Mishka Green
Wind Rose Kindergarten Teacher
Mishka was first introduced to Waldorf Education by a dear friend who invited her and her children to join Ms. Kari’s Parent-Child class in 2019. Captivated by the warm and nourishing environment at City of Fountains School, it didn’t take long for the desire to dig deeper to be ignited; and as she did, she was amazed to discover a world her soul craved deeply, yet previously did not know existed.
Mishka has spent many years in a variety of early childhood settings such as a Montessori early childhood program, a program in Uppsala Sweden, and in-home child care. She currently provides childcare during Shabbat services at Chabad on the Plaza, a local Jewish community. She is thrilled to continue her journey as an early childhood educator at COFS and began her time at the school with in-house training by Robyn Brown of the Mulberry Center for Curative Education.
She lives with her husband, Jonny; her children, Isaac and Hazel, who both attend COFS; and her pet (cat in a dog’s body) Chloe. Having spent much of her childhood in both the Great Lakes of Michigan, as well as a small farming village in the mountains of Lower Austria, she has a deep love and reverence for the natural world that has shaped her family values and how she wishes to spend time with her family. Mishka can be found reading (sometimes many books at once), needle felting, or attempting to knit socks.
Growing up in a multicultural community in Vienna, Austria, inspired her love of life stories and languages – she speaks German and some Swedish. She is constantly inspired by the wonder she sees in her own two children, as well as the many other lovely tiny humans she has been blessed to spend time with over the years.
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.
