The original Windmill School was founded in the 1950s and was located in the house next to the windmill on Portola Road. In 1974, a group of parents restructured the school as a non-profit corporation. Since that time, a Board of Directors has conducted the business of the school. The board is comprised of parents, the Director, and a teacher. All board positions, including officers, are voluntary and provide a way for parents to become involved in the school. In 1976, after an impressive fund raising effort and many volunteer hours from parents and friends, the school was moved to its present site.
The building and grounds are leased from the Alpine Hills Swim and Tennis Club. The building was built in 1939 and has served as a tavern and town hall. It was severely damaged in the earthquake of 1989 and was rebuilt in 1990. The school adheres to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Guidelines to Accreditation. The school is also a proud member of the Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE), a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the profession of childhood education.
Windmill School is a developmentally appropriate, play-based program designed to focus on children's interests through emergent curriculum and open-ended exploration. Each child enhances our program. We encourage risk-taking, problem solving, and conflict resolution with gentle guidance. We believe the process is more important than the product. We embrace the individuality of the child and work together as a team with the family. We encompass joy, laughter, and imagination to assist children in creating their memories. We foster kindness and respect for others, the environment, nature, and ourselves. We offer a comfortable atmosphere to explore, to get messy, to feel confident, and to feel safe. All of these experiences instill a love of learning while building the skills and confidence needed to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
For the last twelve years Windmill School has helped us begin the early education of our five children. We all loved every minute and miss the songs, the bike chases and all the other outbreaks of happiness.
No parent could wish for a better complement to his or her own effort and no child could wish for a better place to begin exploring the world beyond home.
The key to Windmill is teachers who are totally focused on the healthy development of each child - not indulging children or obliging parents.
Windmill is a safe and supportive place for a child to play, explore and learn, to discover their gifts and maybe even unwrap one or two without pressure - they can even stop unwrapping and start to use them if you want to.
We are blessed with five happy healthy children - and they were all blessed by the wonderful teachers at Windmill School.
Andrew and Sylvia Thompson
| CO-PRESIDENTS | Monika Gruter Cheney and Elizabeth Holmes |
| VICE PRESIDENT | Liz Poggi |
| SECRETARY | Emilia Schor |
| TREASURER | Wendy McAdam |
| MEMBERS | HIlary Keller |
| Caitlin Kortlang | |
| Stacey Low | |
| Marjel Scheuer | |
| Jennifer Sheldon | |
| Karen Tate | |
| Melissa Almgren - Alumni Member | |
| Thankamma Poulose - Director | |
| Jodi Cocconi - Assistant Director | |
| Rotating Staff Member | |
All board meetings are held at Windmill School at 7:00 pm (unless posted otherwise) and are scheduled as follows:
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The By-Laws call for a minimum of ten (10) board members, two of whom are Windmill staff (Director and Assistant Director), one rotating teacher member, and the remainder parents of currently enrolled children. All positions are voluntary and provide a way for parents to become involved with the school. A parent who is interested in serving on the board should contact the Board. The ANNUAL MEETING includes election of new board members and officers, and the budget acceptance for the following year. Board members serve upon election at the annual meeting and hold office until the next annual meeting. All parents (one vote per family) may vote at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors makes decisions regarding school policy, hiring, finances and programs. |
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