Wolakota Waldorf Society

How we address concerns about our children’s health and well-being.
The holistic Waldorf approach that we use supports children in developing healthy bodies, emotional intelligence, social skills, and cognitive capabilities. The curriculum emphasizes creativity, attention to the needs of children at different stages of development, respect for each child’s individuality, social-skills development, group activities, and experiential hands-on learning. The experiential curriculum is flexible and adaptable to local concerns. Our children learn through engaging in a lively round of daily activities: Lakota arts and crafts; recitation, songs, stories, myths, and legends; movement, play and games; gardening, caring for animals, and outdoor and indoor practical tasks.
We support the healthy physical development of our students with our school garden, many outdoor activities, our Healthy Meals program, and many culturally-relevant activities and games. LWS is a K-8th grade school.

The holistic Waldorf approach that we use supports children in developing healthy bodies, emotional intelligence, social skills, and cognitive capabilities. The curriculum emphasizes creativity, attention to the needs of children at different stages of development, respect for each child’s individuality, social-skills development, group activities, and experiential hands-on learning. The experiential curriculum is flexible and adaptable to local concerns. Our children learn through engaging in a lively round of daily activities: Lakota arts and crafts; recitation, songs, stories, myths, and legends; movement, play and games; gardening, caring for animals, and outdoor and indoor practical tasks. The lesson plans are focusing on teaching topics in blocks to enable the students to deepening the material and learning content. The recruitment of new teachers and Waldorf teacher training is one main focus of Lakota Waldorf's expansion strategy for the next 5 years.

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Lakota Waldorf Schools faculty includes Lakota teachers with a comprehensive knowledge in Lakota culture and language and also experienced certified Waldorf teachers. Professional Development is strong program and ongoing throughout the years. Faculty members participate in ongoing workshops, training, and meetings to ensure the best education for the students and to is striving to provide excellence in all academic and a lesson plan that balances learning with head, hand and heart. Lakota Waldorf School works on capacity building, teacher training and strives so engage a balanced teacher faculty team combined of Waldorf teachers, Lakota language and Lakota culture teachers as well as offering a Lakota traditional sports and games program. In addition to the teacher faculty Lakota Waldorf School has two bus drivers hired, one full time cook, one donor relation associate, a office manager and one Administrator/ Development Director. Mentors guide and support the teachers and staff.

The school has started with a Kindergarten in 1993, in 2010 a 1/2 grade was added and in 2017 the school expanded to K-7th grade. In 2017 the first phase of a new campus was completed and currently the fundraising campaing in on the way for phase 1 B and phase 2. in 2019 the 8th grade will be added and a new school bus to be able to transport up to 60 students to the school and back home in the afternoon. the School has accomplished to develop a healthy meal program, most of the produces are organic and every day fresh cooked in the school kitchen. Lakota Waldorf has been able to build a strong circle of donors and foundations within the 25 years of existence. These donors and foundations enable the Lakota Waldorf School to operate the school without charging tuition and allow every child, independent of its social status and family income to attend Lakota Waldorf School. The school created a curriculum and lesson plans that intergrade Lakota culture and language into daily rhythm.