Where Knowledge Runs Deep
We see each student as an extraordinary human being who is on a profound journey of discovery.
The WWS High School prepares young people for college and beyond through a demanding college preparatory program that challenges students to develop their full capacities for thinking, creative imagination, and active engagement in the world.
Grade 9
In addition to mathematics, English, foreign languages (Spanish or German), fine and applied arts, music and performing arts, Eurythmy and movement, and electives, Grade 9 students also participate in main lessons and quarter courses.
MAIN LESSONS are concentrated 3-4 week blocks of double period classes each
morning, 5 days per week, and are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Mathematics & Technology
- PERMUTATIONS & COMBINATIONS
- Geometry with Integrated Algebra
- Honors: Geometry and Algebra 2
- Computer Application Skills
Sciences
- ANATOMY
- ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
- GEOLOGY
- THERMAL PHYSICS
- 1 Quarter Health
English
- COMEDY & TRAGEDY
- Grammar, Novels, Descriptive Writing
History & Social Studies
- AMERICAN COLONIZATION & REGIONALSM
- POST WW I US HISTORY
- HISTORY THROUGH ART
- 1 Semester Civics
Foreign Languages
- Spanish or German
Fine Arts & Crafts
- 1 Quarter each Mosaics, Black &
- White Drawing, Black & White Painting, Coppersmithing
Music
- Choral or Instrumental
Movement Education
- Eurythmy
- Movement Education
Grade 10
In addition to mathematics, English, foreign languages (Spanish or German), fine and applied arts, music and performing arts, Eurythmy and movement, and electives, Grade 10 students also participate in main lessons and quarter courses.
MAIN LESSONS are concentrated 3-4 week blocks of double period classes each
morning, 5 days per week, and are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Mathematics & Technology
- PI & TRIGONOMETRY
- Advanced Geometry with Integrated Algebra
- Honors: Algebra 2 and Precalculus
- Computer Science
Sciences
- PHYSIOLOGY
- ACIDS, BASES, & SALTS
- MECHANICS
English
- HISTORY OF ENGLISH
- HISTORY OF MONOTHEISM
- Novels, Mythology, Analytic Writing,
- Short Research Essay
History & Social Studies
- AMERICAN REVOLUTION
- ANCIENT CIVILIZATION I & II
- 1 Semester US Constitution
Foreign Languages
- Spanish or German
Fine Arts & Crafts
- 1 Quarter each Clay Modeling,
- Printmaking, Theater Arts, 1 Semester Weaving
Music
- Choral or Instrumental
Movement Education
- Eurythmy
- Movement Education
Grade 11
In addition to mathematics, English, foreign languages (Spanish or German), fine and applied arts, music and performing arts, Eurythmy and movement, and electives, Grade 11 students also participate in main lessons and quarter courses.
MAIN LESSONS are concentrated 3-4 week blocks of double period classes each
morning, 5 days per week, and are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Mathematics & Technology
- PROJECTIVE GEOMETRY
- Algebra 2 and Intro Precalculus
- Honors: Precalculus and Calculus
- Computer Architecture
Sciences
- BOTANY
- ATOMIC CHEMISTRY
- ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM
- 1 Quarter Cell Biology
- 1 Quarter Modern Physics
English
- DANTE
- PARZIVAL
- SHAKESPEARE
- Survey of English Language and Literature,
- Major Research Project
History & Social Studies
- AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
- HISTORY THROUGH MUSIC
Foreign Languages
- Spanish or German
Fine Arts & Crafts
- 1 Quarter each Book Arts, Watercolor
- 1 Semester Woodworking
Music
- Choral or Instrumental
Movement Education
- Eurythmy
- Movement Education
Grade 12
In addition to mathematics, English, foreign languages (Spanish or German), fine and applied arts, music and performing arts, Eurythmy and movement, and electives, Grade 12 students also participate in main lessons and quarter courses.
MAIN LESSONS are concentrated 3-4 week blocks of double period classes each
morning, 5 days per week, and are indicated in ALL CAPS.
Mathematics & Technology
- INTRO TO CALCULUS
- Precalculus and Statistics or Calculus
- Honors: Advanced Calculus and Statistics
Sciences
- ZOOLOGY
- OPTICS
- Adv. Chemistry Elective (1 Qtr)
English
- FAUST
- AMERICAN TRANSCENDENTALISTS
- ISSUES OF OUR TIME
- SENIOR PLAY
- Contemporary World Literature
- Major Research Project
History & Social Studies
- HISTORY THROUGH ARCHITECTURE
- 1 Semester American Studies or Senior Project
Foreign Languages
- Spanish or German
Fine Arts & Crafts
- 1 Semester each Oil Painting, Stone Sculpture
- Senior Play
Music
- Choral or Instrumental
Movement Education
- Eurythmy
Curriculum
We offer an interdisciplinary curriculum with rigorous academics, fine arts, music, practical arts and crafts, and special interest activities (athletics, drama, orchestra, newspaper, etc.) included in the weekly schedule as well as requirements for community service.
- Main Lessons - The high school day begins with a double period main lesson. These courses allow for a seminar style, in-depth exploration of a topic in mathematics, the sciences, or the humanities. Each topic is studied as a "block" lasting three to four weeks.
- Full Year Courses - All students take full-year courses in mathematics, a language (English, Spanish or German), technology, and movement or Eurythmy (artistic movement form unique to Waldorf education)
- Quarterly Courses - Students take several quarter-long courses in addition to main lessons and full-year courses. One of these courses each quarter will be a fine or applied art taught in two double periods per week. Most other quarterly courses are academic subjects.
- Electives and Whole School Courses - Students can also enroll in whole high school electives which allows them to mix in the classroom with students from grades 9–12. Recent electives include: Clowning, Debate, Math Modeling, Painting, Theater, Calligraphy and Paper Cutting, and Newspaper.
Competitive Sports
WWS is an active member of the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference (PVAC) and fields teams in the following sports: cross country (fall), soccer (fall), basketball (winter), baseball (spring), and softball (spring). Our high school students each participate in at least one sport a year. Read more about our athletics program.
Curricular Trips
Note: Curricular trips may change; however, this list reflects planned and recent trips.
- Grade 9 takes a backpacking trip where students practice wilderness camping skills, use topographical maps and compasses to orienteer, hike and enjoy star-gazing and campfires together. Trip themes: immersion in, exploration of, and relationship to nature; basic competencies and corresponding confidence, team-building
- Grade 10 takes a trip to Hawthorne Valley Farm, a biodynamic farm in the Hudson Valley, NY with a dairy herd, CSA gardens, bakery, store, a number of retail endeavors, and vocational training. The students do farm work every day, and study stewardship of the land and the farmscape, the economics of farming and food, animal husbandry, and learn about farming as a vocation and social endeavor. Trip themes: form and order, causality, inter-relationships, stewardship
- Grade 11 visits Camphill School in Pennsylvania. The school is an intentional community of teachers, therapists, co-workers who serve day and boarding students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our students learn about the Camphill movement and its approach to Waldorf education, therapies and home life, as well as its history, its structure as an alternative economic model, and the work of the adults on campus. Additionally, our students are welcomed into campus houses for lunch time each day, participate in work groups alongside Camphill students, and participate in a weekly music sharing assembly. Trip themes: meeting, recognizing and understanding the challenges and gifts of others;
self-awareness - Grade 12 has a zoology field study, most recently with the Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Chincoteague, VA. Programming also includes artistic work like painting. Trip themes: first hand experience of topics in zoology, marine biology and ecology, self discovery
- Grade 12 takes a final “senior trip” to experience and actively learn about a new place with a history, culture, flora and fauna different from our own. This trip includes meeting and working with local people, community service, time in nature, and fun.
Senior Projects
Seniors can elect to do an independent senior project which they present to their classmates and to the community in the spring of their senior year. These projects have spanned a wide array of interests. To give a few examples: An art project inspired by interviews with a local homeless man; the study of and report on the history of fashion in the 20th century along with the design and sewing of an elaborate graduation dress; the start-up of a non-profit organization to support education in a student’s mother’s county in Bolivia; fixing up an old Porsche to be road-worthy; certification as a Wilderness First Responder; and a research paper on the effects of artificial sonar on marine mammals.
Exchange Program
Students gain language fluency and cultural understanding through our unique Exchange Program, living with host families while attending Waldorf high schools in places like Germany, Austria, Spain, Peru, and Chile. While abroad, students attend classes, school functions, and family activities with their brother/sister host, and in turn become a host back in the Washington, D.C. area. The program is designed for direct exchanges within the international Waldorf school system and the families who make the commitment to host students from abroad.
Exchanges are designed for a period of two months during the WWS student's sophomore year and is an opportunity for a limited number of highly motivated, academically strong, and emotionally mature students.
The Washington Waldorf School is one of a thousand Waldorf schools in 60 countries worldwide. Each school is independently run yet shares a commitment to cultural understanding and global connectivity. In the WWS High School, visiting exchange students and International Program students are an integral part of the student body, and we often welcome visiting students from abroad.
What kind of student does well at WWS?
- Students who are self-motivated, interested in others, and academically capable are best positioned to thrive here.
- Students who enjoy participating in courses in all subject areas and in many facets of school life throughout the four years of high school thrive here.
- Our students have a wide diversity of strengths and interests. What they share is a willingness to look beyond the ordinary, a desire to truly discover themselves and the world, and a hunger for deep experience.
- Hear from our students: Watch video reflections from the class of 2024.