Nursery School
Young children live in their own enchanted world with colourful images and fantasies. Our 3 to 5-year olds are gently lead to understand nature, the seasons, the animals and the rhythm of the year with accompanying themes, enriching their imaginative world even further.
The Kindergarten is situated in the east of Pretoria, with Rosemary Hill Farm as beautiful backdrop, giving children ample space to run and play in a safe, nurtured and wholesome environment every day.
All the children are warmly greeted by a teacher at the entrance every morning, making them feel welcome and acknowledged. They put their school bags away in their own lockers and join their friends on the carpet playing with blocks, paging through books or setting the breakfast table, ready for the day to start.
The children follow a weekly rhythm that is made up as follows:
- They paint, draw, bake, garden and create beautiful beeswax figurines on the respective days of the week.
- During their daily circle time they sing songs, recite rhymes, play games and do finger exercises to prepare young hands for writing in ‘big school’. All these movements are purposefully planned by the teacher to develop both fine- and gross motor skills, rhythm and language in a playful manner.
- Seasonal crafts created by able little fingers provide joy, help develop their fine motor skills and provide a sense of accomplishment once a project is finished.
- Story time aids in developing the toddlers’ language and vocabulary. The teacher will tell a story as opposed to reading it, drawing each child in by using rich language to ‘embroider’ the story’s imagery in their mind’s eye. Every so often the children get to act out the story, or watch the story as a puppet show.
- Free play inside or outside takes a prominent role in The Kindergarten. It is a child’s job to play. It is during play that they live out and develop their social skills, problem solving and teamwork and many other life skills.
Balanced meals and healthy snacks are freshly prepared at school using available farm fresh organic produce. Breakfast and lunch is served around a communal dining table. After clearing the lunch table, the children all lie down for nap time. The children are gently woken up, put on their shoes, collect their bags and go home after a joyful day of outdoor play.
Other highlights during the year include performing in narrative plays specially written for the children, as well as participating in the seasonal festivals celebrated by the primary school children of The Waldorf School.
