By Talia Cechin
“Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able, of themselves, to impact purpose and direction to their lives.” -Rudolf Steiner (18-61-1925)
River Oak is coming up on our 26th year in the beautiful Ukiah Valley. Every day we strive to provide our students with enriching experiences through music, dance, theater, literature, legends and myths, to cultivate a lifetime love of learning. River Oak is a Member of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education. In addition, we are a free public school that follows the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Waldorf education and practice is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, scientist, and educator who lived at the turn of the last century (1861-1925). His educational philosophy believes children learn best with a developmentally appropriate, experimental, and academically rigorous curriculum that incorporates the arts into all areas of academics.
If you are a resident of Ukiah, you may have noticed new constructions at many elementary schools. Due to a state initiative called Universal Pre-Kindergarten, all public schools are enrolling younger students as an incentive to begin their public school education early with the goal of two years of kindergarten. Since River Oak opened its doors, we have always advocated every student to have two years of kindergarten.
However, due to the state guidelines allowing younger students to apply for TK, River Oak has responded by proudly introducing our self-contained TK classroom called ‘Morning Star’ which will serve our 10 youngest students at our school. Starting in Kindergarten, students are welcomed into a nurturing and loving environment and ‘Morning Star’ is no exception. The classroom’s teacher Ms. Amy Jirout is a Bilingual Credentialed Teacher who also possesses her Waldorf Teaching Certificate and Ms. Madeline Pool is a Bilingual Classroom Aide with a work history of caring for children at a local preschool. Universal Pre-Kindergarten suggests that students in a TK classroom learn best with a play-based curriculum. This means that children in their first year of public school are learning the foundations for reading, writing, and math through play. Luckily, as a Waldorf-inspired charter school, River Oak has been adapting to this educational philosophy for years.
Steiner believed that the first seven years of a child’s life should be cultivating their imagination and social relationships. When young children play, they develop their creativity, physical development, and enhance their social-emotional skills. We are honored to continue to serve your children in Mendocino County. If your child turns 4 years old before Sept. 1, 2025, please consider visiting River Oak for a campus tour to learn how we can meet the needs of your child.
We are accepting lottery applications until Feb. 27, 2025. Applications are available online at www.riveroakcharterschool.org The school is centrally located at 555 Leslie Street next to the Ukiah Senior Center. Call (707) 467-1855 ext. 103 for more information.
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