Waldorf School of Garden City – High School Brochure

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

W H O W E A R E & W H AT

We Believe In W E E D U C AT E S T U D E N T S T O M E E T T H E W O R L D W I T H P U R P O S E , G R AT I T U D E , A N D R E S P E C T. Founded in 1947, the Waldorf School of Garden City offers an engaging, hands-on, and academically rigorous high school curriculum.

M I S S I O N S T A T EMEN T Our curriculum, inspired by Rudolf Steiner, progresses in accordance with child development, awakening students to the experience of knowledge, strengthening their sense of moral responsibility, and

J O N AT H A N G I L L

FENCER & PHYSICIST

empowering them to act with courage

Jonathan Gill '15, a National Merit

and conviction. The School’s aim is to

Finalist, is an independent thinker

graduate a diverse group of young people distinguished by the scope and acuity of

who has an unquenchable thirst for learning in general and for physics in particular. With unswerving devotion

their minds as well as the depth and

to his studies at Waldorf and to his

integrity of their character.

outside-of-school pursuits, he was a model of engaged learning. While

AB O UT U S Today’s world demands future leaders that will be unconstrained by disciplinary boundaries in finding solutions. Our

at Waldorf, he spent his free time fencing, and was nationally ranked at the Division I level in Foil. Jonathan spent much of his high school time at neighboring Adelphi University, where he engaged in optics research. He was

classes prepare graduates for 21st-century

also a fellow in the Simons Research

leadership. Education in its truest sense

Program at Stony Brook University.

comes not from knowing the right answers but in learning how to ask insightful questions. Classroom discussions are vibrant 2

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Jonathan was the recipient of the 2015 Parents Association Senior Scholarship and is attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

and engaging. Our faculty are experts in

trips, community-building and social

their fields—innovative educators who are

justice programs, tie-ins with course work,

willing mentors and lifelong learners.

and internships at local organizations, including community non-profits, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies.

COMMUNITY The Waldorf School of Garden City

“There is a strong sense

encourages students

of belonging to a community

to develop friendships

here—it is like a second home.”

with other socialminded students, and to apply classroom

Our goal is to support students in becoming productive, thoughtful citizens

PARENT, CLASS OF 2018

learning to understand and address complex societal issues. We do this in a number of ways that are tailored to student interests: volunteer referral, student-run groups, campus-wide days of

and effective, inspiring leaders

in their communities and professions.

Students often remark on the tight-knit and warm community in the high school.

Friendships formed endure for lifetimes.

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E X P LO R E YO U R

Surroundings F R O M N E W H A M P S H I R E T O PA R I S , O U R S T U D E N T S E X P E R I E N C E L I F E O N E M O M E N T AT A T I M E .

Our farm extension campus in the

program within this network. The off-

mountains and European cobblestone streets

campus study program offers students

are just a few of the ways the Waldorf

opportunities to explore eye-catching

School of Garden City promotes dynamic

vistas while learning about cultural

engagement beyond the classroom.

diversity, strengthening their language

G LE N B R O O K

skills, and making new friends.

Glen Brook is a farm and outdoor education facility in NH, owned and operated by the Waldorf School of Garden City. It provides an “Emersonian” homestead-style adventure where our high school students experience a life away from suburban Long Island. While at Glen Brook, over 200 acres of woods and private lake become the students’ backyard for outings and engaging practical lessons.

JULIA GONZALEZ

ATHLETE

Julia Gonzalez '16 has an inquisitive mind and radiates warmth and kindness.

After taking our College Biology course in 11th grade, Julia wanted more, so she enrolled in Adelphi University's summer

T R AVEL T H E G L O B E The Waldorf School of Garden City shares an educational philosophy with close to 1,000 schools around the globe. High School students can choose to participate in our exchange

session Microbiology course, in which she earned an A. In addition to being a three-sport varsity athlete, Julia was a vital member of our Jazz Band. An avid skier, she spent her weekends upstate at the Windham Ski Resort. A lifelong dancer, Julia demonstrated her ability to remain committed and successful in the various activities and causes she was involved in without compromising the

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quality of her efforts in any one area.

She is attending Colby College in Maine.

&

BE INSPIRED.

Take a breath of

fresh air

ENJOY new vistas.

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We take the best of classical education and make it relevant by intertwining the arts with academics, resulting in a synergistic experience that creates deeper meaning. We believe studying about the world is not enough: we must study within it. Real answers often require relocating to the other side of the glass. Whether you are an adept conjurer of a more compassionate world or an inspired and experienced intellectual vagabond, we encourage you to take your education beyond yourself, refit your understanding, and look back.

S US TA I N A B I L I T Y , I NN OVA T ION & E NT R E P R E N EU RS H IP PR OGR A M The Waldorf School of Garden City was recently recognized by a leading philanthropic organization through a generous grant to build a new Sustainability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program. This program will consist of core classes, entrepreneurial excursions, case studies, field work, team projects with partner enterprises, and a variety of other interactive experiences.

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OUR APPROACH TO

Curriculum D I SC OV E R YO U R S T R E N GT H S, F I N D YO U R PA S S I O N , A N D S E T YO U R L I F E LO N G D I R E CT I O N .

At WSGC, each day begins with an uninterrupted, ninety-minute seminar that is the academic cornerstone upon which the day is built. This method encourages students to become absorbed in—even saturated with—the subject for a concentrated period of four to six weeks.

MAIN LESSONS 9 TH G R A D E

1 0 TH G R A D E

› History through Art › Revolutions › Humanity & Idealism › US Government › American Literature › History of Drama › Biology of the Senses › Introduction to Chemistry › Thermodynamics

› History through Language › Greek Thought › Latin American History › Sophomore Play › The Odyssey › Physiology › Organic Chemistry › Mechanics › Meteorology

1 1 TH G R A D E

1 2 TH G R A D E

› History through Music › American History › Dante’s Inferno › Parzival › Shakespeare › Projective Geometry › Zoology › Acids & Bases › Electricity & Magnetism

› History through Architecture › History of Africa › Economics › Symptomatology › Russian Literature › Senior Play › The Transcendentalists › Evolution › Optics 516-742-3434

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THE BEST

College Prep G E T A H E A D S TA R T F O R C O L L E G E W H I L E F I N D I N G YO U R PA S S I O N .

A great high school is one thing. But a great high school that is next door to a recognized research university? Now that is something entirely different.

Rather than approximating a college curriculum, students at the Waldorf School of Garden City can experience it firsthand.

GO T O A GREAT COLLEGE The College Office provides support for the pivotal moment in our students’ lives when they are preparing for the transition to college. Throughout the college admissions process, the chief concern is giving each student—and his or her family—tools to help find the right match. Our greatest rewards

HOW TO APPLY

come as we watch our students gain in selfThe Waldorf School of Garden City has established an online application process to help families request information and manage the application process.

Please visit WaldorfHS.org/ Admissions or call 516-742-3434 for more information.

awareness and confidence, knowing they are prepared to thrive in college and beyond.

A D VISO RY The High School’s Advisory program aims to nurture the whole individual, operating on the premise that a student is more likely to succeed with a strong network of support and a committed adult advocate within

Leveraging our location directly next door to

the school. At the heart of the program is

Adelphi University, our goal is to make sure

the student’s relationship with the advisor,

that each student graduates armed with

cultivated throughout the student’s four

the creativity and intellectual capacity to

years of high school.

acquire, analyze, and communicate complex knowledge. Through direct immersion, students can get a sense of what is required of them in a collegiate setting, while still

“Waldorf has given me a competitive advantage against other students now that I'm in college.”

being surrounded by WSGC mentors.

ANNE, CLASS OF 2015

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S H E P PA R D S O M E R S

GERMAN SCHOLAR Sheppard Somers '15, a National Merit Commended Scholar and former class president, worked with faculty and students to develop and implement an academic honor code.

A champion Irish Step Dancer, his craft took him not only to international competitions, but also to an OffBroadway production. An exceptional German student, Sheppard studied abroad in Germany, and earned top marks on the American Association of Teachers of German national exam and for his lead performance at the 38th Annual German Theater Festival and Competition at Mount Holyoke College.

At the Waldorf School of Garden City, he designed and built surfboards, was soccer and basketball team captain, and managed the after-school snack stand, raising thousands of dollars for charity. He is attending Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

“As a parent and educator, I cherish the fact that Waldorf teachers prepare students to sit and think by preceding more sedentary periods with physical exercises.”

CURRENT PARENT

R e a d more stu d ent jo ur ne ys at www.Wa ldorf H S .or g/ S tu d en tJ ou r n ey s 10

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STUDENT

Journeys INDIVIDUAL STORIES OF OUR DIVERSE AND INTELLECTUAL STUDENTS Waldorf School of Garden City is honored to have such gifted individuals fill our hallways.

Our students leave our school well-rounded and with interests in many different things. Read on to learn about these inspiring stories.

CHARLENE BREW

PRE-MEDICINE

SHUYI CHEN

CONCERT PIANIST

In her role as president of the student

Shuyi Chen '16 arrived in ninth grade

council, Charlene Brew '15 was an

as an international student from

exemplary role model. Her poise,

China. She left the comforts of home

understated confidence, and

to obtain an education in the U.S.

approachability made her a natural

that was rich in the arts and that

leader. A dancer, Charlene was awarded

would nurture her incredible musical

full scholarships to the Alvin Ailey

talent. A concert pianist, she filled our

American Dance Theater Summer

hallways with beautiful, rich music

Intensive Program. Her academic

a talent which she further nurtured

interests tie in well with dance, as she is

at the Manhattan School of Music

very curious about how the body works.

on the weekends. In her high school

As a result, her interest in biology and

years, Shuyi explored other parts of

physiology has directed her to pursue

her artistic self, creating compelling

medicine in the future. She has begun

photographic mosaics. She is attending

this journey as a pre-med student at

the Hartt School of Music at the

Tufts University in Medford, MA.

University of Hartford.

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E D U C AT I O N T H R O U G H T H E

Arts

AN IDEAL VEHICLE FOR AN ADOLESCENT'S I N T E L L E C T U A L A N D P E R S O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T. Art forms and expressions at the Waldorf School of Garden City welcome emotive connections in order to explore phenomena and the human condition. Within the art-making process, both internal and external reality are being created, trans-mediated, and transformed.

Students rotate through mandatory artistic classes throughout all four years of high school.

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ART CLASSES OFFERED FINE ARTS

FIBER ARTS

› Black & White Charcoal Drawing › Clay, Sculpture & Wood Carving › Drawing: Gesture and Design › Introduction to Sculpture › Portraitures: The Human Head › Stained Glass Mosaics › Advanced Studio Art: Senior

› Bookbinding › Fashion Design and Dressmaking › Sculpting with Fiber › Spinning › Weaving › Advanced Fiber Art: Senior Project

WOODWORKING

DIGITAL ARTS

› Carpentry and Joinery › Furniture Making › Woodworking › Advanced Woodworking: Senior Project

› Art and the Environment › Transmedia Storytelling › Design Thinking › Design Ecology › Photography

PERFORMANCE ARTS › History of Drama › Introduction to Acting Elective › Language IV: Senior Seminar in German, French, or Spanish › Shakespearian Theater › Senior Play › Technical Theater Ensemble › Tenth Grade Play

MOVEMENT › Ballroom Dancing & Eurythmy

MUSIC › A capella Choir › Chorus › Eco-Orchestra › Jazz Band › Music in Theory and Practice › Music Composition › Orchestra › Chamber Orchestra › Garage Band

L o ok in g for more in form a t ion ?

Vis it W al d or f H S .or g/ Ar t t o lea rn mor e a bou t ou r differen t c la sses.

"Waldorf is a 'breath of fresh air,' since it infuses the arts into regular academic subjects to make learning more meaningful and relevant. We are excited to see students in the high school singing the elements of the periodic table, staging plays in Spanish, drawing in Math, producing short videos for Shakespeare, and conveying the history of language through circus arts and acrobatics."

CURRENT PARENT

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F I N D YO U R

Teammates L AC E U P YO U R S N E A K E R S A N D G R A B YO U R G E A R .

At the Waldorf School of Garden City, the

athletics while holding the student-athlete

ideal of the well-rounded student-athlete is

and the school's academic mission as the

consistent with the highest levels of athletics

center of focus.

and academic success.

Throughout the School's history, its studentathletes and teams have met that unique

We are committed to teaching students how to work collaboratively, embrace diversity, persevere through failure with resilience,

challenge, demonstrating that academic and athletic excellence can complement each other.

and compete with integrity. Over the years, our school's athletic program has received numerous honors, awards, and championships.

THE P R O G RA M The Athletics program at WSGC aims to enrich the life of the whole person.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY

We are invested in competitive excellence as we challenge our student-athletes to develop into their best selves as athletes, teammates, students, and ultimately, citizens of the world. As athletes, they embody physical strength and learn the value of movement to incorporate healthy activity and habits into their lives.

POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The Waldorf School of Garden City admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other schooladministered programs.

PS AA

In addition to the varsity sports program,

Our school is a member of the Private School

we support a wide range of extracurricular

Athletic Association (PSAA). The PSAA

programs, including those that present

includes a highly desirable group of

significant opportunities for recreational

committed schools that seek excellence in

participation.

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P HO T O C R EDI T : I WO N KA PI O T RO WS KA ©

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