(540) 987-9212  ~  11576 Lee Hwy, P.O. Box 247, Sperryville, VA 22740  ~   [email protected] 

Pay-What-You-Can Tuition

Determined to accept a student regardless of the family's ability to pay,
Hearthstone offers tuition on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Parent Testimonials

​"My daughter literally flies out of bed in the morning to go to a school that embraces who kids are, makes learning fun, has teachers with the patience of 1000 saints, and takes the time to teach kids lessons in a way that actually sticks."
“I honestly can’t tell you what your school means to our family. The teachers are so wonderfully enthusiastic, always kind, always patient, clearly delighted with their students and their role as a teacher and mentor. Thank you for providing such a safe place for children to learn and exist.”
“We are so grateful to be with you all for this time!  You are our guiding light and gold standard as we consider the various schools in our worldly travels, and none of them even come close to the bar you set!”

Educating Children
Heart   Head   Hands

Hearthstone School nurtures and educates the whole child. 
We are committed to developing each child's ability
to ​feel deeply, think clearly, and act purposefully. 
​
Our program extends from Nursery/Kindergarten through 12th
and includes Parent-Child Classes and part-time enrollment.
Our highest endeavor ​must be to develop free human beings,
who are able of themselves to impart purpose and direction to their lives. 
The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility
—these three forces are the very nerve of education.    
​
                                                                                  ~Rudolf Steiner

Purposeful Education

Students at Hearthstone School are taught through an integrated, developmentally-appropriate,  Waldorf-based approach that reveals the interrelatedness of all knowledge. Our curriculum is designed to bring academics to life through the arts and the natural world. In addition to mastering academic knowledge, our students practice life skills- from mindfulness meditation to conflict resolution. The arts (poetry, drama, studio art, music, sculpture, textiles, and cooking) are used as tools to teach, among other things, inner grounding and focus, creativity, and individual empowerment. These art forms bring the world of ideas not just into the mind of a good student, but into the heart, mind, and hands of a good person.​
​At Hearthstone, we cultivate a spirit of ownership and community by emphasizing responsibility and cooperation, respect for others, reverence for nature, and a sense of unity with all life. Children see their parents involved in the daily life of the school, form close relationships with teachers, and actively participate in the wider community through service projects.​

Hearthstone welcomes students of every race, color, gender, religion, ethnicity or national origin. 

Individualized

Small classes provide quality, individualized instruction. ​​Learning takes place in an environment of compassion and safety, where every child feels seen and heard. ​

Experiential

A hands-on approach allows each subject to be explored through many modalities and activities including field investigations, drama, drawing, movement, and music. 

Interdisciplinary

The curriculum is a unique blend of traditional and innovative elements. By encouraging students to draw connections across subjects, we work to​​ ​deepen the natural love of learning. ​​

Celebrating Childhood Since 1996

​Hearthstone was founded in 1996 as a parent cooperative. Some of the founding members, teachers, and parents were affiliated with Spring Mountain Waldorf School for nine years before Hearthstone was born. Our students are drawn from the surrounding six-county area of Rappahannock, Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Warren, and Page.

We moved to our current site in 2000 and worked to renovate the main school building, the lower school building for Nursery through Second Grades, and the pottery studio. Renovations to the first floor of the main school building were completed in 2004; it now houses a large Community Room, the Rainbow Market, and several therapy offices. Renovations to the lower level of the main school building were completed in the fall of 2005; it houses the school administration office, classrooms, music room, arts and crafts room, library, and kiln room.

All children are honored at Hearthstone School.

We regard each child as a powerful and precious force of Being, unfolding into the world, and in need of guidance, protection, inspiration, and nurturing. Just as a child's body grows, so does his or her inner life.
Of paramount concern to us at all times is the inner and outer development of every child. Our teachers work respectfully and deliberately to support the students' intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. 

 We believe in the right of every child to a happy childhood. Through creating a positive learning environment, Hearthstone promotes inner harmony and centeredness in a vastly changing world. ​A successful student is one who unfolds into a free-thinking, purpose-driven, conscientious, happy adult; one who, with a deeper understanding of the meaning of life, values wholeness and peace of mind over material fulfillment.