Enrollment

Open Enrollment

Our 2025-26 Open Enrollment period begins on January 1, 2025.  Open Enrollment closes on Friday, February 28 at midnight.  All applications received during the Open Enrollment period will receive qualifying priorities and will be included in the Open Enrollment Lottery Pool taking place  Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

First step for Enrollment: Attend a Parent Information Meeting (PIM)

We welcome you to attend a Parent Information Meetings (PIM) before applying.  Our PIM dates are listed with an RSVP. Please RSVP to each school you wish to apply. Our in-person meetings will include a tour of the school and classrooms.  Applications for Enrollment will be available after attending a PIM.

Contact the Enrollment Coordinator with any questions.

We have helpful Informational Articles and Resources for more information about our philosophy and community. 

Applications received after Open Enrollment, will go into submitted status.

 *Note: Children turning four years old by September 1, 2025, are eligible for Transitional Kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year. 

Contact Us

For enrollment questions contact

Phone: 916-597-1033
Email: enrollment@goldenvalleycharter.org

 

Parent Information Meetings

Our Parent Information Meetings (PIM) are on the school site and include a walk through the grades and kindergarten, question and answer session, and an overview of the enrollment process. After the meeting, an application form will be made available to you for our pool. Please remember that these meetings are for ADULTS ONLY. You may RSVP by clicking on the date you would like to attend. For enrollment questions and future PIM dates, contact  by calling 916-597-1033 or email the enrollment coordinator.  

Meeting Dates
Ochard School Meetings & Tours (RSVP a date):
River School Meetings & Tours (RSVP a date):
River School Home Study Hybrid Meeting & Tours (Transitional Kindergarten -4th grade) 
 Golden Valley Charter Schools (River & Ochard School Virtual PIM)

Our Events

16 Mar 2024
16 Mar 2024

Spring Art Auction & Gala

by: Golden Valley Educational Foundation

  • Price: $55.00

Purchase your tickets through FEB 12 and you'll be entered in our random drawing for a FREE Costume Rental for TWO from Broadway Costumes! Come to the Gala in STYLE! The winner shall be announced at the end of February. Tickets are limited

This event is for adults 21+.

Golden Valley Charter Schools and our Foundation are proud to host this inaugural Gala & Auction Event. The event will be held on Saturday, March 16, from 6pm -10:30pm at the Lake Natoma Inn. 

Cocktails and hor’dourves will kick off the evening with a Silent Auction. Next, we will be treated to a plated dinner as a lead up to our Live Auction, featuring our own Caleb Buckley as auctioneer! Live musical entertainment, by our house band Field Trip, and dancing will close out our Enchanted Evening.
 
Guests must be  21 & over to attend.

Early Bird discounted ticket pricing ends FEB 12. After that, prices increase until March 4 when Ticket Sales end.

Purchase Tickets and Sponsorship information

Date & Time
Sat, Mar 16, 2024, 6pm
Sat, Mar 16, 2024, 10:00 pm

Location
Lake Natoma Inn

Enrollment Process

Attend a parent meeting

Attend a parent information meeting. Applications will be made available at the end of the meeting and must be completed during open enrollment in January and February. 

Entered into a lottery

Applicants are then entered into a lottery for a public random drawing. Parents will be notified via email, and have 48 hours to respond.

Receive preregistration packet

Once the space os accepted, a preregistration packet will be emailed for parents to complete.

Locations

We have two locations to serve students and families. You must attend a PIM (Parent Information Meeting) at the school where you are interested in having your child attend. Please note: our Outdoor Kindergarten and Grades Hybrid Home Study Programs are only available at the Golden Valley River School. If you are interested in this option, please attend a PIM at the River School.

Applications will not be considered if you have not attended a meeting at your desired school.

Kinderdayofcourage.JPG

916-987-1490
6550 Filbert Avenue, Orangevale

dayofcourage21.jpg

916-987-6141
9601 Lake Natoma Drive, Orangevale

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enroll in a Golden Valley Charter Schools?

As a school of choice, Golden Valley is a desirable option for families. We believe that a strong Waldorf education starts with a dedicated, highly-qualified faculty/staff in partnership with a well-informed, committed parent body. The following enrollment process allows parents to educate themselves about our curriculum and school culture before applying. Please follow these steps when applying for a space at one of our schools.

  1. RSVP and attend one of our Parent Information Meetings (PIM). If you are applying for spaces at both of our schools, you must attend a meeting at each school.
  2. Complete an Enrollment Application – The application process will be reviewed at the PIM. Please see our Enrollment and Lottery Procedures for more detailed information about the application process.
  3. During Open Enrollment, a random public lottery will be held to fill available spaces in our classes. Parents will be notified in late-March.
  4. Applications received after the Open Enrollment period will be held in an enrollment pool. A lottery takes place when a space becomes available in a class.
What is Waldorf education?

Waldorf education is a multi-disciplinary, arts-infused, integrated approach to learning which addresses the whole child – focusing on academic, practical and artistic development equally. This model of education awakens imagination and creative powers, bringing vitality and wholeness to learning. The teacher’s aim is to draw out the children’s inherent capacities by creating an atmosphere in the classroom that fills the children with interest, wonder and enthusiasm. Waldorf education was created by Rudolf Steiner and the first Waldorf school opened in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany. Since then Waldorf schools have been established all over the world. Significantly, schools have recently opened in China and grown in popularity within the public school system in the United States. For more information about our Curriculum visit our Golden Valley Orchard School or Golden Valley River School page.

What is a charter school?

Public charter schools are tuition-free public schools offering a wide-variety of educational choices to parents. Some charter schools emphasize technology and others, the arts. There are also charter schools that offer an educational model that was previously available only in the private sector such as Montessori or, as is the case with Golden Valley, Waldorf education.

Charter schools are governed by an independent Board of Trustees rather than the local School Board. This affords each charter school more autonomy in creating curriculum and developing a school culture. Because they are schools of choice, charter schools are held to the highest level of accountability.

Charter schools see education is a partnership between school and home. Many charter schools expect a higher level of interaction and involvement from parents than traditional public schools. In exchange, the schools provide benefits such as smaller class size, more personalized attention for each child, and a stronger emphasis on character development.

An overview of public charter schools can be found at www.nobulling.com/charterschools.

Why Golden Valley?

Golden Valley provides a tuition-free elementary and middle school public option for families who desire Waldorf education for their children (our River School is K-8 and our Orchard School will be K-8 by 2018). We are Waldorf public charter school because we believe the Waldorf approach most effectively prepares our students for a lifetime of learning. Our holistic approach integrates the education of the head, heart, and hands. We integrate the arts in every part of the day—singing, movement, drawing, painting, story and drama-with our content-rich curriculum as the focus. We incorporate developmentally appropriate social skills and emotional intelligence that builds virtues such as respect and collaboration. We expand the definition of classroom beyond four walls into natural resource treasures on and off campus.

We serve a diverse socio-economic student population and have aligned our curriculum to meet the California Common Core Standards. Our rich Waldorf curriculum, which is both broad and deep, goes beyond meeting the State of California’s content requirements. Because our curriculum is based upon developmental stages of childhood, the timing of when various skills and content are brought to the children is not identical with the Common Core Standards, but by the end of the 8th grade all standards are covered, including the standards that address technology. Our students graduate from Golden Valley well equipped for success in high school and, more importantly, for a lifetime of learning and contributing.

Why do Waldorf schools suggest limiting media?

Waldorf schools including Golden Valley believe that direct human interaction and authentic, real world experiences have the most positive impact on brain development in children. Recent scientific research has shown that too much screen-time has been linked to the following:

  1. Obesity
  2. Illiteracy
  3. Violence
  4. Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol
  5. Breakdown of Family and Community
  6. Depression
  7. Bad Sleep Habits
  8. Technology Addiction and more…

Too much screen-time is now also being linked to many childhood learning disorders, including ADD and ADHD.

Why does Golden Valley participate in State Mandated Testing?

State Testing is required by California law for all public schools. Our teachers present the testing in a nurturing way to the children, making it as fun as possible. Although we do cover all the material in the Common Core, we do so on a different time-table from traditional public schools. See our Curriculum section here (link).

What is Golden Valley’s stance on technology and computers?

Traditionally, Waldorf schools discouraged technology in the form of screen and auditory media for elementary school-aged children (see the FAQ on limiting media). At Golden Valley, we believe that this is the healthiest option for children; limiting screen time and encouraging imaginative play and real life learning builds capacities to imagine possibilities, problem-solve and innovate. However, the State of California requires all students in 3rd-8th grade to participate in Smarter Balanced Testing on a yearly basis. With that in mind, we use computers as a tool. Our younger students are taught basic skills in order to participate in testing, and our older students are taught keyboarding, safe use of the internet and research skills for academic assignments including the 8th Grade Project.

What Do you Love About Golden Valley Charter Schools?

Oliviatestimonial8thgrade22.JPG

“Handwork is so fun because we get to work on so many different things! Eighth grade also gets to get taught how to do the May Pole dance. We learn so much fun and cool stuff in Handwork class. It's amazing how Ms. Petty, our handwork teacher, knows how to do so many awesome things.”

Olivia
8th Grade

Phoenix.jpg

"She's (Ms. Thormon) cool! I like her choices for drawings and paintings. We learned new techniques to draw from the inside to the outside of the page."

Phoenix
5th Grade

sebastiantestimonial22.JPG

“So fun! I love knitting and finger knitting”

Sebastian
1st Grade

zoetestimonial22.JPG

“I like knitting and going outside with Mrs. Gow to knit.”

Zoe
1st Grade

Please review the informational articles listed on our Resources page and become familiar with the School Policies before making the final decision to enter your child’s application. All enrollment offers are communicated by the enrollment coordinator. School principals do not offer enrollment.

Note:  Open Enrollment at Golden Valley is not affiliated with Open Enrollment at San Juan Unified School District.  If you would like to Open Enroll at a San Juan school, visit www.sanjuan.edu/openenrollment for more information about their process.