General Info

Summerfield History Summerfield Waldorf School of Santa Rosa began in September of 1974. Begun as an initiative of a small group of parents who were convinced that they wanted a Waldorf education for their children, Summerfield opened its doors to eleven children. Some of those founding families are still active in the community today. In our second year we were blessed with the arrival from England of Irene Ellis. Bringing with her a wealth of experience in Waldorf education, Irene remained with the school for five years as faculty advisor, establishing and teaching the school's in-house faculty training. Since June 1978, our school has been a member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). In 1980, the school purchased a 32-acre horse farm, our current location. From the beginning there was an intention to have a working biodynamic farm as part of the school initiative. Through enthusiastic volunteer efforts, the front house was remodeled into four classrooms in which grades 5-8 were housed. In 1983, work was completed on road improvements with the construction of a new entrance road and parking lot. In 1985 the construction of a new classroom building was completed. This was brought about through the dedication and energy of the whole school community.