Waldorf-Inspired Pre-Schools & Kindergartens in the Ashland-Talent Area
We get many calls inquiring about our Early Childhood Program. We answer that we don’t have one! Our campus houses grades 1-8, and children come to us only when they are ready to enter first grade. We refer callers to our list of ‘feeder’ pre-school and kindergartens — intimate home-based programs in the Ashland-Talent area, run by trained and loving teachers with extensive experience in Waldorf early childhood education. The region is fortunate to have several such programs. This year we are including a description of some of those on our website. We endorse them all. Though each setting has its own particular charm, the teachers of these various schools are bound by a similar view of what best serves the young child — an intimate home environment, natural play materials, wholesome organic foods, an emphasis on the natural world and the cycle of the seasons, engagement in practical activities such as baking bread, gardening, cleaning, cooking, painting, seasonal crafts, and, above all, the value of imaginative play for the young child. Indeed, in each of these pre-schools the heart of every morning is the time when the children take up the silk cloths, the capes and the crowns and enter the world of imagination, acting out the stories they have heard, the experiences they have had, the adult world they have observed. In the Waldorf view of child development, this sort of play is seen as the ‘work’ of very young children — that which they must do at that time. Imaginative play is the child’s medium for processing and making sense of the world and thus coming to find their place in it. Waldorf-inspired pre-schools and kindergartens are places where children learn to be social. The Siskiyou School faculty is grateful to the area pre-school teachers for providing a Waldorf early childhood experience for children. We find that those children come to the Siskiyou School well grounded and prepared to take up the work of First Grade — writing, reading, and all the other subjects!
Birdsong
1116 Oak Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520
Phone: 482-6064
email: mamabird@ashlandhome.net
Contact person: Jenny Johnson
BIRDSONG is a Waldorf-inspired preschool for children ages 2 1/2-5 years old. My home is a warm environment where it smells of the day’s cooking and the teacher is busy with domestic and creative activities. We spend our mornings together engaging our senses at play inside and outside. Our daily rhythm includes painting, drawing or baking, cleaning, singing and moving at circle time, and enjoying a story before going home. The curriculum is rooted in nature and the seasons, and much care is taken to choose songs and stories that will enliven the children’s senses, make them feel safe and at home in the world, and inspire kindness and reverence. I offer organic fruit and nuts for a morning snack and prepare a hearty, warm lunch.
Birdsong hours are 9:00-12:30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The group is small as I enroll a maximum of 7 children. Tuition for the year is $3100. Enrollment usually takes place before the fall, but is ongoing if space is available.
I am the mother of five children. I have a B.A. in Holistic Education, and have participated in Waldorf education workshops and seminars. I have taught in my home for seven years and have been involved in Waldorf education in the valley for 13 years.
Chrysalis Cottage
126 N 1st Street, Talent, Oregon 97540
Phone: 541-535-1031
email: nancynphilipy@msn.com
Contact person: Nancy Rush-Yates
Chrysalis Cottage is a Waldorf inspired early childhood center located in Talent. Our classroom is a cozy cottage nestled amongst trees, gardens and play areas. We offer a four morning a week pre-school, one morning a week parent/toddler classes, summer programs, and natural doll and toy-making classes for parents and children. Classes are taught by Nancy Rush-Yates, a mother and Waldorf teacher in the Rogue Valley for over 20 years. Nancy received her training at Emerson College and Wynstones International Kindergarten Training Center in England. For more information and to check on class availability, call Nancy at 541-535-1031.
Gan Neve Shalom- Peace Garden Preschool & Kindergarten
Havurah Shir Hadash
185 N. Mountain Avenue
Ashland, OR. 97520
Phone: 488-8887
Contact Person: Linda Cohen
We have a mixed age group of nine 3-5 year olds. Our hours are from 9 – 1 on Tuesday, Wed., and Thursday. Our program is a unique blend of Waldorf-inspired education and universal values that are rooted in Judaism. The spirit and beauty of each of these traditions imbues the children’s daily classroom experience. We welcome families of diverse traditions and spiritual paths. Our morning activities include baking, cooking, watercolor painting, arts and crafts, music and movement circle, story, gardening, and indoor and outdoor creative play.
Linda taught in diverse classroom settings in the San Francisco Bay Area for eight years before relocating to Ashland and opening this program in 2001. She is credentialed in Early Childhood Education with a background in Waldorf education. Admissions involve a parent interview and meeting your child. To check on space availability, call Linda at 488-8887.
Creekside Cottage Nursery School
7845 Wagner Creek Road, Talent, OR. 97540
Phone: 535-9927 and/or 535-5686
Email: Karenzischke@gmail.com and Ingunnskj@msn.com
Contact person/s Karen Zischke and/or Ingunn Skjervold.
Creekside Cottage is in its fourth year. We have a mixed age group of 3-5 year olds. We take up to 12 students. Classes run Monday-Thursday, 8:45 – 12:45. Karen has a background in arts and agroecology, and Ingunn has a Masters degree in Education. Both teachers have almost ten years of Waldorf experience, with children attending different grades at the Siskiyou School. Karen and Ingunn also have taken Early Childhood Education workshops at the Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento whenever they are offered. Creekside Cottage is located in Talent, on a farm in the Wagner Valley. We have animals — llamas, cows, and chickens — and a creek running through the property. We spend a lot of time outside doing projects. Morning activities include feeding the animals, gardening, circle activities with songs and games, puppetry, food preparation, baking, painting, crafts and nature walks. Both teachers are CPR certified. Admission involves a parent interview and a visit with your child. We look forward to your call. Tuition is $4000.
Sunflower Cottage
164 Sixth Street, Ashland, OR
541.944.6787
Email: karen.sunflowercottage@gmail.com
Contact: Karen Michelle Loop
At Sunflower Cottage, we seek to develop skills that will last a lifetime: a warm social sensitivity, a joy in exploring and learning, and a healthy foundation built into the wonderful rhythms in our days and weeks and seasons. Artistic experiences include imagination-rich play, Circles filled with verse, song, and movement, drawing and watercolor painting , and crafting with natural materials. Storytelling and puppet shows enliven and enrich imaginations, developing the child’s ability to sit quietly and give attention fully. Our practical work includes gardening, bread baking, soup making, and caring for our school home. Seasonal festivals bring our school community together, offering an opportunity to nurture friendships, and deepen our understanding of the unique gifts each season brings.
Sunflower Cottage offers a four day, mixed-age kindergarten, located in the heart of Ashland’s Historic Railroad Neighborhood. Classes are Monday-Friday, 8:45-1:15, and are taught by Karen Michelle Loop, certified Waldorf teacher, with over twenty years joyfully bringing Waldorf education to the children of the Ashland community.
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The Secret Garden
Days: (3 or 4 days) Monday to Thursday
Hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Ages: 3, 4, 5, 6 Limited to 9 children
Teacher: Paula Lynam
Contact: 541- 482-5543
Email: paulalynam@playfulconcepts.com
Our program is based on the natural and nourishing rhythm associated with Waldorf early childhood education; to support your child’s healthy development; your family culture and well-being. Children love to learn the seasonal songs, stories, games, finger plays and crafts; form friendships, create, imagine, eat our gluten/soy free local meals and joyfully celebrate life together.
WECAN & Lifeways affiliate
Paula is a Waldorf trained Remedial, Games and KG teacher with over 21 years Waldorf teaching experience in Ashland.
Evergreen Expeditions
Waldorf Outdoor Education
Building Family Culture
Ashland, Oregon
Phone: 541-552-1722
Email: evergreenexpeditions@gmail.com
2012-2013 9:00-2:00 Monday-Thursday Ages 4 – 7
Hearty lunch and snacks provided
Under the guardian shelter of trees and surrounded by sunny flowering meadows, we seasonally migrate along Ashland’s beautiful waterways. Your child will build a strong and resilient body, develop a deep ‘sense of place,’ and be elementally nourished in the cradle of our beloved valley ~ guided by two loving teachers in the wonder of outdoor play and learning. Join our established school family in the rhythms of stories and songs written for our valley, seasonal circles and puppet-play, and nature-based handwork, cooking, and gardening. Enrollment includes family festival celebrations, classes on building family culture, diet and nutrition, support in whole-child development, life transitions, and ritual handwork. Together we will create a foundation for your very own ‘family treasury’ or repertoire ~ to be built upon for years to come. We would love to support you and your children in creating a thriving family culture!
Tuition: $200 enrollment/supply fee, $550 per month for 10 months
Ami C Mycko studied English and Philosophy at Colorado State University, received her Waldorf teacher-training in Boulder, Colorado, taught in the grades as a class and games teacher, while also working in curative education.
Jonathan D . Mycko grew up in the Rogue Valley within a Waldorf kindergarten and worked for more than six years teaching kindergarten. Jonathan offers strength, a calm presence, and grounded protection, while being a playful guide to the outdoors he’s mapped through more than 20 year’s experience exploring Ashland’s watershed.
Through The Garden Gate
775 Leonard Street
Ashland, OR 97520
Phone : 541 708-5123
janisbb@hotmail.com
Contact Person: Janis Buckham
Afternoon arts and crafts program for children 5-7 years old. Monday through Thursday from 1:30 to 4:30 during the 2012-2013 school year. Experienced Waldorf kindergarten teacher, Janis Buckham, is opening her home to create a haven for art exploration and enchantment for children. Our day includes story time, painting, crafts and much more. The sense of wonder & joy of childhood will be supported in an environment that has the essence of a fairy glen and a cozy home. Enroll now, limited to five children. Come play !
Janis Buckham is an artist and a graduate from Rudolf Steiner College. She has seven years experience teaching in Waldorf classrooms.
Cottonwood Cabin Preschool
92 Emerick St, Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541-890-1717
Email: spruce@jeffnet.org
Contact: Shannon Clery
Cottonwood Cabin is a small group preschool program for 2 1/2 to 5 year olds in my home, where children are gently held with strong rhythm and loving guidance, growing together as a school family. Our days include lots of imaginative play inside and out, painting, baking, crafts, gardening, circle time, and sharing a warm, organic meal. We embrace nature and the seasons in our songs, stories, activities and celebrations. School is held Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm, with the option to attend two to four days. A mother of two boys, ages 5 and 7, I have immersed myself in learning about the Waldorf approach to early childhood, have an MS in Environmental Education, a diversity of teaching experience at local schools and outdoor programs, and founded Cottonwood Cabin in March of 2011.
