HomeMy WebLinkAboutRIVER SONG WALDORF SCHOOL - PDP - 11-98 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESfestivities (approximately 5) that would also take place at the school. Some of these activities occur
during school hours others would be during the evening hours. This year in November we celebrated
our Lantern Walk at the proposed site and Happy Heart farm.
It is our intention to build an attractive structure which will preserve the agricultural integrity of the
site, maintain open space, and provide enhanced wildlife habitat, all of which are intimately
intertwined within our educational philosophy. The design of the school will fit well with the
surrounding neighborhood. The school will provide an environmental learning place, native plants,
a park like atmosphere. We hope to be good neighbors and work with the neighborhood to resolve
any concerns that may arise during the development process and/or school operations.
Statement of Planning Objectives
River Song Waldorf School
Development Issues
To build a strawbale school on the northerly 2.5 acares ofthe Happy Heart Farm. The school would
be accessed from Orchard Place. No vehicular access would occur from either Plum St. or Elizabeth
St.There is no intention of extending Orchard to Timberline. The project will be phased with -total
building square footage between 9,000 and 15,900 square feet. Te first phase of the project will be
4,500 square feet and will commence upon city approval. The second phase will begin dependent
upon financing, but the intention is that thesecond phase will begin immediately following the first
phase. The second phase should be approximately 5,200 square feet.
River Song Waldorf School -
River Song Waldorf School is a locally run, self -funded, non denominational school offering
a classic liberal arts curriculum based on the Waldorf educational philosophy. (Nancy input) Waldorf
Schools are based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner, an early 20th century Austrian philosopher
and scientist. Waldorf education is recognized as one of the fastest growing, independent, non-
sectarian educational movements in the world. There are Waldorf schools in Denver, Boulder, and
Basalt in Colorado as well as throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia;
and Africa.
Mission Statement: We are a school community dedicated to offering a classical liberal arts education
which honors the whole child: hands, heart, and head. Our mission is to nurture, through Waldorf
education, full human beings who are able to impart purpose and direction to their lives.
The River Song Waldorf School in Fort Collins was founded in 1988, and is a member of the
Association of Waldorf Schools. We currently offer a Pre -Kindergarten through 5th
grade program with 91 students. Our intention is to add a grade each year with the goal of providing
a K through 8 program. Our school has operated out of the Har Shalom Synagogue since 1991. We
are anxious to now build and maintain our own school and find the Happy Heart Farm site compatible
with our needs and site requirements.
Our 1997-98 school calendar has school in session from August 27 through June 5, with the typical
holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and President's Day, spring break, Memorial Day, etc. and
additional days off for teacher conferences. Our hours of operation are 8:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. for
the Pre-k and Kindergarten programs, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the grades program, and an after
care program that runs from 12:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The staff generally arrives between 7:30 and
8:00 a.m. We currently have 7 full-time teachers and 10 staff members including specialty teachers
and administrative staff. We currently have 17 out of 60 families participating in a car-pooling
program, which reduces the number of trips to and from school. The school participates in the
SMART Trips car-pooling program provided by the city
The school has a number of parent'nights, school assemblies (approximately 5 per year), and several