Waldorf 101: PARENT INFORMATION Events
We’ve curated this collection of Parent Information Events (P.I.E!) to welcome new families, and partner with current families whose children are growing into the next stage of their development. Join us to learn more about the “how, when and whys” of Waldorf Education that your family will cherish for a lifetime.

Learning to Become Yourself!
Looking Forward to Middle School *
WED January 15, 2025, 8:30-9:30 a.m. EST
Starting with coffee in the Jean Zay Memorial Library (BWS Grades School building), this in-person event is for current and prospective families whose children will be entering Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Grades in September 2025 (and those looking into the future). Meet teachers and administrators to learn more about our Middle School curriculum and programs, and how they uniquely meet your student’s growing understanding, skill and curiosity. Then we’ll cap off the morning with a visit to Middle School classes in progress.
Adults only, please. Register in your Ravenna family portal, or email Admissions Director Robyn Coe (admissions@berkshirewaldorfschool.org) to learn more.
*For caregivers applying to Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Grade for your student, please complete the tour, “Looking Forward to Middle School” and “Becoming a Berkshire Waldorf Family” as prerequisites to your child’s teacher interview.

Becoming a Berkshire Waldorf Family*
WED February 12, 2025 8:30-9:30am
Berkshire Waldorf School teachers make a bold commitment: to partner with you to nurture your child’s healthy learning and growing for a lifetime.

This live, in-person event is for current and prospective parents and caregivers whose children will be entering school for the first time, who are considering moving to Waldorf Education, or who want to deepen their understanding of what it means to become a Waldorf family. Hosted by the BWS Leadership Team, this lively conversation unpacks the cultural aspects of joining Berkshire Waldorf School, a learning community based on warmth, connection and mutual support. We’ll also discuss how to make the most of your brief and unforgettable journey through Early Childhood and the Grades.
Click the button below to register in Ravenna. All current and prospective caregivers, friends and family are warmly welcome. Adults only, please.
*As part of your child’s application, we ask prospective parents and caregivers to complete both the school visit (Coffee, Tea & Tour) and “Becoming a Berkshire Waldorf Family” as prerequisites in addition to–and preferably prior to–your family interview with the teachers, since this experience will inform many aspects of your discussion.
Register for all Events in Ravenna
To learn more about our school tours and events, jump to School Visits.
Priority applications for the 2025-26 school year are open now, and both school and financial aid applications are due February 1, 2025.
Last but not least, please save the date for our festive May Day, always May 1 at 11:00 am, when our whole community joins on the school green to celebrate Spring in the Berkshires. Thanks for joining us!

BWS Holiday Handcraft Fair is Coming Nov 16!
Fair News Flash: The Auction is OPEN! Bring your gift list and bid on your favorite Berkshire fun and treats through November 17.
Sharing the Delights of a Creative Family Holiday
Our 52nd annual gift to the community, Berkshire Waldorf School families, teachers and students come together to create a festive Holiday atmosphere, making tiny gifts for the Little Peoples’ Shop and the Pocket Fairy, transforming each class in the Grades School building into a magical realm to explore. Meanwhile, many elves are busily knitting squares to form this year’s unique Community Afghan.

For more information, contact 413-528-4015 or fair@berkshirewaldorfschool.org

For the Child in Us All
Early Childhood teachers perform a puppet story, featuring their own handcrafted puppets, with two performances during the day.
Other Fair highlights include the Children’s Craft Room where youngsters can make their own presents, “Sweet Spot,” an interactive game with live musicians (and desserts for prizes!) and the Pocket Fairy, whose many pockets are filled with small surprises.

Treats for All Ages
The Berkshire Country Store stocks artisanal and gourmet treats, and our lunchroom, Rudy’s Diner, serves lunch, warm drinks and homemade desserts.

Shop for one-of-a-kind handmade items in the Handcraft Room, and bid for gifts and prizes in the Raffle Room.
Holiday Handcraft Fair magic continues in our online auction of gifts, experiences, memberships and services. Click the button below to view and bid, and have fun planning your next adventures! Handcraft Fair Auction proceeds benefit Berkshire Waldorf School Tuition Assistance programs.
Online auction bidding opens the week before Fair day, November 10 at 10:00 am, and closes Sunday, November 17 at 9:00 pm, so don’t wait to bid on your treasures.

Thanks for bringing your whole family over to play at the BWS Holiday Handcraft Fair! Free entry and parking; rain or shine.
Happy Holidays!
Berkshire Waldorf School’s curriculum of academic excellence–activated with movement, music, outdoor learning and the arts–has been preparing students to achieve their full potential for 53 years. The school welcomes Fall 2025 applications for students 18 months through Eighth Grade starting November 1, and offers generous tuition support for qualified families.
Sharing the Solar Eclipse with Young Children
Sharing the solar eclipse with young children offers a rare opportunity to help your child learn that they can stay safe and grounded, even when something extraordinary happens.
Learning Through the Senses
For the young child, every day is a celebration.
Young children experience the world through their senses. They feel the light and warmth of the sun through their bodies. They marvel at the sun’s power to wake up plants and birds, chase the clouds away and peel off our winter coats.
Celebrate the Good
In Early Childhood classes at Berkshire Waldorf School, we celebrate all that’s good in the world: the beautiful light of the sunrise, food prepared with so much care, the children’s community of loving family, the safe embrace of Mother Nature, and so much more.

Instead of Explaining…
In our modern world, we focus on the scientific, material aspect of things. We tend to understand phenomena like a solar eclipse through intellectualized explanations. However, giving children rational explanations prematurely can contribute to confusion, anxiety and hypervigilance. It pulls little ones out of the developmental space where the world makes sense to them because they can experience it with their senses. The sages of old knew to meet events like this with the same wonder and reverence as other cosmic events.
Waldorf Education founder Rudolf Steiner writes about how children’s feelings during such moments are the same as what we could call “religious feelings” in an adult.
Focus on Experience
So instead of looking up during the time of the eclipse, how about we look down?
I invite you to tap into your inner quiet during the time of the eclipse, and observe your children and nature. How does the light and the mood change? Look for shadows and light. How are your pets behaving? And what about the other animals that might live in your backyard? The crows, the geese? Are the birds singing? Are the bees buzzing? How do the flowers and trees change? Is your child getting a bit clingy, or are they oblivious to what is happening in nature? Let the experience resonate without a verbal explanation.
Highlight with Gratitude
We can take this opportunity to give gratitude to the Sun and the Moon for sharing their light with us. How about planting some flowers for the bees, who are sometimes called “light workers”? Sunshine soup for dinner? Moon cakes (aka pizza or tortillas)? How about a candle for the moon and a candle for the sun, to give thanks for their life-giving light? These are just a few thoughts to fuel your imagination.
A solar eclipse is so much more than one celestial body passing in front of the other and blocking the light, it’s an opportunity to share the wonder of the world with our children.

PIE! Parent Info Events START 11/29
You’re invited for some special PIE (parent info events, aka parent education), on the menu at BWS between Thanksgiving & Holiday Break! We are grateful to be together, in the spirit of learning and community. Bon apetit!

Waldorf 101: How, When & Why Waldorf Education Works
Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Join experienced Berkshire Waldorf School teachers Alessandra Profumo and Lynn Arches for an inspiring overview of how, when and why Waldorf teachers bring the “3 Rs” to students in ways that create lasting learning and meaning, not just rote memorization.


Free; all welcome. We will meet in person in the school library. Bring your questions! Bring a friend! Adults only, please.
*PRO TIP: For real insight, we invite you to experience the school in action at our “Coffee, Tea and Tour” the same morning, WED 11/29, or the following week, WED 12/6, starting in the Library (Grades School building), from 8:30-9:30 a.m. For more info or to register, email Admissions Director Robyn Coe at admissions@berkshirewaldorfschool.org.
Since You Asked: Why We Do What We Do
Friday, Dec. 1 | 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Join veteran teacher and Berkshire Waldorf School Council of Teachers Chairperson Krista Palmer for a conversation about how BWS teachers meet the whole child, according to Rudolf Steiner’s indications on child development.
Mrs. Palmer will give an overview and answer your questions about the incarnating child from birth through adolescence, continuing her primer (begun at our “Looking Forward to the Grades” meeting in November) around the “Whys” of Waldorf Education and the philosophical understanding BWS teachers work from. Don’t miss this!


Winter Tips & Tools for Prevention and Wellness
Monday, Dec. 4 | 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Join licensed acupuncturist, Berkshire Waldorf School alum and Board member Emily Kasten to learn basic acupressure, Chinese medical massage techniques, plus simple herbal and kitchen remedies for immune support, wellness and recovery.