WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL!

The Dassenberg Waldorf School arose out of the initiative of parents and local community members who had long carried the ambition to start a Waldorf school in this area. Previously there had been no local school.

From the start, the vision was of a multi-cultural school, serving children from all economic and cultural backgrounds. Our area faces many challenges.
The rate of unemployment in nearby Atlantis is 40%.

Illiteracy amongst parents is high. Our aim is to uplift and enrich the local environment by providing an education accessible to all.

We feel we are meeting a real need in what is primarily a rural area. The majority of the parents of our children work in the rural, agricultural realm. As the children grow older, we intend to introduce the teaching of horticultural and rural skills.

To bridge the diversity of mother tongues (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa), we chose to use English as the medium of learning. However, both Afrikaans and Xhosa are taught as separate subjects.

In our experience, the meeting of children from such diverse backgrounds has been greatly enriching. It is bringing about the understanding of each other's lives which we believe is so important for the future development of our country.

OUR AIMS

Our aim is and has always been WALDORF; its curriculum and holistic approach enables children to grow into healthy, balanced and self-motivated adults who can apply themselves to the needs of the world at their time. The schools starts with Kindergarten and in time will span the full 12 years of education.

We wish children to develop at their own pace, free from pressure of exams, competitiveness and the over-stimulation of our time. We also wish to accommodate and value non-Englsh speakers and slow developers!

Our aim is AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL, that values quality in teaching, in pupils' work and in the school environment and will give stability and continuity to the children.

Our aim is A RURAL SCHOOL, making the most of the reality and potential of its setting.

We wish children to develop a reverence for nature and know the dignity of rural work. We wish the school to offer older children the chance to learn specific skills enabling them to make a living in rural areas, while still equipping them to master life anywhere in the world.

Our aim is A COMMUNITY SCHOOL, that is carried by teachers and parents, friends and sponsors, which will be a centre for a lively cultural and social life around it.

Our aim is A MULTI-CULTURAL SCHOOL, that reflects, treasures and contributes to the many cultures and traditions of our area.

Our aim is A SCHOOL WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME, irrespective of colour, language, creed or income.

We recognize therefore that it needs to be in an accessible location and that a sound financial model needs to be developed that also allows access for children from low incomes

WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL!

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