The Waldorf School

02/10/2026

✨ Alumni Echo: Waldorf Reflections ✨

"From learning to think outside the box… to helping others do the same."

🌿 Alumni: Yusuf Rahim
Years at The Waldorf School: 2008–2017

Looking back, Yusuf is most grateful for the way his teachers encouraged him to enjoy learning and think independently. Rather than trying to shape every child into a predetermined idea of a "perfect" student, they created an environment where creativity, individuality, and free thinking could flourish.

One of the lessons that has stayed with him throughout high school, university, and his working life is the ability to think outside the box. He credits this mindset with helping him navigate exams, assignments, and challenges through creative and critical thinking.

Yusuf also values having learned in an environment where there was less pressure to compare himself with others. Instead of focusing on marks or competition, he was able to build confidence in his own abilities and see learning as something that could always be improved upon rather than judged.

🌍 Today, Yusuf is a Teacher at The High School on Rosemary Hill Farm.

✨ The qualities Yusuf relies on most today are empathy, critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to bring a sense of enjoyment to challenging situations. Looking back, he believes his years at The Waldorf School helped him become comfortable in his own individuality while developing the confidence to approach life with an open and curious mind.

Were you a student at Max Stibbe or The Waldorf School?
We’d love to hear your story for a future Alumni Echo!

23/09/2026

23/09/2026

🐉 🔥 Michaelmas & Heritage Day

Michaelmas is a cherished Waldorf festival celebrated around the world in September, encouraging children to discover inner courage and face challenges with confidence.

At our school, we celebrate Michaelmas alongside South Africa's Heritage Day, a beautiful reminder that courage and diversity belong together.

While Michaelmas encourages us to meet life's challenges with bravery and an open heart, Heritage Day invites us to celebrate the many cultures, languages and traditions that make South Africa unique.

In the Michaelmas story, it takes courage to approach what is unfamiliar rather than turn away from it. Heritage Day carries a similar lesson: when we are open to one another's stories, traditions and perspectives, we discover that our differences are not barriers, but strengths.

As Archbishop Desmond Tutu so wisely said:
✨ “Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.”

Together, these celebrations teach us that courage grows when we stand proudly in who we are and that community flourishes when we respect and learn from one another.

14/09/2026

✨ What if one of the most powerful learning tools isn't technology, but a story?

At a Waldorf School, storytelling is woven into every stage of a child's education. From fairy tales in the early years to myths, biographies, and history in the upper grades, stories help children develop imagination, empathy, curiosity, and independent thinking.

In a Waldorf classroom, every subject begins with a story. A letter might be introduced through a tale about a mountain, with its shape first appearing in a beautiful chalkboard drawing before becoming the written letter. Mathematical concepts can emerge through stories and adventures that children experience imaginatively before working with numbers abstractly. History is encountered through legends, biographies, and vivid narratives that bring the past to life.

Stories don't end when the lesson is over. They live on in the colourful chalkboard illustrations created by teachers, in the beautifully crafted Main Lesson Books that students write and illustrate themselves, and in the plays and dramatic performances presented throughout the year by all classes. A story heard in the morning may later be painted in a watercolour lesson, carefully written into a Main Lesson Book, or acted out on stage with classmates. 📖🎨🎭

Through listening, retelling, drawing, writing, painting, and performing, children engage their head, heart, and hands together, making learning deeply personal and alive.

In a world filled with screens and endless information, storytelling remains a timeless way to inspire a lifelong love of learning and discovery. 🌿❤️

02/09/2026

✨ Alumni Echo: Waldorf Reflections ✨
"From learning the value of community… to serving justice in Angola."

🌿 Alumni: Yuri da Cunha
Years at Max Stibbe / The Waldorf School: 1995–1998

One of Yuri's strongest memories is the sense of shared responsibility at school. By taking part in everyday duties, students learned that every contribution mattered and that a community thrives when everyone plays their part.

What stands out most when he looks back is the care of his teachers. They were not only preparing students for school, but for life.

🌍 Today, Yuri is a Judicial Judge based in Angola.

✨ Looking back, Yuri believes his Waldorf years helped shape a strong character and sense of self. The lessons of equality, discipline, and the spirit of ubuntu continue to guide him in both his personal and professional life.

Were you a student at Max Stibbe or The Waldorf School?
We’d love to hear your story for a future Alumni Echo!

25/08/2026

🧪 Class 6 Science 🧬

Learning about science starts with a spark of wonder - not a page of definitions.

Through hands-on experiments with colour, water, heat, light and sound, learners watch closely, ask questions and enjoy those exciting “What will happen next?” moments.

Instead of being handed the answers, they observe, discuss and discover scientific principles for themselves. Along the way, they develop curiosity, patience, independent thinking and a keen eye for detail. 🤩

Because in Waldorf education, science isn’t just memorised - it’s experienced, explored and brought to life! 🌿🔬✨

20/08/2026

🌿 Why More Families Are Discovering Waldorf Education 🌿

Choosing a school for your child can feel daunting. As parents, we know just how deeply our own school experiences shaped us, both positively and negatively. Naturally, we want to find a place where our children can thrive, not just academically, but as whole human beings.

One comment we hear time and again from families who discover our school is: "Why didn't I know about this sooner?" Many parents are surprised to learn that there are alternatives to mainstream education. Yet Waldorf education is not new and our school has been nurturing children for 54 years, offering an approach to education that has stood the test of time.

At our school, childhood is not rushed. There are no school uniforms. Children come home with muddy clothes, paint on their sleeves, red cheeks from running around outdoors, and stories of adventures on the farm. They walk barefoot, climb trees, build forts in the classroom and in forests, create beautiful artwork, bake, explore nature and engage in meaningful academic learning throughout the day.

Academic development is very important, but it is not the only thing that is valued. Rather than focusing solely on knowledge-based teaching, Waldorf education takes a holistic approach that nurtures creativity, critical thinking, empathy, resilience and a lifelong love of learning and curiosity.

Our children are given the freedom to explore, create, question and grow, becoming confident, capable young people who are prepared not only for exams, but for life. 🌱

Nathalie Marquez Courtney writes about her experience in an article that appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Image Magazine Ireland, exploring why more families are considering alternative education pathways.

Link to the full article in the comments.

17/08/2026

When the marimbas come alive and the drums begin to beat, it’s almost impossible not to stop and listen 🥁

But behind all that rhythm, energy and joy, some serious learning is taking place 😎

With every beat, our learners are developing:

🎯 Focus
🙌 Coordination
🤝 Teamwork
💪 Confidence
🧠 Memory and problem-solving
❤️ Connection
✨ Creativity and joy

Not every learner will become a professional musician — and that isn’t the point 😉

Learning to keep to the beat is one thing. Learning to listen, support one another and create something greater together? That’s a lesson that lasts long after the music stops 🎶

13/08/2026

Learning That Comes Alive 🌱✨

A growing body of research affirms what Waldorf education has long understood: students learn best through experience. When children can touch, create, explore, question, and discover, learning becomes more than information, it becomes understanding that lasts.

Experiential learning is an educational approach where understanding grows from lived experience. Whether learning fractions by baking 🥖, bringing history to life through drama 🎭, or discovering science through observation and exploration, learning becomes meaningful because children are actively engaged in it.

Research shows that when students are invited into an active relationship with their work, learning becomes a natural extension of child development. It is no longer just about memorising information, but about experiencing, questioning, creating, and discovering.

At our school, experiential learning is woven into daily life inside and outside the classroom door.🌿 Children grow and care for crops such as sweet potatoes, carrots and wheat, learning first-hand how weather, insects, and even monkeys can affect the growing process. Produce from the garden often finds its way into practical activities where children measure ingredients, work with fractions, and bake from scratch. Nature walks become opportunities to observe how plants and trees change through the seasons and to learn about the birds, insects, and ecosystems that share the farm. Learning continues through handwork, where knitting, crochet, and woodworking develop spatial awareness and an understanding of patterns and geometry; through drama, where history and literature come alive on stage; and through hands-on science, where students build and test models to explore the principles of physics and mechanics.

Not surprisingly, research has also found that learning in nature has measurable emotional, academic, and wellbeing benefits. In a world where children spend increasing amounts of time indoors and on screens, these experiences are more valuable than ever.

By engaging the head, heart, and hands, experiential learning helps children develop understanding that is meaningful, lasting, and alive. 💚

📖 Link in comments for the full article.

05/08/2026

Not every conversation about education is light-hearted, because choosing the right school is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make.

But here's the good news...

Learning doesn't have to come at the expense of childhood.

At every stage of a child's education, we ask one simple question: "What does your child need, right now?"

We believe that children can thrive academically while still having time for family, imaginative play, outdoor adventures, creativity, and simply being children.

Education shouldn't mean spending every afternoon buried in homework - it should inspire curiosity, confidence and a genuine love of learning.

Join us at our next Open Day to discover what happens when education grows with the child - not the other way around.

Because children only get one childhood. We think schools should protect it, not compete with it.

⏰ 29 August 2026 | 10h00 - 12h00
📍 The Waldorf School at Rosemary Hill Farm, just east of Pretoria
🔗 https://thewaldorfschool.co.za/open-day/