I was told recently that the word, "Waldorf", can be a turn off to some people and I'll tell you, "I get it!" Waldorf education does not have the best reputation if you rely on google or if you don't do your homework. For me, providing a Waldorf education for my children was a non-negotiable; however, our program is Waldorf-inspired instead of traditional because I felt the Waldorf movement needed some new life. I founded Epoch, a Waldorf-inspired grades program when I moved to Bozeman because I love the depth of the curriculum, the focus on developing the whole child, and I love the pedagogy and method of delivery, but I move at a faster pace for the modern child and we let kids be kids and find plenty of time for free play, movement and getting dirty!
Here's a peek at the curriculum for each grade we serve at Epoch:
Roots: This is a K/1 combo for the nearly six or already six child. They learn phonics, letters, words families, sentence structure, quality of numbers and the four math operations, time, calendar, watercolor painting with primary colors, pastels, block crayon drawing, songs, gardening, seasons, fairy tales and nature stories, professional archetypes, for drawing, handwriting and baking.
Stems: This is 2nd grade-ish (based on your child's progress and skill level), word families, fables, Native American legends, folktales, tall tales, cursive, multiplication facts, place value, basic fractions, time, painting form, cooking/baking, number lines, basic geometry, story structure
Leaves: 3rd/4th combo, four math operations with larger numbers, geometry, fractions, pioneering/homesteading, norse mythology, measurement, time, parts of speech, ancient civilizations, poetry, whittling/woodworking, pottery, shelters, form drawing, charcoal sketching, basic latin/Spanish prefixes and suffixes
ALL of our students have an opportunity to free play on our 5.5 acre rural campus east of town, tend to the goats and chickens, and swing from the ninja line like wild monkeys. We field trip OFTEN, knit, crochet, paint, create, build, and perform class plays together. We're a small school that's much more like a family; a like-minded family that shares a belief that children should be children and that education should be about discovery, not memorization.
We'd love to meet you and your family to decide if Epoch is the right fit for you. Reach out if you are looking for a new school home or perhaps you're new to Bozeman and are looking for community and alternative education options. No, we're not a bunch of mystics with our heads in the clouds...we're highly spiritual, but down-to-earth and we look forward to meeting you soon and sharing the joys of learning and growing together.
Be well, Chelsea