Four Winds Waldorf School

30W160 CALUMET AVE W

Warrenville, IL 60555

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-7
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 12, 2022

This school is cleverly marketed but do not be fooled. We experienced prejudice and was witness to extensive disfunction.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2022

This school is in a constant state of self-preservation which takes priority over serving the child's educational and emotional needs.Student turn over is immense. Teachers are not held accountable to educational standards and children are left far behind their peers in other schools. The school utilizes policy to isolate, punish, control and exclude students and families.The faculty and administration foster toxicity and prejudice.This school is not accredited as is The Chicago Waldorf School and others.Please do not buy into the carefully scripted language and hype.
Submitted by parent on December 13, 2021

Great in theory. Unfortunately, senior leadership at this particular school rules by supremacy dictatorship. They don’t take any feedback, if a parent raises a concern of any kind, they will take it out on your child. They do not practice what they preach, no kindness or compassion of any kind-especially towards children. It happened to us, by their own co-founder nonetheless, she bullied our then 6 year old son. Don’t be misled by the 5/5 ratings here or other site reviews. Most the reviews are from leadership themselves. More of what happened to us is in their Facebook page review section.
Submitted by parent on February 20, 2020

We have two students currently enrolled in the school, and one who is an alum, and this school was exactly what our kids need/needed. Peaceful classrooms, nurturing and caring environment, and academically sound.Our oldest daughter was prepared to enter into an academically rigorous high school. She has made the honor roll every semester, and is on track to enter into Advanced Placement classes next year. And she was socially prepared for what high school would require of her!In a day when kids bemoan the classroom, our children have an excitement and joy to get to school and learn. They love the campus--playing in the forest and especially sledding in the winter!Waldorf education is a beautiful way to learn and I see our kids thriving. We would echo it over and over again, this school is worth the financial sacrifice that we make every single month!
Submitted by parent on February 18, 2020

SAFETY CONCERNS- Witnessed exterior doors propped open on multiple occasions for extended periods of time; witnessed parents walking unaccompanied into school through these open doors.- No visitor badges used in office; visitors allowed to roam unaccompanied through school building.- Main doors open for extended period during parent/toddler arrival and dismissal- Office left entirely in the care of one volunteer while director got a haircut and assistant attended a doctor’s appointment- No ice packs in first aid kit, which is inadequateHONESTY/INTEGRITY CONCERNS- We and other families were informed that both Spanish and German are offered; there is currently no German teacher and no plans to hire one. The school is understaffed in a manner that was misrepresented at first meeting. - By October, Rainbow Garden students had not yet used the expensive sheepskin mats required to be purchased for rest time.- School director had a loud and personal argument on the phone in the office with her husband to the point that the first grade teacher entered the office and asked for quiet.- Cash boxes for sales of fundraising items left in the care of volunteersPRIVACY CONCERNS- HIPPAA violations (legal concern) — one volunteer was asked to file which students and staff had life-threatening allergies (using private medical data to do so), while another volunteer was given private medical information including the vaccination statuses of students.FINANCIAL CONCERNSGiven the tuition rate, it is astonishing that needs like a new roof and promised staff levels can not be met. The school was presented as being financially solvent, which does not seem to be the case at all.
Submitted by parent on September 14, 2018

The school sounds all warm and fuzzy and we were blinded by the bs we were fed by the website and should have done our research on what this place really is. Again, after what we went through and the issues and the occult focus there, we have only deep regret we did not open our eyes sooner and get out. And again, these multiple positive reviews: they must be fake is all I have to say. Been there, and it is not that.
Submitted by parent on January 28, 2018

If you are looking for a play based preschool, Four Winds is the Gold Standard! My daughter is 3 1/2 years old. She began the 5-day program this year, and she could not be happier. “You know, Mom, my school makes my life happy” she told me last week. There is no better endorsement than that! I initially looked into Four Winds after 3 word of mouth recommendations. I knew that I wanted my daughter to gain valuable socialization skills. I also knew I wanted her to be able to be a kid, to play, to use her body, and to grow her joy in the world. I wanted her to be in a mixed-aged group, as I feel that is essential to development in the 3-6 year range, and I wanted an experience for her that is personal, one in which she feels connected to and loved by the kids and grown ups she interacts with. There is a concerted effort to meet the “person” in every child at Four Winds. Every meeting is greeted with a handshake, eye-to-eye contact, and a verbal welcoming. The children watch the parents and teachers welcome each other and interact. These seem like simple acts, but they convey and reinforce a determination to participate fully in life and community. In the 5 months that my daughter has been a part of this school I have seen her independence, joy, attention, creativity, vocabulary and language skills, and discipline grow tenfold. She carries home with her the lessons of the day and retells them with vigor. She has memorized lengthy songs and stories, and creates her own stories, songs, plays, and puppet shows at home. I also find important the commitment to play, especially outdoors. The school has a forest, a sled hill, a sand pit, and playground, and as long as it is over 10 degrees, they are outside every day. School supply lists are made up of appropriate weather gear for sledding rather than “desk type” supplies. There is a focus on 3-dimensional learning – learning by “willing” or doing, rather than sitting and watching. All the senses are engaged. This school is truly a hidden gem. It is no wonder that parents travel from far reaching suburbs to bring their children here.
Submitted by parent on January 26, 2018

I was a public school, latch key kid. No one really checked on me to make sure I was doing my homework assignments - of which there were many but not nearly what it is today in terms of volume and demand. Each parent hopefully asks themselves if the way forward is the best chance to mold their children into what they wish for them to become in life ---successful, happy, charitable ? Each parent defines those ends differently.I learned from my public school experience two key things - 1) how to memorize concepts for testing and 2) which way to take home to avoid bullies.There will be people that chafe at the way concepts are taught at the Waldorf School because it is 'unconventional', in that it's not like the public school experiences we remember. Unconventional in this case is not bad at all. When you take the long view and look at the school's alumni, the faculty can take great pride from it. Now, it is ultimately the responsibility of a family to nurture character, but the school's philosophy ascribes to character deeply. It took some convincing for me, and I had no reason not to embrace something different. There is a functional way to learn that doesn't require several hours of homework a night and moreover, to allow your children to be children. We as adults often look back at our childhood so fondly because we were carefree and imaginative. Creativity is sewn here and the learning that comes from it. I'm not merely a proud parent, but proud too to be a member of this small community and have made many a good friend over these years.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2018

This is such an amazing school! I love the philosophy, and am so happy my children get to experience their education here! I am happy they are outdoors everyday and they are taught their math and science through the arts in a gentle way where they will actually absorb it, not just memorize something to forget it later. They are allowed to be children without the commercialization or over-exposure to media. My children are reliant on their own imaginations and ideas to probelm-solve and learn everyday in a complimentary environment.
Submitted by other on July 11, 2017

I was a student at this school for four years. Let me start by saying the curriculum does not prepare students for life and education after Waldorf. Math and science are barely taught at all. Math lessons only skim the surface of the most rudimentary concepts. Science lessons teach things that are objectively false. What history is taught is also mostly false. Myths and legends are taught as fact and rather than actually teaching the history of non-European countries and cultures, students are simply taught offensive stereotypes. Students aren't taught to read and write until about 2nd grade, and parents are encouraged not to allow them to learn before that point. Once the basics of reading are out of the way, things like reading comprehension and critical thinking aren't even touched on. Because of this, by the time I graduated, many of my classmates could barely spell and could not read at an 8th-grade level. Students leave this school completely unprepared for real education.On top of that, this school will bleed you dry. They seem to be in constant financial trouble and call on parents to donate more and more money in addition to the already-high tuition costs. The other reviewer who brought this up is correct: they *do* treat children better the more money their parents give to the school.I don't know if it's changed since my time there, but when I was a student, safety was a major problem. Students had little to no adult supervision outside of the classroom, there were many safety hazards that the administration did not do anything about even when parents complained, and random people would often wandered across school grounds.
Submitted by parent on January 24, 2017

My children are at this school and I think it is great. The pace is much more in line with what school was like when I was a kid. I also like the smaller class sizes as any academic issues that arise are quickly addressed. My daughter and another student have fallen behind in reading and their teacher offered to meet with them after school once a week and once a week during the school day to do individualized tutoring without asking for a fee. My daughter is still catching up to her class but her confidence has greatly improved. My children love to be at school and are excited about learning. The environment is safe and I don't feel worried about the social issues that can arise in public school. I feel like this school is an extension of our family and I'm grateful it exists. I can't imagine having my kids go anywhere else for school.
Submitted by other on September 01, 2016

As a former student, I can tell you that this school is, in essence, non-functional. Money problems and other crises plague to community and as for the education itself, there is almost no supervision of teachers. My teacher, in particular, often did not plan his lessons before hand and did not follow the curriculum at all. When transitioning to high school, I found that my test taking skills were basically none, by knowledge of terminology (whether it regard math or english) was completely nonexistent. I had amazing reasoning capabilities, but my first math test proved to be nearly impossible as, even though I knew how derivatives worked, I had never actually connected the concept with the correct terminology. Due to a lack of proper testing, my spelling, to this day, is absolutely atrocious as I was never taught even the most simple of words.In addition to this, the complete lack of supervision meant that my teacher bullied me consistently through my time at the school and did nothing when others followed suit (though I must admit that other students were even worse affected that I was). Along with this comes the fact that this school gives a preference to anyone who is willing to give them money, and their children are treated accordingly.Another great issue with this school is the education philosophy itself. In a world where technology and standardized testing are no longer optional, and may dictate a child's future, the policy of no technology is out dated, and the no test policy is downright dangerous. Despite claims that 6th 7th and 8th grade students will take standardized tests, this rule was never enforced, to the point that after my initial test in 6th grade (which i failed miserably due to the fact that I had literally never taken a multiple choice test before and lacked any skills like time management or any form of test taking skill), my first standardized test was in my first year of high school. The "whole child"philosophy, though completely appropriate in elementary school and kindergarten, becomes entirely useless once eighth graders are asked to line up and go to painting class where they are still taught by hearing tales of fairies and gnomes.In short, a lack of supervision, experience, and refusal to move with the times makes Four Winds Waldorf a completely ineffective and possibly harmful school which may have long standing effects.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2016

My daughter, 8 years old, has always been a good student but we felt she wasn’t getting the social support she needed at her crowded, academic heavy public school. We also observed her imagination and boundless creativity being stifled by the rigorous academic schedule. She began struggling with doing homework and completing writing assignments. She became stressed out and even depressed in the evenings and started begging me to let her stay home. She never wanted to go to school and would often cry before and after. We made the difficult decision to transfer her mid-year of 2nd grade to Four Winds. Within a couple of weeks, we started to see our joyful daughter come back to us. Now she LOVES school and can’t wait to go. The school seems to awaken a love of life and nature in the children and a genuine curiosity. She is constantly over-flowing with ideas and asking questions about the world around her. She decided, on her own, to stop watching TV and playing video games! She told me that she has more important things to do with her time. She is busy constantly writing stories, playing imaginary games in her room, exploring outside, jumping rope, singing and even enjoys doing chores around the house. (!)Four Winds does much less academic work in the classroom than public schools. The 2nd graders a little behind on reading but I’m confident they will catch up. It’s whole child education. So lots of fine art and outdoor play. As a result Four Winds kids are eager to learn - they learn quickly and retain information easily. In the spring they learned an entire 30 minute play in verse. It was pages and pages of poetic dialogue and they presented it beautifully. My daughter still knows the lines perfectly. I would even venture to say they are ahead in math. My daughter learned and grasped the concept of multiplication and division in one day! She rattled a few tables off in the car on the way home…I couldn’t believe it. I could honestly go on and on about all the things that make this school exceptional. Their spiritual, loving, calm, patient and whole child approach just works. The kids are the proof. When you tour the school, talk to the kids...you will see what I mean.
Submitted by parent on November 02, 2015

Amazing school. The teachers, parents, and kids are so welcoming and kind. The kids learn through many different ways, including art, music, body movement, and field trips, in addition to the classical ways of reading and writing. I highly recommend!
Submitted by parent on March 09, 2015

My child was lost in a class of 34 at the public school. Now she is thriving in a small school setting with low student/teacher ratios. The students at Four Winds are focused on their love of learning rather than learning how to take a test. I can't say enough about the multi-sensory learning approach, the fieldtrips, the class plays, the parental involvement and the festivals. Four Winds Waldorf School is a true community.
Submitted by other on November 21, 2014

Writing as an alumni of Four Winds (class of '07), I can fully attest to the superb quality of education and personal care given to each and every student. With education based in the arts, Four Winds really teaches students not what to think, but how to think and how to learn. It's been my experience that Four Winds alums learn fast and can excel in almost any field. In public high school, myself and my fellow alums graduated with high honors (I got top 2% of a 600+ class) and many of us are either already employed or are pursuing a wide variety of degrees from music composition to software engineering and beyond.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2014

My daughter attended a highly ranked public school. In 3rd grade her teacher hinted we test her for ADHD and soon after she was on medication with a 504 plan. I watched her wither in the world of "teach to the test". Finally, we moved her in 5th grade to Four Winds and my only regret is we didn't move her sooner. She is now in an experiential learning environment which encompasses and values the arts, humanities, languages, science and math. Within 3 months of being at Four Winds we were able to take her off her ADHD medication. I asked her if she had troubles focusing on the lesson and she replied "no, it's interesting and fun". She has much less homework and as such, has time to really work through problems and solve them on her own vice rush through just to get everything finished. There aren't a lot of tests so how do I know she's learning? She comes home and discusses with great interest the topics they cover. Last night she shared experiments they conducted in school. When they were studying the ancient Greeks she pointed out various aspects of Greek architecture as we drove. The list goes on. She now LOVES school and learning.
Submitted by other on October 24, 2014

I would highly recommend Four Winds to anyone who is looking for a holistic and truly enriched educational experience for their child. The value of learning for the sake of learning and personal growth cannot be stressed enough.
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2014

I highly recommend this school to anyone with pre-K through grade 8 children. It is an outpost of educational sanity in the midst of a public education system that is too often focused on ensuring that the classroom and school experience result in good test scores rather than actual mastery of the subject matter and the ability to think and learn independently. I have two children who attend and they are thriving. We wanted our kids in a Waldorf school because of the arts- based, developmentally appropriate approach to education. Four Winds has a nurturing, positive environment that honors childhood and respects each individual child. The faculty and staff do a wonderful job and the overall community is diverse, caring and fun. I also really love that music, art, being physically active and out in nature are part of every school day instead of being an afterthought or constantly at risk of being cut because these things are too often not seen as important.
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2014

Our son started in the mixed age kindergarten class this December. From the moment we walked through the doors for the initial visit, we have never second guessed our decision to transfer our son in the middle of a school year. We feel as if we have joined a family, who have just as much interest as we do in seeing our son develop into an inquisitive, intelligent caring young man over the next 10 years. We love that the faculty takes the time to know the family not just the child and that many events include the entire family. We have no doubt that while at that Four Winds pour son will learn the skills to become a free- thinker and problem solver, able to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. But the most important thing is that in just a few months his self confidence, vocabulary and awareness of the needs of those around him have blossomed. And after only attending for two weeks, he announced to everyone " bye mommy, my friends need me". What else is there to say?