KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE THIS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15 AT 4:30 PM!
MIXED AGED PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
PHILOSOPHY
"Children who live in an atmosphere of love and warmth, and who have around them truly good examples to imitate, are living in their proper element."
Rudolf Steiner, The Education of the Child
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Our Mixed-Age Pre-Schools offer a unique learning opportunity for young children. We believe that children are happiest and learn best in a warm homelike environment where the older and younger children are part of the class ’family’. We offer small class sizes with a low teacher/child ratio to ensure that, within the group, each child is respected and nurtured by caring teachers.
A RETURN TO BASICS, RESPECTING THE INNOCENCE AND WONDER OF A CHILD’S IMAGINATION
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Waldorf Early Childhood Educators believe that children learn through imitation. Meaningful work and chores are part of our Kindergarten day. Teachers and students are often busy together throughout the day baking bread, cooking, sewing, sweeping, washing, and gardening and the children are welcomed to take part in these activities. Children achieve a sense of satisfaction and purpose when they can take part of all aspects of daily life.
WALDORF AND THE LATEST BRAIN RESEARCH
Children’s social, cognitive and physical development are fostered in our program through creative arts, storytelling, cooperative activities and free play. Everyday also includes outdoor time where children can play and work outside. We believe that in their early years children learn best when they are active and engaged in healthy movement.
FESTIVALS AND COMMUNITY
Seasonal festivals are a highlight in our program for children and they are involved in the preparation of these special times, which bring families and community together.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH:
Daily Activities:
• Bread baking, painting, beeswax modeling, soup making, drawing, handwork and nature walks
• Healthy, home cooked, whole food snacks
Seasonal Activities:
• Gardening, festivals and celebrations Movement Activities:
• Music and movement promotes physical and cognitive development and promotes school readiness
Stories and Puppetry:
• Fairytales, folktales, and creative expression
Our Teachers:
• Certified and British Columbia Elementary Educators and/or ECE Educators
• Waldorf Early Childhood training Mixed-Age Pre-School (3-6 year olds)*
OUR PROGRAMS
• For 3 and 4 year olds – Two, Three, Four or Five Mornings per week, 8:30 – 11:30
• For 5 and 6 year olds - HALF-DAY KINDERGARTEN: Five days per week, 8:30 - 11:30
• For 5 and 6 year olds - FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN: Five days per week, 8:30 – 3:00
* Subsidy is available for those who qualify
Why do so many parents like you, choose Waldorf education?
Pre Register here.
About The Early Childhood Education Programs:
Mixed Age Kindergarten
The Mixed –Age Pre-Schools at Kelowna Waldorf School are divided into two groupings: 3-5 year olds and 4-6 year olds. Each group can have up to 16 children. The Pre-Schools are warm home-like environments where the older and younger children in the group become integral to the class family. The older and younger children participate fully in the rhythm of the day and the uniqueness of each child is respected and nurtured by the teachers. Children develop their cognitive and social skills through many opportunities for play. Weekly activities also include artistic activites such as painting, drawing, and beeswax modeling.
The daily and weekly rhythm of our program helps to strengthen the children’s sense of well being and confidence in their preparation for school and for their adult life beyond.
For the younger children, our pre-school program is the first step away from home. Waldorf Early Childhood pedagogy embraces the belief that children learn through imitation. The younger children gently adapt to the rhythm of the day through the modeling of the older children in the group and through the teachers who work at daily tasks such as: cooking, baking bread, housekeeping, sewing and gardening.
The older children in the class are very involved in the daily activities and become natural leaders. They take on many responsibilities and join the teachers in activities such as sweeping, washing and craft preparation. The rhythm of weekly activities includes projects, which prepare older children for the grade curriculum. Grade 1 readiness projects include: finger knitting, puppet plays, sewing, woodwork and weaving. There is still a strong emphasis on play for the older child and the older children’s imaginations and games continue to develop their cognitive and problem solving abilities.
Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhymes are told through storytelling and puppetry. Through this important part of our curriculum, children learn to focus, listen and develop strong imaginations. We focus on language development of the young child through oral story telling traditions.
Seasonal festivals are a highlight in our program for the children and they are involved in the preparation and celebration of these special times, which bring our families and community together.
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Kinder Care
Up to Five early mornings and afternoons per week, 7:30 - 4:30 for 3 to 6 years old students enrolled in Kelowna Waldorf School.
Kinder Care is offered to extend your child's day at school to accomodate parent's busy schedules. It is our goal to provide a calm, nurturing 'home away from home' atmosphere. Children gather together from both classes after the morning program to play outside or do a artistic craft, have lunch, a rest and then songs and story time before going home.
This program is run by licensed Early Childhood educators with a ratio of 1 teacher to 8 children.
In the modern busy time of hectic schedules and meals on the go, our programs strive to create rhythm, consistency, learning through the domestic arts, and true meaning for young children as they grow and learn about the world.
All of our Early Childhood Programs are licensed and subsidy is available through the Ministry of Children and Family Development.