A Waldorf school is very unique in its commitment to the child. This commitment can be thought of as a three-legged stool. One leg is the College of Teachers who dedicate their professional lives to the well being of the children and meeting their needs in the classroom. The second leg is the Board of Trustees, volunteers who are committed to the financial and operational health of the school always in terms of what is best for the children. And the third leg is the Parent Society, of which all parents are automatically members upon enrolling their children in the school.

All three legs of the stool must be equally strong to support the children in their educational journey. To this end, it is expected that Glacier Waldorf School parents regard school activities and participation as one of their top priorities. When your child enrolls in the school, the parents are expected to attend orientation, all parent evenings and conferences, participate in special classroom activities, school festivals, fundraising activities and events, contribute volunteer time, and support GWS’s policies and principles.

1) INVESTIGATE:
Spend time educating yourself about Waldorf education, and also about GWS. Here are some of the many ways to do this: read GWS Vision, Mission and Statement of Principles, Media and Food Policies, the many short articles about Waldorf early childhood and elementary education, and see a list of books; read some; attend parent-child groups and festivals; join the reading group.

2) APPLICATION:
Complete the Application Form and submit it to GWS with the $50 non-refundable Application Fee for each child. If your child is moving from another school/preschool, we may request conversations with and/or transcripts from the previous school's teachers and/or director.

3) INTERVIEW:
We'll contact you to schedule an interview after we've reviewed your child's Application and received your Application Fee. Topics for discussion in the interview will include the information you've provided on the application form, other aspects of your child's social, academic, and family life, GWS Principles and Policies, your history and familiarity with Waldorf methods, and what hopes and expectations you have for your child's education.

4) PLACEMENT:
We base placement in the school on such factors as available spaces in appropriate classes and parents' willingness to work with the principles of Waldorf education. You will be informed about your child's placement as soon as possible. In the event that the class that your child has been matched with is already full, his/her name will be put in a waiting pool.

5) FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT:
Upon placement, we'll send you an Enrollment Contract that will need to be signed and returned to GWS by the stated deadline with the Tuition Deposit of $600 (to be applied to annual tuition) in order to reserve the child's space.

6) ENROLLMENT:
When Enrollment Contract and $600 Tuition Deposit are received, your child is considered enrolled. Final steps before school begins will be a home visit, new parents attending orientation, turning in immunization forms, and either paying Annual Tuition (less tuition deposit) in full by August 1 (or by July 1 for 10% discount), or beginning monthly Tuition payments on August 1 (please see Tuition & Fees Schedule for these details) for the tuition balance.