FAQ

Is the 2.5Y/30 month age requirement flexible? What if my child demonstrates that they are ready for school before that age?

Our program is subject to Washington State regulations for four-hour preschools, and a strict state regulation is that all children must be at least 2.5Y/30 months to be in our care.

We will admit children who turn 2.5Y/30 months partway through the school year as space permits. Some families also opt to pay to hold their child’s spot until they turn 2.5Y if their birthday is close to the start of the year; please contact us for more details if you are interested in this option.

How does the admissions process work at EGS?

1. Schedule a tour. If you are not currently located in Seattle and will be relocating, we can arrange a virtual tour via Zoom or FaceTime.

2. Submit an application (applying is free!). Once you have submitted an application, we will put your child on the waitlist. We want the process to be as accessible as possible, so there are no application or waitlist fees.

3. If you are looking for mid-year enrollment (any time after the first day of school in September through the end of May), we will contact you the month before your child would begin attending to let you know if we have space. You are welcome to check in with us via email as well.

4. Once we have completed the re-enrollment process for our current families in January, we will contact families who have applied for the next school year to let you know if we are able to offer your child a space or if we will need to keep you on the waitlist.

Can we choose which days of the week we attend, and is attendance fixed to certain days of the week?

In order to guarantee space during the school year and ensure staffing, attendance and tuition are tied to specific days. We do our very best to give everyone their desired days, but will sometimes have to give families their second or third choice of days.

Each family must take a Monday or Friday as part of their schedule; with mid-week days being the most popular, they can easily become overenrolled.

Are there full day options?

Our Wallingford location (The Garden House) is located in a duplex; the other unit houses an afternoon program run by a separate business, Mossy Root Education. Families who are interested in afternoon hours may apply to Mossy Root. There is no afternoon program at Queen Anne, but students are welcome to attend Mossy Root if their families can arrange transportation.

What is EGS’ teacher to student ratio?

Our ratio is 1:7, and sometimes even lower. The state ratio for preschool-aged children is 1:10, but it is important to us that both children and staff have more support.

Do children need to be potty-trained to attend EGS? How does EGS define potty-trained?

We do not require children to be potty-trained; diapers and pull-ups are welcome. EGS provides diapers, but does not typically have pull-ups stocked. Families are welcome to bring in their own diapers if a particular brand or type is needed.

EGS is happy to support potty-training, and will give children frequent opportunities to use the bathroom in addition to assisting them as needed. We consider children potty-trained when they have no more than one (or rarely two) accidents a week without reminders. The need to change clothes frequently takes away from school time and can pose hygiene issues, so we strongly encourage the use of pull-ups in the early days of potty-training and the use of training underwear (thick, absorbent padded underwear) once children have gained more skill and confidence.

If a child is routinely having accidents, we will ask that they come to school in pull-ups until the pull-up is dry most days. EGS may put children into a diaper or pull-up if they are having accidents at school.

Does EGS provide food?

EGS does not provide food, and does not have the capacity to heat up lunches. We ask that families provide a simple meal their child will enjoy and are capable of feeding themselves in a bento box-style lunchbox. Thermoses may be brought if you wish your child to have hot food or drink; teachers can open thermoses for children. There are no food restrictions unless there are severe allergies in a classroom; families will be informed of any food restrictions as they arise.

How often do the children eat?

We have one formal lunch time approximately two hours after school opens where we all sit together and eat. Children are also invited to have a quick snack as needed prior to lunch—we call these five-minute snacks “birdie bites”.

Do the schools have wheelchair access?

Our Queen Anne location is wheelchair-accessible, though teachers need forewarning so the front door can be accessed. Our Wallingford location is in a rented single-family home, and unfortunately does not have wheelchair access. Teachers are happy to bring students in and out for parents or guardians as needed.

How can I prepare my child for the first day, and how does EGS handle drop-offs?

We recommend that you talk with your child about what to expect starting a few weeks before the first day; let them know that you'll be dropping them off, that they can ask the teachers for any help they need, and that the teachers will check in with them too. You can tell them that you'll be back to pick them up after they play, have a chance to do a craft, eat the food you've packed, sing some songs, and hear some stories. We find that if parents talk about the experience confidently and positively it helps children feel relaxed; if they perceive that you feel confident, they will be more likely to feel confident and safe.

It's a good idea to set expectations for drop-off; if you want to stay for a little bit and explore with your child, that's fine, but when it's time to say goodbye we recommend it be short and sweet so it doesn't get confusing. If your child is struggling with your departure, the longer you stay, the greater their sadness. A big hug, and a "I love you, I'll be back to pick you up!" is classic. A teacher can help if there's tears, and will be right there if needed—let them know when you're about to leave so they can be ready. Teachers will take it from there, and let you know if they recommend anything further to help with the transition if it is difficult.

Typically children settle down within ten or fifteen minutes, but teachers will let you know if they haven't. We'll send you photos via Brightwheel to show you that they’ve settled and what they’re up to, should drop-off be hard.

What does family involvement look like at EGS? Are there opportunities for parents to connect with each other?

We do not have volunteer opportunities during the school day, but our parent community is enthusiastically invited to host family gatherings over the weekend at the schools any time! We’ve had several each year, and they’ve been a fun opportunity for parents and children alike to connect. Some of our families enjoy hosting gatherings at local parks as well.

We hold four festivals each year: the Lantern Festival, the Winter Spiral (ages 4+), May Day, and our Graduation Ceremony. We highly encourage families to come to as many festivals as you are able.

We always welcome donations of craft supplies and other useful items for the school, and are grateful for financial support for scholarships etc. Thank you!

What does Waldorf mean to EGS?

EGS is inspired by Waldorf; we bring into the classroom our favorite aspects of Waldorf education, but are free to incorporate elements of other pedagogies. We embrace what we find useful and beautiful in the Waldorf framework without being dogmatic. We know that many of our students go on to attend public schools, and want to prepare them for that environment as well as benefit from what Waldorf early childhood education has to offer. 

Some of what we consider to be the most important aspects of traditional Waldorf schools are ample time spent outdoors, a consistent school day rhythm that breathes “in and out” with quiet and focused times anchoring long periods of uninterrupted free play,  the creation of a warm and loving atmosphere, classrooms set up to invite imagination and cooperation, activities and expectations that allow children to grow at their own pace, singing together through transitions and throughout the day, a vibrant circle time that invites movement in varied and novel ways, teaching through story, and coming together with families to celebrate seasonal festivals. 

What schools do EGS students go on to attend?

A few schools that EGS graduates have attended include neighborhood public schools, KapKa Cooperative School, University Cooperative School, Seattle Country Day School, the Bush School, Seattle Waldorf School, and Bright Water Waldorf School.

What does my child need to know to attend kindergarten?

We find this link very helpful:  Kindergarten Readiness Guidelines

You can find many more helpful articles on our Resources page.

How does EGS communicate with parents?

Urgent messages and reminders are primarily communicated through the Brightwheel app. We aim to keep emails to a minimum; they may include policy updates, festival announcements, and needed paperwork. We send one newsletter a month that includes that month’s stories, songs, circle verses, and a link to the children performing that month’s circle. Photos of class activities are posted periodically to students’ private Brightwheel feeds.

Teachers may be available at pick-up time to have brief conversations with parents. For lengthier conversations, teachers are available to meet in person or phone call. Please let them know if you want a meeting, and you can arrange a time that works best for you.

What does EGS do for germ mitigation and air filtration?

Our schools are equipped with Austin HealthMate air purifiers, which utilize medical grade high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) technology. You can read more about the Austin HealthMate here.

We teach best handwashing practices, use medical-grade hand sanitizer when handwashing is not possible, and sanitize work and eating surfaces multiple times throughout the day.

How are challenging behaviors worked with?

In the first years of life, young children are learning how to manage their behaviors and emotions to meet societal expectations. During this time, challenging behaviors often arise as children learn how to communicate and interact with others and their environment. At Evergreen Garden, we view challenging behaviors as any behavior that interferes with learning, development, and play, is harmful to the child or others, or puts a child at risk for later social or academic struggles.

Challenging behaviors can be considered direct, such as hitting, pushing, biting or kicking; or they can be considered indirect, such as teasing, not following rules, excluding others, name calling, destroying objects, or having temper tantrums.

At Evergreen Garden, our goal is to guide children’s behavior while understanding that acting out is age appropriate as children learn how to express themselves and meet expectations. Some of the most important lessons learned at school arise during conflict and behavioral resolutions.

Teachers will guide children through conflicts using age-appropriate strategies, but there are common elements that all Evergreen Garden teachers use:

• Teachers model positive behavior. Teachers model how to accept, control, and express their emotions in non-aggressive ways; teachers let children know that they are there to help guide them through their strong feelings and that they will not punish, threaten, or withdraw from children in need.

• Teachers design the environment to minimize conflict. Teachers provide enough materials and toys for children. Teachers create areas for quiet play and active play, and teachers will always strive to create an environment of calm.

• Teachers establish simple rules and expectations for the classroom. Classroom rules may be created with children at the start of year and will be simple such as: be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and be kind to your environment.

• Teachers observe and supervise children’s activities and interactions. By observing children, teachers are often able to intervene before challenging behaviors arise.

• Adults help children share their feelings, frustrations, and concerns. Teachers will help children verbalize their feeling and problems, while also helping them think through their actions and develop solutions, which helps create cooperative learning.

• Children whose behaviors endanger others will temporarily work one-on-one with teachers. Teachers will help child move away from group activity to quietly work through issues with teacher and other concerned parties. Teacher will stay close to any child who is emotionally out of control and needs time to privately regain composure.

All discipline/guidance will be positive, productive, and immediate when behavior is inappropriate. No child will be humiliated, frightened, or subjected to physical punishment or verbal or physical abuse by anyone at Evergreen Garden. Every member of Evergreen Garden understands and follows our disciplinary approach.

When a pattern of behavior persists that endangers self, others, or property, or significantly disrupts the program, teachers will work with a child’s family to find solutions, including referral for outside services or eventual exclusion from the program. Exclusion will always be the last resort, after other interventions have been exhausted, or there is agreement that a different setting may work better for the child and family.

How are students supervised throughout the day?

EGS teachers aim to blend into the background during free play; our goal is to be present at all times without making children feel their every action is being scrutinized. Children have an easier time relaxing into play when adults are engaged in meaningful work around them, so EGS teachers may often be found cleaning, crafting, gardening, building, and repairing things as the children play around them. 

Can parents stay onsite?

In order to help all children settle in and relax into the rhythm of the school day, we ask that parents leave the school yard after goodbyes. Parents or guardians may stay on site as needed as part of behavioral plans organized with the teachers.