OUR SCHOOL

Singing Cedars is a small, independent, non-profit school located on a three acre campus in rural Iowa. Founded in 2002 by Waldorf teacher Eniko Reeder and her partner Robert, the school began as a small Waldorf-inspired forest kindergarten and has grown to offer inspired education from toddler years to Grade 5. 

At Singing Cedars, we strive to preserve childhood by providing a healthy environment that meets children in a holistic way, and to meet the growing child with an inspiring curriculum that fosters imagination and a life-long love of learning.

Singing Cedars engages a unique three-fold governance model, which draws on the skills and authority of essential constituents of our school.

The College of Teachers, School Administrator, and Board of Directors work in tandem to support a healthy Waldorf-inspired education program that will benefit not only attending children, but families and the greater community as well. 

The College of Teachers consists of lead class teachers, and is open to adjunct staff who are interested in committing to regular meeting attendance and participation. The college meets weekly for study (typically anthroposophical in nature), to plan for festivals, and to consider all matters related to pedagogy; the College Chair sets a weekly agenda, fielding requests and suggestions for agenda topics from the Board President and the Administrator, as well as other faculty members.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the school’s financial health, long-term planning, and maintaining the school’s non-profit status; it is the primary decision-making body of the school. This group is a blend of parents, teachers, and community members. The board meets bi-weekly, and wherever possible makes decisions by consensus; if consensus cannot be reached within a meeting, and time for further consideration and communication cannot be afforded, decisions are made by a majority vote. The Board President fields suggestions for agenda items from the School Administrator and the College Chair, as well as other faculty. The board has several constituent committees, which oversee various aspects of the school; each committee elects a Chair or two Co-chairs, who are responsible for facilitating regular committee meetings and reporting the work of the committee to the Board.

The School Administrator oversees the daily operations of the school, and plays an active role in several board committees. The Administrator attends College and Board meetings alike, and works closely with the College Chair and Board President to promote harmony and clear communication amongst all governing constituents. The Administrator is the primary point of contact for parents, when questions or concerns arise that are beyond the purview of their child’s teacher, and the second point of contact for conflict resolution within the school community, following direct contact between the parties in conflict themselves.