What’s the buzz about Oak Hill?
After having my daughter just before the pandemic, when we started looking at nursery/preschools health and social distancing were definitely at the forefront of our mind, right next to a desire to have our daughter out of the traditional classroom for as long as possible. They sit for hours in the classroom for enough of their lives! When I found Oak Hill and learned they had switched to an all outdoor style program, I could not have dialed Kerstin any faster. To have our daughter spend her days in nature learning and growing with the world around her is beyond what we could have asked for in nurturing our little one to take on the world.
— Tara LaBruzzo
Our daughters went to Oak Hill nursery school, half day kindergarten, and the after-school program. Long after they had successfully transitioned to the public school, they still loved returning to play at Oak Hill, reconnecting with old friends and discovering new ways to engage with the natural surroundings. Kerstin and Jess are intuitive and insightful when it comes to helping children thrive. They delight in each and every child, and they give the classmates space to solve their own problems, discover their own delights, and navigate and appreciate the world around them. Ultimately, the gift of Oak Hill is that kids don’t outgrow it. They grow through it, with it, and from it, developing resilience, confidence, and kindness along the way–what more could you ask for in an early childhood program?
-Callie, mom to W and M, 2023
Oak Hill has been the best part of our children's childhood and the best thing we have ever made happen for them. What began with preschool morphed into kindergarten and the afterschool program as we found happier, more durable, and thoughtful kids the more time they spent outside and specifically, outside at Oak Hill. Kerstin, Jess, Cindy, and team are absolute gems. They have the softest, kindest hearts and the most innate ability to connect with each child and make them feel seen, heard, and special while also fostering an unparalleled group dynamic full of support and kindness. Their perspectives and ideas aided our parenting journey. Oak Hill is a special place where kids can be kids in the best possible way with the best possible leadership. We are so incredibly grateful to Kerstin and Oak Hill for the magical years together.
--Karli Erickson
We met Kerstin Green at an Earth Day function at a local school where she was sitting, without fanfare - just she, a table of art supplies and a stack of pamphlets - reaching out to the children present through face painting and her ever-present, loving attention to all who came her way. We knew she was a one-of-a-kind at that chance meeting - and there began an experience that changed our family in a wonderful way. Oak Hill was like a coming home! The children learned caring, listening, problem solving and playful interaction through Kerstin's example; the families gathered frequently and became the "village", a beautiful family of many people, sharing and caring together. It was an experience that is truly difficult to put into words. Kerstin's classroom is almost all outdoors, with focus on interactive play, earth-to-table meals that the children often prepare, storytelling and music, and exposure to yoga - which the children so enjoy!, and so much more. My daughter loved to go to Oak Hill each day, and I enjoyed being among the harmonious atmosphere.
There's something very special about dropping your child off with a teacher who scoops her up with unconditional love, feels where she is at on that day, and devotes herself to supporting your child in whatever way necessary so that she has an experience of inner growth in whatever way she needs to that day. Kerstin and her team do this for each child they serve. It is truly a heartwarming space for a child to learn and grow in! And heartwarming for the parents, too! I can't count how many times I heard parents say "I want to go to school here!" The feeling of loving acceptance is warming and wonderful.
I have come to understand that children under the age of 5 or 6 need time to develop socially and emotionally, and Kerstin's nursery school environment supports that developmental need in an effective and nurturing way. The "academics" come naturally along the way: as the children feel supported, with gentle guidance through the maze of social and emotional learning. They are naturally inquisitive and take in what they need to "academically". My daughter was more than ready for Kindergarten when it came time to go (though I must say we didn't want to leave Oak Hill, but the Kindergarten option was not yet available for us!)
I can't recommend this program highly enough! This kind of excellence is rare, and I am ever thankful to have found Oak Hill early enough so that our daughter, and family, could experience her unique Nursery School family. And we're so thankful to have a "village" of Oak Hill alum (parents and children) around us as our daughter continues learning and growing in the public school environment! Heartfelt thanks from our family to yours, Oak Hill!
-Gerianne, mother of Carly
"Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls."
- Erin Kenny
“Receive the children in reverence, educate them in love and send them forth in freedom”
— Rudolf Steiner
“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it, if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers…….”
— George Eliot
Let us know how we’re doing!
Please let us know how we are doing here at Oak Hill and what you like or don’t like about our programs . Tell us about your child’s experience with us!