Green Meadow Waldorf School
Green Meadow Waldorf School | |
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Address | |
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307 Hungry Hollow Rd , 10977-6329 United States | |
Information | |
Type | Private, Waldorf school |
Established | 1950 |
CEEB code | 335316[4] |
Administrator | Laura Radefeld |
Faculty | 35.9 (2019-2020)[2] |
Enrollment | 310 (2019-2020)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 8.3:1 (2019-2020)[3] |
Campus | Suburban |
Campus size | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
Website | gmws |
Green Meadow Waldorf School (GMWS) is an independent Waldorf school located in Chestnut Ridge, Rockland County, New York. It offers parent and child classes, and nursery/kindergarten through 12th grades. The school is accredited by both the New York State Association of Independent Schools and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.[5] Founded in 1950, it is one of the oldest of the approximately 190 independent North American Waldorf schools (there are about 1,000 such schools worldwide).
Curriculum
The school practices an interdisciplinary approach[6][7] based on the Waldorf curriculum, including a strong emphasis on art, music and intercultural understanding; students begin studying two foreign languages (Spanish and German) beginning in first grade.[5] It also provides a strong community service program. Graduates of the school have been noted for their independence, sensitivity and creativity.[8]
Publications and events
The school's publications include[9]:
- A monthly bulletin
- A student literary magazine, The Burning Bush
- An alumni quarterly
- A yearbook created by students and staff
The school's annual public events include the following:
- Fall Fair
- Goods and Services Auction and Dinner
Notable Alumni
Kate Christensen (class of 1980) received the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction[10][11][12].
Stefan Schaefer has directed more than fifteen feature films.[13]
Larger community
Green Meadow is part of the Threefold Educational Foundation anthroposophical community in Chestnut Ridge. The Foundation owns the land and acts as an umbrella for Green Meadow Walfdorf School and several other nearby organizations[14]. This community includes:
- The Threefold Foundation[15], which acts as trustee of the land and provides affordable housing for community members.
- Sunbridge Institute, a Waldorf teacher training institution.
- The Fellowship Community is a licensed State of New York adult care facility[16] and an inter-generational, anthroposophically based community where people of all ages live with, assist, and care for the elderly. Here, Green Meadow pupils receive hands-on experiences of farming and gardening.[5]
- The Pfeiffer Center[17], a training center for biodynamic agriculture.
- Eurythmy Spring Valley[18], a eurythmy school of performance art.
- The Hungry Hollow Food Co-op, a natural food store founded by Green Meadow Waldorf School parents in 1973 and specializing in organic foods[19][20].
Legal Controversy
During a 2019 measles epidemic, Rockland County excluded unvaccinated students from schools. A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the families of excluded children; in the decision, Judge Thorsen wrote that “petitioners’ children are hereby permitted to return to their respective schools forthwith and otherwise assemble in public places,” allowing Green Meadow Waldorf School to welcome 45 unvaccinated students back to class.[21][22][23]
Sexual abuse scandal
In July 2013, alumna and novelist Kate Christensen published “Blue Plate Special” an autobiography in which she describes how she had been sexually abused by a teacher she referred to as “Tomcat.” Staff of Green Meadow Waldorf School identified Tomcat as John Alexandra[24][25], a former teacher employed between 1965 and 1979; Threefold Board member from 1975 through 1983; and, remained on campus until 2013. This caused an investigation by T&M Protection Resources and the results were made public on July 11th, 2014 when lohud - The Journal News reported the conclusions[26].
See also
References
- ^ "GREEN MEADOW WALDORF SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ "GREEN MEADOW WALDORF SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 9, 2019.}
- ^ "GREEN MEADOW WALDORF SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved April 9, 2019.}
- ^ "College Guidance". Green Meadow Waldorf School. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ a b c "At the beautiful Green Meadow Waldorf School, children learn in a unique way", Rivertown Magazine November 2007
- ^ "Waldorf Schools: The 'whole child' approach," Private Schools, March 2007, pp. 24f
- ^ "Nature and nurture come together at Green Meadow Waldorf School," Rivertown Magazine, November 2006, p. 51
- ^ "Graduates remembered for closeness," The Journal News, June 18, 2007, p. 6A
- ^ "Green Meadow Waldorf School Publications". Green Meadow Waldorf School.
- ^ "Kate Christensen Wins PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction". Poets & Writers. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Kate Christensen". Kate Christensen: About. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Nicosia, Mareesa (11 July 2014). "Waldorf school sex abuse probe cites multiple teachers, failure to act". LOHUD. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Stefan Schaefer, Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Threefold: About". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Threefold Education Center". Threefold Education Center. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Mercury Press of the Fellowship Community". Fellowship Community. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "The Pfeiffer Center". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Home / Welcome to Eurythmy Spring Valley". Eurythmy Spring Valley.
- ^ "Threefold Education Center Community". Threefold Education Center. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Hungry Hollow Coop". Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Hogan, Gwynne. "Confusion Over Judge's Ruling As Unvaccinated Children Return To School In Rockland County". WNYC/Gothamist. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Sellers, Frances (6 April 2019). "Judge rules New York county can't ban unvaccinated children from schools, parks". Washington Post. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Michael, Sussman. "Lawsuit against County of Rockland". archive.org. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ Nicosia, Mareesa. "Waldorf school abuse probe: Ex-teacher's neighbors unnerved". lohud.com. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
- ^ "Green Meadow Waldorf School's investigation of memoir's sexual abuse claim due in January". lohud.com. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
- ^ Nicosia, Mareesa. "Waldorf school sex abuse probe cites failure to act". lohud.com. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
Additional articles
- Third-graders make prayer flags for Bhutanese school, Rockland Journal News, June 13, 2007
- Learning English as a second language at Chestnut Ridge school, Rockland Journal News, April 13, 2007
- "Immigrants Share Some Personal Accounts with Green Meadow Students", Rockland County Times, June 1–7, 2006. pp. 1–2.