Grades 6-8
Building Skills, Confidence, and Character
At Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, our middle school program supports emerging adolescents as they grow into thoughtful, independent learners.
Through a rich curriculum of languages, science, mathematics, the arts, and experiential learning, students engage with complex ideas and cultivate discernment, compassion, and a sense of responsibility.
Whether whittling in the woodshop, watching the sunrise over a mountain peak, or testing the properties of combustion through hands-on experiments, a deep, lived connection to their learning helps our students graduate as capable, confident young people, ready to meet the world with purpose.
“The mindset Waldorf brings is different from other schools; they’re not teaching you how to take tests, they’re teaching you how to learn. ”
Exploring Ideas in Depth
During immersive two-hour morning main lessons, students dive deeply into each academic subject through experiments, labs, field studies, artistic exploration, and project-based learning in intensive three-week blocks. Supported by a class teacher who remains with them for multiple years, students experience the continuity of strong relationships alongside increasingly challenging and engaging academic work.
A Strong Foundation in Math
In addition to math main lesson blocks throughout the year, middle school students participate in three weekly math track classes taught by a dedicated math specialist. This approach strengthens foundational skills, mathematical thinking, and problem-solving while providing the appropriate level of challenge for each student. More than half of our students complete Algebra I by the end of 8th grade, entering high school a year ahead of their peers in math.
Adventure, Leadership, and Community
A robust schedule of field trips, outdoor adventures, and service projects foster responsibility, leadership, and a strong sense of connection to our local and broader communities. Middle schoolers may also participate in their local district sports programs, giving them the unique opportunity to experience both the depth of a Waldorf education and competitive school athletics.
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Beyond Whatcom Hills
Prepared for High School
WHWS graduates are known for being academically prepared, socially confident, and deeply engaged learners.
By eighth grade, students compose complex research papers, explore advanced mathematics, present and defend their ideas, and use digital tools purposefully and effectively. Families and local high schools find that our graduates are well prepared for the academic, social, and organizational demands of high school.
“The year I graduated from Bellingham High School, there were four valedictorians and three of them were from my Waldorf class.”
“We live in a world that often tells young people to polish the product, achieve the result, look impressive, get it right. But what I wanted most for this class was something a little different. I wanted us to make mistakes together. To take risks together. To care more about the process of becoming than the appearance of having already arrived.”
Begin your Whatcom Hills journey today
