Kindergarten / First Grade Program

Kindergarten/First Monthly Tuition

September 3rd, 2013 – May 30th, 2014

Open Registration begins February 18th.

Tuition

Hours are 8:45 am – 3:00 pm (M-Th)
$550 Monthly

Extended Hours are 8:30 am – 4:45 pm (M-Th)
$725 Monthly

Annual Supply Fee

$250 (Annually) This is for every child and due by August 1, 2013

Eligibility:

Age: Children must be 4.5 years by June 1, 2013 and under 7 years of age as of September 3, 2013

Gender and development will also be considered and Developmental assessment will be conducted by the teacher for any new children wishing to enter the program.

Parental Involvement:

Parents will be expected to volunteer at 2 of the 3 Parent Workdays per the GEDS calendar.

Parents or family members of students who are able to make a regular weekly volunteer commitment of 1hr for the entire school year are eligible to receive a monthly tuition discount of $75. The teacher will identify specific needs prior to the start of the year but areas such as gardening, nature journaling, woodworking, handwork, art, etc. may be considered. Please contact the school for specific details.

Kindergarten/First Class Description

A liberal arts, nature-based program that seeks to educate the whole child.
A dedicated teacher that will utilize her ability to very specifically meet the developmental needs of each child, including the knowledge and experiences they may bring to the class. (i.e. children who have completed a year of public kindergarten)

A small group size (14-16 students)

Please Read our Frequently Asked Questions about our Kindergarten / First Program.

The Classroom

• Filled with natural materials and play things as is typical of our other classrooms
• Stocked with kits of materials to address an individual child’s need to make a lesson more challenging or to review a skill before moving forward
• Cozy, comfortable, not visually over-stimulating
• Indoor and immediate outdoor spaces for work
• Children will create their own lesson books
• Small library including reference books and nature guides
• Active, purposeful, peaceful
• Educational board games and puzzles
• Globe, maps
• Large chalkboard with chalkboard drawing

Seasonal preparations for festivals, decorations, etc. but also lessons taught in blocks. Each block will be modified to accommodate the skills of the students in the class. Block length may also be modified based on students’ skills and interests. Examples of block work or units of study include writing the first reader, science of everyday materials, form drawing, etc.

Kindergarten/First Grade Experiences

(inspired by Mountain Oak School website)

• History/Social Studies: Introduction to Spanish and German culture
• Literature: Fairy tales, Rhythmic Poems, Folk Tales from around the world
• English/Grammar: Capital letters, Phonetics, Short Plays
• Foreign Language: Spanish and German songs, games and poems
• Geography: The wonder of nature through observation
• Sciences: Nature Studies, Farm Work, Gardening, Cooking
• Mathematics: Whole numbers, Four processes (+, -, x, /), Counting, Roman numerals, Patterns, Skip
• Music: Pentatonic Scale, Beat Rhythms, Seasonal Songs
  Form Drawing/Geometry: Curves, Straight Lines, Patterns, Letters of the Alphabet
• Art: Wet on Wet Watercolor Painting, Form Drawing, Beeswax Modeling
• Handwork: Finger knitting, Knitting using two needles, Basic Sewing Stitches
• Physical Education: Circle games, Singing games, Functional Movement, Yoga

Typical Day:

• 8:30-8:45 am: Early arrival on play yard
• 8:45-9:00 am: Arrival in classroom w/ Teacher (parents drop at door, do not enter classroom, teacher greets each child warmly and with purpose)
• 9:00-9:30 am: Opening Activities/Circle Time: attendance, morning verse, candle lit at nature table, songs, verses, finger plays, games (mental math concepts, movement/Brain Gym)
• 9:30-9:45 am: Review of previous day’s story (student or teacher retelling, acting out the story, puppet show)
• 9:45-10:15 am: Lesson Presentation—the story of the day or adding the next step to a previous day’s lesson (continued adventures of a character); sometimes a demonstration
• 10:15-11:00 am: Lesson Activity (subject determined by season and block)—practical application of ideas. Will involve: children writing/illustrating their lesson book, object manipulation, experiments, painting, cooking, crafting.
• 11:00-11:15 am: Morning Snack—provided by school
• 11:15-12:15 pm: Outdoor play, Outdoor chores/work, Gardening
• 12:15-12:30 pm: Lunch and Quiet Time place set-up
• 12:30-1:00 pm: Lunch
• 1:00-1:15 pm: Storytime (soft places, possible: pillows/mats/sheepskins/hammocks, on-going chapter book read by teacher)
• 1:15-1:45 pm: Rest (quiet reading, drawing, meditation, finger-knitting, etc.)
• 1:45-2:30 pm: Enrichment (functional movement, yoga, recorder, languages)
• 2:30-3:00 pm: Prepare for Departure—closing verse, prepare/set up anything for next school day

Typical Week (Monday – Thursday) – Planet, Color, Grain

• Monday:
  Moon, purple, rice | watercolor painting, washing, dyeing
  *Children must pack lunch
• Tuesday:
  Mars, red, oats | baking bread, anything that takes energy and strength
  *School lunch provided
• Wednesday:
  Mercury, yellow, millet | handwork (sewing, knitting, crocheting, wool felting)
  *Children must pack lunch
• Thursday:
  Jupiter, orange, quinoa | seasonal crafts and handwork
  *School lunch provided
• Friday:
  Occasional class meet-ups (museums, tours, volunteer work, play days at a park, picnics)

The Year – September 3, 2013 – May 30, 2014

Seasonal preparations for festivals, decorations, etc. but also lessons taught in blocks. Each block will be modified to accommodate the skills of the students in the class.Block length may also be modified based on students’ skills and interests. Examples of block work or units of study include writing the first reader, science of everyday materials, form drawing, etc.

Enrollment Process

• Open Registration begins February 18th.
• Review our Curriculum and Philosophy.
• Visit us during an open house. Click Here to see the next Open House on our Calendar of Events. An administrator will be available to answer questions.
• Return or Submit the Wait List Form and the applicable wait list fee ($27 or $25 as a Cash Discount) to be considered for a space.
• The director will contact parents/guardian to review the wait list application.
• When a space becomes available, parents/guardians will be offered a tour of the school during operational hours, and the family will have 48 hours to confirm intent to enroll their child.
• In the meantime, Please Visit our Farm Festivals and Public Events.
• Eligibility: Age, gender and development will be considered. Developmental assessment conducted by teacher.

• Waldorf-Inspired Public Schools Are on the Rise
• Applying Waldorf Methods in Public Schools
• A Silicone Valley that Doesn’t Compete

Read our Frequently Asked Questions about our Kindergarten / First Program