N is for nurturing….nurturing that underlies education at Madrona School. From our youngest students, introduced to a school setting through the sweet unfolding of a parent-child class, to the relationships that develop between students and teachers in both our early childhood program and our grade school, our faculty work hard to see each individual child and meet them where they are.
Our parent-child program offers a small child, ages 18-36 months, a home-like introduction to school and a social setting. Our teachers set up the room with care, selecting toys and activities, as well as parent education materials. This is often the way a family learns about Waldorf education. We run this program in two sessions, fall and winter/spring. If you know a family with young children, invite them to inquire about this most nurturing of classes!
Our preschool and kindergarten classes are both mixed-age, allowing for teachers to get to know a young student over two or more years together. Our teachers value their role as a parenting ally, and our students have a real opportunity to connect with another loving adult.
This continuity is also an important nurturing element in our grade school. Class teachers move up through the grades with their students, getting to know a family over time; and our specialty teachers also enjoy building relationships. The teachers really get to know a family and their student, able to see growth from year to year, able to foster interpersonal relationships in the classroom, able to be another regular relationship in a young person's life.
Teachers are, by definition, nurturing folks. At Madrona School, they gather for a morning verse of their own, a daily reminder of our school's focus on each student, on partnering with families to teach each child and see them go on into the world to become a whole and contributing member of society!
Finally, and not at all least, our parent community strives to nurture one another, through regular events like parent meetings and parent society, volunteering in the classrooms to share talent and time with teachers and students, and in helping when a family needs a little extra help. We invite you to enter into the school community in whatever way feels comfortable for you. Join us!
—adapted from our school newsletter
