Learning community

A balanced, diverse curriculum encourages strong ties between faculty and students

If you can imagine an education created around a century-old philosophy of mind, body and spirit, this is just a glimpse of the Rudolf Steiner or "Waldorf" education. Waldorf Schools provide a well-rounded and balanced exploration of mathematics, sciences, English, humanities, literature, languages, music and arts.

Honolulu Waldorf School Name The Breaking Wave Faculty adviser James McCarter Editors Erik Butts, Sean English, Taimane Gardener and Ian Yee Address 1339 Hunakai St., Honolulu 96816 Head of School Waldorf schools nationwide are faculty-run Founded 1994 Enrollment 78 (high school) Faculty 58

Honolulu Waldorf High School provides opportunities for strong relationships between faculty and students. Unlike other schools that are administered by a single principal, all of Waldorf's policies and curricula are created and maintained by the whole faculty through communal discussions and consensus decisions.

The curriculum at Waldorf is unique. The year is divided into blocks of three to four weeks called Main Lessons, in which a main subject (science, history, math or English) is taught for two hours every morning. As the students progress through the year they experience a broad range of topics: oceanography, Shakespeare, botany, foundations of democracy, comedy and tragedy, Faust, zoology, biochemistry, physiology and analytical geometry are just a few examples.

During these three-to-four week courses, the students begin to create what is called a "Main Lesson Book." We produce a portfolio compiling all of our illustrations, essays and notes during the daily lesson. This book, crafted into a whole, becomes our textbook.

In addition to the Main Lesson, we also have year-long classes that include English, mathematics, music, foreign languages, an elective (photography, journalism, science, modern literature), physical education, and a wide range of arts; clay, woodwork, jewelry, painting and drawing.

In addition to the school day, students organize and participate in clubs for all interests. Some of these groups include the drama club, photography club, student government, service club and foreign film club.

Overall, Honolulu Waldorf High School gives to us students a preparation for college and life. Waldorf is where our imagination flourishes and all of us work together to create the excitement of learning.

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Exchange students see learning style differences

We were excited about our opportunities to attend the Honolulu Waldorf School, but we were also scared of leaving the comforts of home. There are many similarities between our Waldorf schools and the Honolulu Waldorf School, but we noticed certain differences.

Editor's note: With Waldorf Schools all around the world, students in the 11th grade are encouraged to deepen their many years of foreign language study by participating in international exchanges. Consequently, Honolulu Waldorf School may host from one to a handful of students from other countries as part of our student body. Below are the reflections of two current exchange students from Germany.

The biggest difference between the German Waldorf system and the system here is the size. One example is the separation between the high school and the lower school.

In Germany, both campuses are on one large campus and each class has around 40 students, making the whole school have around 800 students. In Honolulu, there are approximately 20 students in each class. The Waldorf School in Honolulu is much smaller, but the student-to-teacher and student-to-student relationships are a lot more intimate.

In Germany, a class graduates after the 13th grade, so we have to do an extra year of studying and take a test called the Abitur if we want to go to college. The students from the Honolulu Waldorf School can go off and start their independent lives, including college, after grade 12.

One last difference we noticed is that some of the subject classes integrate students from different grades, bringing the whole school together. We think the small classes and integration bring a family kind of feeling to the overall school, making it a better learning experience.

In all, we were pleased to experience the small yet fulfilling Honolulu Waldorf School.

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In what way do you think Waldorf has encouraged your creative talents?

Katya Cessaro
Sophomore
"Coming from a different school, I see that the Waldorf students are more open and are not afraid to express themselves. I see that it is okay to open up and that being unique is a good thing. The people accept me for who I am."

Vinnie Stevens
Freshman
"Waldorf has helped my creative needs with the way its education program is structured. I find that the teachers find more creative ways to teach then just giving a student a textbook to read."

Mana Kinoshita
Freshman
"The way the teachers educate us. They can focus on one student at a time because of how small the school is, and the Main Lesson books are a good way to learn."

Chris Matar
Senior
"Waldorf allows me to develop my interests as well as introducing me to new styles and materials that I wouldn't have been aware of if I went to another school. It has given me a unique appreciation for art and its relation to academics."