Open House

Aurora Waldorf School

525 West Falls Road, West Falls, NY

Saturday, March 7, 2026

11:30 am - 1:00 pm

Early Childhood

When parents walk into one of Aurora Waldor School's Early Childhood classrooms for the first time, they often remark that it feels “like a home away from home.” There is a palpable sense of calm, beauty, and warmth. Often the aroma of baking bread fills the air, and the children are busily engaged in active play. 

In Early Childhood, classrooms are homelike with a predictable daily rhythm to allow children to feel comfortable and secure. Children see their work in school as play, fostering wonder and possibility, thus strengthening them from within in a lasting way and building the foundation for future academic success. 

The day’s activities are rich with watercolor painting, sewing, beeswax modeling, singing, storytelling, and circle movement journeys: all enjoyable activities that also happen to develop small and gross motor skills, cultivate listening, concentration and language skills, and teach children how to cooperate in a group.

Grades Program

The Grades program at Aurora Waldorf School invites children on a journey, both into the world beyond their classrooms and also into their own sense of self. AWS students graduate with a healthy curiosity about the world and a fuller understanding of themselves as whole human beings.

The breadth of the curriculum brings students into all corners of human discovery and ingenuity, from fairy tales and fables through to physics and philosophy. 

Consistent with the holistic view of child development that grounds all of Waldorf education, the curriculum structures the years from first through eighth grade as a continuous trajectory rather than a series of individual milestones. This means that students are not stifled by a “pass/fail” environment or pressured to achieve new skills before they are ready. By finding the right pace and methods to reach each child, educators teach students not simply to read, for example, but to appreciate the beauty and power of language.

Each morning the children start with the two-hour main lesson with their class teacher. During this time when young minds are freshest, they intensively study a block from one of the core academic subjects. In this way, the rhythm of the day begins with the work that requires the most attention, and each academic subject can receive special focus during the course of the year.

History, language arts, science, math, and geography are taught during morning main lesson in blocks of three to five weeks. While each block of study focuses on a specific subject and topic, language arts and mathematical skills are incorporated into daily lessons.

Movement & Sports

Our students go outside every day, in every kind of weather, to play and romp and sled and skip. This outdoor time is precious and has always been part of the Waldorf curriculum. We believe – and science now confirms – that free outdoor play, in rain or shine, is essential to good health and balanced brain development. It also connects children deeply to the world in which they live, helping them become not only better students but also more responsible global stewards.

Students also relish their regular gym classes. Unique to AWS, students participate in circus arts, cross county-skiing, games classes, African Dance, swimming and more all throughout the year.

In the Middle School years, inter-scholastic sports further develop the student and enrich their school experience. Students participate in our soccer, basketball and track and field teams. An annual Toronto basketball tournament for Grades 6-8 and an inter-school Grade 5 Olympics weekend further enrich the experience.

Creative Development & The Arts

While students enjoy the rigor of academic subjects, they are offered many additional opportunities to strive and grow through drama, speech, German language skills, painting, clay modeling, instrumental music, singing, creative writing, knitting, crocheting, woodworking, and so much more.

The harmonious development of our students depends on integrating the arts and practical activities into every aspect of the curriculum. With their class teachers and with specialists, all students learn to paint, draw, and sculpt. They all sing, play musical instruments, and perform in class plays.

Accessible Tuition

AWS offers competitive tuition and numerous opportunities for tuition adjustment, as well as participation in area-wide scholarship programs. 

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