Kindergarten

Any given week includes arts and crafts, painting, cooking, baking, cleaning, games, and gardening. Activities are designed to integrate the senses and develop patterning, tracking, sequencing, and logical thinking. There is also time for pretend play, for children to test ideas, work cooperatively, develop agency, solve problems, and have fun! 

Children dig, plant, harvest, and explore the beauty of our urban garden. Led by our Gardening Teacher, they hear stories of nature and develop and understanding of seasonal cycles. The school uses biodynamic farming and gardening techniques, an approach that ensures the health of a complex ecosystem. There are also forest days: extended time for outdoor exploration in the Presidio and nearby natural spaces. 

Movement develops motor skills, integrates the senses, and builds cooperation. Children hike to the Presidio, explore nature, and participate in eurythmy, a movement art unique to Waldorf education. In the classroom, fine motor skills are developed through cooking, painting, crafts, and clean-up.

While children can learn “letter de-coding” early, our approach builds a foundation of literacy that supports deep comprehension and a lifelong joy of reading. Stories, songs, verse, and poetry build mental picturing, vocabulary, memory, and sentence structure. Teacher-led games and activities promote an understanding of value and an interest in numeracy.