Educating the Whole Child.

Welcome to Sycamore Creek Community Charter School

We are Guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education

With the valued support of:

Our Educational Model

Our curriculum, guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education, focuses on developing the child’s active will, and supports clear and independent thinking. SCCCS is committed to contributing to the healthy growth of the whole child at each stage of development. Our TK and Kindergarten teachers will exemplify for students a model of an engaged and energized individual, inspiring them to become active the imagination is stimulated and developed in stages to provide an evolutionary momentum for abstract thinking.

Expression, empathy and empowerment

Based on the work of Howard Gardner, each student should have the opportunity to develop multiple knowledge domains in order to become a well-rounded, successful person. These 9 domains, referred to by Gardener as Multiple Intelligences, are: linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, visual-spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential. We believe Public Waldorf Education addresses all of these intelligences and that an effective approach begins with an inner vision of the child’s needs

Arts-integrated curriculum

Our approach, guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education, ensures that the arts are fully integrated throughout the curriculum. Students use high quality art materials such as beeswax crayons and other natural materials to provide a deeper connection to the earth and our history. Students explore visual and performing arts, painting, drawing, drama, singing, and instrumental music to enrich and enliven learning throughout the day. Additionally, recent research shows that students who study the Arts consistently perform better in academic pursuits.

Sycamore Creek Community Charter School is one of more than 1,000 institutions whose approach to education is founded on the ground-breaking work of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). The first Waldorf school opened its doors in 1919 for the children of workers in the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory in Stuttgart, Germany. The innovative school attracted immediate interest among people seeking a new way of educating children, and now Waldorf Education one of the fastest growing education movements of this century with schools opening all over the world.

Waldorf Education is based on a profound understanding of human development that addresses the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head. “Head, heart, and hands” education links academic instruction with education of the heart by appealing to children’s feelings through stories, art education, and class projects, and education of the hands is accomplished by stimulating children’s will to complete each task beautifully and persevere through bigger projects to see every knitted hat, vegetable garden, or orchestra piece to completion.

When you enter a Waldorf school, the first thing you may notice is the care given to the building. The walls are usually painted in lively colors and are adorned with student artwork. Evidence of student activity is everywhere to be found and every desk holds a uniquely created main lesson book in which the student has “noted” each day’s lesson, usually in pictorial format. The same care and attention given to the classrooms and lessons are directed at the children as well, as students stay with their same teacher from grade 1-8, growing together as a family in which individuals are responsible to each other and care for each unique friend.

The Three C’s of “Hardiness”

At Sycamore Creek Community Charter we believe in fostering the concept of “hardiness” in our students.
This prepares them to persevere through adversity as they pursue their interests and goals.

COMMITMENT

People who are high in commitment have an understanding that they are part of a larger purpose. They find more meaning in their work, are more focused on the process than the goal, and are able to look at obstacles as minor setbacks rather than major roadblocks.

CONTROL

People who have a sense of control can take charge of a situation and feel they have an amount of influence over its outcome. They also understand what lies outside their control which allows greater focus of their energy. Hardy individuals tend to be less distracted, more apt to complete their goals, and happier in the process.

CHALLENGE

Students with hardiness enjoy challenge. To them, mistakes are cause for learning, losses are preludes to winning, and weaknesses create opportunities for personal growth. This optimistic, attitude about the world, and the interaction between the two encourages higher levels of motivation and easier adaptability to change.

Community through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness:

At Sycamore Creek we want all children and families to feel welcome and valued, and we foster such an environment by bringing awareness in particular to racism, white privilege, gender inequity, LGBTQ rights, socioeconomic status, family structure, and health, physical and neurodevelopmental differences. In collaboration with school staff and administration, we hope to bring educational and parenting resources. Our goal is to support the community of students, families and faculty to increase self-knowledge, cultural sensitivity, and build alliances.