Haleakala Waldorf School

Academic Programs

Pueo & Nene Kindergartens

At Haleakala Waldorf School, we offer two kindergartens. Each kindergarten serves up to 22 children per day on a five day a week program, with a 1 pm or 2:30 pm dismissal option. Applicants for the Nene and Pueo kindergartens should be “older” four year olds through five year olds. These children will move up to first grade when they are six by June 1st prior to going to first grade.

There lives within Waldorf education the realization that timing is of the utmost importance in introducing academic tasks to children. A task begun too early may be difficult and create anxiety, resulting in a poor attitude toward that subject and low self esteem. In the Waldorf view, children in preschool and kindergarten should not be engaged in academic pursuits; it is too early in their development. For children of this age, the most valuable activity --- for developing both social skills and intellectual ability --- is free play.

Play is the heart of the Waldorf Early Childhood program. Children develop the capacity for creative thinking, problem-solving abilities and social skills through their free imaginative play. The equipment is simple and made of beautiful, natural materials, so that a child’s imagination can be stimulated. For example, a length of silk fabric may become the king’s cape, a tent for travelers, or a tablecloth for tea.

Celebration and rhythm are also important aspects of the young child’s daily experience. Each day’s activities include creative play, morning circle and storytelling time. Fairy tales, which provide strong archetypes for the child’s imagination as well as rich language, are the basis for the stories. In morning circle, the child learns to enjoy the sounds of language, to share through socializing games, and to achieve coordination and balance through a variety of rhythmical activities. The yearly rhythm of festivals and holidays provides many important celebrations in the preschool. All these activities enrich the early childhood experience in daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms that create a bridge from home to school. This creates an eagerness for the academics that follow in the grades.

See enrollment information and our Early Childhood Program FAQ page.