Marin Waldorf School blog
Stay connected, hear from our leadership team and learn more about Waldorf
If you’ve been to the Marin Waldorf School Campus, chances are you’ve marveled at our magical, ancient Oak grove and our towering, beloved Grandmother Oak tree. Nearly 500 years old, Grandmother Oak holds the space for joyous festivals and school events and is the heart of our beautiful, 10-acre campus.
In our Grandmother Oak Blog, we aim to share the heart and soul of Marin Waldorf with our families and greater community. Here, you’ll find recipes, crafts, lessons, music, stories, and songs from our community, as well as a taste of what’s happening in our classrooms. If you’re new to our school or to Waldorf education, welcome! Please have a look around and reach out to admissions@marinwaldorf.org if you have any questions.
Featured
parent groups &
Speaker series
2024/2025
Marin Waldorf School hosts an annual program of guest lectures and community conversations with experts in health, parenting, and education.
We also offer parent education events and support groups. Please reach out to the front office if you’d like to join a parent group mid-year.
Sexual Ethics and Sexual Literacy with Natasha Singh
New date! Wednesday, February 5, at 6:30pm
Please join speaker, writer, consultant, activist, nonprofit founder, and sexual literacy educator Natasha Singh on Wednesday, February 5, from 6:30 to 8:00pm. In this dynamic evening, we'll cover the basics of how to talk to your children about topics like consent, bodily autonomy, gender, intimacy, love, relationships, sex, and sexual ethics in honest and age-appropriate ways, while also examining our own ideas and values as parents. This evening is appropriate for parents of children of any age.
About Natasha Singh
Natasha Singh is a sexual literacy educator, speaker, nonprofit manager, teacher, and activist who has worked with parents, teachers, and students at schools across the Bay Area. She is the co-founder of Asha Rising, a nonprofit that provides permanent housing for elderly women who have aged out of the sex trade in India, and she co-chairs the board of Center for Domestic Peace, a Marin-based nonprofit whose mission is to mobilize individuals and communities to end domestic violence. Natasha’s writing has appeared in publications including the The Atlantic, Threepenny Review, Crab Orchard Review, and other periodicals and anthologies, and she is a two-time recipient of the Canada Council Grant for creative nonfiction and a recent winner of the Barry Lopez Prize for creative nonfiction. We are delighted to welcome her back to Marin Waldorf School!
Please read more about Natasha Singh and our school’s approach to sexual education and sexual literacy here.
Past Events 2024-2025
The Proactive Power of Waldorf Education with Jack Petrash
Monday, October 21, 6:30-8pm
“Reflecting on Jack Petrash’s inspiring speech, I found renewed conviction in the principles of Waldorf education. He emphasized the essential role of play in fostering creativity and resilience, using examples from influential figures like Einstein and Fleming. Jack articulated the Waldorf approach, which harmonizes logical and intuitive thinking, highlighting hands-on activities like farming and house building as vital components of a holistic curriculum that nurtures the whole child.
He encouraged us to teach through imagination, art, and storytelling, engaging children’s emotions and fostering transformative thinking. By designing a curriculum that mirrors each child’s inner development, we can provide experiences that support their growth. Ultimately, Jack reminded us of the importance of helping children understand their humanity, empowering them to realize their potential in a world that often feels isolating.
-Robert, Current MWS Parent”
Join veteran educator Jack Petrash for an engaging discussion aimed at parents, educators, and community members interested in child development. He will explore Waldorf education principles and share insights on nurturing authentic creative intelligence in children, preparing them for future societal roles in a changing world.
Jack Petrash is a former class teacher at the Washington Waldorf School, where he taught from grades one to eight four times. He co-founded the Nova Institute to connect mainstream education with Waldorf Education and authored books including "Understanding Waldorf Education" and "Turning Lead into Gold." His TEDx talk, "Preparing Children for the Journey," has reached many in Waldorf communities. Petrash has also focused on parent education, especially for fathers, with writings in the Washington Post and on NPR, along with books like "Covering Home" and "Navigating the Terrain of Childhood."
Parent and Caregivers Workshop with Daniella Baker
Join us every third Tuesday of the month
This holistic year-long workshop recognizes that effective, empathetic parenting stems from a well-nurtured caregiver. Through anthroposophical exercises, mindfulness techniques, and practical self-care strategies, including journaling, artistic expression, discussion, and humor, the workshop aims to help parents and caregivers:
Reconnect with their inner selves & replenish their emotional reserves
Model emotional resilience
Create a home environment that nurtures emotional and spiritual growth
Foster secure attachments & deepen their connection with their children
Build connection and community with other parents and caregivers
We will meet every third Tuesday of the month (9 sessions total), from 7pm to 8:30pm. Our first meeting will be Tuesday, October 1.
Fathers’ Group with Roland Baril
Meeting approximately every third Monday throughout the school year
Roland Baril, MWS’s 5th grade class teacher, is launching a continuing group of up to 20 fathers, meeting approximately every third Monday evening. The Fathers’ Group sessions will:
Provide a forum to deepen our understanding of effective parenting skills and our roles as fathers.
Offer tools for being a conscious father, through understanding of developmental phases.
Strengthen connection within the school community by establishing and deepening friendships.
Increase understanding of Waldorf movement activities to strengthen a father’s connection to his child’s education, and to simply enjoy the fun of playing together.
Many meetings will open with an athletic game of Spaceball, so bring your sneakers!
These group sessions are dynamic, informative meetings that encourage sharing of experiences, as we work together to strengthen parenting skills.
Date/Time: 9/30, 10/21, 11/18, 12/9, 1/13, 2/3, 2/24, 3/24, 4/21, 5/12 (approximately every third Monday), 6:30-8:30 p.m.
I can’t stress how helpful this group has been to strengthen my understanding and commitment to our MWS community. It’s given me deep personal enlightenment into Waldorf education and what differentiates Marin Waldorf from the rest of the educational paths in the Bay Area: its exceptional and experienced staff and supporters. I now have more emotional buy-in to the school and my child’s education, their childhood and my own Fatherhood, than before joining the group. —Michael Resnick, parent
About Roland Baril: Roland has led a Fathers’ Group at Marin Waldorf for four years, at Summerfield Waldorf School in Santa Rosa for four years, and at Greenwood School in Mill Valley for eight years. He a 33-year veteran Waldorf teacher and is the father of two sons, now young adults, who attended Waldorf schools from grades K-12.
Singing Circle With Miranda Mallard
Meeting on select Wednesday mornings throughout the school year
Please join the incomparable Miranda Mallard, MWS grades music teacher, in her upcoming Community Singing Circles, which will take place on select Wednesdays in the music room. The first meeting is next Wednesday, September 25, in the Peace Garden (weather permitting). No experience required! All are welcome.
Wednesdays after drop off. October 2, October 16, October 30, November 13, December 4, and December 18.
Handwork Circle with Isabel Dow
Tuesday mornings in the library
Join Handwork teacher extraordinaire (and San Francisco Waldorf School alum) Isabel Dow, on select Tuesdays after drop off at 8:30 am in the library. No experience required! Come have a cup of tea and work on a project from home, or Ms. Dow will be happy to assist you in creating projects from the lower grades curriculum. Tuesday October 7, 21, November 4, 18, December 2, 16. No registration required.
Celebrations with a Natural Rhythm
Just as there is a rhythm to each day with different tasks appropriate to different times of the day, there is a rhythm to the year. Observing the changing seasons helps the children to work appropriately and fosters a sense of harmony with the rhythmic life of nature throughout the year. Marin Waldorf School celebrates the changing seasons with major all-school festivals. In addition we hold annual festivals and events for the larger community.
Marin Waldorf School 2024 - 2025 Events
School Beautification Day - Saturday, August 24
Michaelmas - Friday, September 27
Dia de los Muertos (celebration) - Thursday, October 31
Harvest Fair - Sunday, November 10
Middle School Preview — Wednesday, November 13
Winter Spiral - Friday, December 6
Winter Assembly - Thursday, December 19
Open House - Saturday, January 25
May Faire & Grandparents’ Day - Friday, May 2
Kindergarten Beach Day/Preschool Potluck - Tuesday, June 3
End of Year Assembly & Rose Ceremony - Wednesday, June 4
Graduation - Friday, June 6
parent association
MWS parents are raising happy and healthy children together.
The purpose of the Parent Association is to promote community life and support the school's fundraising efforts and festivals. Our school was founded by a group of dedicated parents and the on-going enthusiasm, support and commitment of parents helps maintain Marin Waldorf as a healthy, harmonious school community. All parents are automatically members of the Parent Association, which meets on the first Monday of each month during the school year. Class representatives volunteer to represent their classes at Association meetings and bring Parent Association news and projects back to the other parents in the various classes.
Parent Association activities are vitally important to our school, as is every family's participation in them. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend Association meetings. Our Parent Association functions under the guidance of the school administrators.
Marin Waldorf School Calendar
Harvest Fair
SUNDAY, Nov. 10, 12:00PM - 4pm
Join us for live music and old-fashioned family fun at the Harvest Fair,
one of Marin County’s most treasured events for more than 40 years.
Admission is free and all ages are welcome!
Come enjoy live music, magical games, and organic food.
Live music and family dancing
Old-fashioned games and booths, including Tunes & Treats, face painting, The Knight’s Quest, The Sleeping Giant, and The Mermaid Lagoon (more information below).
Delicious organic picnic food for sale, hosted by our 8th grade families. Bring a blanket to picnic on the lawn!
Creative seasonal decor and a beautiful setting in our school’s majestic oak grove.
Come dressed in autumn colors or a fun seasonal costume!
We hope you’ll join us… and bring along your friends and extended family too!
The Knight’s Quest
Test your strength and agility in a fun all-ages ropes course that includes a zip line, swing, and tight rope! When you complete the course, you’ll be knighted by a queen or king.
The Sleeping Giant
Find the courage to sneak up to the Sleeping Giant and dash away with his beloved hen without waking him! Bold souls who steal the hen will be rewarded with a golden egg!
Tunes & Treats
Think musical chairs, but with live music and homemade sweets! Whoever is standing on the chosen number when the music stops gets to pick out a home-baked treat.
The Mermaid Lagoon
You need patience to catch a fish in the magical mermaid lagoon. Once you do, bring your catch to the friendly mermaid or merman, and you’ll receive an enchanted gift from the sea.
OUR HARVEST FAIR COMMUNITY
The Harvest Fair is a Marin Waldorf School for more than 40 years! Please join us in making more memories this fall.
