Our Caterpillars | 18-36 mo’s
A Place of Magic in the Outdoors
Foundational Building
Our Toddler Caterpillar Classroom provides a nurturing environment of explorations for our youngest students, nestled in a small schoolhouse, sitting next to a beautiful creek bed and gardens.
Our class is mostly active outdoors (we build forts, we call fairies and we bake mud-pies), with a beautiful garden as expansion to our play-ground and other learning areas (our fields are accessible for creek walks and peeking in on our bee hives from a good distance).
Every morning, our Caterpillars get hand’s on in our edible garden, connect with our older students and assist our Lead Teachers and Parent Volunteers with a variety of community projects (we just added a lovely new chicken coop, come visit our gardens and morning circle groups).
Our International experienced teachers work mindfully to foster skills like active listening, learning how to treat one another with kindness and compassion as they guide with problem solving techniques, and incorporate mindful practices that turn into a calm class throughout our day. We also offer dance and other fun classes at no additional cost!
Our wonderful teachers also foster skills like stacking, recognizing sizes/shapes and colors, and pushing and pulling. They also learn about plants, healthy eating habits, and a sense for community and the world around them.
Multiple languages are naturally incorporated throughout the day, as our community is multi-lingual and our Teachers bilingual (Spanish/English). Our Reggio Curriculum (Emergent Learning) reinforces these age-appropriate developments through songs, finger plays, short stories, center time and circle time, most of it spent outdoors every day.
We consistently evaluate each student in order to assess individual milestones, not only in their growth and development, but also in their mindfulness heart space and ability to care for themselves, our environment and our animals. Compassion is big at our holistic school and so we communicate mindful and respectfully with families about their child’s goals and growing phases.
Our Caterpillars learn at a young age the importance of healthy foods and where food grows. We offer nutritional experiences that are unlike other schools (plant-based, raw/vegan/vegetarian meals that are free of refined, processed or synthetic substances), made fresh daily, with children spending time every day in our Garden, identifying plants, herbs, and animals that come to visit (Caterpillars are VERY loved here).
We foster a culture of ‘yes’ and compassionately nurture our community and families. Please come visit us for a tour and learn more about WG and how to be part of a community involved neighborhood school that works in collaboration with all surrounding Universities and many Organizations to create the most authentic Reggio-Emilia experience in Austin.
Here a sample Daily Schedule for our sweet Caterpillars (modified with input from families and depending on season):
Caterpillars Daily Schedule
8:30-9:30a Arrival in Garden with Water/Sensory Play | Garden Activities w/ Community Partners (and other Classes)
9:30a Circle time | Good Morning Songs in Spanish (Alphabet Songs, Stories, Imaginary Play) ~ Outdoors
9:45-10:10a (Fine) Arts Center | Learning Activity of the Day (Bilingual)
10:10a Potty + Diaper changes | washing hands
10:30a Healthy Organic Snack
10:45a Outside transition for Garden Activities (watering/water table play/harvesting/compost tumbler check, etc), Bilingual.
11:30a After changing clothes we transition to the Playground
12noon Healthy Organic Lunch outside
12:40p Transition to the inside for diaper changes and getting read for nap time
1-3p Nap time with soothing Music and DoTerra essential Oils
3:15p Diapering/Potty/Transition
3:30p Healthy Organic Snack
4pm- Transition outside for active play and pick-up by 4:30p.