Now Enrolling 6th through 8th Grade

Experiences

The Middle School curriculum at Shining Mountain is enriched by a multitude of experiences outside of the classroom work. Students are given opportunities to move into the new world of adolescence in a safe and secure environment, while taking on additional responsibilities as they develop new capacities.

The Physical and Outdoor Education program gives adolescent bodies many opportunities for healthy movement throughout the week. Every class participates in several hiking, camping, skiing, and snowshoeing trips each school year, during which students are challenged to stretch beyond their comfort zones, and continue to build bonded relationships with classmates and teachers.

In 6th grade, the Medieval Games brings together students from 7 regional Waldorf Schools for a living experience of the Medieval times.  This rite of passage, the details of which come as a surprise to the students, is the culmination of the students’ study of the history and culture of this time period.

Beginning in 5th grade, students may participate in our Youth Circus program.  This extracurricular springtime program brings together an incredible array of local instructors and provides the opportunity for participants to learn aerial arts, tumbling and acrobatics, juggling, unicycle, stilting, and more. The Circus program culminates in two days of performance in May.

Shining Mountain provides a full and robust athletic program during the Middle School years, including Girl’s Volleyball, Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball, Co-Ed Cross Country, and Co-Ed Track and Field.  Many of our students participate in one or more sports each year.

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

“I feel like one of the really important things that you get out of a Waldorf education is curiosity—curiosity to go and learn and explore what’s out there in the world. I fell into engineering and a path that I don’t think I would have anticipated, but having an arts background where you’re bringing creativity and imagination into problem-solving, there’s a really incredible synergy between those.”

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

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