Knowing more about a student’s family life helps teachers prepare and deliver lessons that better fit students’ needs.

That’s why Whistler Waldorf holds three class parent evenings each year, and events such as “Mom and Dad Nights”. Not only do these evenings focus on student life; they focus on connection and learning more about each other as we explore the principles of learning that live within our school.

I look forward to learning and laughing together at tonight’s Mom’s Night!

– Rubeena Sandhu, Director of Education