We are a new Waldorf elementary school that opened in the fall of 2009. We opened our doors with our first first grade class. We will add a class every year until we have a full eight grades.

Our curriculum includes Spanish and Chinese, music, movement, and handwork, in addition to math, science, and reading. In the Waldorf tradition, we intend for our classroom teacher to remain with the class until the children reach 8th grade.

At the heart of our mission is our goal to bring Waldorf education to the community and to serve as many interested families as possible.

The South Side School brings Waldorf-inspired elementary education to the vibrant urban environment south of the Chicago Loop. Guided by the principles of Rudolf Steiner, we believe that education must engage the whole child - hands, heart, and head - as he or she passes through the distinct developmental stages of childhood. To foster creativity, our curriculum integrates practical skills, artistic experience, and academic discipline. Our students will develop self-reliance, flexibility, and compassion. Devoted teachers will plant the seeds for students to grow into free-thinking, caring adults who can make meaningful contributions to society. We aspire to reflect our city's racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and religious diversity.

In 2006, several parents of preschoolers attending the City Garden Early Childhood Center in Pilsen had the idea to found a new school. Watching their three and four-year-olds, the parents could already see how Waldorf education sparks the imagination. As they weighed elementary school options, the parents did not want that spark to extinguish. They formed a board of directors, created a budget, and set a start date. Today our board includes parents of children at two Waldorf early childhood centers, as well as advisors and educators from the Chicago Waldorf School and the Chicagoland's greater Waldorf community.

To learn more about Waldorf education, click here.