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 schools environment helps children to develop critical thinking skills. Kids are growing together from Kindergarten through grades, thus creating a life-long friendships.

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.

I was initially skeptical about private school in general, especially since Chapel Hill schools are excellent. But 14 years and 4 children later, Im a believer. All 4 of our children have gone to this school and they have benefited immensely from the experience.As a professional geek, Im 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 its 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 doesnt prepare children for the real world, Ill 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.

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 deans 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.

The Emerson Waldorf School is an oasis in more ways than one. It is situated on 54 beautiful wooded acres in suburban Chapel Hill, for example. Its pedagogically an oasis in an educational culture that is increasingly dominated by testing, testing and more testing. And its spiritually an oasis in a world increasingly dominated by consumerism and materialism. Our family moved from Washington DC so that our children could attend EWS.

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!

We were so impressed with how the Waldorf curriculum (from pre-school/nursery to highschool) is designed to support each stage of a childs development allowing for the love of learning to naturally occur. My daughter loves to learn and she loves to go to school!! Emerson Waldorf is a place where a child can be a child and everything that surrounds them supports where they are at that particular moment in time.

Our family moved to the area so that our children could go to this school and weve always felt that that was one of the best decisions weve ever made. The curriculum is a direct solution to all the problems facing our educational system today: kids are not bogged down by testing, they develop their creativity in every grade, they learn to be self-confident and socially adept and responsible, they get to develop many parts of themselves instead of being encouraged to specialize (music, sports, science, writing), and they are taught how to think and how to express themselves.The proof of what this school has to offer is in the children, and especially in our high schoolers and graduates - kids who are curious about the world, are hard-working, love a challenge, are quite comfortable talking to adults and speaking in public, are deep thinkers, and are creative. Part of the beauty of this school is that the curriculum is developmentally appropriate, so children are allowed to be children, and are pushed and challenged at just the right times. Our students go to college eager, not burned out; and ready to think, not overwhelmed with facts and data. To top it all off, the EWS campus itself is beautiful.My husband and I have been grateful almost every day for 8 years - since our kids started here - that they have this opportunity to attend EWS.

LIke several families at the school we moved to Chapel Hill in 1993 from England and Virginia before that so all four of our children could attend Emerson Waldorf School. The campus was beautiful, the teachers were well trained and chosen for their experience and wisdom. We came for the pedagogy that allows young children to be children in our rushed world. Our younger children learned through play and imitation and as they matured they looked up to their teachers as guides and mentors as they explored and found their truths. In high school they explore and question concepts together rather than teach to the test. A deep wisdom resides behind the teaching. We loved that the children learned how to think rather than what to think. Our youngest of the four is currently a senior in the Emerson Waldorf High School. He went to a public high school for one year and decided that he had spent a year there and not learned a thing so he returned to the rich and fulfilling challenge of the Emerson Waldorf High School. Our college counselor is especially excellent at spending time with each student exploring their future options and honoring all their paths. Take a look at all the universities and post graduate work our students have done. As well, the Waldorf graduates stand out to college admissions offices and also to employers for their well rounded personalities, eager minds, and ability to think outside of the box.

Recent EWS Visitor Reviews ------Great High School Visit!5/1/2014Joyce F. says: Enjoyed the Open House yesterday! It was great to go in each classroom and see what the students were working on and the comfortable atmosphere among students and teachers. I saw lots of science this day (Climatology in the 10th grade, Atomic Chemistry in the 11th and Physiology in the 12th) and also a history class with the 9th grade. So glad to have the opportunity to see the high school on a regular day.------A special 3 day visit4/5/2014Marea G. says: From the moment our daughter Olivia walked in to the grade 3 classroom for her 3 day visit, she felt as if she belonged (those were her words). Thank you to all the lovely grade 3 kids and Ms Rogers who made her feel so very welcome and part of their class. We are thrilled to be joining this very special community.------ Wonderful shadowing in the 5th Grade3/19/2014Diana C. says: We have visited many waldorf schools in the US and found Emerson to be in the top 5. Very impressed with the 5th grade teacher and was particularly impressed with the rich music program. We hope to participate in eurhythmy (for adults as well), the BD garden, and the anthroposophic and Sophia community there. Thank you so much to all who welcomed us on our visit and we hope to be part of the Emerson community. --Diana C and Gwyneth------ Wonderful3/12/2014Teddi N. says: Such a great classroom, the car ride home was just buzzing with excitement!!------ Thank you!3/11/2014Metta P. says: We really enjoyed visiting the Kindergarten this week! The directions to the early education part of the school were helpful, and we found a small class of happy kids playing with the teachers. Both the teachers and the setting were very warm and homey, and my daughter loved being there. Thank you!------ A nurturing haven for little children3/2/2014Lily C. says: After meeting staff, seeing the classroom and play garden not only are we excited to expose our son to the Waldorf experience, but it makes me wish I were a child again too! A true treasure of a school in the triangle area.------ Lovely kindergarten visit!2/25/2014Hannah J. says: These teachers are warm, welcoming, kind and confident. The environment that they provide speaks volumes about the way children are nurtured and supported at Emerson Waldorf.------ Amazing School2/12/2014Matthew H. says: Our Experience with Emerson was great!! The teachers were kind and loving with our daughters, and showed us they have very talented ways of educating.

What a wonderful concept!