Community Collaboration

When parents of Live Oak Waldorf School, past and present, are asked to choose one word to describe the school, the overwhelming word of choice is COMMUNITY!

For over 40 years, the dedication of faculty and families has woven the bonds of a strong community and created a legacy of support that will last for many generations to come. The strength of the school comes from the strength of our community. We welcome and value the dedication and collaboration of teachers, staff, parents, alumni, and friends at Live Oak Waldorf School. Our enthusiastic community of families makes our school uniquely vibrant and inclusive.

Community Supported Affordable Waldorf Education through our available Financial Assistance Programs.

Class Volunteering: Parents help out in the classroom, in the gardens, and on walks and field trips, including overnight trips.

Events & Fundraising: Parents are instrumental in making school-wide events successful, including festivals such as the Pumpkin Path, Holiday Faire, and May Faire. Parents raise funds for the school with fun events such as the Auction evening, Cornhole Tournaments, Bike Rides, Pledge Runs, Annual Giving, and more.

Institutional Service: Parents serve in leadership roles on the Board of Trustees and Parent Council.

Teacher-Parent Collaborative Support

Parents and teachers work together to make school a supportive and safe place for each child. Through class parent meetings and individual parent-teacher conferences, parents are connected to what is happening in the classroom and the school as a whole. Parent education speaker series and workshops are offered at Live Oak Waldorf School throughout the year. Child development professionals offer valuable information and discussions on parenting the young child, grades child and middle school adolescent, parenting in a fast-paced, digital world, Waldorf education 101, rhythms of early childhood education and why it works loving discipline, and simplicity parenting. There are also often workshops for parents in creative endeavors such as watercolor painting, textile arts, and paper crafting.

Time, Talent, and Resource Contribution

The student experience is enriched by the committed participation of our parent community who contribute their time and energy in countless ways. There are many ways to help continue this vision. Parents work behind the scenes and in the classroom; they chaperone trips, raise funds, and serve in leadership roles. You can volunteer your time, talents, or resources to projects such as grounds-keeping, painting, gardening, care of the farm animals, event planning and support, or help with fun fundraising efforts! You can also act in a performance event, help sew costumes, create backdrops, or help bake for one of our many events. There is something fun for everyone!

Financial Support

The Board of Trustees purposely sets the annual budget to provide opportunities for a wide base of community support through donations and event attendance. Because Live Oak Waldorf School is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation, donations are tax deductible.

Annual Giving

The Annual Giving Campaign is the major fundraiser for Live Oak and the funds raised are necessary to the day-to-day programming of the school. These funds cover the gap in the operating budget that is not covered by tuition and other income to the school. The money is essential to the education, bridging costs of instructional materials, facilities renewal, and professional development for faculty. Each year, parents, teachers, trustees, staff, friends, grandparents, and neighbors meet the school's financial needs through generous and thoughtful gifts. We strive for full participation from every currently enrolled and alumni family.

Donors can be made online or by contacting kadams@liveoakwaldorf.org. Read this year's Annual Giving letter for inspiration to give. Donations can be set up for monthly payments. Each and every donation is appreciated! Donate Now

Fundraising Events

Our major fundraising event is the Auction and Gala, usually held in March at the Flower Farm Inn in Loomis, CA. Parent volunteers and friends of Live Oak Waldorf School organize this event. Funds raised support the operating budget and often will also support a special project each year. Other events like our Pumpkin Path support our fundraising efforts each year.

Scrip

Scrip is a system of generating charitable rebates through common purchases at your favorite and frequented retail stores, restaurants, and service providers. Scrip can come in the form of a gift card, a paper certificate, or even a digital code. Learn more about our program provider, Great Lakes Scrip (choose "Live Oak Waldorf School") as your designated rebate recipient. Enter the following enrollment code: 53149B6B38383.

Corporate Donations, Matching Funds, and Grant Opportunities

We encourage participation in corporate matching funds and volunteer donation programs. We also pursue foundation-sponsored grant opportunities and gladly accept corporate and local business donations. We enjoy support from many businesses large and small, far and wide from throughout Placer, Nevada, and El Dorado Counties in the Sacramento region.

Planned Estate Giving

Please talk to our Advancement Office for more information on planned giving. Contact kadams@liveoakwaldorf.org or call 530-878-8720.

In-Kind Donations

Items: If you have gently used items, such as sewing machines, wool batting, fabric, watercolor painting supplies, lumber, bark for the playgrounds, organic soil, or bio-dynamic amendments; we would be grateful to accept any of these items as donations. Please call 530-878-8720 to confirm the donation and receive delivery instructions.

Time and Experience:

We appreciate any and all help that forwards our mission of providing an excellent authentic Waldorf education for all children and of creating a place for the community to enjoy. If you have a few free hours to dedicate to others or a skill that can be shared, we will be happy to channel it in the right direction.

Contribute to Live Oak