Rising Bay School

Who we are

Rising Bay School is a Waldorf-inspired learning community in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. We believe education should nurture the head, heart and hands - awakening curiosity, creativity and compassion.

We are a WECAN (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America) Registered Initiative Affiliate, part of a worldwide movement of more than 1,000 schools.

Waldorf schools began more than 100 years ago and are grounded in Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of whole-child education.

Here, childhood and learning are unhurried, joyful and deeply human. We focus on:

Honouring the body, mind and spirit
Daily outdoor time and a strong connection to the natural world
Small class sizes and warm, consistent educators
Hands-on learning through cooking, gardening, storytelling and the arts
Creating a community rhythm that supports family life, gratitude, and joy

Ready to join us? Click Apply, or email with questions anytime.

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Location

Rising Bay School is located at the Hants Border Community Hall, just 10 minutes from Windsor, 12 minutes from Wolfville, 20 minutes from Kentville and 50 minutes from Halifax.

Set in a quiet tree-lined pocket of countryside, the hall provides bright indoor classrooms and a generous outdoor area ideal for nature play, exploration and seasonal learning. It’s a sweet, welcoming space where children can breathe, imagine and feel at home in the world around them.

Classroom space with children — Bright indoor space and room for imaginative play.

Faculty

Eleonora Ebata

For 20 years, I worked as a certified public school teacher in Ontario, leaving the system in 2005 after seeking a pedagogy that allowed for a deeper connection to both the curriculum and the children I taught. My own children attended the Toronto Waldorf School from kindergarten to grade 12. During this time I was able to deepen my understanding of and commitment to Waldorf education from both a teacher’s and a parent’s perspective.

Building on this experience, I found my way to becoming a Waldorf teacher, where the focus on holistic, relationship-based, and developmentally attuned learning resonated strongly with my values as an educator.

I spent 13 years as a Waldorf class teacher at the Toronto Waldorf School, taking three classes from grades 5 through 8 and building long-term, meaningful relationships with students and their families. I also spent time working to support children with diverse learning needs. I later moved to Nova Scotia to continue my journey as an educator, bringing my experience and dedication to this pedagogy to a new school community.

Tesia Brown

Tesia Brown was raised in a Waldorf household in British Columbia, Canada. She had the pleasure of attending a Waldorf school during her elementary years and, after graduating high school, she did a four-year training in the art of Eurythmy, a movement art which is taught in Waldorf schools world wide.

In 2009 Tesia graduated from Eurythmy School and began teaching in earnest. She continued teaching Eurythmy while she gained her bachelor's degree from Acadia University in Theater Performance. After completing her Bachelor’s she was asked to start a small, independent Waldorf-inspired school in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. There she taught 7-10 graders Physics, Chemistry, History, Literature, Drama etc. and loved sharing her enthusiasm and curiosity with her students. During this time she also gained her Waldorf teaching certification from Antioch University, New England.

In 2017 Tesia and her husband made the move to Salt Lake City, Utah where she had the opportunity to delve into teaching the younger grades. This is also where her eldest child was born. In the Summer of 2022 Tesia's family returned to Nova Scotia to be closer to relatives for the birth of their second child. Since moving back to the Annapolis Valley Tesia has been teaching middle school sciences and grade two at Lotus and Ivy, an online Waldorf inspired school, and raising her three wonderful children. Tesia is thrilled to be able to continue sharing her passion for Waldorf Education with children locally.

Adrien Rawley

The seasonal rhythm of life with plants is all I’ve ever known, having been born at the very start of the growing season for my parent’s small, family-run greenhouse business. To this day, the smell of geraniums (one of the first crops to get potted!) is connected in my psyche to new beginnings and the momentum of spring.

Growing up in coastal Maine, the forest and sea were my first teachers and to this day, my greatest supports. I moved to Nova Scotia in 2003 to study conservation biology at Acadia University and eventually found my way into work as a guide and educator for a remote canoe tripping camp in Ontario. Travelling across Canada (more than once!), teaching yoga, studying ecosystems and undertaking several multi-week (and month!) expeditions by bike, canoe, rowboat and snowshoe further deepened my connection to wild landscapes and our vital, reciprocal relationship with plants.

I eventually returned to Nova Scotia in 2012 and developed the outdoor education program at Noggins Corner Farm for 2 seasons before accepting a position as educator and gardener for the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens for 5 years. Sharing the wonder-filled stories of plants and the natural world with little and big people is one of my greatest joys. Gardening with my own son is the biggest full circle blessing I could ever receive. A highlight of my week is spending time with the students at Rising Bay School, threading together the many breadcrumbs of my life’s path to date.

Our Inspiration

Many of our founding families were searching for something different. They wanted childhood to feel spacious, not rushed. They wanted imagination to matter as much as information. And they wanted their children to be deeply known, not managed in numbers.

Waldorf education most closely reflected what they envisioned: a whole-child approach that honours movement, creativity, nature and strong relationships as the foundation for academic learning.

For our founding group, becoming a Waldorf-inspired initiative was a natural progression; a reflection of deeply held values about childhood, family life and the pace at which children grow best. If you are longing for an education that protects wonder, builds confidence from the inside out and honours the unfolding of childhood, we invite you to reach out, learn more and consider joining us.

In our classrooms...

Early learning grows from play, imitation and rhythm
Academics are introduced in developmentally appropriate ways
The arts are woven into everyday lessons
Teachers stay with children long enough to truly know them
Community is part of the curriculum

Tuition & fees

Paid in full

Full time tuition

$8,500

Part time tuition

$6,500

Part time is either Tuesday through Thursday full days, or Monday through Friday 8:30 to 12:30pm. Please note: part-time only available for kindergarten.

Paid by semester

Full time (fall)

$3,600

Full time (winter)

$5,300

Part time (fall)

$2,800

Part time (winter)

$4,100

Tuition includes all consumables, supplies, and morning snack.

Siblings discounts

15% off the tuition of the second child
20% off the tuition of the third child

Application fee

Non refundable application fee: $25.

Apply Email an inquiry

Significant dates

First day of school — Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Thanksgiving — Monday, October 12, 2026
Parent teacher interview day (no school) — Friday, October 30
Fall Break — November 2 - 6, 2026
Winter Break — December 21, 2026 - January 1, 2027
Heritage Day — Monday, February 15, 2027
March Break — March 8 - March 19, 2027
Easter Break — Friday, March 26 and Monday, March 29, 2027
Professional Development Day (no school) — Friday, April 23, 2027
Victoria Day — Monday, May 17, 2027
Last Day of School — Friday, June 11, 2027

Join us

Apply or learn more

Please contact us if you would like to learn more or apply for admissions. We would be happy to tell you more and answer any questions.

Apply risingbayschool@gmail.com @risingbayschool

Hands working with wool and felting materials — Follow along on Instagram for updates and community moments.