Ithaca Waldorf School

South Hill has provided a great educational and social experience for my kid in the two years we've been there. Classes are small, teachers are committed, there is a great number of aides supporting teachers, and there is good social-emotional support. We have experience some minor level of bullying that has been addressed strongly and assertively by leadership, including direct involvement of the Principal who is very approachable and involved in all school matters. Infrastructure is great, there are plenty opportunities for parent involvement as well, and the school is generally well run.

I suppose parent experience really depends on preferences and expectations. I want my kids at a school that emphasizes whole person development and where the teachers are clever, resourceful, compassionate and highly engaged.That is what I am experiencing at EACMI.

IWS offers a wonderful balance of outdoor and indoor learning. The curriculum is well rounded and incorporates math, reading, sciences, history,etc. etc. into real-life experiences so the learning is very contextual - which was incredibly important to me when looking for private education. My spouse and I agreed that we wanted to make sure that our child had rich learning that fostered his curiosity without being stuck doing worksheets or mindless computer "learning games" all day long. The students at IWS are not bored sitting at a desk all day but are up and learning academic skills through application. We love that their classrooms are screen free. We love the structured 3-4 week main-lesson blocks with intensive 2 hour instruction in the morning- I feel that my child learns subjects much more deeply and it really gives the kids a chance to explore all there is to explore about a subject. My child is so proud of his main-lesson books in which he has essentially created his own hand-written and drawn textbook. He looks forward to being in the older grades when he is creating anatomy, science, history (etc.) main lesson books. We find that the school really respects childhood while helping the children grow into well-rounded people: my child is creative, imaginative, thriving academically, and learning to love the world around him. The teachers provide rhythm and structure and truly love working with the students. They care about academics AND my child's general wellbeing and development. Our teacher conferences are not just about my child's academic skills but how he is doing socially and personally. The kids build close relationships with the teachers and staff, who care about all the kids as if they were their own. The Faculty and staff are all also easy to approach and are always welcoming and willing to hear parents questions and concerns. The office staff is at the front door every morning greeting everyone who comes in and chatting with parents and kids. We love IWS and wouldn't pick anywhere else to send my kids.