Dear SWS Community,
I often share that when my first child was born I realized that the decision to have a child is to allow your heart to walk outside of yourself forever. To care for a child is a lifelong decision. I have always felt my role in school leadership as an extension of that care; that I hold the privilege of sharing with you, for a short while, the worry, pride, and joy, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I hold in my heart each child. Thank you for that privilege.
For the last year, I have had the honor to serve as the Seattle Waldorf School Head of School and be a part of this extraordinary school community. So, it is only after a tremendous amount of deep reflection that I write to convey the news that the conclusion of the 2021–22 school year will be my last in this capacity. Two years is a short time and yet my heart is filled with relationships with both children and adults in this community that have forever impacted me. As I look ahead to the next step in my career I know that our school is exceptionally strong, knows how to hold each other and pivot with change, and is well-positioned for continued success.
First and foremost, I am deeply grateful to our faculty and staff, the leadership council, and the Board of Trustees past and present; caregivers, extended family, and alumni; and, of course, our students, for the tremendous support I have experienced. When I arrived at SWS I had no idea how my journey would unfold, how the continued pandemic would influence decisions or the number of wonderful relationships I would build here. There are many people to personally thank for their support, and I intend to do my very best in the coming months to express my gratitude to them individually.
This decision was not an easy one for me and I do believe that my time at SWS is exactly where I was supposed to be. I believe that this community’s strength and shared passion for Waldorf education will sustain the school going forward. And I have every confidence that our Board of Trustees will find the right leader to take our school to yet another level of success with consideration to our mission and our students. We still have the remainder of our year ahead, and I will work energetically on behalf of the school to build upon the strong foundation for my successor.
Thank you for your continued passion, trust, and support in all that we do at SWS. It will always be the commitment of our faculty and staff and our community’s bright spirit that helps us best serve our students.
In peace,
Raquel Scharf-Anderson, Head of School