OUR VISION: The Future We See

We envision a world where all children have access to an education that nurtures their unique attributes, empowers them to go forth in life with knowledge, integrity, and self-confidence, and instills within them values of tolerance, compassion, curiosity, and humility. 

We are living in an unprecedented world in which education systems are broken and failing children, where media and screens demand more and more attention, where unique qualities in children are medicated rather than celebrated, and where the future is entirely unclear.  PHS believes that all children should have access to an education that nurtures the whole child, builds their capacity to respond to an ever-changing and complicated world, and instills the integrity and self-knowledge needed to navigate wherever life takes them.

OUR MISSION: The Contribution of Primrose Hill School

Located on 7.5 acres in the Village of Rhinebeck, Primrose Hill School educates the whole child – the head, the heart and the hands – in order to cultivate each child’s unique capacities, create a deep connection to the natural world, and ultimately provide a strong foundation for contributing creatively, cooperatively and compassionately to a rapidly changing world.  Through a curriculum inspired by Waldorf philosophy, PHS instills a life-long curiosity and love of learning, a deep knowledge of the arts, sciences, language, music and agriculture, and an ability to respond with adaptability, integrity and self-knowledge to all opportunities and challenges that arise. 

Primrose Hill School is uniquely positioned to educate the next generation of individuals through a holistic and rigorous education that directly cultivates the individual attributes of each of the children. Through direct experience and practice both in the classroom and on the farm and with nature, we empower the children to connect to what they are learning and identify meaning in all the work that they do.  Primrose Hill School ignites a spark in the children it has the privilege to educate, creating resilient independent thinkers who possess a deep knowledge of themselves and a drive to positively impact the world around them.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The work of Primrose Hill School is grounded in clear values and principles that guide our approach to educating children. These principles are reflected in all aspects of the curriculum, our relationships with the children and each other, and our commitment to the larger community. 

Commitment to the Whole Child

Primrose Hill School offers a unique and comprehensive curriculum that includes the arts, language, math and science, music, and farming and agriculture. Each of these components is deliberately and carefully cultivated to respond to the developmental level of the children at each stage of their education. We understand that all children are unique individuals and therefore our approach provides each child the opportunity to learn in a way that reflects his or her capacity to absorb knowledge. 

Commitment to Sustainability and the Natural World

Primrose Hill School represents a community of people who believe strongly that a nature-based and agrarian education has innumerable benefits for our children. We believe that an education with an agricultural component is essential for our children to understand their larger role in the world. We impart the knowledge that school is a gateway to a wider world that requires an understanding of conservation, land stewardship, our impact on the environment, and a respect for cultivating sustainability in all actions.

Commitment to Ethical Individualism

We strive to provide tools and guidance to children that will give them the freedom and knowledge to determine their path in life, while also nurturing a moral compass that allows them to perceive what is needed in the world and how to use their abilities toward achieving it. We believe we must cultivate all aspects of a child – physical, mental, and spiritual – to instill an authentic sense of being and self-understanding that can guide these individuals throughout their lives.

Commitment to Access

The type of education that we provide is essential for preparing children for an uncertain future. We believe that all children, regardless of economic status, should have to access this education. Primrose Hill School establishes systems with student families to assure that there are no financial barriers for anyone who seeks this education.

Commitment to Acceptance

We are a community that embraces diversity – economically, racially, and culturally – and we celebrate diversity in order to engender equity, understanding, and acceptance. We strive to ensure that all children feel accepted for who they are, and feel confident to be proud of this identity as they enter and engage the world. We welcome all traditions and cultural celebrations into our classrooms.