Program

Here your child can develop feelings of security, accomplishment, and selfesteem while living the daily and weekly rhythms that are woven into the cycle of the year.

Daily your child is nurtured by free play and structured activities. On any given day, we may enjoy singing, movement, art, stories and lots of outside time.

Weekly we enjoy arts and crafts, coloring, baking, gardening and household tasks.

Throughout the year we celebrate life with potluck gatherings hosted by the families in our program. Together as a community we work to improve the school grounds and create our garden. Parents are encouraged to bring their skills and passions into our program to share.

Environment

The young child’s senses are open and receptive to every element in their environment. All the senses have been taken into account so that we can enjoy a space that is a pleasure to play in for the children and a pleasure to work in for the staff. Open areas are provided for groups of children to gather and smaller spaces are set aside where one or two can play quietly.

Indoors the children’s creative imaginations are complemented by wooden blocks and toys; a rainbow of play clothes and handmade dolls; vivid beeswax crayons; books and a play loft. Outdoors the children’s rich imaginative lives come alive in a secure play yard. A sand area is loaded with hidden ‘treasures’ to excavate. A large low swing is provided for comfort and socializing as well as a child sized picnic area for eating and play. A play house, rocking horses, hollow blocks and a chalk board all give the children many opportunities to craft their play. Covered decks give us additional play space protected from the rain; this allows outside time all year round.

We searched extensively for nearly three years to find the property that we felt would be ideal to house Heart and Hands. Two more years of work were required to remove the ivy, berry vines and dead trees from our play yard. After planting, painting and construction we were ready to open in 1985. We have worked to find a balance between the active preschool mornings and quiet afternoons that consist of mostly outside play.

Our goal is to offer a healthy, safe and relaxed environment for both the children and our staff; a place where we can be together to enjoy the unfolding of each day. All our staff members have been first aid and CPR trained and are encouraged to pursue further continued education in the early childhood field. We further our understanding of the young child through course work, workshops and group study.

We are affiliated with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN), the Northern California Waldorf Early Childhood Association, and the Sonoma County Childcare Association. We received national accreditation from the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) in 2003.

Staff

Our staff is comprised of caring adults dedicated to the well being and growth of each child. Each staff member has prepared for the important task of nurturing the growth of the next generation. This preparation includes continuing specialized courses and programs in child development, health and education through the Rudolph Steiner College . Because young children internalize and imitate without question every gesture, intonation, mood and thought that they perceive, the teachers consciously strive to be models who are worthy of the children’s unquestioning imitation.

Click here to see staff bios.