It's a combination of honoring my Gramma, who had a small Montessori-style preschool of the same name, and inspiration from the folk school educational philosophy originally from Denmark. I took that inspiration and combined it with my preferred early education teaching methodologies, Inquiry- Based Learning and Play-Responsive Teaching, when developing my vision.
Folk schools are based on the educational ideas of the philosopher, Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig. Whereas they are traditionally centered around adult education, I see a strong need for the same principles in the education of littles. Grundtvig said they were to be "schools for life", a place for the community to come together and explore their love of learning new skills.
One of the key factors of the folk school philosophy is that each school is a product of its community. “Stick your finger down into the ground and smell where you are! This is where the needs of the people are found, which can be different in different times and places. Where this meets the abilities of the teacher, there lies the hojskole’s (folk school's) calling.” -Ludwig Schroeder, 1872
Our homebase is my family's home. We love our family-style learning community, and with 15 years of teaching experience, we have everything we need here! Each year, when I am planning for the following year's programs, I assess our needs and review current city, state, and VDOE regulations to ensure any growth or changes are done legally, to ensure our program operates consistently. Over the last 5 years, I have viewed many commercial spaces that could potentially become a new homebase but in reality, they would all be a downgrade from the environment we enjoy here. Additionally, there would have to be significant changes to our enrollment numbers and program offerings to cover the additional costs and meet new regulatory requirements. These options don’t support our program’s mission at this time.
Yes, children must be potty-trained and need minimal support from their teacher.
If your child comes to school not feeling well, they will not be able to actively participate and could expose other children and adults to illness. Being such a small setting, it can potentially cause a full closure and disrupt the schedules of all families. Therefore, we follow standard health guidelines for early childhood programs. Children should stay home if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a contagious illness, or are unable to participate comfortably in outdoor learning.
