Sunrise School of Miami

Walk into Sunrise School of Miami and it won't take long to realize that you're in a truly unique educational environment. Maybe it's the scent of homemade bread baking in the kitchen by the children in kindergarten. Perhaps it's the sound of the third and fourth graders practicing violin or the first graders stomping out a changing series of rhythms as they begin learning their multiplication tables through games and movement, maybe it is the joy on the face of a second grader as he or she finishes a knitted slipper, or sixth graders engrossed in the detailed history of Rome and the Roman Empire. Or it could be the sight that becomes familiar to every Waldorf parent-the sight of children joyful and eager at the start of the school day, crowding happily at the door of the classroom as they wait to be greeted individually by their teachers.

Childhood is the most important time of our lives. In a person's life there is no more decisive phase for the development of the whole human being. The outcome of this development is not predetermined, hence the importance of upbringing, and education. The extent to which we, as adults, can shape the course of our lives through conscious effort is bound up with the faculties we have acquired in childhood.

The natural sense of wonder and curiosity of childhood, if allowed to grow, transforms into the lifelong interest and enthusiasm that forms the heart of any quest for knowledge. If this childhood curiosity is stifled or channeled into meaningless pursuits, it can lead to a profound sense of disappointment, disillusionment and inner withdrawal. A Waldorf education engages children's imaginations and curiosity through active, hands-on learning, and seeks to cultivate creative thinking, inquiry, and a love of learning by integrating a full curriculum in math, language arts, the sciences, and foreign languages with the visual arts, drama, music, and movement.

Just as importantly, lessons connect meaningfully across the curriculum and build cumulatively through the grades, so that children develop a deep awareness of the forms and shape and patterns that weave together art and mathematics, language and history, music and games. A reverence and appreciation for the gifts of the world around us is also central to a Waldorf education; special events, activities, celebrations and festivals throughout the school year help ground the school community in the rhythms and cycles of the seasons and the natural world and to traditions with deep roots in human culture.

Waldorf education believes in taking the whole human being into account and practices a developmental approach to teaching. This educational approach takes its starting point from the careful observation of the nature of the growing and evolving child as seen in his or her physiological, psychological and spiritual aspects. Children are assessed for entrance in to first grade by use of a readiness test rather than using the traditional method based on the age of the child.