News & Events

There’s something especially meaningful about watching Walden students grow into confident, capable young adults, and even more special when they continue those friendships and connections years later. Walden alumni continue to be well represented at Strath Haven High School, where they are not only thriving academically and socially but also stepping into leadership roles within their school community.

Pictured here at Junior Prom are Walden alumni Noah White, current Student Council President, Weiler Graham, current Student Council Vice President, Patrick Tolson, Student Council Officer, and fellow alum Georgia Graham (far left). Seeing these students continue to lead, support one another, and stay connected long after their Walden years is such a wonderful reflection of the lasting friendships, confidence, and sense of community built during their time here.

We are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished and love watching our alumni continue to make a positive impact wherever they go. Once a Walden student, always part of the Walden community.

Walden had an amazing visit on May 5th from New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jonathan Stutzman and illustrator/designer Jay Fleck, who together have written and illustrated nearly a dozen books in their Tiny T-Rex series.

Walden partnered with Celia Bookshop in Swarthmore for this Author Visit, during which Jonathan read "Uh-Oh Hugo!" to our students while Jay gave a live illustration demonstration. "Uh-Oh Hugo!" was released on May 5th, and Walden students were the first group of people in the world to hear the book, straight from the author's mouth! 

Part of Walden’s longstanding mission is to educate the whole child within a peaceful, nurturing environment. As we celebrate Montessori Education Week, we are reminded that peace in Montessori education extends far beyond conflict resolution. It is woven into the daily rhythm of the classroom through respectful communication, independence, collaboration, and a deep sense of responsibility to oneself, others, and the wider world. We are grateful that you have chosen Walden for your children’s education; the lessons they learn here — from practicing peaceful communication to engaging in meaningful service-learning throughout the year — will support them for years to come.

Montessori Education Week also highlights the beauty and intentionality of Montessori materials. Golden beads are a powerful example of how complex math concepts are made tangible, joyful, and developmentally appropriate. A single bead represents one, a bar represents ten, a square represents one hundred, and a cube represents one thousand, allowing students to physically build and exchange numbers as they explore place value and the four operations. By manipulating the beads, children see and feel how numbers grow and change, making abstract concepts clear and meaningful.

Elementary students further celebrated the week by creating a 10-bead chain and exploring its mathematical significance through hands-on work. Each day began with a quote from Maria Montessori, and students listened to a biography of her life and work, deepening their understanding of her legacy and vision.

Walden marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service with a school-wide service-learning project that honored Dr. King’s life and legacy through meaningful action in our community. Service-learning experiences like this are a key part of Walden’s curriculum, fostering empathy, responsibility, and a lifelong commitment to serving others.

United by a shared commitment to empathy and civic responsibility, students worked collaboratively to prepare 100 bagged lunches for CityTeam Chester.

Upper Elementary students led the charge by preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, baking cookies, and assembling each lunch with care. First- and Second-Grade students supported the effort by measuring and batching trail mix, providing a nutritious addition to each meal. Our youngest learners in the Primary program contributed by decorating the lunch bags with messages and symbols of kindness, love, and encouragement—adding a thoughtful, personal touch to every donation.

In the days leading up to the project, students engaged in age-appropriate classroom discussions about service, compassion, and the impact of individual actions on the broader community. These conversations helped frame the experience as more than an act of giving, encouraging students to reflect on their role in creating positive change.

This shared day of service brought our school community together in the spirit of unity and purpose, reflecting Dr. King’s vision of a more just and caring world. 

Walden's Parent Education Series returns this January & February with early-morning sessions designed to fit a busy schedule.

Grab a cup of coffee and hear directly from our teachers about what the elementary curriculum and community at Walden look like. And how a continued Montessori education builds a strong foundation for reading and literacy success for years to come.

The Elementary Education Session is January 15th at 8:45 a.m., and Primary's session features Literacy in the Montessori Classroom on February 10th at 9:00 a.m. 

Congratulations to Walden alum, Annie Tolson '17, who is completing an internship on Capitol Hill with Senator Cory Booker. Annie is a junior at Catholic University in Washington, DC, majoring in politics, with minors in Islamic studies, philosophy, and Intelligence studies. She will be studying abroad at Oxford University next spring and credits her Walden education for her love of learning, self- motivation and independence!

We are thrilled to announce, after thoughtful consideration, The Walden School is now an official candidate for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) for grades 1-5.

This marks a strategic and mission-aligned step forward, one that will strengthen our academic program, elevate our visibility, and deepen our commitment to values-driven and transformative education.

The PYP is a globally recognized framework emphasizing inquiry, interdisciplinary learning, and international-mindedness. The program is not a departure from our existing practices. It aligns with Walden’s mission and academic philosophy and will help us articulate our approach more clearly to families, prospective students, and peer institutions. It’s a deepening. It gives Walden a globally respected framework to communicate what we already do well, while opening new doors for innovation, collaboration, and excellence. This initiative will:

• Enhance our curriculum with globally benchmarked standards
• Support teacher development through IB training and collaboration
• Position Walden as a leader in progressive, inquiry-based education
• Increase our competitiveness in admissions and retention

Beyond the classroom, IB candidacy helps differentiate Walden in a competitive landscape. It signals to families that we’re committed to whole-child development and preparing students for a complex world. It also connects us to a global network of educators and professional development opportunities that will enrich our practice. We’ll be working closely with an IB consultant and Program Relationship Manager to assist us through this two-year process. 

As part of their yearlong Art and Leadership program, the 5th-grade students at The Walden School led a school-wide service project supporting the Providence Animal Shelter. Developed in collaboration by School Counselor Haley Kerby and Art Teacher Quincy Carpenter, the Art and Leadership program focused on helping students explore what it means to be a leader through weekly goal setting, creative expression, and meaningful discussions centered on community, empathy, and service.

This spring, the students researched local organizations and, after thoughtful consideration, chose to support the Providence Animal Shelter. With the help of the 3rd and 4th grades, they organized a donation drive to collect much-needed items for the shelter. The project culminated in a special visit to deliver the donations in person, a moment that allowed students to see the direct impact of their efforts and leadership in action. Their trip also ended on a sweet note, with some puppy playtime! Thanks again to everyone who supported this 5th grade initiative!

First and second graders at The Walden School have been exploring the timeless genre of fables—short stories, often featuring animal characters, that convey important life lessons. Through this engaging unit, students deepened their understanding of storytelling while developing essential writing skills. With guidance from mentor texts and teacher modeling, they crafted descriptive leads, experimented with vivid verbs and expressive dialogue, and worked to bring their imaginative story settings to life. Second-grade students were challenged to elevate their dialogue by replacing simple “said” tags with more dynamic verbs that revealed character tone and intent.

The writing process began with idea brainstorming during our Parents’ Morning event, followed by independent handwritten drafts. These drafts were later typed to support multiple rounds of revision and editing. Students learned to revise their work using the “ARMS” strategy—Add, Remove, Move, Substitute—which helped them organize, clarify, and enhance their writing. They refined their stories with teacher support across at least two revision cycles, focusing on clarity, word choice, and dialogue formatting.

We’re proud to share the final collection, Fables for Friends, which is on display at the Media Library throughout May. Each story reflects the creativity, hard work, and thoughtfulness of our young authors.

For our 18th Annual Spring Gala, Bid, Sid & Celebrate went off to the races! See highlights from the event at susanscovill.com/2025/05/walden-derby/