Our History
The Waldorf educational movement has deep roots in Michigan and several of them were major influences in the founding of Oakland Steiner School. The Waldorf Institute of Southeast Michigan has provided a steady supply of trained teachers. Three schools in southeast Michigan have had a great influence: the Detroit Waldorf School, the Waldorf Kinder House, and the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor.
The parents who founded Oakland Steiner School learned about the movement from these sources and all of them generously assisted in establishing a presence in Oakland County over the years.
Oakland Steiner School was really born in 1985, when Sally MacBeth placed a sign in a produce market inviting those interested in Waldorf education to attend a tea in her home. One of those who saw the announcement and attended was Maureen Shaughnessy. The tea led to formation of a study group and, ultimately to establishment of a Waldorf nursery in Shaughnessy's home between 1985 and 1987. At the same time, she began studying at the WTDA.
This led a group of interested parents to form the Waldorf Initiative Group, which began working with the Waldorf Kinder House board of directors to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Waldorf elementary school in Oakland County and to identify an appropriate site for such a school.
After a year of preparation and community building, Oakland Steiner School opened in 1989 with 22 students, housed in Birmingham Congregational Church, thanks to the hard work of the Founding Mothers, as the school's first Board of Directors was called. Two class teachers, Maureen Shaughnessy and Ralph Marinelli, staffed a combined first-second grade, and Katja Stockert was assisted by Kathy Knoebel in the Children's Center. Judy Wachler taught French. German and Eurythmy were also part of the curriculum.
By 1990, enrollment more than doubled to 45 and soon outgrew its inaugural facility. In 1991, Oakland Steiner School moved to a spacious 10-acre campus on Square Lake Road in Bloomfield Hills after a summer of hard work on the part of parents and staff to ready the building for occupancy. With enrollment growing steadily, the Children's Center moved into temporary quarters at the Birmingham Unitarian Church.
In 1998, the school's continued expansion required the Board of Directors to again search for a larger facility. At that time, Oakland Steiner School consolidated its two campuses on its current site in Rochester Hills.
Oakland Steiner School is part of the international Waldorf education movement. We cultivate a sense of wonder and inspire children to view the world, even in its most basic form, as magnificent—prompting each student to embrace life with enthusiasm, initiative, and purpose. These aims are met through an education that is rich with meaningful sense experiences, classical academics, and artistic beauty in all subject matters.
The parents who founded Oakland Steiner School learned about the movement from these sources and all of them generously assisted in establishing a presence in Oakland County over the years.
Oakland Steiner School was really born in 1985, when Sally MacBeth placed a sign in a produce market inviting those interested in Waldorf education to attend a tea in her home. One of those who saw the announcement and attended was Maureen Shaughnessy. The tea led to formation of a study group and, ultimately to establishment of a Waldorf nursery in Shaughnessy's home between 1985 and 1987. At the same time, she began studying at the WTDA.
This led a group of interested parents to form the Waldorf Initiative Group, which began working with the Waldorf Kinder House board of directors to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Waldorf elementary school in Oakland County and to identify an appropriate site for such a school.
After a year of preparation and community building, Oakland Steiner School opened in 1989 with 22 students, housed in Birmingham Congregational Church, thanks to the hard work of the Founding Mothers, as the school's first Board of Directors was called. Two class teachers, Maureen Shaughnessy and Ralph Marinelli, staffed a combined first-second grade, and Katja Stockert was assisted by Kathy Knoebel in the Children's Center. Judy Wachler taught French. German and Eurythmy were also part of the curriculum.
By 1990, enrollment more than doubled to 45 and soon outgrew its inaugural facility. In 1991, Oakland Steiner School moved to a spacious 10-acre campus on Square Lake Road in Bloomfield Hills after a summer of hard work on the part of parents and staff to ready the building for occupancy. With enrollment growing steadily, the Children's Center moved into temporary quarters at the Birmingham Unitarian Church.
In 1998, the school's continued expansion required the Board of Directors to again search for a larger facility. At that time, Oakland Steiner School consolidated its two campuses on its current site in Rochester Hills.
Oakland Steiner School is part of the international Waldorf education movement. We cultivate a sense of wonder and inspire children to view the world, even in its most basic form, as magnificent—prompting each student to embrace life with enthusiasm, initiative, and purpose. These aims are met through an education that is rich with meaningful sense experiences, classical academics, and artistic beauty in all subject matters.