City Garden School


We are City Garden School, a Waldorf-inspired arts-based education school offering K-8th Grade.  We’re located inside of Karis Church at 606 Ridgeway Ave., Columbia, MO 65203.

Welcome to City Garden School, where education is a journey of wonder and discovery! At City Garden, we cultivate a unique learning environment that nurtures your child’s holistic growth, fostering a lifelong love for learning.

Our Waldorf-inspired approach goes beyond traditional education. We believe in nurturing a child’s intellectual, artistic, and emotional capacities. Through experiential learning, arts integration, and a strong emphasis on nature, we create well-rounded individuals who are not just academically accomplished but also compassionate and creative.

City Garden stands out for several reasons:

1. Holistic Education: We address the whole child—mind, body, and spirit. Our curriculum balances rigorous academics with artistic expression, movement, and practical skills, fostering a deep understanding of subjects and fostering critical thinking.

2. Nature Connection: The forest is a living classroom. Outdoor learning, gardening, and nature walks inspire a sense of wonder and environmental stewardship, grounding children in the natural world.

3. Arts and Creativity: Painting, music, drama, and handwork are integrated into daily lessons, enhancing imagination and self-expression. These arts foster confidence, innovation, and a well-rounded perspective.

4. Caring Community: We’re not just a school but a supportive community that values collaboration between students, parents, and educators. Our nurturing environment ensures that each child feels seen, heard, and valued.

5. Individualized Learning: With smaller class sizes, our teachers can tailor their approach to each student’s unique learning style, allowing them to flourish and reach their full potential.

6. Global Perspective: Our curriculum embraces diverse cultures and perspectives, fostering open-mindedness and empathy, preparing students to be global citizens in an interconnected world.

7. Long-lasting Values: We instill values of kindness, respect, and responsibility, preparing students not only for academic success, but also to lead purposeful lives and contribute positively to society.

8. Life Skills: Practical skills like woodworking, cooking, and gardening provide a hands-on education that empowers students to be self-sufficient and capable.

Choosing City Garden School means choosing an education that honors childhood, sparks curiosity, and nurtures a lifelong love of learning. We invite you to embark on this enriching journey with us, where your child’s potential is embraced and their spirit is celebrated.


We provide a warm, welcoming, and joyous environment for your child’s First through Fourth grade experience. We are sensitive to the needs of each child in the classroom and often tailor stories, art experiences, and class work to the unique developmental place of an individual child. Our school days include many exceptional activities that you can read about below.

We have a combined First and Second Grade class and a combined Third and Fourth Grade class for the 2014-2015 school year. Our school day will run from 8:45am to 2:15pm M, T, W, F with an early dismissal time of 1:15pm on Thursdays to allow for a teacher meeting.

Outdoor Days
Every Friday, we take our students outside for the day. We believe that free time to play and explore in nature reduces stress and anxiety, builds cognitive functioning, supports creative learning, and connects children to their natural world. We visit Rockbridge State Park, Three Creeks Conservation Area, Mark Twain National Park, local farms, and many other natural areas around Columbia.

Handwork
A third grade main lesson book from a block on Measurement. Third graders learn the history of measurement in addition to their basic knowledge and practical application.
Each week our students have two Handwork classes. Working with their hands helps students in coordination, reading, and left-right brain integration. First graders learn to knit. Second graders learn to crochet. Third graders learn to hand sew and embroider. Fourth graders learn to knit a hat and needle felt various projects. We work on one project until completion, so we learn focus and determination as well.

Festivals
Together with Garden Gate Preschool, we celebrate many seasonal festivals throughout the year. These festivals mark the cycles in our lives and connect us to the changing seasons and to our school community.

Our children look forward to each festival for special reasons. Our harvest festival, Michaelmas, celebrates the fruits from the summer. We build harvest structures and dye silks and yarn with native plants. Our Lantern Walk in late fall gives us a chance to quietly walk through a chilly evening with nothing but our candle-lit lanterns to guide us. We are reminded of the lights we carry within even though our days grow darker. In the spring, our traditional May Day Festival celebrates the sunlight and warmth returning as we dance and sing around the May Pole together. Our festivals remind us to celebrate, reflect, and connect with our world and those around us.

Language Classes
Students at our school take German language classes. Students have two 45 minute classes each week. The class is full of songs, verse, stories, conversation, and games and the older children take this work deeper into the beginnings of writing. Our goal is to develop an ear for another language, which opens new pathways in a child’s brain that allows for future connections and innovation.

In addition to language classes, we have partnered with the Confucius Institute at the University of Missouri to bring cultural demonstrations and immersion activities to our students throughout the year. Dance, music, games, and food bring Asian culture to our classroom.

Columbia Art League
Once a month, our students love their class at Columbia Art League. We walk the short block to their studio space for mediums such as clay, mosaics, and collage.

Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture
We are fortunate to visit an urban farm once each month and have adopted a small portion of their gardens for our pleasure, learning and care. We’ve mixed soil, created beds, planted, prepared beds for the winter, and picked produce.