What's New?
The Bee Newsletter
Click here to read the Winter 2013 newsletter.
The Bee Newsletter
Click here to read the Summer 2012 newsletter.
The Bee Newsletter
Click here to read the Winter 2012 newsletter.
Successful Growing Together Program adds a new class for Infants and Mothers-To-Be!
A new program has been created to meet the needs of the youngest child, Growing Together for Parent & Infant: for children 2 months to 12 months old.
Classes will meet on Fridays, Beginning October 14th. MOTHERS-TO-BE ARE WELCOME!
Growing Together programs, inspired by Waldorf Education, are for moms, dads (or caregivers) and children and are designed to meet the needs of children at different developmental stages. Come and experience our unique, nurturing and inspiring environment featuring natural materials and hand-made toys. Meet other parents, join in crafts, circle time, puppetry, an organic snack, indoor and outdoor play. Learn ways of welcoming your little one, including a new repertoire of songs and games! Handouts with discussion of parenting topics are also an important part of our program.
The Clover Hill School Works: Testimonials from Happy Parents
The Best There Is
Clover Hill is a sheltering, magical place that provided the best year [my daughter] could possibly have had. [Also], we are very lucky to have such wonderful teachers and a lovely community. Clover Hill is the best there is, and I have put two older children through pre-K-8 at other Waldorf schools so I know what I am comparing to!
- Gretchen Biggs
First Grade Readiness: A Parent's Perspective
My son Lucas started first grade in a Norwalk public school this year, after two years at the Clover Hill School and three years total of Waldorf early childhood education. Lucas and his younger brother Liam were in the first class of the first year at Clover Hill, and Liam is still attending. We don't have a television, and in keeping with the Waldorf approach we did not pursue any reading or writing lessons for Luke prior to his attending first grade. Read more about Lucas.
During the summer just before school, we spent some time familiarizing Luke with the alphabet, writing letters, and associating words to letters, but that was all. Luke always loved books from a young age, and so we read to him constantly though he did not yet read himself.
We were all nervous at first. We knew Luke would be "behind" (relative to his peers), but we didn't really know how that would impact his experience or how far advanced his class would really be. The beginning was difficult - other students would sit down to read and Luke didn't yet know his alphabet with confidence. However, Luke's school was great. The class assistant would sit with him, he would get extra note cards and exercises at home each evening, and - despite starting out behind - he was ready to learn and quickly caught up. Within a few weeks, Luke was up to speed and he now reads at a second-grade level. He has done well in his class and is exactly where he should be with his academics. He reads constantly, on his own, and loves going to school. Luke's teacher has remarked how he is a model student, is kind and friendly with everyone, and "knows right from wrong."
We would never change our approach and plan to follow the same process for Liam; those years in a Waldorf environment allowed Luke to enter into the world gracefully. Most important, the Waldorf approach gave him the chance to play and grow and to be become ready for learning when the time was right. Clover Hill gave Luke a great foundation for his life, and we see the benefits of choosing a Waldorf school for those early years everyday as Luke continues to grow and learn on his own.
- Asher and Chelsea Danburg
The Clover Hill School Goes Even More "Organic" and "Greener" than before
The Clover Hill School has always had a "green consciousness" right from the inception of our program in September 2004. Organic fruit, homemade bread, natural tea and honey were the snack items served.
In our first two years of kindergarten, we offered only organic foods for the children's snack. We had noticed that the children were still hungry after a healthy organic snack and that they needed an even more substantial one. We began to incorporate some very important ingredients into their menu. Laurie Clarke from the Denver Waldorf School shared her menu with us and we saw the importance of balancing out the different types of foods in the way she did, we decided to try it. Here it is:
Typical Snack Menu - Kindergarten 2010-2011
This menu emphasizes plentiful proteins and healthy fats, including omega 3 oils. Each day snack will include a grain, a full protein in the form of cheese and/or a mix of nuts and seeds, and a vegetable or fruit. We will always strive to have as many organic foods as possible, including organic grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and peanut butter. We use flax seed to contribute healthy omega-3 fats to the menu. Non-dairy and non-gluten alternatives will be provided as needed. This sample menu is representative of all the elements that will be included in our weekly menus.
| Rice Day: | Soup Day: | Bread Day: | Oatmeal Day: | Pancake Day: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown basmati rice with sesame seeds, butter, whole milk, and tamari. Carrots with dairy free dip. | Vegetable soup with millet. Crackers and cheese. | Whole wheat bread with addition of ground flax, sesame, and sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Sunflower butter with honey spread. Fruit. | Porridge with butter, toasted almond and seeds, milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Fruit. | Cornmeal, milk, eggs, butter, ground flax, whole wheat flour. Fruit. |
The children thrive on proper nutrition. A healthy diet is essential to supplement them in their very active outdoor play. They seem to enjoy their time at the table very much! Click Here to try some of our delicious recipes at home.
Clover Hill Expands to Include an Afternoon Program
Our Afternoon Program began in November 2010. We offered a three days a week program from 12:30-2:00 pm. This year we are excited about our new offering of a 4-days a week program: Monday through Thursday, 12:30-3:00 pm! The following is our afternoon rhythm:
- 12:30-12:50 pm Outdoor play
- 1:00-1:45 pm Storytelling, lyre playing and rest
- 1:45-2:15 pm Snack and art work
- 2:30-3:00 pm Outdoor play
- 3:00 pm Parent Pick-up
For more information, please call (203) 661-6484.