Upper Columbia Assosiation On Behalf Of Waldorf Education

UPPER COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION ON BEHALF OF WALDORF EDUCATION, DBA RIVERWOOD COMMUNITY SCHOOL, SERVED FAMILIES IN STEVENS COUNTY WASHINGTON IN SERVERAL UNIQUE WAYS. WE ARE THE ONLY SCHOOL BETWEEN NELSON, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND SPOKANE WASHINGTON THAT USES THE WALDORF EDUCATION MODEL AS A PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATION FOR OUR TEACHING METHODS AND CURRICULUM. OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERED A MIXED-AGES KINDERGARTEN CLASS FOR CHILDREN AGES 4 TO 6, HAD 15 ENROLLED STUDENTS PART OR FULL-TIME. ALL OF THE SNACKS AND MEALS THAT WE SERVED THROUGHOUT THE DAY WERE WHOLESOME AND HEALTHY, AND WHEN POSSIBLE - ORGANIC, NON-GMO, AND LOCALLY SOURCED. OUR FULL-TIME GRADES PROGRAM SERVED 23 FIRST THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE CHILDREN. WITH THE ONSET OF COVID-19, WE MOVED OUR CLASSES 100% OUTDOORS FOR FOUR MONTHS UNTILL THE WEATHER BECAME TOO SEVERE, AFTER WHICH WE CREATD THE ONLY INDOOR-OUTDOOR HYBRID PROGRAM IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR WAS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR ALL, BUT THE GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE NEED OF OUR FAMILIES WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL OF COMPLETETING A SUCCESSFUL YEAR OF IN PERSON SCHOOLING, WITHOUT ANY OUTBREAKS. THIS WAY OF SCHOOLING IS STILL NEW FOR MANY, BUT WE SAW HOW MUCH THE STUDENTS FLOURISHED IN BEING ABLE TO REMAIN IN-PERSON AND BEING FULLY IMMERSED IN NATURE FOR A RICH, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. OUR GRADS CLASSES CONTINUED TO RECEIVE THE FULL CURRICULUM OF WALDORF-INSPIRED EDUCATION,AND STUDENTS'RESILIENCY WAS PROVEN WHEN END-OF-YEAR TESTING SHOWED HIGH SCORES AND MARKED IMPROVEMENT. ALL STUDENTS WILL MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT GRADE AND OUR FAMILIES WERE STILL ABLE TO MAINTAIN SOME SORT OF NORMALCY WITH THE SECURITY OF KNOWING THEIR CHILDREN WERE LEARNING AS MUCH OR MORE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.