Emerson Waldorf High School is a small, friendly community of students and faculty, offering a hands-on, creative curriculum that helps each student to answer the questions, “Who am I?” and “How can I make a difference?” Students learn together in a supportive and creative environment, combining academic, artistic and practical subjects. We follow the internationally recognized Waldorf curriculum which includes classical and modern literature, history, science, mathematics, languages, fine and practical arts, performing arts, and physical education.
Small Classes allow lots of classroom discussion and close relationships. Teachers are able to spend more time with each student than they can at larger schools. They strive to understand each student’s background, strengths, and weaknesses, and to tailor the material to the learning styles and needs of the students. More and more research is showing that students perform better in small classes, with strong student-teacher relationships. Small classes also allow close relationships between students, forming lifelong friendships and a sense of community. In a small school, a student cannot fade into the background: each student is known and valued.
“Waldorf-style education provides a nurturing environment where the student can develop a unique view of the world. This leads to more enlightened citizens and individuals, who are able to create, invent and prosper in society.” - EWHS Student
Hands-on learning enlivens all academic subjects. In our science classes, experiments are the order of the day, with students observing and forming their own conclusions. Our beautiful, wooded campus allows nature exploration and experimentation: from testing the water in a local stream, to building a solar greenhouse and growing seedlings. Tenth graders studying The Odyssey go sailing on a near-by lake, and eleventh graders studying Dante’s Inferno, mold creatures of the Underworld out of clay. Each subject is brought to the students in a lively, creative way, which allows deeper, more meaningful learning. Curriculum trips, field trips, internships, senior projects and social service provide lots of experiential learning. We use computers and the media sparingly at EWS, favoring real, not virtual, learning.
The Arts are very important in the Waldorf curriculum. In addition to their academic studies, all students study ceramics, woodworking, drawing, handwork, painting, music, theater and movement. These are not optional extras: they are an integral part of the curriculum. Students become proficient in many art forms by being given the time and direction that learning a medium requires. Each student is asked to explore widely and to develop new capacities and skills, so that a first-time musician may end up playing in a jazz ensemble, or someone who has never played soccer may play on the soccer team. All students participate in the Class Play, learn to juggle in Circus Arts, make a copper bowl in Practical Arts: learning a wide variety of skills increases each student’s confidence–and is fun!
“I like the artistic emphasis in our curriculum; I think art is an important aspect in one’s education and so does Emerson Waldorf.” - EWHS Student
Challenging academics and an excellent college acceptance record mean that Emerson Waldorf students are fully prepared for whatever the future holds. We choose not to offer Advanced Placement courses, and are exempt from North Carolina standardized tests, allowing our classes to be active and experiential, and our teachers to teach creatively. We offer a rigorous, honors-level study of the humanities, the sciences, and mathematics. Each school day begins with the Main Lesson, a ninety-minute period devoted to intensive work in an academic subject. The Main Lesson curriculum is studied in blocks, in a multi-disciplinary way, without textbooks. Class time is conducted seminar-style, including intensive discussion and hands-on investigation. Rounding out the curriculum are additional year-long courses in English, mathematics, history and foreign language, plus advanced-level chorus, instrumental music, art, practical arts, and movement. Every course in the High School meets or exceeds the traditional “Honors” level. Eighty-eight percent of all EWS graduates to date have chosen to matriculate immediately at four-year colleges.
- High School day: 8:10 a.m-3:15 p.m.