The Hill School (New Orleans)

Infobox Education in the United States
name=The Hill School


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streetaddress=517 Soraparu St.
city=New Orleans
state=Louisiana
zipcode=70130
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email=[e-mail]
url=http://www.TheHillSchool.net
established = 2000
schooltype = Waldorf, Private, Preschool, Elementary, Middle
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grades=Preschool through 8th grade
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The Hill School is a private school based on the Waldorf philosophy. Founded in 2000, The Hill School is located in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana. It offers a developmentally appropriate, experiential approach to education, integrating the arts and academics for children from preschool through 8^th grade. Waldorf Education^SM aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities.

The school's curriculum is based on the philosophies of Rudolph Steiner who was a contemporary of Maria Montessori. Both Waldorf and Montessori sound similar on paper, but are actually opposites in some ways. Waldorf pays tribute to each developmental stage of childhood and protects the "fantasy stage" of early childhood above all (until the child is developmentally ready for academic learning), while Montessori aims to pull children out of that fantasy and show them the ways of the real world. Waldorf educates the "Whole Child" and includes course work in Eurythmy, "Handwork" (i.e., knitting and sewing}, and music. It also incorporates an undercurrent of Anthroposophy.

The Hill School offers a developmentally appropriate, experiential approach to education, integrating the arts and academics for children from preschool through 8th grade. Waldorf Education^SM aims to inspire life-long learning in all students and to enable them to fully develop their unique capacities.

Founded in the early 20th century, Waldorf Education is based on the insights, teachings and principles of education outlined by the world-renowned anthroposophist, artist, and scientist, Rudolf Steiner. The principles of Waldorf Education evolve from a profound understanding of human development that address the needs of the growing child. These principles inspire and guide teachers, administrators, trustees and parents today.

The Waldorf curriculum is broad and comprehensive. Structured to respond to the three developmental phases of childhood – birth to 6 or 7 years, 7 to 14 years and 14 to 21 years – Rudolf Steiner stressed to teachers that the best way to provide meaningful support for the child is to comprehend these phases fully and to bring "age appropriate" content that nourishes healthy growth for the Waldorf student. Music, dance and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about and tested. They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world.

Teachers in Waldorf schools are dedicated to generating an inner enthusiasm for learning within every child. This eliminates the need for competitive testing, academic placement, and behavioristic rewards to motivate learning and allows motivation to arise from within. It helps engender the capacity for joyful life-long learning.

Waldorf Education is independent and inclusive. It upholds the principles of freedom in education and engages independent administration locally, continentally and internationally. It is regionally appropriate education with hundreds of schools worldwide today.

Waldorf Education is truly Inspired Learning.

History

The Hill School was founded in 2000 by a small group of parents who felt Waldorf education was an imperative educational experience meant for their children. The school had been enjoying steady and healthy growth since its inception and had grown 50 students strong, but when Hurricane Katrina struck on August 29, 2005, the school was devastated. Not only was its location flooded and its student body scattered across the nation, but upon homecoming, enrollment deflated to only half what it was. Once again a group of steadfast parents decided to press on. They found a new location in the Irish Channel and reopened.

Today The Hill School is back on track, operations in full swing. It is a Developing School with the [http://www.awsna.org/ Association of Waldorf Schools of North America] (AWSNA). AWSNA was founded in 1979 to assist Waldorf schools and institutes in working together to nurture Waldorf Education so that it can manifest more widely in the world. In 2005, there were more than 170 affiliated schools and institutes on the North American continent.

chool mission

We are an independent, Waldorf school in New Orleans, Louisiana, serving children from preschool through 8^th grade.

Our mission is to awaken and draw out each student's individual strengths so that he or she will become a free thinker, a seeker of truth and knowledge, and an enthusiastic participant in the community. The Waldorf curriculum provides a developmentally appropriate educational course that supports the physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual growth of our students.

chool leadership

The Hill School is led by a Board of Directors, which includes at least seven members, a president, a secretary, a treasurer, and a teachers' liaison among them. But the Waldorf philosophy puts much emphasis on teacher input, so the faculty is consulted on many things - both to keep teachers in tune with the goings on of the school and to ensure the Waldorf philosophy is always front and center in practice.

All teachers at The Hill School are either Waldorf-certified or are earning their certification.

Photographs

Notable Waldorf alumni

* Jennifer Aniston, Actress
* Sandra Bullock, Actress
* Kenneth Chenault, Former President & CEO of American Express (1997-2001)
* Timothy Daly, Actor
* Michael Ende, Author: "The Neverending Story"
* Rutger Hauer, Actor
* Julianna Margulies, Actress

References

*"Philosophy of Freedom" by Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education
*"Beyond the Rainbow Bridge : Nurturing our children from birth to seven" by Barbara J. Patterson, Pamela Bradley, and Jean Riordan
*"Children at Play: Using Waldorf Principles to Foster Childhood Development" (Paperback) by Heidi Britz-Crecelius
*"School As a Journey: The Eight-Year Odyssey of a Waldorf Teacher and His Class" by Torin M. Finser
*"Adventures in Steiner Education: An Introduction to the Waldorf Approach" (Bringing Spirit to Life) by Brien Masters
*"Steiner Education and Social Issues: How Waldorf Schooling Addresses the Problems of Society" by Brien Masters
*"Educating As an Art: Essays on Waldorf Education" Edited by Carol Ann Bartges, Nick Lyons

External links

* [http://www.thehillschool.net The Hill School]
* [http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/ Why Waldorf Works]
* [http://www.awsna.org/index.html Association of Waldorf Schools of North America]
* [http://www.waldorfearlychildhood.org/ Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)]
* [http://www.steinercollege.org/ Rudolph Steiner College]
* [http://www.anthroposophy.org/ Anthroposophical Society in America]
* [http://www.eana.org/ Eurythmy Association of North America]