The Mission of Portland Waldorf School
To work out of the insights of Rudolf Steiner to educate children for the whole of life. This school nurtures the imagination, cultivates the intellect, and recognizes the spirit of each child. In this way, children are strengthened individually and socially to meet the challenges of life.
Description & History
Portland Waldorf School is an independent, non-denominational school located in Milwaukie, fifteen minutes southeast of downtown Portland. The school is situated on a 7.2 acre campus that contains two school buildings, a large playing field, three playgrounds, an orchard, two creeks, riparian areas, a spring, Early Childhood and Third Grade gardens, and large bioswale. The main building, which is an historic brick school built in 1936, houses the Early Childhood program, Grades 1-8, a gymnasium, library, and kitchen, the Spring Creek Store, administrative offices, eurythmy rooms, handwork, woodwork and aftercare, and a blacksmithing/applied arts building. A smaller brick building houses the High School and the music room. High School facilities include a fine arts room, natural science lab, portable computer lab and an offsite ceramics studio.
Initially called Morning Song School and founded in 1982, Portland Waldorf School is the oldest and largest Waldorf School in the Portland metropolitan area. During the first two decades, the school moved to several different locations around the city but in 2002 purchased its current property in Milwaukie, located fifteen minutes southeast of downtown Portland. Portland Waldorf High School was founded in 1999 and graduated its first 12th grade in 2005. It is the largest Waldorf high school in the Pacific Northwest (BC, Washington, Oregon)
