Hours:  8:30am - 12:45pm    

Note: For an additional fee, Aftercare is available until 3:15pm                  

2008-2009 Annual Tuition:

2 Days: $3,700

3 Days: $5,550

5 Days: $9,250

What is a Waldorf Pre-school?

A Waldorf preschool consists of a small, intimate group of children, ages two years, nine months to nearly four years old, which come together two, three, four, or five mornings a week with a lead teacher and an assistant teacher.   Both teachers are fully trained and certified in Waldorf education and have experience in early childhood settings.

The teacher-led program is very nurturing and rhythmical in nature. Activities are planned at the same time each day, rotating through the week. This rhythmical element ensures a strong sense of consistency, order, and security - essential to the healthy development of the young child.   Everything that is done in the class has a purpose, instilling a sense of joy and care for every task. The atmosphere is homelike and the focus is on play.

The preschool room is structured to offer a variety of play activities, both individual and group. Outdoor playtime is scheduled every day, even in rainy weather. During the morning children have ample opportunity to move their bodies - they run, jump, climb and engage in circle activities.

At the beginning of every week, the teacher prepares a simple story, accompanied by rhyme, song and puppetry, which the children sit and listen to.   The underlying purpose is to cultivate the child's imagination and to strengthen memory, skills that will be further developed in the Waldorf kindergarten.

The children help the teachers to prepare a healthy, wholesome mid-morning snack, which is then enjoyed by the class. All preschool children go home for lunch unless they participate in our after school kindercare program from 12 noon to 3:15pm.

Throughout the year the changing seasons, along with a number of festivals, are incorporated into the daily and weekly rhythms of the preschool. Each child's birthday is celebrated with at least one parent present. Opportunities to observe a variety of multi-cultural and ethnic celebrations present themselves throughout the year.

Waldorf education is based on the educational insights and philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. Although Waldorf preschools are a recent development, Marin Waldorf School strives to offer a developmentally appropriate curriculum for the very young child alongside its already well-known lower and middle school programs.