Change is a constant in schools. Beyond the obvious — students are ever-growing individuals with specific needs and interests — educational philosophies continue to evolve in response to societal, governmental, business and parental demands. The COVID-19 pandemic upended education in a manner unseen for generations. Richmond magazine reached out to several local schools that follow well-established curricula to see how — or whether — their approaches have shifted.
Richmond Waldorf School
1301 Robin Hood Road; 804-377-8024, richmondwaldorf.com
Richmond Waldorf School offers instruction in biking and plentiful time outdoors. (Photo courtesy Richmond Waldorf School)
Following the approach of Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who began teaching the children of factory workers in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1919, the Richmond Waldorf School focuses on multisensory experiences, the beauty of the natural world, the power of community and letting children learn at their own pace.
“Waldorf was created as a response to the first world war,” notes Alexandra Porr Mazeres, the school’s marketing and advancement specialist. “We talk about the head, the heart, the hands — integrating the body and mind. We talk about an education model that will help people build relationships that connect [people].”
To that end, teachers move upward in grade level with their class, a practice called looping. Mazeres’ son had the same lead teacher from first through fifth grades. One teacher just finished a loop that ran from first through eighth grades; in the fall, the teacher returns to first grade with a new class.
“This is something Waldorf has been doing for years,” Mazeres notes. “It creates better relationships. The teacher gets to know your kid and see your kid grow. And students don’t have to adapt every year to a new teacher.”
The school also has enrichment in six areas: movement, strings, biking, handwork, woodwork and world languages (Russian and Spanish). “It’s a broad education,” Mazeres says. “There are a host of different ways to learn, and the curriculum is integrated. There’s group learning [and] a lot of opportunity for social-emotional growth.”
While experiencing the outdoors was always part of the school’s curriculum, pandemic realities led to the building of outdoor classrooms, which are still being used. “If anything, we’ve become more sure that in-person, social-synchronous learning for young students is the way to be,” Mazeres says.
Part of the experiential learning includes immersive field trips. Third graders spend five days at an organic, biodynamic farm in Ghent, New York, where they milk cows, feed chickens, clean stalls and make bread. Eighth graders’ capstone journey is a five-day sailing excursion from Baltimore Harbor that includes camping and scientific exploration. “These are experiences [classes] share,” Mazeres says. “There’s a difference between learning things in the classroom and learning from real life.”
Waldorf also deemphasizes early reading, an approach that is more accepted internationally than in the U.S., Mazeres notes. “We’re trying not to put pressure on children,” she says. “We want them to move their bodies, play, bake bread, make soup, hear stories, do group activities in circles. We want to keep learning interesting for the kids and make it something they connect with, not just checking the boxes.”
Sabot School has expanded its outdoor instruction and gathering spaces. (Photo courtesy Sabot School)
Sabot School
3400 Stony Point Road; 804-272-1341, sabotschool.org
Leaning into the 2023-24 school year’s theme of “Movement,” fourth graders at the Sabot School in Richmond studied human migration while third graders, motivated by a marble run, built a working aqueduct.
“Every year, we have a theme the whole school keeps in mind,” says Carol-Margaret Bitner, the school’s associate head of academics. “It provides a lens for whatever bubbles up.”
That approach of following a child’s natural curiosity is the cornerstone of the Reggio Emilia Approach, developed in Italy after World War II by a group of parents who wanted to educate children “so that wars like that didn’t happen again,” Bitner says.
“Reggio Emilia has an image of the child as an already complete being, already full of ideas,” she adds. “The role of adults is to follow that process, to encourage curiosity and a love of learning. Children aren’t vessels to be filled.”
The Reggio approach holds that children learn from three primary sources: their parents, their teachers and the environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sabot expanded its outdoor classroom settings, creating more intentional spaces for instruction and gathering, and the school continues to use those enhanced areas. “Being outdoors is a big part of our program,” Bitner says. “During the pandemic, it really came to light [more broadly] how important the connection to nature is.”
While Sabot had a counselor on staff prior to the pandemic, in-class sessions have been added so students are encouraged to express themselves. “The pandemic reinforced how much time we invest in social-emotional development,” Bitner says. “We already did that, but we’ve seen how critical it is to slow down and listen to what children are bringing.”
Last year, Sabot had 224 students ages 2 to 14 in pre-K through eighth grade. Through fifth grade, the school employs team teaching. Middle school introduces single-subject teachers. At every level, the curriculum shifts in response to what’s happening in the classroom.
“The whole process is about following inquiry,” Bitner says. “Preschool looks like a lot of play, but as students advance, there is instruction and structure, and assessment reports. Kids in middle school are doing independent research; they are prepared for high school.”
The pandemic also changed how the school interacts with parents, Bitner says. “We’re learning what types of communication our community needs, and we’re structuring gatherings [to bring people together] because it’s not happening organically. We’re finding a new structure.”
Ultimately, Bitner says, Sabot continues to follow the Reggio Emilia Approach so children can find their own way into the world. “Reggio believes in the 100 languages, the multitude of ways children can express and make meaning of their experiences,” she says. “Learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens in relation to one another.”
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Richmond Montessori School serves students in preschool through eighth grade. (Photo courtesy Richmond Montessori School)
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Photo courtesy Richmond Montessori School
Richmond Montessori School
499 N. Parham Road; 804-741-0040, richmont.org
With an emphasis on all aspects of a child’s development, the Montessori educational approach is positioned to respond to changing needs, say Richmond Montessori School leaders.
“Montessori [philosophy] has been resilient for more than 100 years; it’s timeless but also adaptive,” says interim director Kim Waite, Ed.D. “There is consistency in the learning environment, in pedagogy, in planning across the continuum [of classes]. We have community within multi-age classrooms that provide stability.”
Grounded in the principles of Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, Richmond Montessori was founded in 1965 and now serves 315 students in preschool through eighth grade in 17 classrooms over two campuses on Parham Road. It is the only Montessori school in the region that is fully accredited by the American Montessori Society and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.
Elementary-level instructional director Bree Linton notes the Montessori approach focuses on social-emotional development. “We were ready to address [those needs during the pandemic] because we always do that,” she says, adding that the school hired a guidance counselor and nurse during the pandemic, who remain on staff and are a “huge” help for teachers. “Everyone has been appreciative of that shift,” she says.
Attention to individual development continues in middle school, where students spend 15 minutes each day in personal reflection, whether journaling, meditation or another discipline. “Some of the kids don’t enjoy that time at first, but we want to help them develop those skills,” says Cassidy Houston, middle-level instructional director.
“The pandemic emphasized the importance of everything we do,” Houston adds. “Middle schoolers can feel emotion like adults but don’t have the same regulation in their prefrontal cortex like adults do. They are preset to feel the thrill of victory and agony of defeat more than adults.”
Additionally, the school expanded its one-to-one computer program beyond the middle school level, providing elementary students with the same technology. While the laptops have stayed, Linton says they aren’t as essential. “We can use them as a tool when needed,” she says.
Interim director Waite says Richmond Montessori has been able to maintain its staff of certified and trained teachers through an established practice of looking ahead. “Montessori training requirements are highly specialized and stringent,” she says. “We were invested in the [educator] development model before the teacher shortage [began]. We have always developed a bench.”
The school offers whole-school trainings during the school year or programs specific to instructional levels. Teachers also may apply for courses, conferences or additional Montessori certification. A summer institute for teachers fosters communication across the grade levels.
“We want to make sure we’re working as a team and that all classrooms are delivering a consistent experience,” says Kristin Giacco, primary-level instructional director. “This is education for peace. It starts with the individual and is grounded in respect, for one another, the environment and the larger community beyond.”
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Trinity Episcopal School emphasizes community, student self-discovery and support for parents. (Photo courtesy Trinity Episcopal School)
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Photo courtesy Trinity Episcopal School
Trinity Episcopal School
3850 Pittaway Drive; 804-272-5864, trinityes.org
“Teenagers are beautiful.”
So says Maria Bartz, head of student support and academic program for Trinity Episcopal School, which has just over 500 students in grades eight through 12 and encourages students to follow their passions.
“You have to love teenagers to work at any school happily, but especially at Trinity,” she adds. “[Teens] have a strong sense of what is right and empathy for others; they’re fun and goofy. They’re highly emotional, so helping them learn how to process those emotions is a huge part of the job.”
Founded in 1972 as the first private high school south of the James River, Trinity is not affiliated with the Episcopal Church but incorporates that religious tradition in a weekly chapel service, a religion class requirement and a yearly theme initiated by the school’s chaplain. “We want students to feel comfortable learning about the Christian faith and be open to all faiths that come to the table,” Bartz says.
Trinity was also the first private school in the region authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. On average, 30 students pursue the IB diploma, which requires a two-year commitment to a specified curriculum. Bartz says that nearly 80% of the student body take at least one IB class. “One of the wonderful things about IB is they are doing the research and reviewing the curricula,” Bartz says. “It keeps our curricula and our teachers on their toes. We try to get every teacher some IB training so they understand the philosophy behind it.”
Bartz says the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how small the world is. “One goal of our strategic plan is to strengthen how we show and teach students how to be global citizens, global thinkers, how to live successfully with all the complexities,” she says.
The pandemic also reinforced Trinity’s emphasis on community. “There’s more of a focus on letting students build community in the classroom,” she says. “We’ve also increased community-based events [because] we saw how important it is for us to be together physically.”
Two years ago, the school launched a Parent Pathways program that includes speakers, book clubs and podcasts. “We want to help parents and give them support so we can all do what is needed to help our students thrive,” Bartz says. “
One constant has been Trinity’s mission of student self-discovery, called “Discover Your Path.”
“We live and breathe that slogan; it’s not just something to put on a T-shirt,” Bartz says. “This helps [students] come out of their shells in so many ways. They become confident, caring, capable and feel ready to take the next step on their own. We want them to be ready for the world and to have that global perspective.”
