Kinder, in German, means kid. Kindergarten is a group of children and in Waldorf, kindergarten begins at age three years old. The walls and windows are draped with colorful silks and the floors are covered with natural fiber rugs that invite the children to play on the floor where they feel grounded. The shelves have a few wicker baskets filled with loose parts, creative materials, and a few carefully selected wooden toys.
"Why does it smell so good?" is the most common response from parents entering a Waldorf classroom. It's either the bread the children baked together that day, the soup they prepared, or perhaps it's the remnants of herbal tea they drank together earlier while finger knitting. Wait, shhhh...the teacher is about to start a puppet show about The Three Little Pigs. The children respond to her soft singing in the pentatonic scale, "Gathering on the rug now".
This is a dream for parents and a reality for the lucky few who have found a Waldorf inspired program in their community. What makes Epoch different is our 5.5 acre property with garden, animals, and hiking trails galore.
Originally, we planned to only offer a program for the primary grades and older kids; however, we have been inundated with requests from the community for a kindergarten and are working tirelessly to ready spaces.
The founder and Director of Epoch has been serving families and young children for over twenty-years and loves this age group. It's only natural we have an early childhood program to meet the needs of the community and naturally build a bridge between early childhood and our primary grades program. We are hoping, with support from the community, that we can launch a kindergarten this fall!
If you, or someone you know, is looking for a program that views your child as both a spiritual and physical being, and accepts them each day with love and guidance, please reach out info@epochbzn.com.