School
of the Beartooths 2007/08 Program Information
Program
Offerings
The
Children’s Garden Parent/Child class presents the essence
of the Waldorf Early Childhood program and introduces both parents
and children (0-3yrs) to the richness of life in a Waldorf school
community. The teacher leads parents and children through a morning
of handwork, cooking, stories, play and circle time, and guides
parents in techniques to create a home life conducive to the healthy
growth of children. The Children's Garden program is held on Fridays
from 9-11am in 6- and 8-week sessions.
The
Preschool/Kindergarten, for children ages 3-6, provides
the foundation of the Waldorf educational experience.
In Waldorf early childhood education, great care is taken to provide
children with a gentle transition between home and school life—a
transition that nurtures and protects the physical and emotional
development of each child and fosters wonder, joy and a lifelong
love of learning. In this spirit, the Preschool/Kindergarten at
the School of the Beartooths provides a warm and beautiful homelike
environment where the children learn through creative and imaginative
play and teacher-led experiences that reflect the children’s developmental
needs. The young child learns by doing and imitation. For this reason,
the Preschool/Kindergarten teacher creates an atmosphere worthy
of imitation, as well as a daily rhythm that flows between social
and individual activities which satisfy the need for both active
and quiet play. The teacher leads circle time, games, seasonal songs
and artistic activities, creating a soothing daily and weekly rhythm
for the children. Children must be out of diapers to attend this
program.
Mixed-Age
Early Grades Program
The
Early Grades program, for children turning 6 by January, 2008, launches
children into a curriculum which expands on the experiential learning of
kindergarten. Academic instruction begins in the first grades when
learning by “seeing and doing” gives way to learning by “thinking
and feeling”. The child’s intellect is developing, yet the thinking
is still pictorial and alive with imagination. The cornerstone of
the day in the Early Grades is the Main Lesson, a two-hour period
in the morning when the children are most ready for academic work.
Main Lesson blocks usually last from two to four weeks and focus
on one curricular goal. Introduction to writing and reading, phonics
and sight vocabulary, simple addition-subtraction, multiplication
and division are presented through storytelling, movement, music,
poetry, drama, drawing, painting and modeling. The Early Grades
teacher and assistants will provide instruction in a second language,
handwork, and woodworking.
The
School of the Beartooths plans to add grades each year as enrollment
merits, with the goal of eventually offering grades 1-8.
