At Waldorf School of the Peninsula, students experience music as a journey of self-discovery, challenge, skill, community building, and emotional expression. Here, music is more than an elective, it is a vital and integral aspect of the curriculum.
Wonder: The Early Years As our youngest students walk slowly down the hallway along with their teacher, we hear a ‘good morning’ song. Music fills the air throughout the day for all sorts of reasons, such as a blessing over our food or a way to set the mood during story time. Both vocal and instrumental experiences are essential, as they develop different capacities: vocal music is created from within the body, while instrumental music uses external materials that foster coordination and muscle memory.
The strings journey begins when our 3rd grade families, with the guidance of class and music teachers, help their child choose a string instrument that resonates with their temperament. The instrument is perfectly sized, as if it were made just for them. Wonder sets in: What is this object made of? How do I make a sound with it? Is the bow really strung with hairs from a horse’s tail? These early questions spark curiosity, leading to a lifelong relationship with music. As students learn about posture and position, they experience a physical connection between their bodies and the sounds they can make. Each class continues to grow as a social being, working together to create beauty as a group, even with the simplest of songs.
Our learning is deliberate and magical! The students begin learning to play by ear, focusing on the beauty of the sound. “Look what I figured out!” they exclaim with wide-eyed excitement, rushing forward with newfound skills. As confidence builds, they practice together before class, experiment singing and playing in rounds, and create layers of harmony that reflect their own growing complexity. We introduce note-reading and musical terminology gently. The progression is slow but steady, developmentally appropriate, and always focused on fostering independence and creativity.
Growth: The Middle Years
By Middle School, the music has grown more complex, and so have the students. We continue singing through this time of vocal changes, which can be challenging. If a string instrument did not speak to a child during their early years, they can now play a wind, brass, or percussion instrument in the Band. Imagine two rooms, each filled with 35 middle schoolers, fresh from recess, ready for a different kind of play time.
In this phase, music becomes a deeper form of self-expression and communal collaboration. Orchestra and Band are each divided into sections, contributing to the richness of the sound. We sing multi-part music, and play Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass recorders. Our music reflects the diverse personalities we find in the classroom. Some students thrive on fast, rhythmic passages, while others prefer the comfort of familiar melodies. With that said, all students perform each piece with a sense of ownership, knowing that their contribution is essential to the whole.
This is also a time of growth and questioning. Adolescents are notorious for self-doubt, and many will struggle with the physical and technical challenges of their instruments—whether it’s learning vibrato, shifting into higher positions, or simply keeping up with new key signatures. Teachers and families must continue to support the students, encouraging them to persevere, fostering resilience and a growth mindset.
Transformation: High School By the time students reach High School, they are no longer beginners. They have honed their skills, developed their own musical voices, and learned how to collaborate as a group. The music they play now demands a level of emotional depth and intellectual understanding that goes beyond the mechanics of playing an instrument. Each rehearsal becomes an exploration of emotion and storytelling. Students learn to use different techniques, such as dynamics, phrasing, and tone color.
During the performances for our community, the audience is drawn into the music, invited to experience something new. High schoolers may be asked to reflect on their music through art or poetry, deepening their connection to the pieces they perform. By this stage, students have the confidence to play anything, to tell a musical story, and to appreciate the beauty of their own journey.
Music Promotes Lifelong Learning
Music is a vehicle for wonder, growth, and transformation. It teaches discipline, fosters collaboration, and provides students with a sense of accomplishment and personal identity. Whether students go on to pursue music professionally or simply carry their love for it into adulthood, the lessons learned will stay with them for life.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a Waldorf student or why we say experience drives learning, come and feel it for yourself. At WSP we are intentionally different—so why would our open house be the same as all the others? Join us for a one of a kind event with demo lessons, interactive experiences and a High School student panel.
Demonstration Lessons include:
High School Science
High School Humanities Socratic Seminar
Developing Mathematical Thinking through Grades 1-8
Literacy in Grades 1 – 8
Moving with Meaning: A Eurythmy Experience
Applied Mathematics: Grades 6 – 12
Scientific thinking through a Botanical Lens
Lines in Space: From Form Drawing to Projective Geometry
Visual Art Experience from Grades 6 – 12
And more
WSP Curriculum Explorations include:
Blacksmithing
Stone carving
Garden Tour
High School Clubs
Musical Performances
Fiber Arts Display & Experience
And more!
Join us for a one-of-a-kind event with demo lessons, interactive experiences, and a high school student panel.
This event is intended for all parents or guardians. Students in 7th grade and above and are encouraged to attend our high school demonstrations.
While infants in arms are always welcome, we cannot accommodate younger students at this event.
by Meeta Panicker and Liam Metzger | WSP Movement Teachers, Grades 1 – 8
Movement and games are integral to Waldorf education, harmonizing body, soul, and spirit by fostering physical coordination, spatial awareness, and self-expression. The curriculum supports physical health, sensory development, and a sense of wonder while developing fine and gross motor skills, teamwork, and fair play. Through age-appropriate activities, students enhance their creativity, coordination, communication, cooperation, confidence, and competitive spirit, supporting their physical and emotional development at each stage:
Early Childhood (0-7 years): Emphasis on imitation and movement to develop foundational motor skills and spatial awareness.
Middle Childhood (7-14 years): Focus on imagination, play, and structured games to enhance creativity, social skills, and cognitive development.
Adolescence (14-21 years): Incorporation of more structured physical education, sports, and eurythmy to support self-discipline, teamwork, and personal growth.
In first grade, we are focusing on the class as a whole. The games are circle-based with a focus on where we are in space. We incorporate hand clapping games, and running games such as tag, ball games, and bean bag games. The children learn how to jump rope and navigate simple obstacle courses. We work with fairy tales, imagination, rhythm, and repetition. With their imaginative abilities, the grade 1 children thrive on these games.
In second grade, the games of call and response like Walk the Plank and Join the Crew, Fire in the Forest, and The Sea Is Stormy are introduced. The students learn to concentrate on a given task for longer periods. They are more independent and better oriented. We work on their motor skills and spatial awareness. Free imaginative play also continues.
In third grade, the children are curious and ready to play all the games we can bring to them. This is the year they are more coordinated in their bodies. We continue to run, hop, skip, jump; and work on static and dynamic balance. Catching, throwing, kicking a ball, working in teams, and presenting their fair teams are the themes in grade 3. Games like kickball, dodgeball, capture the flag, and relays are introduced this year as well.
In fourth grade, the children are learning about their boundaries and seeing how they can challenge themselves. This is the year we introduce the circus arts: unicycle, stilts, juggling, gymnastics, and hula hoops. The students continue to play team games such as dodgeball, kickball, capture the flag, and Chicken in the Coop.They present their fair teams to the class. They are introduced to sports lead-up games and games of “vigorous deeds,” and continue to develop team-building.
In fifth grade, we are working on grace and beauty. We focus more on the form and techniques. The Pentathlon is a big part of grade five. The fifth grade child is in perfect harmony and balance, poised between early childhood and oncoming adolescence. The students learn and display their abilities in the javelin, discus, chariot running, wrestling, and long jump. Apart from this, we continue on sports lead-up games like basketball, pillow polo, dodgeball, kickball, and capture the flag. They also continue to hone their skills in circus arts.
The middle school curriculum is pretty consistent throughout all three of the grades, with the biggest difference being the competitions each grade has at the end of the year. The year begins with Pillow Polo, which is an easy game both to learn and to play and doesn’t require much strategy. The blocks become more complex as the year progresses, with the next two blocks being Volleyball and Football. Both of these sports require strategy and teamwork along with good communication. These help the students learn how to work together to achieve a common goal and how to strategize their approach. Team captains are introduced with the objective of giving each student a leadership role which helps to aid their development in Middle School. After the New Year, the sixth grade will have a wrestling block which helps them get a feel for their individual strength as they enter puberty. Different from this, the seventh and eighth grade students will have a running block, with the goal of them learning how to push and motivate themselves to achieve the objectives they set.
Soccer is the next block and requires students to use the teamwork and strategizing skills they learned earlier in the year. This is a sport in which individual brilliance and excellent teamwork shine all in one place, allowing for each student to decide what role they want to play. Badminton follows Soccer and requires both teamwork and precision, yet on a much smaller scale. In Badminton the students are paired up into groups of two or four and have to learn how to communicate effectively and be precise with their hits. This allows for students who don’t normally work together to learn how to work in close proximity with each other. Ultimate Frisbee follows Soccer which helps the students to learn how to respect the personal space of others. When a player has the frisbee, their opponent must stand back an arm’s length. Ultimate Frisbee also requires clear and concise communication amongst teammates which helps the students learn how to speak up and work together. The year finishes off with Street Hockey, and in this block students learn the importance of safe play. Since wooden sticks are being used, the risk for injury is higher than it is for other blocks, and the students learn how to mitigate this risk to play safely. Teamwork is crucial in Street Hockey and the students learn how to work together and support one another along with playing safely and responsibly.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a Waldorf student or why we say experience drives learning, come and feel it for yourself. At WSP we are intentionally different—so why would our open house be the same as all the others? Join us for a one of a kind event with demo lessons, interactive experiences and a High School student panel.
Demonstration Lessons include:
High School Science & Humanities demo lessons
Eurythmy through Grades 1-8 (for parents/guardians only)
Developing mathematical thinking through Grades 1-8 (for parents/guardians only)
Scientific thinking through a botanical lens (for parents/guardians only)
WSP Curriculum Explorations include:
Blacksmithing
Stone carving
Bal-A-Vis-X movement
Musical performances
Fiber arts display
Join us for a one-of-a-kind event with demo lessons, interactive experiences, and a high school student panel.
This event is intended for all parents or guardians. Students entering 7th grade and above in fall 2024 are also invited and are encouraged to attend our high school demonstrations.
While infants in arms are always welcome, this event is not intended for younger students.
Congratulations to our Co-Ed Middle School Cross Country team who ended their season earlier this week. They had a tremendous season and the girls earned a third place trophy in the league finals this week.
Our Middle School Girls’ Volleyball team also finished up their season with a great win vs Synapse and their last game against Hausner. I’m so proud of everyone and happy to witness their growth. I hope this season helped our players develop a strong passion for volleyball.
The Middle School Golf Team has a league tournament next week and its great to see them continue to improve weekly!
Our HS Girls’ Volleyball team had a fantastic 3 – 0 win over Liberty Baptist earlier this week, and closed out their season last night against Kahn Labs last night with another 3 – 0 win! Congratulations to our team and our two senior players, Maya & Frejya! Great season everyone!
As our youngest students walk slowly down the hallway along with their teacher, we hear a ‘good morning’ song. Music fills the air throughout the day for all sorts of reasons, such as a blessing over our food or a way to set the mood during story time. Both vocal and instrumental experiences are essential, as they develop different capacities: vocal music is created from within the body, while instrumental music uses external materials that foster coordination and muscle memory.
instrument is perfectly sized, as if it were made just for them. Wonder sets in: What is this object made of? How do I make a sound with it? Is the bow really strung with hairs from a horse’s tail? These early questions spark curiosity, leading to a lifelong relationship with music. As students learn about posture and position, they experience a physical connection between their bodies and the sounds they can make. Each class continues to grow as a social being, working together to create beauty as a group, even with the simplest of songs.
By the time students reach High School, they are no longer beginners. They have honed their skills, developed their own musical voices, and learned how to collaborate as a group. The music they play now demands a level of emotional depth and intellectual understanding that goes beyond the mechanics of playing an instrument. Each rehearsal becomes an exploration of emotion and storytelling. Students learn to use different techniques, such as dynamics, phrasing, and tone color.
