After Lene Saint-Orens had her first child in 2005, like many working mothers, she put her child in day care.
But Saint-Orens said she was not happy with the little amount of time she got to spend with her daughter or the lack of fresh food her child was fed.
Saint-Orens began studying nutrition, and in 2008 she founded
Wholesome Generation and started teaching classes and holding clinics for families about healthy eating habits out of her home. She also started a garden in her backyard near Parmer Lane and MoPac, she said.
“Now it’s evolving into a full-blown school,” she said.
Wholesome Generation, a nonprofit school and after-school center, will begin classes in the spring. The school is located in the former Hannah’s Place, and it will cater to children ages 2 1/2 to 13 years, Saint-Orens said.
The site has an expansive outdoor area that abuts the North Walnut Creek Trail. She said she plans to use much of the outdoor space as an education farm so students can grow their own foods.
Saint-Orens said students will also learn how to cook, and Wholesome Generation accommodates vegetarian, raw, vegan, peanut-free, tree nut-free, gluten-free and sugar-free diets.
Children will spend at least two hours of the school day outside.
“It’s active learning outdoors in nature,” she said. “We have yoga and meditation every morning.”
Each class will be capped at 10 students, and the school will serve between 60 and 80 children total, she said. After-school programs are open to all children in the community and include yoga, martial arts, sewing, fine arts and culinary art, she said.
Saint-Orens’ staff consists of certified educators, many with advanced degrees, who then go through a training program specific to Wholesome Generation, she said. Students learn core subjects through projects and hands-on activities, she said.
At Wholesome Generation parent participation is key, and the school does not aim to rate students based on standardized tests or Common Core standards, she said.
“We don’t seek accreditation,” she said. “Our children are more creative than that.”
Full-time enrollment is $795. Some scholarships are available.
Pediatric therapist helps with curriculum
Missy Menzes, a pediatric occupational therapist, opened Extra Credit Brain and Body Programs for Kids in Northwest Austin in 2013. The occupational therapy and developmental learning center serves school-age children who need supportive assistance, including those with learning, sensory, motor, attention or Autism spectrum disorders.
Menzes, who is certified in sensory integration and handwriting education, provided recommendations for the Wholesome Generation school design and instruction methods to better meet the needs of all learners. She is also assisting with caregiver training to facilitate student performance.
