Garden House Waldor Pre-school and Kindergarten

Garden House was founded in Clearwater Bay in 2008, and is located next to the beautiful Silverstrand Beach, few minutes from Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung area, providing a peaceful environment where we encourage hands-on vigorous learning.

The focus of our work is to provide an education that is developmentally appropriate, based on an understanding of the stages of a child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. We strive to provide a beautiful environment where each child’s imagination is enriched and gives them a sense of meaning in life at this early stage.

Our aim is to educate children so that they are confident and eager to enter the world with social responsibility in the future.

Garden House is an extension of the family experience by providing, an intermediate step for children between their home and formal schooling. Our focus is to provide an education that is developmentally appropriate, based on an understanding of the stages of a child’s physical, emotional and intellectual development which is the Head, Heart and Hands.

Our school occupies over 10,000 square ft and includes light and airy classrooms which provide a warm, secure and aesthetic environment where a child’s imagination and creativity can flourish. We have a large covered play area with outdoor play equipment and a sandpit. We also have a garden with pets, herbs and flowers. Our 3,000 square ft farm is only minutes away from school where the teachers and children grow vegetables for the school and families to enjoy.

Working together to strengthen and deepen a child's experience at our school, we offer a balance of classes that we are proud to share with children and the community.

Children learn about life by imitating what they see in their surroundings. In our school environment, we put in great care to embrace the children with many life-filled experiences. Our children learn to listen, play together, participate in story-telling as much as possible. There are many opportunities for nature walks and farming for the children.

We believe teaching children academics and abstract thoughts too early forces them to use vital energy to think, rather than to grow and strengthen their bodies. Setting the table for snack time, counting out bowls and cups, weighing and measuring out ingredients for baking and cooking, watching the yeast bubble up when making bread are some of the ways we expose children to concepts such as maths and science, in a natural and unconscious way. At Garden House, nothing is done that will potentially weaken or otherwise compromise the child’s physical constitution.

In our classrooms, the lighting is natural and softly muted by curtains. Wooden tables, chairs and play structures make the room both warm and inviting. This peaceful environment, with caring teachers, and a rich supply of natural materials provides surroundings that give children time to play and encourages them to exercise their imagination and help to conjure up ideas from within themselves.

For the young child, the world is new and mysterious. As teachers we help children understand the world by providing predictability through rhythm, giving them a dependable sequence for the day and a consistent pattern to the week, offering the child a sense of security and well-being. Throughout the year, the changing seasons, along with a number of festivals, are incorporated into the daily and weekly rhythms of the pre-school.

Learning a different language is also fun for young children. During the day, the children have the opportunity to learn Mandarin through singing and reciting rhymes. The Mandarin is incorporated into the children’s circle time making it parts of their daily routine.

Our program is designed to support the healthy development of young children by providing a wholesome environment that nurtures the physical, emotional, social and spiritual development of each child in preparation for primary school.