We believe children need to move and experience different environments to best engage in learning. It is with this philosophy in mind that we developed the interesting indoor and outdoor spaces that facilitate that process.
Facilities
Our classrooms are designed to make children feel safe and to give them ownership over their environment. Our spaces are bright, cheery and comfortable. Tables, chair, and shelves are child sized; the books, toys and materials are in easy-to-reach places, and the rooms and halls are filled with colorful artwork and family photos. Imaginative play centers located around the rooms promote creative play and encourages children to explore their abilities. Each of our classrooms has a cozy reading corner and a library of books that change with the unit of study.
We understand and value the importance of children having time to connect with nature. In the summer of 2019, we enhanced our outdoor space with the addition of the Living Classroom and Sensory Playground. The Living Classroom and Sensory Playground offers children greater opportunities for play and oneness with nature, and it serves as a social gathering place for parents. We host many of our open community events, such as our Summer Park Tour and Speaker Series programs here.
The Living Classroom and Sensory Playground includes:
- A social hub for our community; a 12×20 pavilion. Our teachers hold classes outside in all weather. The pavilion serves as a stage, a place to hear a story, a quiet spot to observe nature, and a place for parents to congregate after school.
- The knoll is situated in front of the pavilion. This 30-foot sodded area is a soft and comfortable place for children to play, run and relax.
- The Seed to STEM Center. Raised garden beds frame the grassy area. Digging in dirt and growing flowers, vegetables and pollinators offers a wealth of experiential learning opportunities.
- The Big Berry Balancer! We realized kids love scales in our classrooms, so we gave them a huge one! The buckets are large enough for weighing sticks, stones, and just about everything else.
- The Melody Lab is a music installation with playable chimes that are made from recycled materials that the children love clinking, dinging and clanging.
The playground is also equipped with climbing structures, slides, horizontal monkey bars, and a variety of other apparatuses that promote coordination, balance and physical strength.
Teachable opportunities are at every turn. Our school garden is a special place that provides an environment for authentic observation, discovery and learning. Students enjoy watching and interacting with flowers, butterflies, the birds at our feeders, and even the friendly frog in the sandbox.
