“Receive the children in reverence, educate them with love, and send them forward in freedom” – Rudolf Steiner

The mission of Green Valley School is to cultivate health, freedom, and reverence for the natural world for children, families, and the greater community. Our nature based, outdoor program is informed by the insights of Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf Education, and Dr. Emmi Pikler, Hungarian Pediatrician and renowned child advocate.

The young child has a curiosity for life and a sense of wonder, which few of us can match as adults.  The joy that the young child feels in meeting the world, the happiness in exploration and in doing, these are at the heart of childhood.   At Green Valley School, we foster a feeling of home where our focus is on daily living, exploring, and play.  We are a developing Waldorf School initiative integrating two philosophies into our work, Rudolf Steiner and Dr. Emmi Pikler.

Rudolf Steiner, spiritual-scientist and founder of Waldorf Education lived and worked at the beginning of the last century.  Several of his most fundamental principles are: young children live in their senses, young children learn by imitation, and children’s most important work occurs during their play, emphasizing that imagination is the forerunner of cognitive thought.

Dr. Emmi Pikler, Hungarian Pediatrician and internationally renowned child advocate, developed an understanding of child development based upon the child having free movement, respect, trust, and special individualized care.  Her work continues to thrive in the original orphanage and childcare research center she founded in 1945 located in Budapest, Hungary.  We weave the insights of Steiner and Pikler together in our outdoor, nature-based program where our children play, eat, and sleep.