Founded in 1973 as an outpost for New York City students to connect with the land, Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School (HVS) was among the first Waldorf schools in North America, and the only one located on a 900-acre working Biodynamic® farm. Over the past 50 years, HVS has expanded to offer education to kids in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and has provided generations of students with a nourishing Waldorf educational journey that is a true alternative to public education.

Our curriculum, rooted in the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, delivers inspired main lessons intentionally developed to nurture the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of children. Our low teacher-to-student ratio and our practice of having a teacher stay with the students for several years creates a supportive, trust-based culture in which children thrive. Throughout the grades, age-appropriate curriculum is highly interdisciplinary, blending academics, fine and practical arts, nature and farm-based activities, music, movement, class trips, and more. Waldorf’s preschool and kindergarten curriculum emphasizes creative free play as a method to build imagination, confidence, and sense of belonging.