Our approach
A Waldorf-inspired school, in our own words
We use the word as a description, not a title we hold. Here is what it means in the room.
The days at Birch follow a rhythm: a morning circle, free play, snack, outdoor time and a story. The week has its own shape, with a day for painting, a day for handwork and a day for baking. The year follows the seasons, and the room is made of wood, wool and cotton, with simple dolls that have no painted faces so a child can imagine them.
We do not teach reading or arithmetic in these years. Children play, listen, sing, and make things with their hands, and every child moves at their own pace.
A steady rhythm each day and each week
Natural materials: wood, wool, cotton, beeswax
Festivals that mark the seasons
No screens in the rooms
In the week
Four kinds of work, at their own tables
Watercolor painting
Wet-on-wet color on damp paper, one color at a time. The children watch the colors meet and the teacher says very little.
Handwork
Wool, felt and simple sewing, taught by watching. A thing made slowly by hand goes home at the end of the term.
Baking day
Bread or muffins, started in the morning and eaten at snack. The children measure, stir and shape, and the room smells of it all day.
Modeling
Beeswax and clay, warmed in the hands. There is no right shape; there is the feel of the material and a table to work at.
Come and see the room
A tour shows you the table, the shelves and a morning at work. Bring your questions, and your child if you like.