Waldorf School Orange County

We love Waldorf education and at Waldorf School of Orange County the College of Teachers, the Board and the Staff are dedicated to a good educational experience in the Waldorf pedagogy.  Many of the teachers are amazing.  My child was blessed to travel the grades with Brooke Natzke and that experience was amazing.  I can't recommend a more qualified person.  My are having a great experience with Mrs Schwarz in the grades now for our next child. Our daughter is attending Waldorf High School and has found many of the teachers to be very supportive and helpful. She found her passion because of the championing of her Earth Science Teacher.
Jul 5th, 2022

I have two kids at WSOC rising in 4th and 5th grade.  We have been at the school since 2015.What makes this school so special is the focus on the wellbeing of our children.  They have a magical recipe for helping kids learn to learn to be self sufficient, curious, creative and caring.  They are not focusing on creating achievement oriented kids who are learning for a test or a grade, they are focused on helping kids tap into their natural ability to question, observe and learn.  With this comes kids who have less anxiety/stress and feel like they are part of a team.  With the increase of anxiety, depression and suicide in kids, what they are doing at WSOC is a true gift to our kids.  They help them navigate relating to their peers, understanding how important it is for us to learn how to work without people who disagree with us, or stand up for ourselves when someone is hurting us.  Sometimes there is conflict, and my child has always felt supported and loved.  I feel like I have support from the teachers and the school whenever I have questions about what is happening.  In the early childhood years, there is a lot of support for parenting.  They really emphasize creating a routine for the kids so they can get good sleep, food, time outside and ability to be creative. They helped me learn about redirecting and setting up for success with younger kids so I wasn't just frustrated all the time.  It's an incredibly nourishing environment and as a physician, I really appreciate the emphasis on health as an aspect of creating a space for the kids to learn.  They make amazing fresh baked bread in the kindergarden amongst other delicious recipes that have become part of our family now.   Our kids teachers really know them which makes all the difference.  I sometimes can't believe how much detail and care goes into the reviews we get from the teachers.  These teachers are the most dedicated people I have met and have such a deep love for teaching and for the kids.  There isn't a principal here, there is the college of teachers which does have a lead teacher.  They all work by consensus which seems to create well thought out plans.  In the past they have not always been great at communicating with the parent body the deep thoughtfulness behind these plans which is something they can keep working on.  During these difficult times, the school has created an online curriculum with enrichment programs that allow our kids to get that extra in person support that they really need.  Their plan to help keep our kids safe is so amazingly well thought out and balanced.  They are following all of the safety recommendations while appreciating how important it is to help the kids not feel overwhelmed.  WSOC has given my kids such amazing gifts, they are curious, energetic, happy kids.  They have helped me tremendously to have a more peaceful household.  I am so deeply grateful.
Aug 23rd, 2020

For my daughter is this the third waldorf school, we moved because of my job. The waldorf education is always special, wherever you are. But I can say, we are happy to be part of WSOC now. My daughter is now in 3rd grade and loves her teachers, wenn she comes home, she often even plays, that she is a teacher and repeats with her puppets what she did and learned in the school. Although she had a hard time with divorce between me and her mother, the school gave her stability, joy and purpose. If you want to have a good experience and best results with any waldorf school, it's necessary to understand it's core principles and foundation and cooperate with that. It's hundert years approved pedagogy with great results in the whole world, but it needs cooperation. I am grateful and happy, that my daughter can be educated in WSOC!
Dec 22nd, 2019

I am not sure where to begin...  We have been at WSOC since our twin boys were in Playgroup, they just began 4th grade.  We are thrilled this education is available for our children, the curriculum is beautiful.  The way art and music are woven into all the subjects.  The way math, reading and science are enlivened by the art and music.  Our boys love learning, they are voracious readers, play math games at dinner, they love their teachers and when they are challenged with something (and they are) they know they have the support of their teachers and class community.  As a parent I am so grateful for this education and the relationships that are nurtured with our boys and our family!
Oct 27th, 2019

We are so happy to have found WSOC after moving back to the US almost two and a half years ago.  Our daughter goes to school each day excited and eager to learn.  She appreciates that not all children are lucky enough to learn how to knit, be exposed to multiple languages (Spanish/Mandarin), have games class and learn through storytelling.  She has fun.  This is definitely not a place where they teach to the test.  They instead help children obtain a love of learning that I feel is missing in many schools.  Waldorf education is unique and may not be for everyone, but we believe because of it our daughter will learn to be a well rounded person.  She will keep her curiosity and independence.In today's society there is such a rush for kids to grow up.  Waldorf education helps slows down that rush and reminds us that kids are meant to be kids.  With that all said, everything in life is never perfect and there will be ups and downs throughout this journey.  Children need to learn it's OK to fail and learn how to problem solve on their own.  There are times when she has a bad day or week and as a parent it is hard to watch.  But we know we can't always be there so we want to give her the tools needed to be a problem solver and learn to work with others.  We have seen her grow from this.  Her teacher(s) have become like another parent who has helped us with questions or concerns and knows her very well.  The children have become her brothers & sisters. (They get along and at times they don't, but I feel like at the end of this journey, they will be there for each other.)This review is long overdue but we wanted to acknowledge what a wonderful school this has been for our family.  The amount of work and effort the faculty and administration put in is amazing and we really feel we have found the perfect place for her.
Oct 10th, 2019