• Play Based

    Alpine Village is a play based school for children ages 5-8. We invite children to discover their world through open exploration, get their hands dirty in the mud, build relationships with peers, and grow organic food/ herbs in our greenhouse classroom. It’s time to get back to our roots in how we forage our medicine, tend the soil, and build community.

  • HONOR THEIR PROCESS

    We allow children to be children and let them play! Children have plenty of opportunity for expansion and movement throughout the day with our play stations and open exploration time.

    Our school is built upon responsive vs. reactive parenting techniques. We focus on assisting parents in identifying and meeting the emotional and physical needs of their child to better understand their behavior.

    We release ourselves from the limiting belief that children need to learn certain material by a specific age, and if they don’t they are “behind.”

    We understand the unfoldment is different for each child and honor their process.

  • Role of the Parents

    Parents are required to attend two hours of parent education once a month at the school. We highly encourage both parents to attend, however, it is not mandatory.

    Parents rotate being a Lead and Assistant Parent which consists of arriving to school 30 minutes earlier and staying 30 minutes after to assist in: set up, take down, project of the day, and providing morning snack.

    Each parent will participate in Lead and Assistant Parent twice a month for the school day. If siblings are enrolled, each parent will participate three times a month.

  • Kiely Modiri

    TEACHER / FOUNDER

    KIELY WAS IN THE EDUCATION FIELD FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND TAUGHT GRADES SECOND THROUGH FOURTH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE SAW A TREMENDOUS NEED AND DESIRE TO SEPARATE HERSELF FROM A SYSTEM SHE NO LONGER RESONATED WITH. A PLACE WHERE EXTRA RECESS AND PLAYTIME WAS CONSIDERED A PRIVILEGE AND ONE TO BE EARNED. WHERE FIELD TRIPS WERE ONCE A YEAR AND THE ONLY TIME FAMILIES GATHERED WAS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. AFTER HAVING HER DAUGHTER, SHE BECAME VERY PASSIONATE AND COMMITTED TOWARDS BUILDING NEW SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT AND HONOR THE AUTHENTICITY OF EACH CHILD AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL GROWTH. SHE WANTED TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE PARENTS FELT SUPPORTED AND HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN NEW WAYS IN HOLDING SPACE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

  • Rachael Krause

    TEACHER

    Rachael had the blessing of growing up on the Shiawasee River in Central Michigan. Her first classroom was the wild, her first teachers painted turtles and bullfrogs. Her childhood was spent amongst the woods and meadows foraging wild raspberries and autumn olives. Mending bug bites with jewel weed, and playing "spa" in the swamp clay. The love and appreciation for the land and its creatures imprinted and impacted every facet of her life, lovingly guiding her around and across the country and then to North Idaho where she has been fortunate to share this love with the students at Alpine Village School. Rachael is an herbalist and certified yoga instructor. Infusing her lived experience with nature and the teachings of our ancestors, in hopes of inspiring young minds to see the world for each magnificent bird, bee, and bulb that encompasses it, and us.

  • Dr. Bonita Hazel

    CHIROPRACTOR

    Dr. Bonita is here to help change the world through the use of her hands, her heart, and the ability to listen deeply.

    After receiving a bachelor's degree in Psychology (Kalamazoo College, MI) and a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree (Life University, GA), Bonita has devoted herself to continuing to study the depths of what it means to heal.

    She now offers a blend of hands-on nervous healing, craniosacral therapy and non-force chiropractic techniques to help each and every person, from babies to great-grandparents, release tension and experience more ease.

    ​One of her greatest passions is witnessing people waking up on their journey of self discovery, and finding that they are much more powerful and capable than they realized.

info & FAQs

RHYTHM OF THE DAY:

Soft start time 9:30am-10:00am
- Open Play/Snack Time/Morning Chores 
10:30am - Gather for Morning Circle
11:00am - Open Exploration 
11:45am - Clean up, set up for lunch 
12:00pm - Lunch time
12:30pm - Clean up/Dishes
12:45pm - Project of the day
1:30pm - Open Play/Open Exploration
2:15pm - Clean up/Goodbye Circle 
2:30pm - Dismissal 

SCHEDULE:

Our school week runs every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for 12 week modules. We opted for three days a week because we value our four day weekends with friends and family and we want to make sure children have plenty of opportunities to sign up for other classes and extra curricular activities. 

2024-2025 CALENDAR

1st Module (12 weeks): 
START DATE 9/3/24 - 11/21/24
FALL BREAK NO SCHOOL 11/26 - 11/28

2nd Module (12 weeks): 
Start Date 12/3/24 - 3/13/25
WINTER BREAK NO SCHOOL 12/24 - 12/31
SKI WEEK NO SCHOOL 2/25 - 2/27

3rd Module (12 weeks): 
Start Date 3/18/25 - 6/12/25
SPRING BREAK NO SCHOOL 4/22 - 4/24

INVESTMENT

Full Day 9:30am-2:30pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
$1,750 Per Module
*Monthly payments available

ANNUAL Materials Fee $100
*Payments are nonrefundable 

LOCATION

We are located on a five-acre property in beautiful Hayden, Idaho

CURRICULUM

The seasons guide our curriculum. Our food, herbs, medicine, and play stations will be centered around Mother Earth and where we are in season with her.

Yes, direct instruction around reading, writing, math, etc. are important, but children seven and below are wired to learn through play and open exploration.  When we take a step back and allow the natural learning process to occur; children are intrinsically motivated to figure out their world and learn what needs to unfold for them in that moment. Each child embarks on their own personal journey and no child’s timelines are the same. 

FOOD

Children are provided with a delicious organic lunch each day. Whatever can be harvested from our garden will be used and everything else is sourced locally. The majority of our meals are gluten free and we do our best to accommodate allergies.

Morning snacks are provided by families who rotate being Lead Parent. We ask that all morning snacks be organic, gluten-free, and without seed oils.

ATTIRE

Layers! Since we will be out rain, snow, or shine, layers always provide options for the kiddos. We will send out a recommended attire list upon enrollment. 

From our experience, children enjoy the elements perfectly fine when dressed appropriately in the right gear. We encourage children to be outside, however, the heated greenhouse classroom is always open for those who wish to be in. 

MIXED AGES

The learning opportunities are endless when children of mixed age groups engage with one another. It’s a relatively new concept to have children only play with kids their own age. We have spent most of humanity in village-like groups where our youth observe the elders and the older children get to step into leadership roles as they guide and nurture the younger children. 

 

2024-2025 applications are now open

Alpine Village School is an alternative school program that does not intend to replicate traditional schooling in any way. Our focus is on the physical, emotional, and social development of children through play, conflict resolution, creative expression, hands in the soil connecting with Mother Earth, and parental education. 

An application must be filled out per child you are applying for.

For any questions, please email us at kiely@alpinevillageschool.com.