Our school began in Fairfax in February 1972 with three families who wanted to bring Waldorf education into their lives. Lesley Rosenberg was parent, original kindergarten teacher and, most importantly, the bearer of the vision and will to create a Waldorf school. The new school was named Marin Children's School and opened with a kindergarten and first grade.

Seven months later, it moved from Lesley's home to the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Mill Valley. The school remained there for five years, adding a grade each year, and grew to an enrollment of about 70 children in nursery through fifth-sixth grade.

In 1975, the name was changed to Marin Waldorf School. It continued to strive, to live by its ideals, receiving much encouragement from the college of teachers of the Sacramento Waldorf School. No fees were charged and no salaries paid; it lived by gift money from parents and friends, and it paid its teachers according to their need. A total income of $35,000 paid all the bills and supported five teachers and their families.

In 1978, the school moved to a new home at Blessed Sacrament Church in San Rafael with a kindergarten and three grades. Enrollment grew to 150 children in grades kindergarten through seventh.

Growing rapidly and needing more space, the school was moved in the summer of 1983 to our present site, 11 acres of oak trees and meadow that formerly housed the Lucas Valley (public) School. In 1984, we celebrated the graduation of our first eighth grade class; in 1985, a full-time administrator was hired, and in 1986 a second kindergarten was added.

In the intervening years, much work was done on the present site including installation of a wooden floor in the eurythmy room, remodeling the office area and installing a play structure. By 1997 our enrollment had reached 200, and we expanded into the former Acorns to Oaks space located on the same site. We remodeled the new rooms to create two kindergartens with full kitchens, and used the vacated classrooms to create a full library, therapeutic eurythmy and remedial room, and added office space.

In the fall of 1999, we added a second foreign language to our program to include German. Presently, the Marin Waldorf School has twenty-two teachers, one educational support teacher, a resident therapeutic eurythmist, seven office staff members, and has two kindergartens and grades one through eight. Our thriving school owes its health and vigor to the teachers and parents who nurture it with their time, talents and resources.