Like all Waldorf schools, the Honolulu Waldorf School derives its very life from an understanding that each human being - endowed with profound spiritual, intellectual, moral and physical capacities - enters the world to find a chosen destiny in life. The curriculum springs from the nature of the unfolding human being, addressing the inner capacities of the student that are most alive and active at a given age, nourishing, protecting, and developing the unique mind, body, soul and spirit of each child.
This is achieved through a joyful balance of academic, artistic and practical activities in a social context. Awe and reverence for the wonders of life and of nature, respect, compassion and appreciation for self, others and the world, and the development of responsibility and self-discipline are also central principles of Waldorf education at all levels.
Honolulu Waldorf School is a charter member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. Honolulu Waldorf School is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools.
Our mission
HWS strives to provide an education that fosters in each child a sense of meaning and purpose in life, and the confidence to meet his or her individual future.
We recognize and welcome the unique gifts brought by each child we serve. We are committed to supporting each child in his or her intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual development by offering a hands-on curriculum that integrates academic, practical, experiential, and artistic work. We strive to educate each child so that he or she will contribute to the future of the world with clear and creative thinking, compassion and moral strength, and the courage to initiate change.
We are inspired and guided in our work by the educational and spiritual insights of Rudolf Steiner and the continually growing body of research in anthroposophy, which maintains that the highest goal of education is the realization of responsible human freedom.
We carry a vision of Waldorf education as a cultural initiative and a gift to all humanity.
Guiding Ideals
- That Waldorf education be available to all children who seek it.
- That tuition fees can be reasonably managed by parents.
- That parents share in the destiny of the school and work together toward the educational mission by entering into the social life of the school.
- That teachers are paid sufficiently to free them to do their work.
- That the school has a worthy building and grounds and sufficient space for the requirements of the education.
- That the daily running of the school is ecologically sound founded on aloha 'aina and a commitment to active stewardship of our island environment.
- That as a school community we work together with respect for ourselves, one another, and our rich multicultural heritage.
- That the school and our students contribute to our broader island community through gifts of service.
- That as a member of a worldwide educational movement, the school promotes and makes known the value of its education in our local community and throughout the Pacific Rim.
Functionality deployed
- VC Administration
- VC Admissions
- VC Teacher Portal
- VC Portals - Parent/Student/Board
- VC After School Programs
- VC Guidance
350 Ulua Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96821-2146
Founded: 1961
Enrollment: 330
Grades: Preschool - 12
Gender: Co-ed