About

“I tell my son his school – The Honolulu Waldorf School – is worth the drive. Blurry eyed and smiling he says “I know mommy”. The true is he doesn’t know half how amazing the place he spends his days really is. At 5.5 he knows the drive is worth it for the friends, the play that makes up his day and the air of magic that lingers in every puppet play, circle time and story his teachers share. The drive – which is 3 hours of my day – is worth it because my son is learning to love learning through discovery, he is being shown leadership with kindness and care so he might someday be a kind and mindful leader himself. He is practicing trusting his own voice and thoughts through song and storytelling. Every day he is experiencing what it is to be joyful in the company of others. These wonderful things he sees as play and fun will be the building blocks for who he will become. I trust this because my two older sons attended Waldorf School through 8th grade and they have grown into good men. They are curious about the world, are grounded in the science of knowledge discovered, trust themselves and are trustworthy and they find joy in world. I often think a Waldorf education is the best investment a family can make. The pandemic made clear to me I alone cannot offer my son all The Honolulu Waldorf School gives him. So, I drive the long way to a school that can give him so very much and laughter too.”

“At Waldorf, you’re able to make connections with the teachers and faculty, but most importantly, with your classmates. Your classmates and teachers are what make Waldorf your family and home. You don’t know what luxury you have until it’s gone. At a very young age, kids are exposed to all different types of activities. I remember knitting, crocheting, painting, drawing with our feet, but the most significant thing I remember is being able to get dirty. Okay yes, my mom would get mad at me for coming home with dirt on my clothes, but at least I was able to. I was able to play in the mud, play in the sand, run around the yard barefoot, and I think that’s what has made me who I am today. Being able to play in the dirt enabled me to learn hands on, it taught me how to mold clay, how to feel the shape of the beeswax, and how to not be afraid of getting filthy. Being at Waldorf allows a child to be whomever he or she wants to be. It allows them to explore themselves creatively, freely, and with great excitement.”

“Our enthusiasm for the school grows daily as we watch our daughter thrive. The sophistication and depth of subjects learned are impressive. The teachers are outstanding and the students highly engaged.”

“In 2003 I began my search for the perfect school for my daughter. I visited many preschools, but the moment I stepped foot on the grounds of HWS I knew my search was over. My daughter graduates this year, 14 years after that visit so long ago. HWS has given my daughter love, community, support, confidence and life long friendships. She’s excelled in sports and academics and was accepted into every university she applied to. But, beyond all of that, my daughter went to school day after day, year after year with a smile on her face. HWS provided an environment that was safe, nonjudgmental, encouraging, filled with teachers and peers that were nothing short of parental figures and siblings. 14 years ago I made one of the best decisions of my life, I’m sad it’s coming to an end.”

“Children are educated in a wonderful, loving environment. They are supported to reach their potential as an individual person.”

“The Honolulu Waldorf School has been entrusted with the education of my daughter since mid 2007. We found the school through having an interest in Waldorf/Steiner education. From the outset the school has impressed us with it’s communication with families, its warm and welcoming feel when you enter the school (most mornings there is a Teacher there welcoming parents and Students saying hello in another language), its amazing teachers and most importantly the incredibly positive effect the school has had on our young 4 year old. What has impressed me is the way the school completely embraces the philosophy and works hard to also engender the interest and education of the parents as well. We will miss the school dearly when we return to Australia but it will be forever in our hearts. Thank you.”

“I love this school. I have a 9 and 16 year old and both started in the Kindergarten. I am a creative, intellectual person and found my own education painfully boring. The Waldorf system excites the kids and makes them want to learn. As a successful business owner I recognize the need for talented people who can think outside of the box and problem solve. The Waldorf system nurtures this ability in their students. With computers at our fingertips we need to educate kids to think creatively, not to regurgitate information. My kids are thinkers and I need to give some of that credit to the Honolulu Waldorf School. It is a loving and supportive environment and I am thankful I have the means to give them this opportunity.”

“My three children attended Honolulu Waldorf and my grandchildren now do. The teachers are incredibly dedicated to their students, the curriculum is richly varied, broad and deep with the approach varying with the age and individual learning style. Children learn respect and responsibility, and care deeply for each other and the natural world. A visitor hears music, laughter, foreign languages, and poetry every day and sees happy, healthy children learning lifelong skills and finding their own paths for the future. It is truly a healing education for our difficult times.”

“Honolulu Waldorf High School did a wonderful job preparing my daughter for college and life. She went to a great university, graduated “cum laude” and immediately found a fantastic job. She and her classmates all say college was a lot of work but easy; that Waldorf really prepared them because its classes are taught college-style with lots of discussion and deep thinking, and the work is similar to what they ended up having to do in college, so they felt completely capable. The best part of Waldorf is that its graduates are able to initiate for themselves what they need: they are articulate and at ease talking to others, they aren’t intimidated by a challenge and can find solutions for any obstacles that come their way, and they are the coolest people as adults, too! Very interesting, and interested, people. Love Waldorf education! Plus, the students are really supportive of each other, the faculty is truly caring and everyone appreciates people being themselves. Highly recommend!”

“We have two children at the HWS and they love it! If they are sick and we keep them at home, they cry. They don’t like school breaks because they miss school. Most importantly to me however, is they are curious about the world around them. I think the world they are growing up into will be very different from the one I grew up in and I believe Waldorf education will give them the tools they will need to be happy.”

“Have you toured this school? Have you ever walked into a classroom here? There is no place like it. The Honolulu Waldorf School has exceeded my expectations for education and having high academic standards. The school and the teachers are also exceptional in the Arts and Music which is rare to have it all. I enjoy walking through the school and listening to the children learning Music, Mathematics, Language Arts, Movement, Sciences and so much more. I am especially appreciative of their student support group and teachers who meet each individual child. Thank you Honolulu Waldorf School for educating students who are free thinkers and are so confident in who they are! The whole school hums happiness!”

“The Honolulu Waldorf Early (elementary+middle) School takes a holistic approach to education, addressing the childrens’ physical, emotional, spiritual, social, as well as intellectual development, all consistent with the latest research on childhood education. The teachers are fabulous: they are highly qualified professionals who are dedicated to their work and the kids. The environment fosters education at the child’s pace in a peaceful and stimulating venue.”

“We have two children at the HWS and they love it! If they are sick and we keep them at home, they cry. They don’t like school breaks because they miss school. Most importantly to me however, is they are curious about the world around them. I think the world they are growing up into will be very different from the one I grew up in and I believe Waldorf education will give them the tools they will need to be happy.”

“I’m reviewing the Parent/Child program and the faculty at the Honolulu Waldorf School. I’ve been involved in the program for about 6 weeks to date, and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with everything about it. The teacher (Auntie Sacha) is amazing, the curriculum is very nurturing, the school itself and the grounds are beautiful and serene. The staff, especially Joyce, has gone above and beyond with helpfulness. My children and I reap so many benefits from this wonderful program. I truly consider my family blessed to have come across this gem of a school. Our life has been forever changed thanks to HWS!”

“Leaving our son at Honolulu Waldorf School every day gives us a strong feeling that everything is going to be just fine. Thanks to Waldorf education, we will live in a better world… and we are proud to know that our son will be part of it.”

“Waldorf education is geared to the needs and strengths of individual students. There are no harder working teachers anywhere. Education can no longer be about facts and teaching to a test. It must be about learning to think critically. If you want your child to get an education that works for the 21st century, have them go to the Honolulu Waldorf School.” 

“HWS teaches children to become self-reliant, beginning with one’s own imagination, to making socks from a ball of yarn, to reciting pages of verse, to learning two foreign languages at the same time, to learning the myths and legends from all cultures and religions around the globe – and I believe this kind of self-reliance will help students navigate a rapidly changing future.”

“By receiving this education, our children are learning a reverence for nature, community, and the Earth… Not only are they receiving strong academic teaching; they are also building their souls.” 

“Beautiful grounds, magical and thoughtful curriculum, deeply committed faculty and staff, and warm welcoming community. This education will inspire your child for the rest of their lives!”

“I am very proud of my young ladies, but we cannot take all the credit for who they are. Their experience at Waldorf has molded them into the young adults they have become and I will never regret the years spent in traffic, late night concerts or other events, or financial weight we’ve carried over the years. I can think of no better investment for our money. I wish every child had an opportunity to learn and grow in such an amazing environment.”

“As a parent coming from overseas, my experience over the last two years has been that of a warm, welcoming faculty of teachers that are truly interested in my sons academic and personal development. I have seen a real change in my son over his time at this school. From a withdrawn student who would rarely mention school positively, my son now regularly talks about activities and the content of his subjects enthusiastically. The tasks he is assigned seem to extend his thinking beyond the classroom and into real world. As the school is small, real relationships seem to develop between the teachers and students and the students from different year levels (two of his good friends are from the year above him). Frankly, I couldn’t be happier.”

“I love the connections I get to make with the other students in my grade, the wide variety of classes we take, and our teachers. They really love their subjects and make it interesting to learn about, even if you don’t think you’re going to like the class– they find a way to make it interesting!”

“Our son attends Waldorf and our daughter will be joining him in the fall. My husband and I absolutely love everything about Waldorf (well, maybe not the price, but we figured investing in our kids education is worth any price). Both kids attended the Parent-Child class from a very young age (once a week), so they are familiar w/the setting and teachers. Take a tour and ask questions – they will tell you far more than I can here. All I can say is, the whole energy of the school and the teachers make us feel confident our children are spending such a large percentage of their time here. We especially love that the teachers follow the class from 1st-6th grade, so they truly get to know each student and their learning styles, and that in high school they don’t learn from textbooks, they basically create their own textbooks, which are AMAZING.”

“This school has created the environment for my daughter to flourish in several aspects of her life. She has become very confident, secure and has opened to become a quite sociable being. Over the four years she has been there, she has developed her artistic skills highly. She is very comfortable with Japanese, Spanish and Hawaiian languages. She’s fascinated with math, which in most cases and schools, is the least favorite subject. I’m grateful to be able to give my daughter a Waldorf education.” 

“This school has made me feel safe at all times. I have always enjoyed being in school due to the kind people I see.”

“I love how it was small and everyone knew everyone. Students get personal attention and I especially love the wholesomeness of the school and its emphasis on sustainability and global citizenship.” 

“Seriously, just take the tour. If it’s not your cup of tea, you’ll know. But if it is, you’ll feel like me and my husband, who said to me during the tour “WOW! I feel like I was cheated! I wish I had gone to Waldorf!””It’s a blessing we found this school and became a part of its community. If you are looking for a school that encompasses the entire child spiritually, physically and educationally this is the school for you.”

Beautiful campus, rich curriculum, brilliant teachers! Strong on academic rigor with healthy integration of the arts. The children who attend this school become well-rounded, motivated, critical & creative thinkers!”

“An amazing faculty, breath taking grounds, a very strong Waldorf curriculum, multi-sensory education, collaborative community and exceptional children who have hearts filled with Hawaiiana!”

“Aloha! My daughter is completing her 11th year at Honolulu Waldorf and I am eternally grateful that she has been able to experience an education that meets her academically, emotionally and physically. As a dyslexic, she has been encouraged and she has thrived. The warm bond she has experienced with students and teachers is a source of strength for her to carry with her into the world. I too am pleased with the new administrator, who has made herself available to parents, and seems joyful and enthusiastic in her job.”

“My granddaughter and grandson go to the Honolulu Waldorf School and my step-son and step-daughters went to the school. My wife teaches at the school and so do I–for over 30 years. HWS is a remarkable school environment for children and for young people because of its focus on creative learning and finding one’s individuality. Its educational methods are well in advance of other schools that mistakenly seek progress in screen time and high stakes testing. The Waldorf School is truly an education for life and not just for college and the job market. The teachers have a say in all that goes on in the running of the school and take an interest in each child. No one slips through the cracks. The parent community is extremely warm and supportive of the work the teachers do. The two campuses, lower school in the valley and upper school by the ocean, are beautiful settings for growing up and learning in Hawaii. It is a pleasant place to be. Children love to come to school, parents, and teachers do too. Both campuses are in the long overdue process of upgrading facilities. Class sizes are small, quality is high, and it is one of the best-kept secrets of East Oahu and Honolulu schools!” 

“I am a student that attended the Waldorf high school as well as going to the lower school for nine years. I think this is truly one of the most amazing schooling systems imaginable. As a student it really encouraged me to have a passion for learning, as well as giving me a wonderful background in art. I am a student with a very high GPA and also very strong in both music and art of varying mediums. In my opinion I owe my success in school to the amazing teachers and alternate education system that is the Honolulu Waldorf School. Truly a magnificent place to grow and learn.”

“My son has attended Waldorf from preschool through the third grade. He is so happy. Everyday he is excited about going to school. He is well rounded, curious about the world and has great integrity. All of these attributes is what a Waldorf education draws out in a child. He take Spanish, Japanese, plays the cello and loves math and science. I know of many children who have transferred from other schools where heavy dry academics was stressed at very young age. These children were miserable at their former schools and now at Waldorf are happy and flourishing. Waldorf instills a love of learning instead of burning children out by giving them unhealthy amounts of homework and academic stress at too young an age. I highly recommend Honolulu Waldorf School.”

At Waldorf, you’re able to make connections with the teachers and faculty, but most importantly, with your classmates. Your classmates and teachers are what make Waldorf your family and home. You don’t know what luxury you have until it’s gone. At a very young age, kids are exposed to all different types of activities. I remember knitting, crocheting, painting, drawing with our feet, but the most significant thing I remember is being able to get dirty. Okay yes, my mom would get mad at me for coming home with dirt on my clothes, but at least I was able to. I was able to play in the mud, play in the sand, run around the yard barefoot, and I think that’s what has made me who I am today. Being able to play in the dirt enabled me to learn hands on, it taught me how to mold clay, how to feel the shape of the beeswax, and how to not be afraid of getting filthy. Being at Waldorf allows a child to be whomever he or she wants to be. It allows them to explore themselves creatively, freely, and with great excitement.”