Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for your interest in Rainbow Bridge LifeWays Program. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions. For other questions or to arrange a visit or an interview, please contact us.
- How are LifeWays early childhood programs unique?
- What programs are offered?
- What are the Program’s dates?
- Where are you located, and how can I guarantee a space for my child?
- Are you licensed?
- What are the teachers’ qualifications?
- Do you offer parent education?
How are LifeWays early childhood programs unique?
LifeWays North America draws from the indications of Rudolf Steiner/Waldorf education and modern formulations such as The Irreducible Needs of Children by Brazelton and Greenspan, which emphasize nurturing the child’s sense of trust and well-being through having the same caregivers throughout the early years. Relationship-based care that takes family life as its model complements your home life and provides an environment in which your child will flourish.
LifeWays programs recognize that human relationship and activity are the essential tools for all foundational skills for life. In infancy and early childhood, daily life experience is the “curriculum” through which your child experiences healthy life rhythms and routines. Beauty, comfort, security, and connection to the living world of nature form the basis for the “Living Arts:”
- Domestic Arts—Children find joy in the practical and meaningful activities of daily life, laying a foundation for future academic skills, initiative and purpose.
- Nurturing Arts—Your child will be nourished with natural foods, hair brushing, calming foot baths, daily outdoor time, and rest for full-day children.
- Social Arts—Mixed-age groupings foster a secure relationship with the primary caregiver over time and provide the opportunity to be both a younger and older “sibling.”
- Creative Arts—Imaginative play is enriched by story telling, puppet shows, artistic activities, crafts, music and singing.
Our mixed-age program offers the advantage, over time, of children being both one of the youngest and one of the oldest children. We provide a rich, creative program for the 3-5 years olds with many of the activities of the Waldorf kindergarten, and we welcome toddlers. We are able to accept two children under age 2, providing a mixed-age family-style group ranging in age from 1-5 years.
You can choose either half-day (8:30 am – 12:30 pm) or the full day program (8:30 am – 3:30 pm). We provide as much flexibility as possible by offering 5-day, 4-day, 3-day and 2-day options. We provide nutritious lunches of whole grains and organic vegetable, and parents provide fruit for morning snacks.
Our program follows an extended school year, running from Sept. 6, 2011 through June 29, 2012. If you need care during the summer, we will also be providing care on a weekly basis to allow for family vacations without paying for being at Rainbow Bridge.
Where are you located, and how can I guarantee a space for my child?
The program is in a North Boulder home, conveniently located two blocks southeast of Broadway and Linden, at 3640 Buckeye. The home is on a quiet street and has a wonderful backyard with grass, natural bushy areas, and a large deck. It has a den that is dedicated to the children, as well as kitchen, dining room and living room space that are also used. Please call to set a time that you and your family can visit. Then, if you decide to enroll, please send in the enclosed application along with the $50 application fee and we will arrange to visit you in your home. See the admissions page for a fee schedule. Signing the contract and paying the nonrefundable Deposit/Supplies Fee assures your child’s place in the program.
We opened in this location in August, 2008 as a fully licensed “large daycare home,” able to care for a maximum of 12 children, with two children under the age of 2.
What are the teachers’ qualifications?
“Oma” (which means “grandma” in German and Dutch) — Rahima Baldwin Dancy opened one of the first Waldorf Preschool Homes in the 1980s, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she also taught kindergarten at the Rudolf Steiner School. She has been on the board of LifeWays North America since 2002. Rahima is internationally known as the author of You Are Your Child’s First Teacher on Steiner’s indications for birth through age six, which has been translated into Spanish, Thai, Korean, Japanese and Hebrew. She is a parenting educator, conference organizer and administrator of the weblog www.waldorfinthehome.org. Rahima also holds a Master’s in Gerontology and Organizational Change from California State University Sacramento.
“Grandpa Agaf” — Agaf Dancy was a Waldorf teacher and administrator for twenty-seven years in Michigan and locally in Boulder at Shepherd Valley and Shining Mountain Waldorf Schools. He holds a Master's in Education from Eastern Michigan University. During the summers he leads outdoor leadership programs with teens. Together Agaf and Rahima have raised four children, now ages 30-40. Agaf is delighted to be at Rainbow Bridge with young children once again, and the children love "Grandpa Agaf" and the energy he brings, including his outdoor projects, gardening and woodworking.
Assistant Teachers — Other teachers join the team as needed for the number and configuration of the children. We are committed to an adult/child ratio of 3 adults with 12 children. Assistants are drawn, as needed, from the LifeWays and Waldorf communities of teachers and childcare providers.
Do you offer parent education?
We offer support and education for parents through parent evenings, seasonal celebrations, and conference. In addition, LifeWays offers a part-time training and certification program in Boulder that meets four times over the course of a year, making it available for parents as well as professionals.