Singing Cedars brings in house to remodel for its lower school

FAIRFIELD – An independent school in Fairfield plans to expand its early childhood program after receiving a grant for just over $400,000.

Singing Cedars School, located on North B Street on the north edge of Fairfield, received $414,700 from Future Ready Iowa as part of its Child Care Challenge and Investing in Iowa’s Child Care Grants. According to a news release from Future Ready Iowa, the grant is intended to create several new openings for children over several years.

This major capital investment is coming on the heels of the school celebrating its 20th anniversary. One part of that expansion project was visible to Fairfield motorists who traveled down North B Street on the morning of Aug. 22, when a house was moved on a trailer from Washington to Singing Cedars’ campus. Goodwin House Moving of rural Washington performed the service.

The house will be remodeled into a building suitable for the school’s early childhood program, which will involve removing interior walls and adding a 12-foot by 12-foot mudroom. Ashley Kayser, the school board’s treasurer, said she hopes the building will be ready for students to use in the near future.

Singing Cedars School was one of two entities in Fairfield to receive a grant from Future Ready Iowa this year, with the other being the Cambridge Little Achievers Center, which received about $523,000. That building, capable of accommodating up to 185 children, is under construction next to the Jefferson County Health Center.

The former house will be the second building on the campus dedicated to early childhood. The other is in a red building, and the children that attend it are called “Red Birds.” The classes for first and second graders are in a blue building, so those grades are called “Blue Birds,” and the third and fourth graders meet in a yellow building, a converted farmhouse, and they’re the “Yellow Birds.” Kayser said the building that just arrived is mint colored, so they’re not sure how to incorporate that into the bird theme.

Kayser said that what makes Singing Cedars unique is its Waldorf-inspired approach to education, which emphasizes nature and the outdoors. The school has a “no technology” approach, which means that kids are never in front of a screen. During free play, kids of different ages can interact, and the older students can mentor the younger ones.

“There is a curriculum … the students are doing reading, writing and arithmetic,” Kayser said. “In our kinder-care, the kids bake bread one day and eat it for a snack the next day. They put cream in a mason jar and shake it to make butter, too. We do a lot of hand work with knitting, and lots of work with beeswax.”

Kayser said children learn through engaging in a play and work based curriculum. This approach builds a foundation for academic learning, she said, while meeting the young child in their developmental needs through movement and imagination.

Kayser said she became interested in sending her kids to Singing Cedars after attending its Mayfaire, a public celebration each May that includes food, music, dancing and more.

“I was intrigued by the beauty, simplicity and the ritual of it,” she said.

Kayser said she liked how the school emphasized time outside, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

“I believe nature is the best place to heal and grow strong,” she said. “Where can kids go for a great education and spend as much time outdoors as possible, not just to learn, but to be the healthiest versions of themselves? The kids have a sweet connection with their teacher, and it’s not too small or too big.”

Those interested in learning more about the school can email info@singingcedars.com, or call or text 641-632-2230.

The Singing Cedars Board of Directors are:

Robin Masciocchi - President

Grace Griffin - Vice President

Ashley Kayser - Treasurer

Jill Weber - Secretary

Martha Sperry - Assistant Treasurer

Alea Lobdell - Assistant Secretary

Patricia Cornelius

Robin Golden

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com