Annual Giving Campaign
Receive the children in reverence. Educate them in love, Send them forth in freedom.
The surest and most lasting way to bring positive, progressive change to the world is to educate our children well.
Waldorf education was founded 100 years ago in the wake of WWI as a social movement to help foster peace, compassion, and respect for the environment around the world.
Children who are taught as whole individuals through joy, creativity, and disciplined attention develop not only the ability to think broadly and critically but also the capacity to feel deeply and to get things done.
100 years on, the world is still in need of peaceful, compassionate adults who respect and cherish all that lives around them, humans, animals, and the earth.
South Shore Waldorf School Annual Giving Campaign
The South Shore Waldorf School (SSWS) has always been known as “The Little School that Could.” From our earliest beginnings on a parent’s farm, to our move to the original Blockhouse School in the summer of 2001, to our purchase of our property in 2013, we have always relied on the support of those who share our belief that financially accessible Waldorf education is needed in this community.
There are two exciting ways in which you can support the South Shore Waldorf School & Kindergarten:
- Annual Giving Campaign
- Borrowing & Donating Circle (BDC IV)
- This year our Annual Giving Campaign runs from December 2021 until March, 2022. Our goal is to raise $35,000 with 100% participation of board, faculty, staff and current families. All donations are truly needed to help our school thrive. Even $10 can make an impact.
One of the founding principles of our school is to strive to make Waldorf education available for all who desire it. Our tuition is the lowest of any independent school in the province. The only Waldorf schools in Canada with tuition comparable to ours receive government funding (in British Columbia and Alberta). As an independent school in Nova Scotia, SSWS receives no government funding. Our tuition revenue covers about 70% of the actual cost of delivering our programs. In any given year, between 30%-40% of our school families receive tuition adjustments in the form of a work credit or a fee adjustment based on their available income.
Contributions from current and past families, their extended family members, friends and other community members who value Waldorf education are critical to helping our school meet its fundraising goals and keep Waldorf education accessible.
2. This year our Borrowing and Donating Circle (#4) supports the building of a 32-ft diameter yurt classroom to meet our growing program needs. The yurt project is already in the process of being built on our grounds. As always, our students have been fully engaged with the changes on their campus. In fact, they are so engaged that even the builders working on the base of the yurt were impressed by them.
“What a wonderful experience that was! The kids were awesome and impressive. In the past, while working on schools, when a student would walk by, they stop and stare. As soon as we talk with them they duck their heads and shy away. Not one student at Waldorf did that. They walk up and say hi or ask a question. Sometimes I would jokingly inform them they needed to come and help. Not one student declined! I have never seen so much consistent confidence in a student body. So many of them said, “Thank you for building our yurt.” It was a very positive day and experience for us.” – Jeff Whiting
This is a testament to what we see in the classrooms everyday, and it speaks to the heart of Waldorf education.
I ask you to join me in giving a gift to the 2021-2022 Annual Giving Campaign. You can make your pledge by completing the enclosed pledge form, or by contributing to our Online Campaign. All donations over $20 will receive a donation receipt for income tax purposes.
To join our fourth Borrowing & Donating Community Circle, please contact the Community Representative, Rita Landgraf, at rita.landgraf@waldorfns.org or at 902-527-7870.
How do I Make a Donation?
Online: Through CanadaHelps.org – Click Here
E-transfer: Send to payments@waldorfns.org (Please specify it’s a donation)
Mail/Cheque: South Shore Waldorf School, Box 177 Blockhouse NS B0J 1E0 (Please specify it’s a donation)
Why is the Giving Campaign necessary?
As an independent school we do not receive government funding. Tuition covers only a portion of the cost of educating a student. Our Annual Giving Campaign helps us make up the difference between the actual cost of educating each student and the tuition charged.
Why not raise tuition?
No independent school could charge the full cost of educating its students without making the cost of tuition prohibitive for all but the wealthiest parents. Hence every independent school has an annual giving appeal. One of the guiding principles at the South Shore Waldorf School is that Waldorf education should be accessible to all who want it. For this reason it is critical that we keep our tuition as low as possible. All donations over $20 will receive a donation receipt.
Who supports the Annual Giving Campaign?
The entire school community supports the Annual Campaign. Contributions come from board members, parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends and supporters of Waldorf education.
How Much Should I Give?
Whatever you are able to give. Regardless of the size of the donation, your participation in the Annual Giving Campaign demonstrates your support of the South Shore Waldorf School’s core values and mission. Every gift, no matter the amount, is received with gratitude and appreciation.
I want to encourage my family members and friends to donate. Do you have a template letter I can use?
Yes, we do! you can download it Here.
Donations So Far
[thermometer height=300 align=center trailing=false]
Thank You!
Your support is so appreciated.
