History and Facts
Overview of Waldorf Education
Waldorf education has been and continues to be an education of its time, ever evolving to bring us closer to the world that we want for our youth; advancing values of inclusion and equity, service and leadership, community and relationships, and quality and integrity in every program.
Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility—these three forces are the very nerve of education.
-Rudolf Steiner
History of Seattle Waldorf School
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1980: Waldorf School Association of Seattle Is Formed
Inspired by the ideals of Waldorf education, three individuals active in the Seattle anthroposophy community (Ron Moss, Suzanne Szekely, and DoloresRose Dauenhauer) formed the original Board. Classes met in a series of temporary locations until the current Meadowbrook campus was purchased.
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1984: Kinderhaus Merged with Seattle Waldorf School
Kinderhaus found a permanent home at its current location near Woodland Park—in a house remodeled and leased to SWS by Audie and Hunter Black, parents and now grandparents at the school. SWS subsequently purchased this property in 1994.
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1988: Meadowbrook Campus opens
Purchased from the Full Gospel Native Missionary with support from the Rudolf Steiner Foundation, the Meadowbrook campus was transformed by parents, faculty, staff, and Board members into beautiful spaces for students.
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1993: Briar Rose house purchased
Initially owned by SWS parents and then leased to SWS for use as a kindergarten, the Briar Rose site was purchased in 1993 by the school.
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2000: New wing added to grade school
Three spacious classrooms were added for lower grades to accommodate growing enrollment. Expansion was possible due to a capital campaign led by Paul Lippert and Andy Barker, with help from numerous volunteers.
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2006-2012: Garden House purchased and remodeled
The home at the northwest corner of the grade school offers new spaces for handwork and practical arts programs and a preschool classroom on the lower floor. The upstairs offers a large kitchen and work area for faculty; a much-needed meeting space for staff, parents, and volunteers; and offices for the administrative team. This space was remodeled in 2012.
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2008: Hazel Wolf High School joins SWS
The SWS Board of Trustees was approached by independent local Waldorf school Hazel Wolf High School, which could no longer sustain its endeavor alone. Now, Seattle Waldorf School could fulfill the vision of its founders and the goal laid out in the strategic plan, to provide the complete Waldorf curriculum to children from preschool through high school. The high school was located on the campus of Sacred Heart Church near the Seattle Center.
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2012-2019: Farm House purchased and remodeled
The upstairs of this home, originally purchased in 2012 with help from an anonymous gift, was transformed into the “Nest,” a space for Parent-and-Tot classes, a preschool class, and early childhood extended care. Funded by generous donors, in the summer of 2018, the downstairs was renovated to update an existing early childhood classroom and add an international language classroom and the school’s first dedicated library space.
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2014: High School moved to Magnuson Park complex
SWS was fortunate to create a partnership with the City of Seattle and Magnuson Park to create one of the only high schools located in an amazing 350-acre urban park. Combined with park amenities that include ball fields, gym access, shoreline, and community gardens, the school’s light-filled classrooms, science labs, art loft, practical arts studio, commons with a kitchen, and spacious hall offer a broad and rich learning environment.
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2016-2018: Three Cedars Waldorf School Merges and Closes
In January of 2016, Seattle Waldorf School merged with Three Cedars Waldorf School (early childhood through grade 8) in Bellevue, WA. In June 2017 the SWS Board of Trustees made the difficult decision to close the Three Cedars campus at the end of the 2017–2018 school year due to significant, ongoing financial losses and low enrollment. -
2019-2020: SWS Opened Library and Commemorated 100 Years of Waldorf Education
Made possible by donations from Inspire 2018, Seattle Waldorf School opened a grade school library on its Meadowbrook campus. In honor of the 100th Anniversary of Waldorf Education, SWS unveiled a commemorative mural entitled “Waltz of Time,” created for Seattle Waldorf School by artist John W. Jacobs.
Seattle Waldorf School—Facts at a Glance
Student to Faculty Ratio
Campuses
%
Financial Aid Recipients
Miles Walked by Kindergarteners
Visual, Fine, & Practical Arts
Trips During High School Years

ADMIN OFFICE & MEADOWBROOK CAMPUS
2728 NE 100th Street Seattle, WA 98125

KINDERHAUS CAMPUS
4919 Woodlawn Ave N Seattle, WA 98103HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS
7777 62nd Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98115
MISSION Daily we strive to inspire learning, courage, and joy in the developing human being.