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Leander school offers alternative for youngsters

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For parents who are looking for a school that offers their toddlers and pre-K children a chance to be in contact with the environment and learn outdoor skills such as gardening or caring for animals, Leander now has just that.

The Good Earth Day School, located adjacent to Wiley Middle School in Leander, blends together different elements of Waldorf and Montessori teachings to create a hands-on program.

Leslie Castaneda, the co-owner and director for the school said Good Earth Day School first got started as an in-home licensed program in Cedar Park, but finally opened as a licensed childcare center in November.

Castaneda, along with her sister, Myra Mote, and childhood friend, Tina Reckart, started the program.

She said the house that the school is in provided the perfect atmosphere with shade trees in the front and back.

“The home here met our needs and had an aesthetic appeal,” Castaneda said.

After being in early childhood education and having children of her own, Castaneda said she decided to start a program from what she had noticed and thought was best for child education because she couldn't find what she thought her own children needed.

“I believe that learning should be hands on with natural and open-ended materials,” she said.

Good Earth is set up with very small groups with infants having only four to a room, 1- to 2-year-olds have five, 2- to 3-year olds have six children and mixed-age grouping for all older children. “It's profoundly different than most childhood programs,” Castaneda said. “The setting is as close to home-like as possible.”

Opening in the spring, the school will have a petting farm, complete with a pot-bellied pig, cows, a miniature donkey and miniature pony. The resident farmer, Jamie Stone, works with the older children to feed and take care of the animals each day.

“I think that's really something special that the kids can experience,” Castaneda said.

The school has five classrooms and is licensed for 50 students. Castaneda said they are currently accepting students, specifically for the mixed-age pre-K level.

With a convenient location between 183A and the Parmer-Reagan corridor, Castaneda said it is ideal for commuting families. “The location made sense for commuting parents and can serve a wide population,” she said.

On Sunday, Dec. 21, the school is hosting a Winter Solstice Festival from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival will have a stone labyrinth lit with luminarias, story telling about the solstice, a fire dancer, drumming and hot beverages.

The event is open to the public and is $6 per person with children under 1 year old admitted for free. The idea came from a similar event Castaneda saw last year. “Thought it was a wonderful event for families. It's a pretty powerful thing especially on a clear night,” she said.

The Good Earth Day School is located at 10820 East Crystal Falls Parkway in Leander. For more information, visit their website at www.goodearth school.com or call 259-3922.

E-mail jenn@hillcountrynews.com

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