Reviews of Waldorf School of Bend (Kindergarten)

Renee Ruder

We have our three children at Waldorf School of Bend and we couldn't be happier. The faculty are excellent in addition to being dedicated, warm and nurturing. The WSB community is loving, and we have made many friends with like-minded families. Our children are thriving -- they are academically challenged, grounded in practical skills such as knitting and woodworking and taught a reverence and appreciation of nature and beauty in their music and art. We cannot imagine our children at any other school.

R.Martina Muller

Students learn so much more than an academic Curriculum : Languages, Arts, Working with their hands - and most of all they learn to show kindness and respect to all living things. I I can't recommend this school highly enough

Scott Buchholz

Have been part of the WSB community for 5 years now (as a parent and Board member) and our kiddo is doing great steeped in the rich offerings of art and academics and outdoor experience. As a small private school there's a ton of opportunity to be involved and to make a difference in your child's education. If you're looking for a school focused on ensuring kids retain their love of learning and are equipped with practical problem solving skills that can be brought to bear on whatever the future may bring, then the Waldorf School of Bend may be a great fit for you and your child.

Ashley James

WSB is a beautiful, loving, and nurturing environment for children to thrive and learn. We have been part of the school for 3 years now, boys 5 and 3. Everyday my boys are excited to go to school and they LOVE their teachers. Highly recommend this school to any parent looking for a school that educates the whole child.

Brian Peavey

We have our three girls attending Waldorf School of Bend and we all thrilled with the experience! We particularly enjoy the genuine love and kindness of the faculty and staff and their attentive dedication to our children's success.

Nicole Handley

With this being our third year at the Waldorf School of Bend I wanted to take a moment to share our feelings about the school. We are very happy with our decision to move 1000 miles and place our daughter in the hands of the Waldorf School of Bend community. The community and support at this school is amazing. The knowledge of the staff/faculty makes us feel very confident in our decision with a Waldorf Education.

Steve Burkett

We've been with the Waldorf School of Bend for several years now. Amazing teachers, strong curriculum, and a beautiful school. We love the Waldorf community!

amanda larkin

FYI- Lori, I do NOT work for the school and never have. I have only volunteered as we are all required to do. No one ever yelled at me in front of my child for being vegan. I appreciate your concern, but please make sure you know the facts before writing a review. Just moved to Bend in November 2013 and this school was a huge factor in deciding on Bend. We are so happy with the amazing community that we are apart of at WSB. Our son has attended two other Waldorf schools and this is the one he will be at until he graduates (hopefully they will expand to 12th grade by then). We are lucky to have Waldorf education in the great town of Bend.

Sam Handelman

According the the Bend Bulletin [9/5/17]: "The Waldorf School of Bend had the region’s highest [vaccine] exemption rate last school year: 64 percent of students." Science appears to be losing.

Amy Taylor

Let me paint a scene ... you arrive through an entrance thoughtfully adorned with natural objects and beautiful artwork, to the sound of singing children, a Spanish lesson underway, and shouts of excitement over a chemical reaction in Mrs. Anderson's science class. The door to the woodworking rooms reveals kids setting out their tools for a project. The smell of freshly baked bread drifts from the preschool classroom, and you are greeted with a warm and gentle smile by the director, who looks you in the eye and genuinely welcomes you to WSB. This was my first experience with WSB, and I knew it was the place for my daughter -- where she would not only receive a rich, rigorous education but would feel loved and respected. At this school, she is truly "seen." WSB is a treasure - compassionate, thoughtful, intentional, and positive. The curriculum is beautiful, broad, and deep. The field trips are AWESOME, and woven throughout the school year -- dogsledding, Painted Hills, astronomy overnights, simple play by the river, and so much more ... and recess for all throughout every day! I was concerned that a small private school might grow too fast to maintain its success -- but WSB is growing smart, each year making improvements and reaching goals set by the community. In our three years so far, we have seen the installation of an organic garden, the completion of a delightful playscape for our littlest kids (and amazing plans for the rest of the playground!), successful fundraisers, the addition of a strings (violin/guitar) program, and so much more. The families who succeed at WSB are those who are truly committed - who give time to volunteer efforts, who support their teacher's rhythm for each day, and who care deeply about creating a healthy school with a strong future. This is why the Waldorf accrediting organizations are giving my daughter's school such glowing evaluations! A previous reviewer stated that some reviews are "fake" because they are "employees" of the school or "on the board" ... I smile at this, because it is this very spirit of involvement and dedication from almost every family that makes WSB a strong community! It's almost impossible to find a parent who isn't playing a role in WSB's success, and every effort is welcomed and appreciated. Families who succeed at WSB find a way to participate -- they are Class Parents, Council Reps, Board members, event organizers ... playground designers, field trip drivers, costume makers ... fundraising supporters, garden planters, and so much more. There are many ways to give back to WSB, and almost every parent offers their gifts and time in the ways that they are able. Yes, even our current administrative staff, who have brought their heart and souls to reinvigorating Waldorf education in Central Oregon -- and who believe so strongly in WSB that they trust it with their own children. How fortunate my family is to be at a school where families care enough to be involved and make a difference. Visit WSB and feel the love!

Taylor Peavey

This school is awesome for a kid who goes there it is awesome

Jennifer Copyak

This is our 4th year at WSB and both of my kids (grades 5 and 7) are happy and thriving there. They are excited to go to school everyday. The wonderful teachers and the rich curriculum have exceeded my expectations.

lori sullivan

Of the four the previous reviewers, they are employed by the school, on the school board, and one is a husband of an employee, and one is anonymous with no real commentary. I have seen one of these employee/parents end up in balling in tears because of how she was treated by the administration for her and her child being Vegan. She was actually yelled at and humiliated for her beliefs in front of her child. Over the last year I have ran into 5 families and two teachers that have fled this school, and they told me of other families who have done the same. The teachers I spoke to had horrible details of what really goes on behind closed doors and how certain teachers and families, who are involved in the upper administration (2 of which have reviews on here) are given preferential treatment and are paid more than those not in the inner circle. My daughter has very mild cerebral palsy, they said that by law they did not need to accommodate her on field trips or learning differences. That they are not required to comply with ADA because they are a private school. When I showed them the ADA law includes private schools they became hostile and wouldn't let me re-enroll the following year. Over the summer they said they "changed their policies" 4 times, (every time I met their new standards) saying my daughter was no longer qualified to be re-enrolled, and that I no longer made enough money to go there etc, etc, etc. even though my pay had gone up. I know of 2 other families that still remain at WSB and their kids have been severely fallen behind in reading and math. The school does not offer any special tutoring time and requires you to hire a private tutor or face getting kicked out. My daughter fell behind in 2nd grade and they required this, blaming her disability, which is 99% physical and not cognitive. Once we got her into another school she skyrocketed in her reading and math. Her new teachers say it is much faster improvement than when someone has a learning disability. There is another student in her new school who is from her same class at WSB, he had the same delay, and was showing the same rate of improvement. The administration has no real background in Waldorf pedagogy, and supposedly they took over the school when there was financial difficulty a 4 or 5 years ago? Which originally I thought was heroic, until I got to know these people. Simply put, they are scary, manipulative, and intimidate staff and parents, even having a military background! They are the farthest thing I've ever seen from what Waldorf is about, and I have intimate experiences over two decades with some of the oldest and most renowned Waldorf schools in the US. When we started to have trouble with the discrimination I started seeking out other schools in the area, and I met a teacher at another private school that was a founding member and long time employee at WSB back then. She embodied the real Waldorf vibe, had been a Waldorf teacher for over 40 years, and she had a completely different story. She didn't want to go into details, but she had nothing good to say about who is running the school now, and inferred there was much more to the story than what is now the "history" they give. I waited a long time to write this, as this was a very painful and draining experience for my entire family, and I also felt fear that they would some how retaliate and affect my daughter's experience at her new school. I also felt reluctance for spreading negativity, knowing a lack of enrollment might negatively effect the rest of the student body. What actually spurred my writing this is seeing the semi-fake reviews. At this point I can honestly tell you I am the only parent review on here who does have a conflict of interest, and I bet they will start a google review campaign to drown out my rating. What I realized today is that other families are believing these reviews, they are making life decisions that have enormous impact on their child's wellbeing. I could no longer stand by and allow my daughter's story not be heard.

morgan strong

the waldorf school of bend,wow i dont know what to say first off i graduated from this place i enjoyed my time here that's all

Chuck Rucker

As a Waldorf family with a child about to enter middle school age, we began researching Waldorf schools with exceptional middle school programs to emulate for the Waldorf School where our child was attending. We discovered the Waldorf School of Bend and were so impressed that we relocated to Bend and my wife became the Admissions Director. Needless to say, we couldn't be stronger advocates! If you are new to Waldorf, do your research, then come visit. You will be a little disoriented but pleasantly surprised. More importantly, your children will be blown away and will wonder why they were not introduced to this type of school sooner! If you are already a Waldorf family, you will be hard pressed to find a more inclusive, rewarding and exciting community than what we have here at the Waldorf School of Bend. Please come and share your Waldorf experience with our classes, teachers and parents. We warmly welcome you and your child's input and enthusiasm. Plus you get to live in amazing Central Oregon! It really is as good as advertised...

Allee Zapp

My two children have attended this school for more than 4 years starting in Pre-Kindergarten and I feel so lucky that Bend has such an amazing Waldorf school offering a rigorous and unique Waldorf education. It is a joyful school that instills a true love of learning.