Brigitte Hartmann
Director and lead teacher
Brigitte runs the school and teaches in the oak grove. She keeps the weather log, the garden calendar and the first aid kit.
Forest and garden preschool
School is under the oaks.
Madrone is a forest and garden preschool for children ages 3 and 4. Mornings are spent in an oak grove and a garden bed, with an indoor base for the days the weather asks us to come inside.
The seasons
A year under the oaks
Children come back to the same grove, the same garden beds and the same loop of trail, and watch them change.
September to NovemberFall: leaves and acorns
Children sort leaves by color, press them into prints and carry acorns by the basketful. The first rain turns the grove into a mud kitchen.
December to FebruaryWinter: rain, clay and wool
Rain gear on, boots in the puddles, then clay and wool at the indoor base. Short days make a slower morning and a closer look.
March to MaySpring: seeds and small creatures
Children plant the garden beds, check on seedlings and look for ladybugs and worms under the logs. On wet mornings we keep to the dry path.
June to AugustSummer: shade and tomatoes
Mornings start early and end before the heat. We follow the shade through the grove and water the garden beds first.
How we teach
Play, noticing and the same place every day
Teachers follow what children notice: a beetle under a log, a puddle that was not there yesterday. We bring out loose parts, clay and paper, and children decide what to build, draw or dig. The program is play-based, and the grove is the classroom.
Play-based, led by the children's questions
The same places, every morning, through every season
An indoor base for weather days
Our programs
Programs by age and schedule
Two age groups and three schedules. Every morning runs from 8:30 to 12:30, and long days stay until 3:00.
| Ages | Adults to children | Group size | Three mornings8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Five mornings8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Monday to Friday | Long days8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Tuesday and Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threes3-year-olds | 1 adult to 10 children | 12 | Offered | Waitlist | Not offered |
| Fours4-year-olds | 1 adult to 10 children | 12 | Offered | Offered | Offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your family's file and covers the enrollment forms and the first week's materials. It is paid once, when you enroll.
- Tuition
- Set by the child's age and the schedule you choose. We share the figures on the tour and on our enrollment page.
- Materials
- Clay, paper, paint and garden supplies for the year.
- Snack
- The shared morning snack of fruit, bread and water.
Sample programs.
License and safety
License, adults per child and outdoor routines
The state license, the adults for each group of children, and what we do about weather, smoke, wind and the oaks overhead.
License
Licensed by DELC
Child care license · OR License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 10 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 12
1 adult to 10 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 12
Group size
Up to 12 children
with 2 adults
Ages 3 years to 4 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Weather check
Each morning at 7:00 the director checks the forecast and the air quality. When the plan changes, we message families before they leave home.
Wind and the oaks
Before the children arrive, a teacher walks the grove and looks overhead for broken limbs. When wind is strong, the morning moves to the indoor base.
Smoke and heat
On days when the air quality report is unhealthy, we stay in the indoor base. In extreme heat we start in the shade and come in early.
Boundaries
Children learn the edge of our area: the marked oak, the garden fence and the bend in the trail. A teacher always stands where the view is open.
Headcount
We count the children when we leave the indoor base, at every change of place and when we come back. One teacher counts and another confirms.
First aid
A first aid kit and a phone go out with every group. Staff are trained in first aid and CPR.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
A morning outdoors
How a morning goes
The same rhythm every day, so the grove and the garden become familiar places.
8:30 Arrival at the gate
Families walk children to the gate and hand them to a teacher. Boots go on at the bench, bags stay in the indoor base.
8:50 Circle under the oak
A song, a story and a plan for the morning, told from what the children noticed the day before.
9:15 Time to explore
Free play in the grove and the garden: building with loose parts, digging, climbing low logs, drawing on bark.
10:30 Snack
Hand washing at the tap, then snack together at the log table, or at the indoor base when it rains hard.
11:00 A walk or a garden job
A loop of the trail, or work in the garden beds: planting, watering, picking, carrying leaves.
12:00 Story and good-byes
A last story, gathering the things we found, and pickup at the gate at 12:30.
Teachers
Two teachers in the grove every morning
Madrone is a small school. The children know the adults who stand at the gate each day.
Hilaria Serna
Teacher
Hilaria teaches the morning group and looks after the garden beds. She knows which corner of the grove gets the sun in March.
Come and see the grove
Tours are in the morning, while the group is outside. Wear boots and bring your child if you like.