The arts are infused into Summerfield Waldorf School & Farm’s entire curriculum. Waldorf schools emphasize the importance of teaching in an artistic way, not so much to educate children to become fine artists or musicians but to feed the imagination, to deepen empathy, and to develop freedom in thinking. The practice of making art awakens our intelligence to the full experience of being human.
Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools, suggested that teachers begin the first day of first grade by introducing children to their hands, saying “You have two hands… These are for working. You can do all kinds of things with them.” He explained that this could form an introduction to their very first drawing lesson, a chance to demonstrate how skillful their hands can be.
Over the course of being a part of this community from early childhood all the way through high school, students learn how to do real work in the world, whether in farming, arts and crafts, in the science lab or serving others in the community. Through the arts, students discover how their hands can produce what their minds can imagine and their heart can intuit as Good, Beautiful and True. When they apply these same principles to their science and humanities studies, their schoolwork has real meaning, feels connected and whole, and helps them to actualize their ideals in society as they go out in the world.