Madeleine Snyder

Star Garden Kindergarten Assistant,

Extended Care Teacher

I first joined COFS as a kindergarten parent in 2022 and very quickly fell in love with the community. The daily, monthly and yearly rhythms have taught me so much about growth and rest. 

My passion has always been early childhood development, so when the opportunity arose to become an assistant kindergarten teacher, I joyfully jumped on board in 2023. I currently serve as the Star Garden Kindergarten assistant teacher and lead aftercare teacher. 

Outside of school hours, you can find me spending down time with my family, tending to plants both indoors and outdoors and working on various handwork projects. 

Star Garden


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.