A Nature-Immersed, Waldorf-Inspired Day
For Homeschooling Children Ages 5-12
Rooted Earth Mondays open the door to Sunrise School’s nature-immersed, Waldorf-inspired education. Families join us for a full school day from 8:45–3:30, with a rhythm that balances meaningful academics, creative expression, and time in nature. This program is open to the general homeschooling community as well as currently enrolled Sunrise families, offering a beautiful way to experience the Sunrise School environment without committing to a three-day program.
At a Glance:
- Who: Homeschooling children ages 5–12 (open to the general public; Sunrise families welcome)
- When: Mondays — 8:45 AM– 3:30PM
- Where: Sunrise School of Ormond Beach at EarthPerks Farm (8 wooded acres; hikes extend into the state forest)
- How it works: A morning filled with nature based activities taught in alignment with Waldorf educational philosophies, and a Forest School afternoon. Students have a 30-minute lunch (12:00–12:30). Lunch is brought from home.
Beginning Monday, March 23!
Spring Rooted Earth Mondays – Special Session
Rooted Earth Mondays typically weave together many subjects through the day. This spring, however, we are offering a special session that allows mathematics to take the lead. Over nine weeks, students will explore mathematical ideas through hands-on discovery, pattern, movement, and meaningful real-world experiences.
Students ages 6–12 will step into The Geometry of Fruit — an experiential journey of mathematical discovery through pattern, movement, edible investigations, and hands-on activities.
Instruction is thoughtfully scaffolded so that each week builds naturally upon the last. The session unfolds over a cohesive nine-week arc rather than individual drop-in classes, allowing children the time and continuity needed to truly deepen their understanding. All learning takes place through an experiential, nature-based approach that connects mathematics to meaningful, hands-on experiences. Students will explore:
• Multiplication patterns and circular geometry
• Division and fair sharing
• Fractions and fractional reasoning
• Estimation, grouping, and remainders
• Area and perimeter of irregular shapes
• Ratio and proportional thinking
• Real-world math through food preparation
Because activities are layered and hands-on, children of different ages are able to engage at their own developmental level. Younger students strengthen foundational skills such as counting, grouping, pattern recognition, and movement-based math, while older students deepen their understanding of fractions, ratios, estimation, and mathematical structure through the same shared experiences.
Each child takes from the experience what they are ready for, allowing understanding to grow naturally and without pressure.
This is not a remedial math class. It is not high-pressure or evaluative. It is an immersive, Waldorf-inspired exploration designed to deepen confidence, strengthen thinking, and bring mathematics to life in a tangible way. The session will be taught by Ms. Jenn and Ms. Alexis, with special guest teacher Kim Waugh, author of the Waldorf math curriculum Edible Math, whose work is woven directly into this season’s investigations.
Who This Is For:
- Homeschool families seeking one day a week of Waldorf-inspired community and nature learning
- Children who love hands-on work (kitchen, garden, plants) and time in the forest
- Sunrise families who want an additional day aligned with our pedagogy and campus culture
Rooted Earth Mondays are Steeped in the Waldorf Approach
Rhythm & Breath: Active movement and outdoor play balanced with focused work and restful storytelling.
Head • Heart • Hands: We think, feel, and do—practical arts (baking/cooking, herbalism, gardening) sit alongside literacy, math, and science.
Story as Teacher: Circle songs and a story-led lesson carry concepts into the child’s imagination before they’re named in the intellect.
Seasons & Sense Life: Children meet living subjects through nature journaling, plant work, and observation, building a felt relationship with the world.
Mixed-Age Community: Older and younger children learn together, each contributing their gifts, as is common in Waldorf grades settings.
Wonder & Belonging: Immersed in the natural world and guided by shared rhythms, children cultivate curiosity, resilience, and a deep sense of place within both community and environment.
Morning Rhythm – Mondays, 8:45-12:00
Morning Rhythm: Literacy & math, woven through earth-based work
- Nature Play — open exploration, gross-motor movement, settling into the land
- Circle Time — songs, movement based activities (midline integration), and a story that carries the day’s theme
- Activity Block 1 — raw baking & cooking, art activities, recipe books, etc.
- Snack & Tea Time — a warm social pause and gratitude for the gifts of the garden and the food items prepared in class
- Activity Block 2 — herbalism, gardening, botany, and nature journaling, creative arts
How Academics Live Here
- Language Arts: storytelling, listening comprehension, vocabulary from the garden and kitchen, recipe reading, writing, nature-journaling, and short captions
- Math: measuring, counting, fractions, time and sequence in recipes; garden spacing and simple tallying/graphing of observations
- Science: plant parts + purposes, infusions, decoctions, states of matter in the kitchen, seasonal cycles and real-time observation
Example of our Morning:
Story of a traveling herbalist → Brew a gentle tea → Identify and sketch leaves/flowers → Measure and mix a no-bake treat → Record tasting notes and observations in journals.
Afternoon Rhythm – Mondays, 12:30-3:30
Afternoon Rhythm: Unfold into a landscape of adventure.
- Exploring the Forest Campus — child-led play, fort-building, balance logs, and quiet observation in the woods
- Guided Hike in the State Forest — teacher-guided routes (distance and pace scaled to the group and season), trail etiquette, map awareness, plant and tree identification
- Teacher-Led Games & Nature Activities — cooperative games, tracking, simple orienteering, sit spots, stewardship tasks, and seasonal challenges
The forest afternoon strengthens resilience, social skills, and nature literacy, while teachers quietly fold in science language, patterns, and observational drawing when it serves the moment.
Rooted Earth Mondays: 2025–2026 Sessions
Fall Session
Mondays, October 6 – November 24, 2025
Winter Session
Mondays, December 1 – December 15, 2025 & January 5 – March 9, 2026
Spring Session
Mondays, March 23 – May 25, 2026
Tuition & Enrollment
This program is open to the general homeschooling community as well as currently enrolled Sunrise families. Tuition includes all materials and supplies, and enrollment is capped at 15 students in Grades 1–5 to ensure a nurturing and engaging experience for each child. Enrollment for each session is open on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure your child’s spot, please complete the Monday Enrichment registration form and submit tuition payment before the session begins.
- Full Day: $675 per session
- Drop-In: $65 per class/day (as available) – Not available Spring 2026
Rooted Earth Mondays invite us to follow where wonder leads and listen as nature teaches, allowing the Waldorf approach to live in story, song, and the work of the hands.
A Note About Weather Closures & Tuition: As a nature-based, outdoor school, our days are deeply shaped by the world around us. From time to time, severe weather or unsafe outdoor conditions may require us to close or gently adjust the rhythm of the school day. In these moments, tuition remains unchanged and is not prorated, refunded, or adjusted for weather-related closures or schedule changes. Tuition is a set monthly fee based on our operating budget and program costs, and it allows us to continue supporting our teachers and holding steady, even when the weather asks us to pause.