Tarrytown, N.Y. (June 9, 2011) - Green Meadow Waldorf School is expanding into Tarrytown, N.Y. with the opening of their Early Childhood Center, located at the currently unused Tappan Hill School.

This satellite location at 50 Ichabod Lane will offer a chance for parents to have high-quality Waldorf Early Childhood programs right in the neighborhood.

The expansion is in response to burgeoning interest in Green Meadow and Waldorf Education among parents in Westchester, especially the Tarrytown area. The school wants to make its unique education more accessible.

“This is our first satellite location and so far the response from local families is outstanding,” said Vicki Larson, Director of Communications and Marketing at Green Meadow Waldorf School. “Our main campus is flourishing, and this second location provides an opportunity to bridge the gap between Westchester and our 62-year-old school in Chestnut Ridge, in Rockland.”

Enrollment is now open for the September nursery/kindergarten class (serving ages 3-6), as well as Parent & Child classes for babies and toddlers from birth to 3. Other family events at the center in the fall will include Nature Walks and educational film screenings for adults. To find out more, call Admissions Coordinator Patricia Owens at 845-356-9715 or visit http://www.gmws.org.

Activities offered at the Tarrytown location will include watercolor painting, bread baking, puppet shows, outdoor free play, and story time. For parents interested in learning more, Green Meadow will be holding a Puppet Show on July 9 and a series of Tea and Play introductory sessions during July.

“Our Tea and Play dates will be held on Wednesdays, on July 13, 20, and 27,” said Larson. “Parents share a cup of tea with our early childhood teacher and learn more about our programs, while their child can play in our beautiful new space. The July 9 Puppet Show will be in Japanese, followed by a craft activity and snack.”

The Early Childhood Center at Tappan Hill School is currently being transformed into a traditional Waldorf environment: home-like, beautiful, and safe. The walls will be painted this week using a layering effect called lazure, and the classrooms will be filled with sheepskin rugs and natural toys.

Waldorf Education is now the fastest-growing independent school movement worldwide, and Introductory Sessions at the school draw upwards of 30 parents per month.

Nearly 350 students from 13 counties and almost 90 towns attend the independent Green Meadow Waldorf School. Located about 20 miles north of New York City, Green Meadow serves students from nursery school through grade 12.

Waldorf education is the fastest-growing independent school movement worldwide, with 300 schools in the U.S. and nearly 1,000 around the world. The curriculum is based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, who founded the first Waldorf School in Germany in 1919. Green Meadow offers developmentally based, challenging academic coursework infused with the arts.  Students are exposed to diverse disciplines and can choose traditional classes such as modern languages and sciences while also learning practical arts, such as knitting, blacksmithing, and woodworking. The school also limits the use of technology and media for younger students, which is now understood by researchers as essential to the developing brain. 

For more information: Contact Vicki Larson at 845-356-2514 ext. 311 or vlarson@gmws.org.

About Green Meadow School and the Waldorf education: Founded in Germany in 1919 by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf Education now includes schools on every continent. Green Meadow Waldorf School is an accredited full member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), an association that strengthens and supports Waldorf schools and informs the public of the benefits of Waldorf education.  Green Meadow is also an accredited member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), a voluntary association of more than 140 independent schools in the state of New York.