Grades Admissions Process

We are so glad you are interested in Orchard Valley Waldorf School. The admissions process provides the opportunity for parents to gain a fuller picture of our program and for the Admissions Committee to evaluate a student’s needs. The process is outlined below. 

We are here to answer any questions you may have and to help you with your application. Please direct all inquiries to our enrollment office via the convenient form button below or directly at (802) 456-7400 or at enrollment@ovws.org. We look forward to speaking with you!

Admissions Process for New Students

Tour our campus

The first step in the Admissions Process is to learn more about our school. We would love to host you for a tour of our beautiful campus in East Montpelier, or have a phone or zoom conversation with you.

The next scheduled tour will be:
April 17th at 3:30pm
May 11th at 9am

Please contact the Admissions Director at enrollment@ovws.org or 802-456-7400 to schedule a tour or conversation, or to RSVP for an Open House or Walkthrough Wednesday.

Apply

Please complete an application and return it with the non-refundable application fee. We will confirm receipt. 

For the 2023-24 school year, we will enroll students in Grades 1-7.
In 2024-25 and beyond, our school will enroll students in Grades 1-8.

Age Requirement for Grade 1: 6 years by June 1

You may submit an application at any time during the school year. When a space becomes available, the school will fill it from the waiting pool of applicants. We will hold an application on file for up to 2 years; you do not need to reapply each year.

Re-enrollment for current students is completed during February. We begin reviewing new applications for the upcoming school year in March.

Interview

Once an application has been received, the parent(s)/caregiver(s) will be contacted to schedule an interview with the class teacher.  We strongly encourage all parents to attend. This interview is an opportunity for parent(s)/caregiver(s) and the teacher to exchange pertinent information. The program and Waldorf pedagogy are discussed to help the family determine if the program is right for both family and child.

Visit

Following the parent interview with the class teacher, applicants in grades 2-8 are invited to spend three consecutive days visiting the appropriate class.

We prefer a 3-day visit because it usually takes until the third day for the child to relax into the rhythm of Orchard Valley and because we have found that shorter visits don’t give us a full enough picture of the child.  (We understand the potential concerns regarding missed work/absences on a child's school record at their existing school while visiting our classrooms; however, we are firm about the 3-day visitation policy. It is such a big decision and change for all involved that anything less would not serve the process.)

Please note: Due to the developmental needs of this age, children entering grade 1 do not participate in a three-day visit.

Drop-off time is 8:10 – 8:20 am, with classes beginning at 8:25 am. Dismissal is at 3:00 pm, except for Thursdays. OVWS has an early dismissal time of 2:15 pm each Thursday so our faculty can attend weekly faculty meetings.

Assessment  

A one-on-one assessment by our Support Services Coordinator will be conducted during the student visit. The assessment lasts approximately 45 minutes and takes into consideration the academic, social, and developmental progress of the student. We try to schedule the assessment on the 2nd or 3rd day of the class visit so the student is a bit more relaxed. 

The assessment helps us to prepare a transition plan for any student entering the grades mid-stream. We recognize that our curriculum and expectations are different from other schools. The assessment will help us to better inform parents in which areas their child may be ahead of the class and in which areas some extra support may be needed so that they will be able to participate fully and confidently with the rest of the class. Often, these areas tend to be in those subjects which may not have been available at an applicant’s previous school, such as handwork, strings, and world language. 

Admissions Decision

After the student visit, all of the observations are gathered and the Admissions Committee reaches a decision. Our Admissions Committee consists of the class teacher, our Support Services Coordinator, subject teachers, and the Admissions Director. Considerations include, but are not limited to: date application was received, sibling relationship to enrolled students, teacher assessment of a child’s readiness for the program, willingness of family to work with the Waldorf philosophy including the media policy, and a commitment to Waldorf education.

Parents are notified by email of the admission decision. When we have more applications than available spaces in a class, we will maintain a waiting pool. Applicants in the waiting pool are encouraged to attend public OVWS events to continue getting to know the school.

Tiered Tuition Model

Orchard Valley Waldorf School strives to be accessible to all who value and prioritize a Waldorf experience for their child while also considering the cost of education and care and ensuring a fiscally responsible budget. Accessibility to our Kindergarten and Grades 1-8 programs is made through our Tiered Tuition Model.

Families wishing to apply for Tiered Tuition should indicate this to the Admissions Director.

Finalize Enrollment

Completion of the online contract and payment of an enrollment deposit finalizes enrollment, and holds your child’s place in the class. Deposits paid will be credited toward the tuition obligation. School policy and state law require that all enrollment forms must be returned to the school prior to a student attending class.

We welcome questions from the student and family throughout the admissions process.

LEARNING ABOUT WALDORF EDUCATION

Orchard Valley offers a comprehensive Waldorf education and works hard to uphold Waldorf ideals.  There is the hope and expectation that parents at Orchard Valley will choose to educate themselves so they have a basic (or perhaps a deep) understanding of the main tenets of Waldorf education. For your child to achieve the most benefit from his/her education, it is important that parents be in agreement with and supportive of the school’s philosophy and the work teachers are doing in school.

Please visit our Why Waldorf page for more information about Waldorf education, and our Events page to learn about upcoming public events.

Orchard Valley welcomes children and families of all cultures, faiths, and creeds. Waldorf schools are not part of any church. Orchard Valley families come from a broad spectrum of religious traditions and interests.

Children with Special Needs

OVWS is happy to meet with families to assess whether we are able to meet the needs of any child with special needs. OVWS is committed to meeting each child’s social, emotional and intellectual needs, but there may be times when our scope of remedial and support services is not adequate to meet the needs of a child while balancing the needs of the class.

Orchard Valley Waldorf School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, political affiliation, or marital status in the operation of its programs or in its admissions, hiring, or financial aid decisions.