What is included?

Our community offerings continue to grow each year! Lotus & Ivy is so much more than a program that sells Zoom lessons. The Waldorf curriculum is so rich, pre-recorded lessons alone could never do it justice. We know our students need a community to celebrate the seasons and festivals with, the experience of rites of passage, feedback and encouragement, classmates and teachers who love them, and a sense of belonging. And our Grown-ups need support and collaboration.

When you enroll with Lotus & Ivy, even if just for one class, you are part of our community and we invite you to join us for our virtual festival events, our in-person events, our rites of passage events, our Grown-Up Education events, and our Grown-Up social events.

Parents are offered one-on-one Zoom conferences with the teacher each semester, along with three or four class Grown-Up Meetings with the teacher each year.

Student reports are provided in Main Lesson classes in grades K-4 as our teachers take special care to reflect on each student individually. Block reports are provided for each student in grades 5 - 10. Our teachers provide feedback on assignments turned in and provide formal grades beginning in 7th grade. Our high school students receive unofficial transcripts.

Our mission is to have an in-person Pod for every virtual student and we are adding new Pods across the United States every year.

What are Complements?

In addition to Main Lesson Classes and Math & Language Arts Skills Classes, we offer Complements. Complements classes enrich the educational experience by providing the other pieces that make the Waldorf curiculum so full and nourishing, like world languages, handwork, practical arts, painting & drawing, and more.

Many of our Complements classes start at $50 per month and may be taken a la carte.

Why do you celebrate Festivals and Seasons?

These special festivals, or holidays, are integral to the rhythm of life and the passing of the seasons. In celebrating seasonal holidays, the goal is to develop in the child (and adult) a sense of the rhythm of the seasons, the passage of time and a sense that there is something bigger than himself. Our lives are seasonal as we go through ups and downs, and it’s important for us to remember that seasons change and time passes, so we are never in a “down season” forever. Celebrating the rhythm of the year helps us remember this truth.

What does Waldorf-inspired mean to us?

At Lotus & Ivy, we provide an educational experience that is developmentally appropriate, experiential, academically rigorous, and nourishing for the whole child, “head, heart, and hands.” Our methodologies center around brain development as our curriculum is designed to teach to the four realms of thinking: academic, imaginative, moral, and awe-inspiring. (You can read more about the four realms of thinking here: https://www.lotusandivy.com/l-i-waldorfinspired-blog/2021/12/28/what-is-your-goal-for-each-lesson.

In Kindergarten through Class 5, children think and remember pictorially. In Class 6, around the age of twelve, there is a shift in how children process information. They begin to think more abstractly, logically, and intellectually, like adults. Our curriculum strengthens this natural progress of cognitive development.

Lotus & Ivy teachers integrate the arts in all academic disciplines for students from preschool through Class 12 to enhance and enrich learning. The arts take many forms, such as singing, playing music, drawing, painting, storytelling, building, modeling, creating, experimenting, dancing, and other forms of movement. Not only are the arts an integral part of the academic curriculum, but also positively impact students emotionally.

Our teachers set intentions each day to inspire a life-long love of learning in all students and support them to develop their unique capacities fully. We believe the key to becoming a lifetime learner is to make education meaningful.

Drawing, painting, music, drama, writing, literature, legends, and myths are more than just subjects to read. They must be experienced. Through these experiences, our students cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world.

What is the Lotus & Ivy view on diversity, equity, and inclusion?

The teachers and staff of Lotus & Ivy are committed to being a safe place for people of diverse backgrounds to be both welcomed and appreciated. We strive to bring students the experience of individuality, shared humanity, and equality to all of the world’s people–transcending stereotypes, prejudices, and divisive barriers. We strive for the rich stories that make up our curricula to be a window from which students see themselves in the stories, as well as develop empathy for others.

We consider racism and any form of discrimination to be unacceptable. We fundamentally reject any view which questions the equal value of every individual. We explicitly reject any racial doctrine attributed to or inferred from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner or any other person.

What is the Main Lesson?

The Main Lesson is the academic cornerstone of each day. The Main Lesson is planned around a block system that lasts from three to six weeks. This unique period gives students time for in-depth exploration of mathematics, sciences, language arts, and social studies. For example, in Class 4, students have a four-week Norse mythology Main Lesson, then move on to Human & Animal (a study similar to Zoology during which students study animal anatomy and behavior with comparisons to the human being.)

*Lotus & Ivy teachers bring nine Main Lesson blocks to students for the entire academic program year for each class. Our teachers use class time three days a week to teach Main Lesson content, and then they send assignments for the students to complete outside of class. Depending on class level, parents may be an active teacher or helper to students when it comes to the assignments, but no additional curriculum supplementation by the parents is needed for these Main Lessons.

We also offer an Expanded Curriculum (Math & Language Arts for Classes 1-4) and Math Curriculum (Classes 5-9) and Complements (Spanish, German, Handwork, and Flute/Recorder) in addition to the Main Lesson blocks. Students may take any combination of these offerings. All students are encouraged to add extracurricular activities like sports, arts classes, theatre, or music lessons, etc. to their studies.

The Main Lesson topics are based on meeting the child’s academic, emotional, and spiritual needs at their developmental stage. For example, in Class 7, students are beginning to experience a heightened sense of their own individuality and identity. History Main Lessons at this age cover the Renaissance and Age of Exploration as teachers and parents must nourish the child’s need for exploration of the world around them as well as exploration of their own feelings and inner self. At this age, teachers and parents start to see the beginnings of their student's own unique journey unfold.

The structure of the main lesson supports the idea of “going deep” into a topic for a period of time, resulting in a more holistic approach to the information and ensuring better absorption by the student. Textbooks and worksheets are rarely used. Instead, students create Main Lesson Books that hold original writing, lab observations, maps, artwork, diagrams, timelines, and thoughtfully carried out illustrations — true academic and artistic reflections of learning. These Main Lesson books exemplify the student’s comprehension and academic growth and can be used to evaluate each child's progress. During Main Lesson time, a teacher may use any or all of the arts to present the material and engage the students.

At Lotus & Ivy, students create individual, beautiful Main Lesson Books for most blocks. Students are proud of their work and will want to keep it to refer back to later. The experience of creating main lesson books becomes a part of the student. By visiting our Classes Page in the Navigation Bar and selecting Main Lessons, one will find a breakdown of which main lessons are covered in each class, daily, weekly, and monthly rhythm charts, as well as other important information for Lotus & Ivy families. Keep in mind that a Science Main Lesson, such as Chemistry in Class 7, will include components of language arts, art, and history to make a full, robust, and academically challenging educational experience.

Do we have to use the at-home lessons you provide for the week?

YES. Please see our Lotus & Ivy Homework Policy for more details about our expectations outside of class time.

Our weekly lessons build on the home assignments. If your child does not complete the home lessons, they may feel lost or behind during class. We understand there are times when families will need to miss an assignment due to illness, vacation, etc. Please let your teacher know when this occurs. We trust our parents to make the best decisions for the students. Ultimately, as homeschoolers, the parent is the overseer of the child’s education. If we feel there is an ongoing concern with your child’s at-home work, we will discuss this with the parent.

For a gauge of how many hours per week are likely spent on assignments outside of class time, please see the description of each Class.

Are you an umbrella school or private school covering?

No. As homeschoolers, our students are registered with their county, state, or an umbrella program. Ultimately, as homeschoolers, the parents or guardians are responsible for the child’s education. Lotus & Ivy offers a hands-on and experiential online class experience, plus support, curricula, lesson plans, and assignments for outside-of-class times.

For our high school classes, we provide comprehensive class descriptions and grades for students to use on homeschool transcripts.

Should we enroll in the Math & Language Arts Skills Classes in addition to Main Lesson?

In our Main Lesson classes, our teachers cover traditional Math Main Lessons throughout the year (see the Monthly Rhythm for each class to learn more). Most classes have two (sometimes three) math main lessons each year.

In addition to the math main lessons, Lotus & Ivy offers a separate Math (& Language Arts Skills Practice) course specific to each class in Classes 1 - 10 that, together with the math main lessons, provides students with a complete math & language arts curriculum for the entire program year. With our Math (& LA) classes, students work on math concepts and practice year-round, even when not in a math main lesson.

Students are invited to interact with the teacher and ask questions during class.

Teachers provide math and language homework to do outside of class, and students in Classes 5-10 are assigned a math group to work with once per week via Zoom. Tutoring may be available at an extra cost if needed.

Is there an age requirement for admission?

Yes. The age requirement per level is listed on each Main Lesson Class page. For our mixed-age kindergarten, a student must turn 4 or 5 by May 1 to enroll in the fall of that calendar year. Students must be 6 years old by May 1 to enroll in Class 1 in the Fall of that calendar year and so on. If you have questions about our policy, please email us directly at lotusandivyvirtualclasses@gmail.com.

What platform do you use for your live classes?

We use Zoom for all classes. Please see our Lotus & Ivy Zoom Agreements for our expectations for each student.

Is screen time something to be promoted for children, and can you really offer this type of education online?

The science is clear about the negative effects of screen time on humans, and we have carefully considered this. The anti-screen movement largely pertains to passive and one-sided screens, such as television, video recordings, and video games. Many experts advise parents against letting their children watch television or play video games because of the harmful effects of one-sided screen time on the brain.

We do not promote the use of one-sided screen time and agree that video games and social media can be very harmful to children. At Lotus & Ivy, live and interactive classes are the cornerstone of our program, and we are making good use of technology to bring this type of education to families who otherwise do not have access to brick-and-mortar Waldorf schools due to proximity or financial feasibility. We bridge this gap by allowing the opportunity for all students who wish for this type of education. Lotus & Ivy classes are live and interactive, so the teacher responds and reacts in real time to the students. This engagement makes for two-sided teacher & student connections and lively classes.

Rudolf Steiner said, “The original idea of any sacred festival (or holiday) is to make the human being look upward from his dependence on earthly things to those things that transcend the Earth.”

Even more than that, though, we take these moments as opportunities to show gratitude for the time we’ve been granted together and anticipation of the gifts of time ahead.

As a community, we take time to prepare for or celebrate upcoming Festivals and Seasons during class time and at separately scheduled events. These are special times of storytelling, art, crafting, literature, poetry, song, memories, and excitement. Our teachers and administration are collaborating to bring diversity to these festivals and holidays. We will not focus on any religious aspects at school but encourage you to make it your own at home in whatever works best for your family. We hold all-classes gatherings for Michaelmas, Celebrations of Light (Martinmas), St. Nicholas Day, and May Day.

Along these lines, we provide for special rites of passage for our students and will continue to develop these over the years. We hold an 8th Grade Graduation Event, an 8th Grade Project Presentations Event, and a 5th Grade in-person Pentathlon. More to come!

Why does Lotus & Ivy have a semesterly financial committment for families?

To help us maintain our superior quality programming and guarantee wages for our amazing teachers, we require a financial commitment from each family for the semester. As former homeschoolers, we know the importance of flexibility. As passionate educators, we know the importance of making sure the curriculum and program meet the student’s needs. For these reasons, we forego the industry standard of a year-long commitment and replace it with a semester commitment. Grown-Ups are financially responsible for the full semester for which their child(ren) are registered.

Since there is a semesterly committment, do I need to apply twice per year for my students?

No. We want to make everyone's life as simple as possible. We assume your child will continue into the second semester, taking the classes registered for at enrollment. If there are any changes to be made, we ask that grown-ups submit them in writing by the published drop date.