We transferred my daughter midway through her 2nd grade year from Elmhurst public school to Four Winds. My husband and I are in complete agreement that this was the BEST decision we have ever made on behalf of our daughter. And the best kept secret of the western suburbs -- well worth the 30 minute commute each way for us. She has always been a good student but we felt she wasn't getting the social support she needed at the crowded, academic heavy public school. We also observed her imagination and boundless creativity being stifled by the rigorous academic schedule. She began struggling with doing homework and completing writing assignments. She became stressed out and even depressed in the evenings and started begging me to let her stay home. She never wanted to go to school and would often cry before and after. We made the difficult decision to transfer her mid-year which was a rocky transition but within a couple weeks, we started to see our joyful daughter come back to us. Now she LOVES school and can't wait to go. The school seems to awaken a love of life and nature in the children and a genuine curiosity. She is constantly over-flowing with ideas and asking questions about the world around her. She decided, on her own, to stop watching TV and playing video games! She told me that she has more important things to do with her time. She is busy constantly writing stories, playing imaginary games in her room, exploring outside, jumping rope, singing and even enjoys doing chores around the house. (!) Four Winds does much less academic work in the classroom than public schools. The 2nd graders a little behind on reading but I'm confident they will catch up. It's whole child education. So lots of fine art and outdoor play. As a result Four Winds kids are eager to learn - they learn quickly and retain information easily. In the spring they learned an entire 30 minute play in verse. It was pages and pages of poetic dialogue and they presented it beautifully. My daughter still knows the lines perfectly. I would even venture to say they are ahead in math. My daughter learned and grasped the concept of multiplication and division in one day! She rattled a few tables off in the car on the way home...I couldn't believe it. I could honestly go on and on about all the things that make this school exceptional. Their spiritual, loving, calm, patient and whole child approach just works. The kids are the proof. When you tour the school, talk to the kids...you will see what I mean. read more

Our two boys went to this school years ago, and it was the best thing we could have done for them. They loved it and often reminisce about that time in their lives. The teachers were so loving and caring ,and the kindergarten and class rooms so warm and beautiful. But most importantly, children are allowed to be children.They engage in age appropriate activities and the child's imagination is fostered at all times. Beautiful school, beautiful people, and a philosophy that makes sense. read more

We moved my daughter from a very good public school to Four Winds when she was in 5th grade and our only regret is we didn't move her sooner. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 3rd grade, medicated and put on an IEP then 504 plan. Her interest in learning diminished as well as her self confidence despite the assistance she was receiving at school and home. She had so much homework at night, we were rushing through just to get it all completed and she didn't have time to really absorb any of it. She has much less homework now so when she's stuck on a problem, she has time to think it through, work it out, etc.. That's how children really learn, understand and retain. Once she moved, I felt like I had my daughter back and am so grateful. She comes home excited about the subjects she's studying and wanting to repeat experiments they conducted in school. Four Winds has reinstalled her love of learning which had disappeared. Four Winds is a very experiential learning experience and as such, it is a learning environment where we were able to stop her ADHD medication. It's a very active day so the medication isn't crucial to her learning and retaining. Additionally, she now has Orchestra, Spanish, Choir, Handwork and Art which she loves. I don't believe Four Winds covers as many topics as the public school but what she learns, she really knows and retains. She's initiated conversations regarding Greek Art and Architecture, Sound Waves, Combustion, etc.. The school is set on 5 acres, some of which is wooded and the kids play outside daily. They climb trees, go barefoot in the pond, etc.. Last week they went on a 12 mile bike ride to Fermi Lab. The fundraisers are organic apples, eggs, homemade soaps, etc. For me, it's so nice to have my daughter in a place where she is not constantly bombarded by pop culture and corporate sponsorships. read more

We put our kids in Four Winds half way through their 5th and Kindergarten years in February of 2015. They immediately made great friends and actually enjoy going to school. Our youngest has now joined the school in the early childhood 3 day program. The teachers are so kind and patient and really care for their students. There is plenty of time for the students to play and act like children while also spending time with their academics and learning in very creative ways. The administration has been so helpful with financial aid and finding ways for my family to get involved in the school community. There are lots of opportunities to meet and spend time with fellow students and parents and be a part of fun and welcoming community. read more

My three boys go to Four Winds, and my sixth grader has been a student since he was 18 months old! At the school, children have the opportunity to be treated as children with age appropriate curriculum and a nurturing environment that brings the best out of them. The additional curriculum activities beyond your standard math and grammar are tied, in one way or another, to brain development and integration making the learning process more complete and yet fun. My kids have a great time at school, and are growing to be happy and confident learners. read more

I highly recommend this school to anyone interested in an arts- based, developmentally appropriate approach to education for your child(ren). I have two children who attend and they are thriving. Summary: Pros: Nurturing, positive environment that honors childhood and respects each individual child. Art, music, physical activity and social activities are integrated with academics to complement and support learning The grounds are stellar. Playground as well as big open areas for outdoor play (including rockin' sledding area) as well as a forest - great for wildlife observation, exploration and fort building. An outpost of educational sanity in the midst of a public education system that is too focused on standardized testing Diverse, caring and fun community Cons: Costs: Full tuition cost may look too expensive for many families, however, they do offer tuition adjustment so if you are interested but think you can't afford it, you should still apply anyway because you might find that it is actually affordable if you can get the tuition reduced. Transportation: There are no buses or school-provided transportation. It's a private school, so you need to drop off and pick up your child(ren) or make arrangements (e.g. car pool with another family) to do so. Additional Background/Details: After a job change and needing to find a new school for our two children this past spring, my wife and I were extremely happy to have found Four Winds Waldorf School. We've moved around quite a bit and it's not that there was too much seriously wrong with the previous schools our children have attended, it's just that we think a Waldorf school is a better match for our philosophy of education and, I believe, more in tune with current major societal trends. Some key features of today's era include: the primacy of "knowledge workers," the need for creativity, adaptability and dealing with people and the decline of the kind of jobs where success was simply a matter of showing up on time, doing what you were told and not asking too many questions. However, being able to work on projects with a variety of people in an interdisciplinary and creative manner is only going to get more important as time goes by and the Waldorf approach is an excellent way to develop skills that will be helpful to these ends. To illustrate this dichotomy, I will cite the example of our youngest child. At one of her previous schools, she was coming home with at least four pages of homework every night - and she was in Kindergarten! While there can be value in homework and I applaud the idea of forming good study habits, it just seemed a bit too much to ask for children of that age and, worst of all, the tasks were repetitive and boring. It was only a few weeks in and she started resisting doing the worksheets and I could hardly blame her. What five year old wants to write their name ten times each day for three weeks and, if they fail to do so, they aren't allowed outside to play at recess? I was really getting worried that the "back to basics" approach with heavy emphasis on cranking out worksheets and obeying orders was starting to drive out her love of learning but shortly after that, we were able to get her into a Waldorf-based school. After the switch, the turnaround was dramatic. She started to really love going to school and she and her sister began to exhibit some extremely positive behaviors that I simply do not think would have arisen if they were in a traditional school. One example is during a car ride, they decided to entertain themselves by telling stories to each other. They didn't pester us to set up the DVD player, they didn't whine about being bored, they didn't constantly ask if we were there yet. No, they decided, without parental suggestion/intervention, to do something creative together. I knew right then and there that I wanted my kids to stay in the sort of educational environment that helped induce this sort of behavior for as long as possible. Reading up on Waldorf education made me wish that I had been able to go to a school like Four Winds when I was a child.  I like the emphasis on art and music and immersion and mastery.  I had a fairly easy time learning things in school, but that came with a downside even if I didn't really see it at the time. I was always pretty good at taking tests and always got good grades on assignments but I wasn't being taught to truly master anything and didn't always necessarily remember a lot of the knowledge after the test was over.   For more information, you may want to check out the links below: http://whywaldorfworks.org/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/technology/at-waldorf-school-in-silicon-valley-technology-can-wait.html?_r=2&ref=business& http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.full http://hepg.org/hel/article/515#home read more

This is such an amazing school! I love the philosophy, and am so happy my children get to experience their education here! I am happy they are outdoors everyday and they are taught their math and science through the arts in a gentle way where they will actually absorb it, not just memorize something to forget it later. They are allowed to be children without the commercialization or over-exposure to media. My children are reliant on their own imaginations and ideas to probelm-solve and learn everyday in a complimentary environment. read more

Very poor grades once my child entered another school after we had to transfer...I was told to beware of this school as it has a questionable if any cirricculum. I should have listened, now we are playing catch up with tutors and my child is in tears everyday from being so behind the rest of the class. Avoid this place if you want a quality education. It is not here altho they will promise you the world to get your tuition $$$ read more

It's been quite a while since my daughter attended this school, but I ran across this listing on Yelp while looking for a restaurant, so I thought I'd share our experience. I transferred my daughter here when she was getting picked on in the 6th grade. Unfortunately, my daughter encountered the same hostility at this school, and from some of the parents, one of whom was also a staff member. My daughter was excluded from a Halloween party that was given by the secretary of the school and her daughter, who was in my daughter's class. The other 3 girls in my daughter's class were invited, and they kept it a secret from us. Unfortunately, my daughter found out about it and was so hurt that she cried for days. I could not believe that an employee of a school that supposedly promotes supporting the emotion well-being of children could be so cruel. I did not re-enroll her the next year for obvious reasons. read more

There is not enough room to describe how WELL the faculty at this school care for their student population. They know that each child is an individual, and that "One Size" does not necessarily fit all. They inspire the children to LOVE LEARNING - which seems to have been forgotten in the modern era of "Test, Assess, Test, Asses" If you are looking for an independent school, or are tired of the conventional educational grind - check this school out. It is a tremendous opportunity for your child to develop critical thinking skills, become an independent thinker, and really learn to LOVE LEARNING without stress and pressure. read more

Our family is new to Four Winds Waldorf this year with my 5 year old daughter attending the mixed age preschool/kindergarten class. My husband and I didn't feel comfortable with the public school system and curriculum so we started looking into alternative schooling methods. We toured a Sudbury School, a progressive school, and another Waldorf School in the Pilsen area. We initially were going to go to the Pilsen Waldorf School because it's closer to our house but decided to tour Four Winds as well to have the comparison. We loved Four Winds from the first tour of school. All the staff here are great. The administrative staff know all our names and say hello. All the teachers really care about what they are doing for the kids. The grounds are beautiful. There is a huge grassy area, a great playground, and woods that the classes take walks in. All the parents we have met are really amazing people too. I feel we were welcomed right into the community. Our only academic experience is with the kindergarten class. I was uncertain at first about a mixed age class (3-6 year olds) where the kids don't do any academic work (academics start in 1st grade here) but it is actually really great. In just the 2 months my daughter has been here her speech has improved and she is more conversational, she is taking more responsibility for herself and seeming more mature, is making up stories and songs, and loves retelling the stories she hears in class. She also loves having younger children to dote upon. She is eating better and more open to trying new things (the early childhood snack everyday is more of a full, home-cooked meal). My daughter has also integrated very well into the class. All the kids were welcoming and everyone seems to get along really well. I also really like all the ways that parents can get involved with school. You can volunteer in the class, in the office, to go on field trips, to help on the playground, and way other ways. I think it's really important to be a part of the school community and it is really encouraged and welcomed here. What I think sets Four Winds apart from the other schools we toured is the general culture. Everyone is just really great and welcoming, from the kids to the staff to the parents. I want my kids to learn in a safe and caring environment and Four Winds definitely has that. They spend half their waking hours in school, I want those hours to be meaningful. I'm so glad we decided to come here and I look forward to many more years. read more

Four Winds Waldorf has brought SONG into our house! We have two children enrolled in Four Winds and they are always full of song. Whether they are playing with each other, riding in the car, swinging on a swing or just on a walk with Mom and Dad, they are always humming or singing a favorite tune they heard from school. I don't believe we would have such well adjusted, confident, song-filled children if they were in any other school. Such a blessing! read more

We love this school. Our boys have been enrolled since preschool, and are now in elementary and middle school. In the classrooms, teachers are engaging students in the curriculum, doing things motivation experts have been writing about for decades. They garner students' interest in science and math and literature through themes and stories that students relate to and find interesting. I highly recommend this school, and give it 4 stars only because I am an educator myself and believe that all schools have room for improvement. read more

We transitioned both kids to this school last year. I've been so impressed with faculty's attention and committment to my children. The teachers know my children well and the small class size is a huge plus. The focus is on teaching the students to he life long learners and curious aboiut their envirnmnent and the world around them while knowing who they are. In a world that seems to value competition and being number one, waldorf focuses on reognizing and developing the gifts of each child and the importance of their contribution in the world. Many schools provide students with information, knowledge and facts important for the test, waldorf moves beyong the infornation to focus on the formation of a child. The school has a rich music and art program. So impressed with the faculty and their committment, wish I had this benefit of a waldorf education growing up! read more

Four Winds Waldorf school has saved my sons' life in terms of loving to learn and has always wanted to go to school. This is what it is worthwhile. On the way to home, both of my sons said,"Mom, I would give up any of my activities, but I will not give up my school, because I love going to school so much. It is so fun to learn and play at school." As a parent, hearing this statement, I teared with joy and happiness! I know I have found the right place for my sons and I know they are in good hands. The teachers at Four Winds Waldorf school are amazing! read more

Four Winds Waldorf School is an excellent place for our son. Teachers, kids, and parents form a very tightly knit community that one would never experience elsewhere. read more

We LOVE this school, so many good things it's hard to know where to start. The teachers are absolutely amazing, the hands-on approach to learning coupled with the dedication, commitment and interest each child receives is exceptional. The attention to detail and care given to every aspect of the learning environment; from the beautifully hand painted walls all throughout the school, to the five acres of wooded ground the children enjoy make this one of the best investments we have ever made. read more

Our two children attended Four Winds from Kindergarten through 7th Grade. Friends and family questioned why we made this choice, when we lived in a district with excellent public schools. The reasons were many: a culturally rich curriculum keyed to the childrens' academic and emotional development; no standardized testing and the pressurized atmosphere that engenders; small classes with personalized attention; committed, creative and talented teachers who had the freedom to tailor their teaching to their individual students and classes; significant resources devoted to what the public schools seem to view as "frills"--music, art, foreign languages, creative endeavors in general. As a result of their time at Four Winds, my kids have bloomed into creative, resourceful, compassionate young adults (they are 18 and 16 now). It was a very large financial commitment for our family, but well worth the investment. read more