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.
Fairy Ring Forest School
395 Granite St.
Ashland, OR. 97520
Phone: 541-778-4458
Email: jlilyuna@yahoo.com
For Ages 3-5
Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays
From 9am – 1pm
The forest of Lithia Park is our playground where nature provides a wide range of opportunities for physical exploration and imaginative play. The seasonal cycles are celebrated through daily storytelling, puppetry, songs and verses, as well as during festivals throughout the year. As children develop a personal relationship with the natural world, a sense of reverence for the Earth and all life is cultivated.
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 Preschool
164 6th Street, Ashland, OR 97520
Phone: 541-482-9770
Email: karenmichelle@q.com
Contact: Karen Loop
Sunflower Cottage Preschool is centrally located in Ashland’s historic Railroad District, and offers Waldorf education to children ages 3-5, Monday thru Thursday, 9am-1pm.. Teacher Karen Loop was formally trained as a Waldorf teacher at Emerson College in England, and began her teaching career in 1990 as a Waldorf grades teacher here in Ashland, Oregon. Her daughter graduated eighth grade at the Siskiyou School in 2008, and her son is currently in the 7th Grade. For the past six years, Karen has offered a lovely first school experience for the young child in a cozy cottage adjacent to her home. With her small group of eight children, mornings are gently woven together with creative play, singing, natural crafts, stories, and shared meals. In her delightful garden space, children can fully enter the lively play that the outdoors invites. Karen enjoys creating a special little family within her cottage, as well as connecting with the children’s own families in building healthy community. You are invited to contact Karen @ (541)482-9770 to learn more about Sunflower Cottage, or to set up a visit with your child. Tuition is $4000 per year.
Stone Soup Playschool
Stone Soup Playschool and Kindergarten is located just minutes from the Siskiyou School. We offer Waldorf inspired programs for children ages 3 to 6 years old, Monday through Friday. Our playschool group gathers from 9 am to 1 pm, with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. Our Kindergarten program meets from 8:45 to 12:45, Monday through Friday, and our afternoon program runs until 5 pm. Each program is filled with the wonderful rhythm, songs, painting, circle time, baking, organic food (gluten, dairy, soy free), healthy play both indoors and outdoors, that Waldorf early childhood education is known for. We have a 5 or 6 to one ratio. Our lead teachers, Paula and Janis, are Waldorf-trained, Janis received her Waldorf Kindergarten teacher training in San Francisco; Paula has Steiner Educational Support teacher training, and 19 years Waldorf experience, including Handwork, Games and Extra Lesson teaching and support. We are all committed to supporting the healthy development of children and their families. Our base tuition for the school year September to June which includes food. The food program is $5,000 for 5 days. Please call Paula Lynam to schedule a time for a visit at 541-482-5543
KinderHeart
Nature Play for the Young
Building Family Culture
1388 Mill Pond Road, Ashland OR 97520
Phone: 541-552-1722
Email: ami.mycko@gmail.com
Flexible hours: 9:00-3:00; ages 2 – 7
Come romp and play together in the cradle of our Mill Pond community garden with five friends! Centrally located, your child will enjoy a carriage ride to our creek side meadow park and nearby outdoor wild places. Nurtured by the wonder of the outdoors, your little one will share a hearty lunch and a gentle rest. Join our young school family in the daily rhythms of stories and songs from around the world, circle and puppet-play, and nature-based handwork 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. Ami would love to support you in becoming the parent you’d like to be!
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.
Sugarplum Cottage Preschool/Kindergarten
408 Creel Rd.
Talent, OR 97540
Phone: (541) 951-1825/(541) 535-3324
Email: Heidi Martin
Sugarplum Cottage Preschool/Kindergarten is held in a Pacific Yurt on a lovely garden/mini-farm in Talent. The program is led by Heidi Martin, an experienced, certified Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher with a B.A. in English. Sugarplum Cottage serves a total of 8 children, ages 3-5 years old, Tues.-Thurs., from 9 AM-1 PM. Both a wholesome snack and lunch are provided. Heidi’s program is rooted in a rich, Anthroposophical understanding of child development–head, heart and hands–inspired by the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. Children enjoy happy, song-filled mornings with consistent daily and weekly rhythms. Nourishment of body and soul abounds at Sugarplum Cottage through stories, puppetry, circle time, creative play, seasonal festivals and artistic activities. Heidi specializes in supporting the health of the four foundational senses through therapeutic activities that foster integration and strength. Tuition is set at $3,500.00 for 2012-2013 plus a $200 supply fee due upon enrollment.
Ashland Village Parent/Child Cooperative Preschool
Our Cooperative provides a 3 day bilingual preschool program. In addition, Parent/Child play circles from newborns to toddlers will take place 2 days a week. The cooperative requires a committed involvement of parents or family members. The teacher, Analuisa Guzman-Witt, has 20 years of experience teaching in diverse educational settings. In 1979 she completed her 4 year teacher training as Kindergarten Teacher in Mexico from where she is a native. She also trained as a Waldorf Kindergarten Teacher at the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA. where she worked for 2 years and participated in the first RSC outreach program for parents and children in the Sacramento area. Analuisa has 3 years training in therapeutic puppetry which she uses for her storytelling with the children and the community.
For more information please call 541-690-6125
Email: ashlandvillage@gmail.com