Former SFWS Campus

Children are encouraged to explore, imagine and create. They build social skills, confidence and develop capacities that become the foundation for future academic, social and personal success.

Our Early Childhood programming (preschool and kindergarten) offers a nurturing and warm environment where children find, as closely as possible, the best elements of care found within a family.

Depending on a child's age and maturity, it is quite common in Waldorf schools for children to spend up to two years in both preschool and kindergarten. Both programs offer an experience similar to growing a garden—the first year is meant for preparing soil and planting seeds, and the second year is meant for blossoming and maturing to be ready for the next stage in a child's development.

Preschool

• We offer 2, 3, and 4-day options for preschool, Monday through Thursday only.

• Time options are 8:45am until either 1:15pm (before rest time), or until 2:45pm (after rest time).

• All preschool children should be three years old by September 1 of the year they begin in the program, fully toilet trained, and able to feed themselves.

Kindergarten

• We offer a 4- or 5-day per week option for kindergarten from 8:45am until 2:45pm. Children who will be entering first grade the following year must attend 5 days per week to be prepared for first grade. A first year, younger child (one who will be in kindergarten for two years) may attend 4 or 5 days.

• All kindergarten children should be four years old by June 1 of the year they begin in the program and deemed “kindergarten-ready” by the early childhood faculty.

Learn more about our Early Childhood Program

Please take a moment to view our slideshow to see how our philosophy and dedicated teachers create a warm and safe environment where your children are free to explore, play and thrive!

Circle Time

Singing, repeating and remembering seasonal songs, nursery rhymes and circle games – plus gesture games and puppet plays – initiate memory work that is the foundation for healthy brain development.

Arts and Craft Activity

Wet-on-wet watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, crayon drawing, finger crocheting, simple sewing, and working with wool or wood lay the groundwork for artistic techniques useful in later years.

Creative Play

Following their own initiative, the children imagine and play with a variety of natural materials and playthings. Or, they may help the teacher prepare the snack, sew, clean, or make toys.

Story Time

A child's love of reading – and ability to concentrate – begins with being read to. Each day before lunch, children gather together to hear stories filled with wonder and imagination.

Snack Time

Eating together as a group with their teacher, expressing gratitude for the food and learning essential social skills – like sharing and table manners – supports healthy eating habits, digestion, and organ development.

Life Arts

Participating in practical domestic activities (cooking, cleaning, repairing, and gardening) and self-care are a rewarding beginning of the organizational skills needed in adult life.

Music

Music becomes a soothing influence, often used for transitioning children from one activity to another. This fosters musical appreciation and participation as children sing throughout the day.

Festivals

Honoring various families’ religious and social cultures, children celebrate the harvest in autumn, joyfully prepare for a renowned Winter Faire, plant grass for Easter baskets in the spring and enjoy a May Faire parade.

Learn more about our Festivals >

Outdoor Exploration

Extensive outdoor experience – gardening, long walks, and traversing the larger campus and surrounding wilderness spaces – hones a child’s observation skills and breeds a deep, comfortable connection with nature.