FAQs - Kindergarten years
As your child enters kindergarten, we know that you probably have a lot of questions.
We want to make sure that you are making an informed choice for your child. Therefore, we have come up with a list of the most frequently asked questions about the Kindergarten program.
1) When do I enroll my child in the kindergarten program?
Admission process for June 2024 starts with the distribution of application form on the 4th of September 2023.
2) When can I schedule a visit?
At the Garden campus, campus visits after seeking an appointment are scheduled on Tuesdays from 2.15 until 3.00 pm and for Grade school on Wednesdays at 10.30 am. We request you to seek prior appointment by calling the admission desk 73393 11 211.
3) On what basis do you select or reject application?
Few considerations for admission are as follows:-
Understanding and alignment of school’s Philosophy
Assessment and Observation of the child.
Gender Composition.
Long term engagement with the school.
Ability to engage meaningfully and actively with the Yellow train community.
4) What time does the school start and end?
For PKG, Working hours – 9.15 a.m to 12.30 p.m
For LKG & UKG, Working hours – 9.15 a.m to 2.00 p.m
5) How many children are in a group?
We maintain a healthy 1 Teacher along with a support teacher for a group of 30 children. It is a vertical kindergarten with PKG, LKG and UKG together in one environment.
6) What does the kindergarten program offer?
Waldorf Education is unparalleled in its ability to preserve and nourish the life forces of childhood. Our Kindergarten program is inspired by Waldorf Education and the work of Rudolf Steiner.
Rudolf Steiner believed that the future of each individual child depends on health giving experiences in the first seven years of life.
In the light of this understanding, we believe that an atmosphere of loving warmth and guidance promotes joy, wonder and reverence and supports the healthy development of the child. Our kindergarten at Yellow Train is created on this basic premise.
7) Will my child learn to read/write in the kindergarten?
According to Waldorf pedagogy, cognitive and abstract work such as reading and writing at a very early age hinders the healthy development of the child. Therefore, Children in the kindergarten will not be exposed to reading and writing.
8) When will my child begin reading and writing?
Our children in Grade 1 eagerly wait to read and write. What children in main stream schools labor with (the introductory task of reading and writing) in early childhood, Children all over the world in Waldorf schools are able to master in their first year of school.
9) Are children in the kindergarten automatically moved to Grade 1 after their kindergarten years?
No, at the end of the Kindergarten years the child would be assessed for Grade readiness. Age of the child, the grade readiness test and the being of the child would be considered to move them to Grade 1.
10) When will my child meet his first assessment?
Children will be assessed from Grade 1 onwards.
Assessments are designed to have a realistic understanding of where one stands with respect to many areas and is a very helpful tool in measuring the progress. Our reviews include not only the cognitive element, but also all the other areas of development such as music, handwork etc.
Children go through regular assessments without preparation and without the stress of examination all through the year.
11) How can parents participate in the program?
Parents play an integral part in the development of the child and hence are expected to attend the workshops and meetings with the teachers and program coordinators to understand Waldorf way of parenting.
It is important that there is a synchronizing of thoughts and actions between the school and the parents for the healthy blossoming of the child.
12) Do we have formal parent/teacher meetings? What is the frequency?
Yes, Parent- Teacher interactions are important and we have one PTI every Term through the school year where we present the development of the child.
13) How does snack and lunch work?
Snack – We have one snack break. Parents to send snacks everyday according to the snack schedule except on cooking days which will be shared prior.
Lunch break – is from 12.30 to 1.00 pm. Community lunch is a special aspect of the kindergarten where the children get to taste love and warmth of each family. Each family cooks for the entire class once every month. The roaster would be shared prior.
14) What is the background of the Teachers in the Kindergarten and how are they trained?
We look for teachers who have a deep love for children and who are passionate about the cause of renewal and change in education. Our teachers come from eclectic backgrounds and share our passion for progressive education.
We have a team that comprises of artists, doctors, engineers, dentists, architects and various other professionals who have all relinquished their careers after having discovered their calling for this path of being a teacher.
The school therefore has an extremely robust and intense Teacher Development program that allows for a real understanding of what it means to be a teacher and alongside develop skills that are essential.
The school has a unique ongoing intensive development program for teachers through the school year that ensures that teachers are on journey of growth.
As a Waldorf School our teachers are a part of the developmental work through the year with visiting mentors and us traveling for various seminars around the world.
FAQs – Primary
1) What are the school working hours?
The school operates from Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. In case of a special event or workshop, school shall function on a Saturday. Any change of school timings shall be proactively communicated by the school.
2) What should I know and understand before I decide to send my child to Yellow Train School?
Yellow Train is an alternate school that follows Waldorf pedagogy. The main philosophy of the school is to honour and protect the wonder of childhood. Every effort is made to make the learning environment safe, secure and nurturing for children. Waldorf curriculum has a profound philosophy of child development underlying the curriculum. All subjects are introduced in an age- appropriate fashion.
3) What are the subjects taught in primary?
The main focus during the primary years are as follows:
Academics
Numeracy and Literacy
Language Arts (Tamil, Hindi)
Movement and Arts
Handwork , Art forms like form drawing, wet-on-wet water color painting, clay modelling
Recorder
Movement, Structured sports and physical education
The emphasis during the early years is on building the child’s confidence in Reading, Creative and copy writing and number sense. The pace of the academics may seem slow , but the goal is to build good rhythm and strengthen the foundation in alignment with the Waldorf pedagogy. Apart from the above subjects, there are specialized subjects like nature stories, house building, gardening, geography and botany which are taught practically and lay a strong foundation to future study of specialized subjects in middle school.
4) What is the syllabus followed in the primary years? Will the children have text books
Our primary years curriculum is designed in-house and that follows Waldorf Pedagogy. The respective class teachers and subject teachers are deeply involved in the designing and delivery of the curriculum. We do not use any prescribed text books. The children will have their own English readers and work books for Mathematics which will be provided by the school.
5) What does the curriculum look like in Primary years?
Language Arts (English,Second Language)
Early Primary:
Oral communication is encouraged through a lot of story telling. Writing is taught first. The children discover Alphabets through Art. Writing evolves through Art; reading follows and evolves effortlessly. Children read simple words and sentences phonetically from their Main Lesson books by the end of Grade 1.
Reading is strengthened in Grade 2 and a school reader is usually prescribed and used at the end of Grade 2.
The children are introduced to Grammar only by the end of Grade 2.
By end of Grade 3, Language proficiency is established with good creative writing skills, strong vocabulary and Grammar.
Upper Primary:
In the Upper Primary years, skills in English is strengthened further with stories from Mythology and exploration of the Local Geography. With Second Languages, the focus is on building conversation skills, ability to read, write simple sentences, good vocabulary and pronunciation.
Math
Early Primary:
The focus on the initial years is on understanding numbers, patterns and the four operations. Math is taught kinasthetically using materials from nature and with a lot of movements. The foundation is strengthened with practice and repetition.
Upper Primary:
Math in upper primary focuses on application and higher order thinking skills. Fractions, decimals and proportions are introduced and strengthened with practice and repetition.
Sciences
Early Primary:
Science is introduced through nature stories and activities which brings the child’s attention to the world around. We begin with folk tales about the four elements in nature and progress to the four seasons. In Grade 3, children are introduced to farming, house building and professions of trade.
Upper Primary:
Life sciences are introduced through study of the animal kingdom (Zoology) and plant kingdom(Botany). Children’s interest is kindled with comparison between traits of humans and animals and strong emphasis is laid on observation and recording skills. This sets a solid foundation required for the middle years where they will be introduced to the physical sciences as well.
6) When do the children start reading and writing in the school?
The children at our kindergarten are completely focused on play and are first introduced to Reading and writing in Grade 1. Oral communication is encouraged through a lot of story telling through the kindergarten and Grade 1. Writing is taught first. The children discover Alphabets through art, which is how our letter forms evolved out of pictographs. Writing evolves out of art; reading follows and evolves effortlessly.
7) What is the homework policy of the school?
Home work is designed for various reasons – for deepening their understanding, for independent practice, for developing speed, for self-learning possibilities, for creative expression and sometimes for shared time between parent and child. The nature of each homework, its objective and expected outcomes could therefore vary. The work sent is of the expected grade level and children are expected to work on it independently. However, if the child’s personal capacity is lower than the expected grade level, then the homework will need parent’s supervision and support. Parents are expected to take responsibility and ensure the child completes the work and honours submission timelines
8) How does a typical day look in the primary grades at Yellow Train?
The children usually arrive between 8:00 AM and 8:15 AM and have breakfast at the school. The children have Free play right after breakfast and the school day starts at 8:40 AM. The children are greeted by the teacher followed by a class circle with age appropriate movement, music, songs and verses. The academic day starts with what we call the “Main lesson” where one topic from one subject will be taught everyday for 2 – 4 weeks (block system). Main Lesson is followed by a lesson from the skills or Arts curriculum, followed by a practice Block where children practice concepts from subjects other than the main lesson subject. The day ends with another lesson from the Language arts, skills or Arts curriculum and a closing circle
9) How does the school assess the children? Will they sit for exams? Will they be provided a Rank or a Grade?
Assessment of every child is an on-going process and it involves both academic and non-academic curriculum. Each block has a learning goal. At the end of every block, in the last week, children will be assessed against these goals through a review. Reviews are designed to have a realistic understanding of where one stands with respect to many areas and is a very helpful tool in measuring the progress. Our term end reviews include not only the academic subjects, but handwork, social behavior, etc., Children go through the reviews without the stress of the ‘examination’. Reviews are application oriented, creative and reflect what the child has ‘learnt’, not ‘studied’ and therefore we neither announce the dates not require the parent to prepare the child. The performance in the reviews is shared with the parent and the child at the end of every term unless there is a need otherwise. There is no ranking or grading system
10) How will my child’s progress be measured?
The child’s progress is of interest to both the school and the parents. The progress is usually measured against the benchmark the child sets for from him/herself. There is an age appropriate level and the term end report will reflect where the child stands with regards to the age appropriate level. There is no ranking or grading system and the children are never compared to other children in the class.
11) Is Yellow Train an Inclusive school? Will the school diagnose behavioral challenges?
Yellow Train is a school that strives to be Inclusive. We accept children of all backgrounds, races, languages, physical abilities and learning capabilities who can function successfully in a classroom environment and where we feel the teacher is equipped to manage the child and where the school believes that the child will benefit from being part of an inclusive setup. Parents play a very important role in this journey. This process of admission varies for each child based on the need.
The school is not equipped to diagnose behavioral challenges but will offer recommendations if a need is felt.
12) How does the school deal with children who are not strong academically or children who are gifted?
The school does not categorize or discriminate children based on whether they are gifted or slow. A child’s weakness in one area, whether academic or physical is usually balanced with strengths in another area. The teacher strives to identify the child’s strengths and work closely with the parents to support the child. It is important to understand that it is the responsibility of the parents as much as it is of the school to support the child with any difficulty, he/she might be facing. A child having a difficulty might be given extra support by the teacher and parents. Correspondingly, a child who excels might be given special tasks to work on or might be asked to help a child who is having trouble.
13) What is the sports program for the primary years?
The sports program for primary years at Yellow Train school is focused on building social and pre-game skills and sportsmanship. A lot of emphasis is on movement, rhythm and collaborative games. We do not encourage competitive and structured sports and do not take our children to inter school and competitive meets until the end of Grade 5. In Grade 5, the children get introduced to individual structured games, Bothmer gymnastics and prepare to participate in the Waldorf Olympics, which will be their first ever inter school event.
14) Is it true that if you start schooling in a Waldorf school, it is difficult to fit into other schools??
A transition from a Waldorf school to a mainstream school can potentially be difficult, especially in the lower grades, because of the significant differences in the pacing of the curriculum and the teaching methodologies. A grade 3 child from a Waldorf school could be much further in reading and arithmetic compared to a grade 3 child from a main stream school, but may not know as much information about the sciences. But with a little support from parents, children usually transition without much issues.
15) Are transitions from Main stream schools to Yellow Train School difficult?
The transition from a mainstream school to Yellow train school is usually easier in the lower grades than in the higher grades. While the children from mainstream school cope well socially, they do take time to adjust to the Yellow Train method of teaching and may struggle with catching up with subjects and some skills. From our prior experiences, we understand that alternate system of Education may not meet the expectations and needs of all families. While some children may be academically proficient, they may face difficulty in adjusting with the Yellow Train method of teaching or fitting into the culture of the school. While every effort is made to help the child settle down and fit in, we do a review with the parent at the end of the year to relook at the engagement keeping in mind the best interest of the child.
FAQs – Middle and High School
1) What are the school working hours for Middle and High School?
The school operates from Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. In case of a special event or workshop, school shall function on a Saturday. The High and Senior School ( Grade 9 & 10) may function on some Saturdays and during some breaks for exam preparation. Any change of school timings shall be proactively communicated by the school
2) What are the subjects taught in middle and high school?
The main focus during the middle years are as follows
Academics
English
Maths
Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
Language Arts (Tamil, German)
Specialized subjects (Indian History, World History, Geology, Astronomy, Geography)
Movement and Arts
Handwork – needlework, crochet, macrame, basket weaving
Various forms of art like form drawing, wet-on-wet water color painting, clay modelling
Club (Reading, Cooking, Performance Arts, Sports, Story and movie, Public Speaking)
Movement, Structured sports and physical education
Performance Arts- Drama, Music
The emphasis on Numeracy and Literacy continues through the middle and high school years as well. Additionally, Sciences and Specialized subjects are introduced to kindle and feed the inquisitive mind and expand the interests.
3) How do we find out more about the curriculum?
Grades 6 – 8
While English, Math, Language Arts and Sciences follow the Waldorf curriculum, by the time the children finish grade 8, they are in tune and transition to meet the Cambridge curriculum and write a checkpoint examination before entering the IGCSE years.
Grades 9 & 10
International General Certificate of Secondary Education is a two year program (covering year 9 & year 10) – equivalent to Grade 10 in India. After the IGCSE, the children have a choice to continue with IAL or switch to an Indian Board. The IAL – International A levels is equivalent to Grade 12 in India. The IGCSE and IAL are offered by CIE and Edexcel with marks and grading recognized by both Indian and International universities and employers worldwide. The AIU (Association of Indian Universities) has officially recognized IGCSE and IAL in India and therefore, students passing out of this Board will have access to Universities in India and across the globe.
The main features of the program are Internationally accepted Robust curriculum, Assessment, Positioning and access to World wide resources and learning aids. It offers a wide range of subjects under Languages, Humanities, Sciences, Maths and Arts. The learning objectives, content and assessments are intensely application oriented and therefore prepare the students for meeting the demands of the real world and work environment.
4) How does a typical day look in the Middle School at Yellow Train?
The children usually arrive between 8:00 AM and 8:15 AM and have breakfast at the school. The school day starts at 8:20 AM with an Assembly or morning circle. The academic day starts with what we call the “Main lesson” where one topic from one subject will be taught everyday for 2 – 4 weeks (block system).
Main Lesson is followed by a practice block where children practice concepts from subjects other than the main lesson subject. English and Math lessons happen everyday, languages are taught 4 days a week, sciences, skills, arts and other specialized subjects are taught once a week. The day usually ends with a physical education lesson with either movement, games or structured sports.
5) What are the requirements to be a part of the High School?
The High School offers the IGCSE program over 2 years ( Grade 9 &10). The program is intensive and requires not just proficiency in the subject but greater understanding and proficiency in English too. At the end of the Middle School years the students also take an Achievement Test in English, Maths and Science which serves as a marker of where the student stands in terms of performance in the International field and indicates the readiness of the child towards the IGCSE years.
6) What are the subjects offered in the High School towards the Board Examinations?
The IGCSE Qualification is awarded on appearing for a minimum of five subjects. The children are prepared for English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and German / Tamil – a total of six subjects. Besides this there is an option of taking Art and Design as an additional subject. The board offers a variety of other subjects which the student may choose and prepare for in their own time but appear through the school.
7) Is the transition from a main stream school to Yellow Train Middle and High school difficult?
Edexcel iLowerSecondary and IGCSE curriculum demand that children are able to apply the knowledge and skills from all subjects in different situations, are able to come up with creative solutions, exhibit analytical and higher order thinking skills and have good study habits in order to be able to cope with the rigor. It is not dependent on rote or memory based learning .The teaching method is focused on building these skills. Hence children from other schools may take time to adjust and settle down.
8) What is the homework policy of the school?
Home work is designed for various reasons – for deepening their understanding, for independent practice, for developing speed, for self-learning possibilities, for creative expression and developing a good study habit. The nature of each homework, its objective and expected outcomes could therefore vary.
The work sent is of the expected grade level and children are expected to work on it independently. However, if the child’s personal capacity is lower than the expected grade level, then the homework will need parent’s supervision and support. Parents are expected to take responsibility and ensure the child completes the work and honour submission timelines. Some of the homework could require the support of technology, the scope of which is always defined.
9) What is the sports program for the middle and high school years?
Movement, games and structured sports are given as much importance as Academics in Middle and high school years. It helps the children to develop healthy bodies and learn the importance of Discipline, coordination, sportsmanship, skill, technique, team work, and respect.
Physical Education lessons happen every day in the middle and high school years with heavy emphasis on skill building (playing and practicing), inclusion and sportsmanship. The children are encouraged to participate in competitive sports and to represent the school at various athletic events. Besides active sports, students also participate in Bothmer gymnastics and games.
10) What is the school’s policy on Technology in Middle and high school years?
While the students may be exposed to limited technology in the classroom through videos, talks or presentations, there is no active use of Technology in school by the students. Gadgets are not permitted in school. At home, for homework, children may be expected to use the support of technology in a guided manner for their work.
11) What is the school’s take on discipline?
The school subscribes to a philosophy of Freedom of Expression with Responsibility. This extends to all areas of school life including discipline. When there is lack of responsibility or respect, there are several approaches the school takes. Initially, there is a conversation with the child and thereafter if repeated it is brought to the attention of the parents and further still the school reserves the right to take further disciplinary action.
The school has a no-tolerance policy towards Bullying, Foul language, physical harm or damage and such behaviour will be handled appropriately.
12) How do assessments happen?
Assessment of every child is an on-going process. Each block has a learning goal. At the end of every block, children will be assessed against these objectives through a review.
Reviews are designed to have a realistic understanding of where one stands with respect to many areas and is a very helpful tool in measuring the progress. Our term end and year end reviews cover what has been taught through out the term and the year respectively. The assessment dates are intimated and children are expected to prepare of the assessments.
Assessments are timed and are graded as per the marking scheme of the Board. The performance in the reviews is shared with the parent and the child at the end of every term unless there is a need otherwise.
13) How will my child’s progress be measured?
The child’s progress is of interest to both the school and the parents. The progress is usually measured against the benchmark the child and the teacher set and those set by the Board. There is a grade appropriate level and the term end report will reflect where the child stands with regards to the grade appropriate level. The grading is done according to the IGCSE guidelines and gives a clear picture of where the child stands in each subject. There is no internal comparison or ranking.