For Chiaki Uchiyama, each day begins by opening the main entrance to Cedarwood Waldorf School and greeting the children and parents individually, by name. “This is a wonderful way to start the day, as each smile warms my heart,” says the school’s Pedagogical Director.

Established on the educational tenets of philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Cedarwood aims to invigorate the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, artistic and spiritual capabilities of students as they move through important stages of their development. From early childhood through Grade 8, compassionate and invested teachers nurture their pupils like seeds, encouraging them to explore their potential through progressive curriculum and welcoming classroom environments.

“We allow children to meet the world through play and hands-on experiences,” she explains. “All the learning content becomes like a friend for them and their power of imagination is kept intact. As the students mature and their consciousness develops, they begin to objectively understand the world through observation, comparison, analysis and synthesis. Through this ‘bottom-up’ learning, students are able to form a ‘living knowledge’, rather than being forced to memorize ‘lifeless concepts’.”

Uchiyama knows the world can be exhausting and leave people feeling helpless, but in each and every student, she sees the capacity for a brighter future. “In order to transform the world, we need ethical individuals who know how to work with others, who can think outside the box, and who can create unity through compassion, responsibility and freedom.”

“Children are like starry light upon the earth, filled with love, resiliency and innate wisdom. As teachers, it is our responsibility to nurture and maintain their light so that, in adulthood, they can shine it into the world and make it a better place.”

CEDARWOOD WALDORF SCHOOL

3030 SW SECOND AVE. | PORTLAND, OR, 97201 | CEDARWOODSCHOOL.ORG | 503.245.1477