PIONEER VALLEY WALDORF SCHOOL ASSOCIATION INC

The Hartsbrook School was founded in 1981 in South Amherst by a group of parents and supporters of the Waldorf education movement. Located in a house on the property of a biodynamic farm, the fledgling institution included one teacher and a handful of kindergarteners.Today, the Hartsbrook School continues to thrive enrolling over 260 students from early childhood through grade twelve at our campus in Hadley. Our 54-acre campus, with pastoral views of farmland, woodlands, streams, and the Seven Sisters hills of the Holyoke Range, enhances and deepens our students' daily experiences. We integrate the vibrant cultural and intellectual life of the Five College area with a strong commitment to living sustainably and in community here in western Massachusetts. Our faculty and staff are a multi-generational group who strive to support each other in our shared work.The inspiration of our founding teachers continues to guide the direction of our school today. We take our mission seriously – our faculty and staff are “dedicated to nurturing the unique spirit of each child. Our program from early childhood through the high school integrates academic, artistic and practical work to awaken clarity of thought, warmth of heart, and strength of purpose. Through joy in learning, kinship with nature, and working in community we prepare students to meet the challenges of the future and to find purpose and direction in their lives."