About

Mission Statement

Inspired and guided by a curriculum designed to address the academic, emotional and physical stages of development of the children in our care we strive to cultivate and nurture intellectually curious, independent thinkers, who meet challenges and opportunities with confidence, responsibility, and compassion.

Vision Statement

Live Oak Waldorf School is founded on the principles of Waldorf Education, and seeks to create a community that inspires children to realize their full potential as free and compassionate beings who will serve humanity and the world through their deeds. By uniting teachers and parents through collaboration, and building on the enthusiasm of its students, Live Oak continues to be a beacon for life-long learners, able to serve the greater community.

The faculty, staff and community of Live Oak Waldorf School works with the students to help them understand our role as stewards of the 40 acre campus entrusted to us by the elders of First People nations.

The History of Live Oak Waldorf School

In early 1977, a group of interested parents and community members met to study alternative directions in education. Out of these discussions grew the decision to create a Waldorf School, and in August of 1977 the Articles of Incorporation were signed. Our first home was in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Auburn, and we opened that September with nine children. Our second year brought a kindergarten, first grade, and the first Annual Holiday Faire which was held at the Auburn Recreation Park.

By the spring of 1982, the school included kindergarten through third grade and was located in the Dewitt Center in Auburn. During the next four years, as our school community grew, we divided and re-divided our space to meet our increasing needs. For several summers, parents worked diligently to create new classrooms within the existing walls of the Dewitt Center, transforming stark, institutional rooms into warm, embracing spaces. Meanwhile, the Permanent Site Committee searched for the perfect home for our school.

Their labors of love and patience bore fruit in February 1986 with the purchase of our 40-acre site in Meadow Vista; a landscape encompassing fertile grounds, wetlands, and Mt. Catherine. The school was dedicated and trees were planted in April. Over the summer, the air was filled with the sounds of crowbar, hammer, and saw as the existing buildings and grounds were shaped to meet the needs of a school. That fall we opened with kindergarten through sixth grade.

As Live Oak Waldorf School has grown and changed over the years, so has the campus. Today the school has created beautiful rooms and dedicated spaces for all of our programs. We serve children from birth through 8th grade in parent-child playgroups, preschool and kindergarten classes, elementary and middle school classes, and a homeschool program. Our campus and facilities feature an early childhood "village" of classrooms and ample outdoor play space, an outdoor kindergarten and garden "classroom", a natural amphitheater, a woodshop, handwork room, plus an abundance of outdoor playgrounds, gardens, and hiking trails through the woods on the property.

Live Oak has been a full accredited member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) since 1989.

School Governance

The governance structure at Live Oak Waldorf School is comprised of two governing bodies and a supportive body: the College of Teachers, the Board of Trustees, and the Parent Council. The College of Teachers holds the pedagogical aspects of the school, the Board holds the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of the school, and the Parent Council is a supportive body that serves as a conduit for the voice of the parent community as well as disseminating information from the governing bodies to the parent community.

The College of Teachers is comprised of all class teachers and the administrators of the school and meets weekly during the school year. Subject teachers may join if they choose. The Board of Trustees meets monthly year-round with membership outlined in the bylaws of the Board. The Parent Council meets monthly during the school year and consists of a representative from each class. The Parent Council Chairperson is the liaison to the Board. The strength of these governing bodies lies in the feedback loop among them. To build trust and cohesion among the College, Board and Parent Council, all members are encouraged to attend a weekend retreat prior to the beginning of each school year.