The Corvallis Waldorf School offers two, mixed age, play-oriented Kindergartens and one Preschool. Both Kindergartens serve the needs of children ages 4-6 and Preschool serves children ages 3-4. We hold a structured daily rhythm with creative circle movements, fairy tales, nature stories, and handwork activities. Outdoors, children experience gardening, woodworking, and gentle walks as well as time for free play.
In the early childhood, we breathe with the rhythm of the day, of the week, and of the year. We begin our days with morning songs and verses, and seasonal circle activities. Our weekly rhythm of activities includes painting, coloring, baking, beeswax modeling, cleaning, and handwork. We celebrate the rhythm of the year with special crafts for each season.
Each day of the week we serve a wholesome grain, some of which we prepare according to the season. We serve almost entirely organic or no-spray foods.
We tell fairy tales, multi-cultural folk tales, and nature stories that reflect the rhythm of the seasons and festivals. It is significant that the morals of the stories are never stated, but left to grow and live in the soul of the child. The same story is told orally for a series of days so that the pictures can develop in the child's imagination. Subsequently, a story may be enacted as a puppet play by the Kindergarten teachers or informally, as a class.
Preschool typically has 12 students a day and Kindergarten has 17 to 18 students. All classes have 2 teachers, a lead and an assistant, in the classroom. These children can attend our Extended Day Program until 5:30pm.
