Katie Taussig
Wind Rose Kindergarten,
Extended-Care Assistant
Katie Taussig grew up in Panama City, Panama, in an international community that sparked a lifelong curiosity about different cultures and ways of learning. After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in Chicago, she taught kindergarten at an international school in Panama and later at a bilingual preschool in Arizona.
Now based in Overland Park, Katie and her partner Ben have homeschooled their four children on a quest to raise curious and compassionate humans. Katie found her way to Waldorf education through the COFS homeschool enrichment program and has been deeply inspired by its alignment with her values. She is delighted to join City of Fountains as an assistant in the Wind Rose kindergarten.
In her free time, Katie enjoys cooking, hiking, listening to books and podcasts, and exploring nature with her family.
Wild Rose
The mixed-ages kindergarten is a gentle, home-like environment in which children are given the opportunity to learn and play through purposeful activity. Reverence is held for both the natural world and the natural unfolding of the child. The day is structured in a rhythmic movement that engages the whole child in a slow awakening to their independent capabilities while deepening their sense of wholeness and interconnectivity with the world surrounding them.
In the kindergarten classroom at City of Fountains School a nature story, fairy or folk tale is told in oral tradition each week, puppet plays are performed by the teacher to bring the stories to life and later taken up by each child in acting. Movement through free play, seasonal circles or imaginative games is experienced throughout each day. Songs are sung and danced, poetic verses and nursery rhymes are shared in finger-plays to engage them artistically in themes of practical life, nature's seasons and festivals.
Some days you may find us baking together, or painting, playing a game or concentrated upon a seasonal craft. If you peek in mid-morning, you might find us gathered around a fully set table enjoying a seasonal bowl of soup, fresh baked bread or fruits. Every day, you will see playing, both inside our classroom and outdoors – rain or shine; a connection to the cycle of the year, bringing a sense of well-being.