How to Apply

Hello and welcome to the Berkshires!

We’re excited to welcome you to Berkshire Waldorf School, a Toddler through Eighth Grade Waldorf school located in the Muhhekunneauw (Muh-he-con-ok, or Mohican) homelands of Western Massachusetts.

In 2021, we celebrated BWS’s 50th anniversary by welcoming a new threefold Leadership Team, and adding outdoor learning cottages to our two Waldorf classroom buildings, meadows, woods, river, and biodynamic gardens, which make our campus a beautifully indoor-outdoor, four season environment.

BWS is a treasure, truly a game-changer for children and families.

-Holly Henderson-Fisher

Berkshire Waldorf School is an “all-weather school” for First Grade through Middle School, and our Early Childhood programs offer indoor/outdoor learning for children starting at eighteen months.

To get started, click on your child’s program link below to create an account in Ravenna and access our online inquiry.

Current Year Admissions

We offer rolling admissions for Grade School and Middle School students throughout the school year, where spots are available. Current school year (2023-24) applications close temporarily from August 1 to September 30, as we onboard enrolled students, and reopen October 1. To check availability in your child’s program, please scroll down and click on your student’s program level to create an inquiry in our parent portal.

Fall 2024 Admissions

Applications for the 2024-25 school year open November 1, 2023. Click on your student’s program level below to get started. Note that Tuition Support is a separate, parallel process to the school application. Both school and tuition support applications for Fall 2024 are due on or before February 1, 2024. Apply early for best availability.

Get to Know Us

Visitors say pictures (or a thousand words) are no match for feeling the spirit of the school and the land in person. All seasons in the Berkshires are a lovely time to tour our indoor and outdoor classrooms, and see the school in action. You’re invited!

For an overview of holidays and school and community events, refer to our Calendar.

Planning Your Visit

As part of your exploration, plan to join one of our “BWS Community Cafe” tours (adults only), Wednesday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Register in your Ravenna hub (starting October 1) or send us a quick email to request another date (admissions@berkshirewaldorfschool.org).

Wednesday tour dates available:

You’re warmly invited to our annual Holiday Handcraft Fair Veteran’s Day weekend (Saturday November 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and our traditional May Day festival (May 1, 11 a.m.). We hope you’ll join us!

For more details about visiting and how to apply, continue on to the bottom of this page. Thanks for your interest in Berkshire Waldorf School. Go Bobcats!

Berkshire Waldorf students learn through their senses and through discovery, participating with the whole school community in festivals like May Day.

Early Childhood (18 mos-6 years)

Children are eligible to join our 2024-25 Early Childhood classes if they will be at least 18 months old by September 1, 2024. We offer Toddler Nursery or Nursery for children 18 months through 4, and mixed-age Kindergarten for children who will turn 5 or 6 during the school year. At Berkshire Waldorf School, depending on your child’s birth date, they may spend several consecutive years in Early Childhood, and turn 6 during their final year of Kindergarten, prior to joining First Grade the following fall.

Get Started for Early Childhood

Parent-Child Garden (4 mo – 3 yrs)

Parent-Child classes are for young children who attend weekly classes with a parent or caregiver. There are three age ranges: 4 months to walking, 1-2 years and 2-3+ years. This is a warm welcome to school for parents and children alike. To register for year-round sessions, visit Parent-Child Garden. 

Start my Inquiry for Parent-Child

I just want to say how much we’ve loved being part of the BWS community so far—we feel very lucky to have gotten a spot in the kindergarten, which our son absolutely loves. He’s excited about school every day, even with the cold weather.

  – Kindergarten Parent
First Graders learn by doing and through their imaginations, as they become a community.

First Grade

Your child is eligible for First Grade during the 2024-25 school year if they turn 6 by September 1, 2024. An interview, First Grade screening and current teacher’s reference are also part of the application.

Join us for live events such as “Looking Forward to Grades School” (for families with children transitioning from Early Childhood to the Grades), “Looking Forward to Middle School” and “Getting Started in School” (for families with children starting school for the first time). Once event dates are posted in the Fall, you’ll be able to RSVP in your Ravenna Parent Portal. We look forward to seeing you!

Get Started for First Grade
Grade School students learn in vibrant classrooms – indoors and out – with their teacher’s colorful chalkboard drawings and stories. They make their own main lesson books, writing and drawing (and building a house in Third Grade!) all they learn.

Elementary Grades 2-5

Waldorf education is based on each child’s developmental stage, so at Berkshire Waldorf School, your student’s elementary grade level is determined by their birth date rather than their skill level. However, for students coming from programs outside Waldorf Education, we will also consider each child’s individual experience.

Get Started for Grades 2-5
Middle School students journey with their teachers on a voyage of discovery through ancient cultures to modern times – highlighted by adventures through Berkshire County and beyond. Here, the Class of 2023 meets at our favorite ice cream spot in Great Barrington.

Middle School Grades 6-8

Berkshire Waldorf School’s adventurous Middle School program builds on the strong foundation of Elementary School, advancing to a high level of personal and social responsibility, accountability, and individual and class expectations.

Get Started for Grades 6-8
Ready for their next adventure, High School.

High School, Grades 9-12

For inquiries and admissions for students ages 14-18 (Grades 9-12) at our sibling school, Berkshire Waldorf High School in Stockbridge, MA, contact Admissions Director Samantha Stier at admissions@berkshirewaldorf.com or 413-298-3800.

Discover more about how to apply here.

1. How to Apply to BWS: Meet


Here’s how to get started exploring Waldorf education for your family.

 

2. How to Apply to BWS: Complete an Application

2023-24 or 2024-25 School Year Applications

Want to Start with an Inquiry?

Get started by creating an account and an inquiry on our parent platform. This puts you under no obligation, but does make it easier for us to keep in touch. You’ll also be able to register for events there once they open, and you’ll have everything you need in one place, when you’re ready to go ahead with your child/ren’s application to school. 

Tuition Cost

Tuition Support

School Visit

Once you complete your child’s application and provide any supporting documents, it’s time to schedule your family visit to BWS.

3. How to Apply to BWS: Meet the Teacher

After your student’s application materials are complete, we’ll arrange a personal visit with their prospective BWS teacher. (Early Childhood students will meet with a member of the Early Childhood faculty; Grades School students often meet with their prospective Class and a Subject teacher.)

ADMISSIONS NOTIFICATION: We’ll do our best to notify you of your child/ren’s admissions status and any tuition support award at the same time. Enroll ASAP to reserve your child’s spot, since availability is limited.

Want to learn more?

Please click the appropriate button above to create your account, tell us a little more about your child or children, and begin a conversation. Reach BWS Admissions Director Robyn Coe at admissions@berkshirewaldorfschool.org or reserve a time for a video chat right here.

Thank you, and we look forward to getting to know your family!

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