Seasonal rhythms that bring us together
K–12 EXPERIENCE
KINDERGARTEN
LOWER SCHOOL (1–5)
MIDDLE SCHOOL (6–8)
HIGH SCHOOL (9–12)
COLLEGE & BEYOND
FESTIVALS
Festivals at Gathering Waters
Festival life is an essential part of Waldorf education, offering moments throughout the year when the whole school pauses to celebrate the seasons, honor traditions, and come together as a community. These gatherings follow the rhythms of the natural world—light and dark, planting and harvest, turning inward and outward—and give students a sense of continuity and belonging.
Across the grades, festivals may look different—lantern walks, seasonal celebrations, stories, songs, or class-specific traditions that connect to the curriculum—but each one helps students feel rooted in the year’s turning and connected to one another. Through these shared experiences, students develop appreciation, reverence, and a growing understanding of the diverse human stories that shape our world.
CONNECTING PAST & FUTURE
Rose Ceremony
The Rose Ceremony is a cherished Waldorf tradition that marks key transitions each year, symbolizing the unfolding of each student’s potential. In the fall, seniors welcome first graders with a rose, and in the spring younger students offer roses to graduating seniors. Rooted in beauty, community, and intention, it honors growth while bringing the whole school together.
A CELEBRATION OF COURAGE
Fall Festival
The Fall Festival is a joyful, community-building celebration of courage, gratitude, and the harvest season. It marks our first major gathering of the year, welcoming new and returning families into an atmosphere of warmth and inclusion. Through music, storytelling, seasonal crafts, and games that spark bravery and transformation, we honor the abundance around us and fortify ourselves for the colder months ahead.
A QUIET CHANGE OF SEASON
Lantern Walk
The Lantern Walk is a quiet, heartfelt Waldorf tradition where children carry handmade lanterns into the early winter darkness, singing seasonal songs as they walk. It’s a moment for families to gather in stillness, reflect on the light we carry within, and welcome the turning of the season together.
FINDING OUR INNER LIGHT
Spiral Walk
This Waldorf tradition honors the shifting light of the season while reminding each of us to nurture our own inner light. In the lower school, each class takes a turn walking an illuminated spiral of evergreen. One by one, children journey to the center to receive a white rose and place it along the path as they exit, adding their light and beauty to the whole.
WELCOMING THE RETURNING LIGHT
Spring Festival
The Spring Festival invites our community to gather in celebration of renewal and the returning light. Rooted in May Day traditions—marking the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice—this festival echoes ancient agricultural customs that honored new growth, blossoming flowers, and the joy of coming together. At school, children learn seasonal dances, weave flower crowns, and take part in activities that reflect the energy of spring. These shared moments help bring meaning, joy, and connection to our community as we move into the brighter months ahead.
“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living.”
— Rudolf Steiner
What Our Family Council Makes Possible
BUILDING SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Family Council is the home for connection and involvement at Gathering Waters. It’s a welcoming place to meet other families, support school events, and take part in projects that strengthen our community. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there are easy ways to get involved and make a positive difference.