Westside Waldorf School Begins Classes on High Note

With the summer season all but over, the back-to-school excitement mixed with apprehension remains potent among students and educators. Youngsters may experience anticipation as well as some anxiety encountering new teachers and classmates, educators may feel a mix of optimism and concern about their academic goals and parents may simply struggle with getting their kids up early after months of sleeping late.

In the Pacific Palisades, the l opened its doors shortly after Labor Day with high expectations for the coming year.

 “It is always thrilling on the first day of school to see all the bright, expectant new faces joining us for the first time, as well as the excitement in the eyes and laughter in the air from all our returning students,” said Gita Labrentz, the school’s director.

In an era when many schools are failing, struggling with academic mandates, increased class sizes or financial difficulties, the Westside Waldorf School continues to make positive strides. With two campuses and 242 students, the school is enjoying its highest enrollment in its 25-year history.

“Since moving to the McComb Campus at the site of the old Santa Ynez Inn on Sunset, Westside Waldorf School has undergone a renaissance,” Labrentz said. “Our early grades are full to capacity with wait pools forming.”

Another dramatic change to the school is the recent addition of a , which was installed with the aim of providing much-needed safety to the immediate area. After many years of tense negotiations and escalating construction costs, the school raised enough money to erect the light in July and secured a certificate of permanent occupancy.

Parent and school board trustee Jeff Beall helped spearhead fundraising efforts. “Obviously, the installation of the traffic signal is a big upgrade for the school and for the neighborhood,” he said. “But the traffic signal stands for something far bigger than just a job well done: It’s a declaration that the Westside Waldorf School is here to stay.”

Forging more ties with the surrounding community comes in part from the school’s recent Stewardship Program.

“It grows from the idea that our children should be good stewards of all that surrounds us—ourselves and our neighbors, the land, the air, our campus and the world beyond,” said Labrentz.

One way students do that is through a vigorous recycling program, including collecting trash on Sunset Boulevard before their morning classes and cleaning the beach in the afternoon, added Labrentz. They also adopted a bus stop near the school.

“It’s exciting to see that, now that the traffic signal has been installed, we will be able to turn people’s attention to that which we do best: educating our students to help them become the creative, compassionate, intelligent individuals that our world so desperately needs,” said Beall.

• For more information about the Westside Waldorf School, .

Be sure to follow Pali Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.