The Trillium Waldorf School kindergarten program offers children, aged four through six years old, a beautiful, home-like setting with enriched opportunities to develop and learn. Each class welcomes up to 18 children to a combined junior and senior kindergarten, which is taught by an experienced team comprised of Waldorf teacher and assistant.

Program Options

• Five-Morning Program - 8:45 am* to 12:30 pm daily
• Three-Morning Program – 8:45 am* to 12:30 pm on three consecutive mornings:  Monday to Wednesday, or Wednesday to Friday
• *Classrooms open to early arrivals at 8:30 am
• Kindergarten Afternoon Care – 12:30 pm to 3:15 pm
• After School Care – 3:15 pm to 5:30 pm

Kindergarten Morning Curriculum

• Imaginative free-play supported by natural and hand-made toys and materials
• Outdoor play and seasonal activities in the kindergarten playground
• Walks and playtime in neighbourhood spaces, i.e. meadow, parkette
• Weekly, full-morning hikes into the forest for exploration and play
• Seasonal visits to a local farm, harvesting vegetables and more
• Watercolour painting, drawing, and beeswax modelling
• Circle time with rhymes, songs, finger plays and movement games
• Storytelling and tableau-style puppet plays
• A nutritious snack prepared in class and shared together
• Practical activities such as bread baking, soup preparation and classroom cleaning
• Celebrations of seasons and festivals, woven throughout daily activities and special crafts
• A birthday story and celebration for each child

Play as a Foundation for Healthy Development

• The foundation developed in the Waldorf kindergarten will support balanced child development and learning in grade school and beyond. This groundwork is laid unconsciously as your child plays, developing language and social skills, imagination and a healthy, active body.
• The rich language of stories, songs and verses will enhance your child’s language development, a precursor to reading skills.
• Storytelling, songs and verses also help children develop the capacity to create their own visual images. Future reading and mathematical comprehension, and creative or abstract thinking will draw strongly on this capacity.
• Development of imagination is enhanced by the nature of play; natural materials such as shells, pinecones and driftwood become phones, bells and ships in the children’s minds, offering an open-ended canvas for play
• Development of imagination is a cornerstone of future openness to new ideas and creative problem solving, hallmarks of Waldorf Education.

Class Rhythm or Routine

• A strong rhythm provides continuity and consistency to support your child’s exploration of the kindergarten. The class provides consistent daily and weekly rhythms, and follows the natural rhythm of the seasons.
• Strong, consistent rhythms also support children’s healthy physical development and ongoing strength.
• Young children feel secure when they know what to expect; daily and weekly rhythms minimize uncertainty.
• The day is structured to alternate between active and quiet activities. Free play might be followed by a quiet activity such as listening to a story; then time to explore in the garden may be offered which supports the children in digesting each activity and feeling harmonious and receptive to the rich Waldorf curriculum.

Role of Teachers

• Practical work by the teachers (baking, cleaning and gardening) lends itself to imitation, the young child’s first cognitive exploration of the world.
• Children model both the activities and the way in which they are done.
• The children observe the attention paid to each individual, respectful social interactions, thoughtful speech and healthy movement.
• Through these, observations and experiences children develop important values such as respect for self and others, kindness, industriousness and a sense of wonder.

Parental Involvement

• Parent evenings held through the year provide an opportunity to discuss class topics and explore the Waldorf approach to supporting child development. These are an integral part of the program; one or both parents are expected to attend.
• Lectures and workshops are offered by the school throughout the year, allowing deeper learning about the education.
• Parents often briefly speak with teachers at drop-off and pick-up times, and are encouraged to request a phone conversation or meeting for deeper discussion.
• Parents are invited to occasional seasonal celebrations on the Kindergarten calendar.  These may be scheduled within, or outside the school day.