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October 2023 by ulrike v.
What a wonderful, loving and rich program. Our children have been attending Sanderling since Early Childhood (preschool) and are currently in 2nd (with Ms. Evi) and 4th (Ms. Lisa). Sanderling truly focuses on each individual child and ensures the WHOLE child is treated with love and respect. The school community is so supportive and engaged and the teachers are truly amazing. We are beyond grateful for the experience our children receive. My kids look forward to going to school every day, and their love of learning is inspiring. I credit this love of school and learning to the love and respect that they receive from each of their teachers.
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September 2023 by Tahlia L.
I am a Waldorf graduate- my mother a master Waldorf teacher- my aunt a graduate as well. When we moved to California from New England I knew if my children were going to be in a school it would be a Waldorf school. Sanderling warmly invited us in and hooked us with an incredible parent community- unfortunately- Sanderling is a very poor representation of what a Waldorf School should be. My son experienced Ms Evi who does not have her teaching degree and has very little to no support in her large classroom of over 20 children. She in punitive and screams at her first graders, even slamming her hands on desks. Her first response to children being children is to send them home instead of guiding them or redirecting. Evi was protected by the head of pedagogy who was brilliant but outdated in his was. I never got a home visit. My son was being being bullied by the teacher and was not accepted but asked to be different. Evi communication is horrible. She even yelled at me and shook her finger at me the first time we met. I never saw her smile. I sadly had to remove my son in April of his first grade year. He misses his friends and other teachers so much. The school wouldn't give me my money back for mentally abusing my son. They gave me nothing in writing about him. I have no record of his first grade year. Evi is a perfect example of what can go wrong with Waldorf when you will accept anyone as a teacher. She should not be allowed to be alone with children and I hope she has learned to meet children with joy, humor and love instead of punishment and making children feel badly. She just started the second grade - that class deserves better.
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September 2022 by Bren M.
A beautiful and heartfelt school with deep roots in bringing about the health and education of the whole child and individual child. Cohesive and tight knit community of parents, teachers and administrators building an educational environment that is safe, warm, fun, imaginative, creative, intellectually stimulating and focused on the children and their well being.
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December 2018 by AC Campbell
It is an honor and a privilege to recommend Sanderling Waldorf with Five Stars. Our child was drowning in the public school. She was experiencing high levels of anxiety, depression, and her grades were tanking. The administration and teachers could not or would not provide the slightest bit of flexibility for our 4th grade child. We were lost and didn't know how to bring our darling girl back to her bright and creative nature. Then we discovered Sanderling. When I spoke with the teacher before enrolling he painted a sympathetic and patient pedagogy with a classical education environment. Within weeks our daughter uncoiled, embraced, and excelled. I cannot speak highly enough about this loving environment where children's educational journey is met with such joy and acceptance.
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December 2015 by Sarah P
What a wonderful school! This is the future of education and definitely deserves a strong consideration. We love the staff at Sanderling and have already made wonderful friends there in meeting the other families that attend.
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December 2013 by Joe Bezdek
I have three daughters who attend the Sanderling Waldorf School. We started with my oldest daughter last year and she entered the first grade. Her experience went so well that we moved our two younger daughters into the nursery/kindergarten program this year (and our oldest moved to second grade).I like to think of Waldorf education as an "old-fashioned education for modern life". People are sometimes taken aback when I describe the Waldorf curriculum, and its emphasis on movement, art, storytelling, crafts, and music, because it's so different from the mainstream curriculum taught in the public school system. But then I point out that our grandparents' and parents' elementary education probably wasn't all that different from how a Waldorf school is run, and it clicks. (The same is true even for our generation! Public school today isn't the same as it was when we were in elementary school.) So maybe saying a "classic education for modern life" would be better. (Or even a "liberal arts elementary education". That's another favorite phrase of mine.) Don't be swayed by some of the biased things you can read on the Internet about Waldorf.Sanderling is a wonderful example of a Waldorf school. The teachers are tremendous, taking a deep, genuine interest in each student in their care (classrooms range from 15-25 students with one teacher at the grades level, and 10-15 students with two teachers at the nursery/kindergarten level). The administrators are warm and helpful. And the parent community is engaged and welcoming. It was the strong community at Sanderling that was a key reason for us in choosing the school.If you or your child is dissatisfied with the status quo in education these days, come take a look at Sanderling.P.S. The reason I gave four stars in what might seem like a glowing review is 1) I'm one of those crazy people that rarely gives out five star review, and 2) Sanderling is still a "developing" school, and despite its many commendable traits, there are some places where it is working to get better.
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December 2013 by Vikrant Batra
Our kids go to Sanderling and our overall experience has been fantastic! The teachers are great, the parent community is very close-knit and the overall experience for our kids is very, very enriching.The Waldorf philosophy is alive, well and thriving at Sanderling Waldorf School.
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December 2013 by Allison Burgueno
After enduring four years of public school education and "the system" with our oldest son, we wanted something that fit our values and desire for our children to learn in an active way without the pressures of shrinking budgets, overcrowding, and test after test.Our youngest son went to a Lifeways "school" from 6 months, at first with me in Parent -Child, and then at 18 months on his own. Lifeways is based on Waldorf Early Childhood. This lovely school was a great launchpad for Sanderling.As of January 2013, we are a new family to Sanderling Waldorf School, but we are not new to the Waldorf pedagogy. The Waldorf approach is different in the way that the children learn in a three-fold manner, heart, head, and hands. They work on skills that help them function in the real world and take on challenges that are both practical and fanciful; they participate in plays, learn foreign languages, paint, knit, garden and create wonderful stories. Despite the appearance of being very art centered, the academics are rigorous.The children enjoy going to school, they are loving their teachers and friends as well as the way they are learning. The school is very hands on, helps the children grow as people and allows them to be themselves. The welcoming nature of the community helps us feel like we've been there for years.
