Applied, Fine & Performing Arts
Applied Arts
Unique to a Waldorf high school education, every student at PWHS takes weaving, bookbinding, woodworking, and blacksmithing. For some, these classes ignite a passion for hands-on craft. For all students, these practical arts lend confidence knowing they can create, fix, mend, and build with their hands.
This process requires time and a well-thought-out step-by-step process, supporting students in acquiring strong will-forces for project management as well as complex thought-forming stamina, and intricate, fine-motor skill development, which is sought after by science-minded career paths like engineering and medicine.
“Has your life gotten complicated? This is your chance to sort things out. Weaving is the antidote to a complicated life.”
Through engagement with the practical arts, students learn how conceptualization and visualization takes three-dimensional form.
Fine Arts
All students at PWHS work extensively in the visual arts and study drawing and painting every year. While all art forms are equally explored and valued in Waldorf, it is the fine arts that play an important role in the daily lives of students, developing integral skills in learning to see and discern.
Drawing is used consistently in all of the subject classes to take notes and write reports, bringing the learning alive by adding depth, dimension, and understanding to what is being studied.
Performing Arts
The performing arts hold a special place in the Waldorf high school curriculum–music and singing are central to the experience here, where every student plays an instrument, and participates in choir and theatrical performances. While the purpose of the performing arts in Waldorf matches much of its role in other schools–the mere fact that every student here is expected to sing, act, or play an instrument in front of others speaks to our commitment to stretching students to their growth potential, and asking them to access vulnerability and trust within the community.
Through this process, students learn to understand dissonance and find harmony amongst themselves–preparing them to be more compassionate listeners and problem solvers in the world.
