Welcome SWS 2025-2026: What to Expect in the New School Year

The golden glow of late summer is upon us, and here at Susquehanna Waldorf School, we’re preparing to open our doors for another year of joyful learning, creativity, and community connection. Whether this is your family’s very first September with us or you’ve been part of the SWS family for years, this season brings fresh opportunities and a renewed sense of possibility.

To help your family ease into the new year with confidence and excitement, we’ve gathered some insights into our approach and a few practical tips for a smooth transition.

The Waldorf Way: Learning with Heart, Hands, and Mind

Waldorf Education nurtures the whole child, intellectually, artistically, and practically, through a carefully designed curriculum that aligns with each stage of development. At SWS, learning is more than absorbing facts; it’s about cultivating curiosity, creativity, and a deep sense of connection to the world.

A few hallmarks of our approach:

• Daily Rhythm & Routine: A balance of academics, artistic expression, and outdoor play grounds each day, creating a sense of security and flow for children.
• Morning Lesson Blocks: Students begin with an immersive two-hour lesson focusing on one subject for several weeks, allowing for deeper understanding and long-term retention.
• Art in Every Subject: Music, movement, visual arts, and world languages are woven into daily learning, helping students engage with multiple senses.
• Nature as Teacher: Outdoor learning, nature walks, and hands-on experiences connect students to the rhythms of the natural world and foster environmental stewardship.

Getting Ready for the School Year

Here are some helpful ways to prepare:

• Get to Know the Routine: Review the daily and weekly schedules together so your child feels comfortable and confident.
• Gather Supplies: Waldorf classrooms favor natural, high-quality materials. Your class teacher will share a supply list tailored to your child’s grade.
• Create a Home Rhythm: Establish consistent bedtimes, mealtimes, and dedicated spaces for reading or creative play. If your family chooses to allow media, reserve it for non-school nights (Friday and Saturday) and keep overall screen time minimal to support rest, focus, and healthy development.
• Engage with the Community: Join school events like the Playground Cleanup (8/23, 10-Noon), meet other families, and take part in Parent Guild gatherings. This year’s Parent Guild meetings (Sundays, 10:00 am–12:00 pm) are: 8/17, 9/21, 10/19, 11/9, 12/14, 1/11, 2/8, 3/8, 4/19, and 5/17.

Save the Dates

As we begin this year’s journey together, here are some important events to mark on your calendar:

• First Day of School – Grades: September 2
• Rose Ceremony & Welcome Back Tea: September 2, 8:15 am–10:00 am
• Early Childhood Cubby Day: September 2
• First Day of School – Early Childhood: September 3
• Back-to-School Brunch: September 13, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
• Michaelmas Festival & 1st Family Hang: October 3, 1:00 pm–5:00 pm

These gatherings are wonderful opportunities to reconnect after summer, welcome new families, and celebrate the season together.

The start of school holds the promise of growth, discovery, and joy. At Susquehanna Waldorf School, we are honored to walk alongside your family, supporting your child’s education with intention, creativity, and care. Here’s to a vibrant and inspiring school year ahead!

Welcome back, let’s make 2025–2026 unforgettable!

Support SWS This ExtraGive!

Friday, November 21st

Extra Give is Lancaster County's annual 24-hour day of giving, and it's SWS's biggest fundraising event of the year! We need your support to reach our goal of $40k!

Ways To Support

Make your donation go further by becoming a Matching Donor! To reach our goal, we must raise $20,000 in matching funds. These funds will serve as a match to those who donate on the day of. We’re seeking donations ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to be matches.

Donate a Homemade Prize! Do you love to bake? Do you knit or make crafts? Homemade prizes have become a beloved ExtraGive tradition. Join the incredible group of homemade prize donors this year! Prizes will be distributed to lucky donors throughout the day!

Become a Fundraising Champion! Create a personal fundraising goal and share with your friends, family, and colleagues. A small time commitment with a big impact! Organizations with fundraising champions raise 2.5x more than other participating organizations.

Spread the word and donate on November 21st!

Interested in being a matching donor or donating a prize? Email courtney.kokus@susquehanna.org for more information.

The Critic

Why tech execs don’t give their kids phones

Gen Z’s brains have been “rewired” by the online world —can they be restored to factory settings?

The Anxious Generation

by Jonathan Haidt

by David James

At the heart of this otherwise bleak analysis of the state of adolescence today is a touchingly sentimental and rather old-fashioned sense of what childhood once was, and could be again if adults are prepared to accept the damage that mobile phones are doing to young people.

Jonathan Haidt is well qualified to write this damning study of political, parental and corporate neglect: he is Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University, a social psychologist, and author of a number of books which have explored the increasingly fragile mental states of teenagers today.

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, Jonathan Haidt (Allen Lane, £25)

His thesis is simple: he argues that Gen Z, the generation born after 1995, are the “test subjects” for a new way of growing up. They are the first generation in history who have gone through puberty online, and they occupy a place “far from the real world”. It is a social experiment on a global scale and at its heart is a new relationship: that between child and smartphone.

Stay tuned for "The Anxious Generation" book club this fall!

Playground Cleanup & Ice Cream Social

Saturday, August 23rd

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

at Susquehanna Waldorf School

Join us for the annual playground cleanup! All are welcome to help make our beloved nature-inspired playground beautiful for the upcoming school year!

This is a family-friendly event; however, be aware that loud lawn equipment will be used during the morning. Bring your own tools and water. Trimmers, chainsaws, blowers, and a truck bed or two to haul landscaping debris will also be helpful. Come for an hour or for the whole morning.

FREE ice cream sundaes (and fruit popsicles) will be served at Noon to celebrate our work together!

Rose Ceremony & Back To School Tea

Tuesday, September 2nd

8:15 am - 9:15 am

Join us for the Rose Ceremony, an all-school community event welcoming our first-grade students into the new school year and the next steps of their journeys from 8:45 am to 9:15 am in the gym. The SWS Parent Guild will offer a Welcome Back Tea in Williams Hall beginning at 8:15 am and concluding at 10 am. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Back To School Brunch

Saturday, September 13th

9:45 am - 11:30 am 

Starting in the School Gym 

Childcare is available for ages Kinder+ (pre-register by 9/6)

Join us for a morning of discovery and community!

We’re excited to welcome all parents, caregivers, and grandparents, both new and returning, to this special event designed to deepen your connection to the Susquehanna Waldorf School and to each other.

Register for childcare here.

Peace Kids To The Rescue Art Show

Friday, September 5th

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

at The Ware Center

This incredible art show and silent auction was started by an SWS student and his family. It features donated art from children ages five through eighteen, including many SWS students and alums! Learn more here.

Save The Date!

2025 SWS All-Class Alum Reunion November 29th