By the end of snack, the soup pot is empty and there is a feeling of well-being: our whole being is nourished and it all began with a job well done.

Parenting, Early EducationErin CartwrightFebruary 27, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolwaldorf, waldorf education, waldorf classroom, classroom, early childhood, preschool, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, cooking with kids, kindergarten snack, waldorf snack, kindergarten soup

Easy Lentil Soup

This warming lentil soup is nourishing, flavorful, vegan & gluten-free, and simple to make (we’re busy working parents, too!).

Tutorial, Parenting, Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisFebruary 27, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolsoup, recipe, community soup, tutorial

Strengthening a Gem of Waldorf Education: World Language Programs

World languages are vital to fulfilling the mission of Waldorf education: to educate children to reach their full potential as human beings who have the capacity to freely choose empathy and peace.

By design, Waldorf schools offer two world languages starting in Grade One. This fundamental part of the curriculum is instrumental in developing the flexibility of thinking and feeling necessary for truly empathetic communication.

Elementary School, Middle School, LanguagesMichelle JarvisJanuary 15, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolwaldorf, waldorf education, world languages, foreign language, world language teacher

Why We Use Natural Materials

Natural materials like the ones you see in our Early Childhood spaces and grade school classrooms develop a sense of life in young children.

Elementary School, Middle School, Parenting, Early EducationChiaki UchiyamaJanuary 14, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolwaldorf, waldorf education, waldorf classroom, classroom, early childhood, preschool, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, natural materials, natural classroom, beauty in the classroom

3 Reasons Why Journey Through the Grades is the Can't-Miss Parent Evening of the Year

I’m here to tell you why you should mark that evening on your calendar IN PEN and set an alert on your phone. It all comes down to three little reasons why you should attend Journey Through the Grades.

Elementary School, Middle School, Community Events, ParentingMeredith Floyd-PrestonJanuary 8, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolopen house, journey through the grades, curriculum, waldorf, waldorf curriculum, waldorf education, parent evening

Why We Jump Rope: Some of the Many Benefits

Many classes gather each morning — regardless of whether the weather is conducive to running and jumping — because these activities have an intrinsic value beyond the obvious health benefits. In my years of orchestrating and observing these simple activities with my students, I’ve found them to be even revolutionary.

Elementary School, Middle SchoolPeter HayesJanuary 8, 2020Cedarwood Waldorf Schooljump rope, jump roping, waldorf, waldorf teacher, waldorf pedagogy

Winter Faire 2019

Thank you for helping us make magic at Winter Faire!

Festivals, Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisDecember 14, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolmartinmas lantern walk, martinmas, lantern walk, lantern, community, portland, lair hill, lair hill park, waldorf, waldorf festivals, waldorf festival, martinmas festival

Crystal Ornaments

Make your holidays sparkle this year by growing your own crystals!

TutorialEmma MaruskaDecember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolhandmade, handwork, tutorial, craft, diy, holidays, ornament, winter ornament, christmas, christmas ornament

Martinmas Lantern Walk

This year, we brought the light of our Martinmas Lantern Walk to our very own Lair Hill neighborhood.

Festivals, Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisDecember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolmartinmas lantern walk, martinmas, lantern walk, lantern, community, portland, lair hill, lair hill park, waldorf, waldorf festivals, waldorf festival, martinmas festival

Cyber Civics: Whose Work is it Anyway?

The rules and regulations surrounding online privacy and rights to creative content were both hot-button topics, and the students really took these up with full engagement and enthusiasm.

Technology, Middle SchoolClaire HarrisonDecember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolcyber civics, middle school, technology, waldorf middle school

Community Study Group: An Impulse of Healing & Self-Education

In the Community Study Group, parents, grandparents, and friends have sat together and thought on the children, our own lives (past, present, and future), on education, and aspects of being human in today’s world and more.

The space we weave with our own thoughts and interests in each other leaves us feeling more connected and ready to start our week.

Community Events, ParentingChelsea Slaven-DavisDecember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolcommunity study group, community, anthroposophy, parenting

The Winter Spiral: Offering an Inner Light as a Realization of Individuality

The darkness is actually an invitation for each individual to find and shine their personal light. One by one, as the small lights are offered from each person gathered as a community at the Winter Spiral, we create a starry heaven on earth.

The answers to these questions shift as the children get older, and by middle school, exploring possible answers may best be done by the students themselves.

Festivals, Community EventsChiaki UchiyamaDecember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolwinter spiral, advent spiral, winter spiral walk, winter, advent, festival of light, waldorf, waldorf festival

Waldorf 100: The Art Hall as a Cultural Center

It took courage to start the first Waldorf school 100 years ago, and it takes courage to continue to build on this legacy around the world. Cedarwood is pleased to participate in this worldwide celebration and to open doors of its Art Hall to the greater Portland community.

Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisNovember 6, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolwaldorf100, art hall, anthroposophical art, anthroposophy, art

Community Soup

This community soup is nourishing, flavorful, vegan & gluten-free, and simple to make (we’re busy working parents, too!).

Tutorial, Parenting, Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisNovember 6, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolsoup, recipe, community soup, tutorial

Martinmas: Warmth and Hope for All of Us

As we stand at the gates of winter, looking into the dark and despair of coming days, we are reminded of St. Martin and the warmth and hope of his story.

Festivals, Community EventsChiaki UchiyamaNovember 5, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolmartinmas, martinmas lantern walk, festival, festival of light, waldorf, waldorf festival, lantern, lantern walk

Autumn Pumpkin Tutorial

Rhythm needn’t be complicated; the simple gesture of sharing a meal at the end of the day, lighting a candle and reflecting on all the day held for your family, provides a beautiful anchor for children trying to keep pace with a busy day.

TutorialEmma MaruskaOctober 21, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolhandmade, handwork, tutorial, craft, pumpkin, autumn, diy, autumn pumpkin tutorial

Diwali Treats: Community Sharing

In honor of Cedarwood’s upcoming celebration of Diwali, several community members share sweet recipes to mark the festival!

Community Events, Festivals, Tutorial, ParentingChelsea Slaven-DavisOctober 21, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolrecipe, diwali, festival

Diwali: Festival of Lights

So many cultures celebrate holidays and festivals with similar gestures at the same time of year. Why is this?

It is because, no matter our culture, religion, ethnicity, gender, race, etc., we are all living in relation to the seasons and the cycle of the year. Like Michaelmas, Martinmas, and the Lantern Walk, Diwali calls on us to celebrate and cultivate our inner light to bring with us through the darkness of winter.

Festivals, Community EventsAliya BirdoffOctober 21, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schooldiwali, festival of light, autumn, waldorf, waldorf festivals

Three Days Aboard the Adventuress

It is truly an amazing age we live in when our twelve and thirteen year-olds can experience what it was like to ply the seas in a hundred year-old sailing vessel!

The seventh grade had the great fortune to spend three September days aboard The Adventuress, a teaching ship operated out of Port Townsend, Washington, at the start of the new school year. The trip was not a typical one, but neither are Cedarwood’s seventh graders typical students.

Middle SchoolChelsea Slaven-DavisOctober 4, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolmiddle school, waldorf middle school, experiential learning

The Art Hall at Cedarwood Waldorf School

While still one of the youngest Waldorf schools in the country, Cedarwood already enjoys a well-deserved national reputation for offering a most innovative Waldorf education to its students, both inspiring and supported by its vibrant community of parents, faculty, staff, and children.

Consistent with this tradition for innovation — and its broader mission to bring other Waldorf-inspired initiatives to the greater Portland community — the school has opened its space to host The Art Hall, a gallery designed to showcase art inspired by anthroposophy, the initiative that gave rise to Waldorf education.

Community EventsChelsea Slaven-DavisSeptember 27, 2019Cedarwood Waldorf Schoolart hall, art, anthroposophical art, first thursday, portland first thursday, waldorf100

Inside Cedarwood

This warming lentil soup is nourishing, flavorful, vegan & gluten-free, and simple to make (we’re busy working parents, too!).

World languages are vital to fulfilling the mission of Waldorf education: to educate children to reach their full potential as human beings who have the capacity to freely choose empathy and peace.

In the Community Study Group, parents, grandparents, and friends have sat together and thought on the children, our own lives (past, present, and future), on education, and aspects of being human in today’s world and more.

The darkness is actually an invitation for each individual to find and shine their personal light. One by one, as the small lights are offered from each person gathered as a community at the Winter Spiral, we create a starry heaven on earth.

This community soup is nourishing, flavorful, vegan & gluten-free, and simple to make (we’re busy working parents, too!).

In honor of Cedarwood’s upcoming celebration of Diwali, several community members share sweet recipes to mark the festival!

It is truly an amazing age we live in when our twelve and thirteen year-olds can experience what it was like to ply the seas in a hundred year-old sailing vessel!

While still one of the youngest Waldorf schools in the country, Cedarwood already enjoys a well-deserved national reputation for offering a most innovative Waldorf education to its students, both inspiring and supported by its vibrant community of parents, faculty, staff, and children.

Curious about events & educational opportunities at Cedarwood?