What type of curriculum do you use at the Village Nest?
We use an emergent curriculum where we strive to enhance the natural unfolding of the whole child, leading to the development of capable learners. Emergent curriculum means that we follow the lead of the children and we learn about what they want to learn about and when they want to learn about it. We provide lessons based on what nature is offering. Our curriculum is nature based and we believe that nature provides a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment for every child. The classroom is one of the most important teachers, so we set up our outdoor space to provide learning opportunities.
How do you handle “bad weather”?
We believe in the Norwegian phrase: “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!” We have a detailed gear list that we send to you in the welcome packet and all staff and children are expected to adhere to the gear list. We fully embrace what Mother Nature has to offer us.
Where do preschoolers nap?
Our preschoolers nap in Wild Owl hammocks with cozy fleece blankets in the spring/summer/fall months and we add on Nemo Equipment sleeping bags for the colder months. We call this “Norwegian Napping” and they all look like they are in little cocoons! We use Wise Owl rain flys for when the weather takes an rainy/windy turn.
How do you handle potty learning?
We believe that children should not be pushed to learn anything they aren’t ready to learn. This includes potty learning. The reason we call it potty learning instead of training is because when you “train” a child to do something, this requires extrinsic incentives and does not mean that the child has actually learned when their body is communicating and making queues to their brain about using the bathroom. We provide a holistic approach to potty learning by encouraging the opportunity to use the bathroom, but not forcing a training regimen. When a child is ready to use the bathroom they will be intrinsically motivated to do so, meaning, it will be their idea!
What do you do about bathrooming?
We are fully outdoor based, which means we use the bathroom outdoors. We provide outdoor commodes, hand washing/sanitizing opportunities, and a privacy tent for toileting/diapering outside.
How do you make sure my child is safe while in the woods?
At the Village Nest we provide risk play for children while minimizing hazards. When a child masters a challenging risk(say climbing a tree to the height of a teacher) they build confidence which encourages learning and development. Slacklines, tree climbing (free and harnessed), jumping, and building and climbing are all activities we regularly engage in and while in the woods teachers use walkie talkies to make sure all children are safe and accounted for.
What do we need for gear throughout the seasons?
To be comfortable and outside all day every day we have strict gear requirements that families must adhere to which we outline in detail and will send to you once your child is enrolled.
What’s the difference between the full & part-time preschool?
Full-time preschool runs M-F with the option of dropping off at 7:30am and pick-up by 5:00pm, part-time preschool runs three days a week.
How much does full vs. part time preschool cost?
Full-Time preschool costs $330 weekly, Part-Time preschool costs $260 weekly.
Why does the Village Nest not offer single-day or two-day care?
Children thrive in consistency. When a child comes one or two days a week they never have the opportunity to develop consistency at school. This does not promote healthy learning and often proves to lead to anxiety surrounding school. We also are truly a community at the Village Nest and a child that only comes for a single day does not have the opportunity to build community.
Why is the cost of tuition higher than other local preschool programs?
At the Village Nest, we believe that our mentors deserve a living wage. Did you know that childcare workers are severely underpaid? Childcare has the highest burnout rate of any field due to under-compensation and being overworked. We pay our teachers based on education and experience. We also offer Paid Time Off and Benefits for our mentors.
At what age can my child enter the micro school?
Your child must be at least 5 on their enrollment date and be physically and emotionally developed to be learning with other elementary-school aged children
Does the preschool/microschool schedule change in the summer?
Children headed into Kindergarten through 2nd grade have the option of signing up for our summer camps. Then run M-F (7:30-5:30) and have weekly themes. Preschool runs all year long as usual.
What if I want to take my preschooler on vacation during the school year or summertime?
Our school calendar follows the Eliot school system in terms of most holidays including a break for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have a small amount of built in staff training days as well. In order to hold your spot at the preschool we do not offer “free” vacation weeks. We still need to pay staff even if your child is not there.
What do you do about sunscreen and tick/bug prevention?
We ask that parents provide sunscreen and bug spray (with deet or picaridin). We apply/re-apply as needed.
How can I communicate with my child’s teachers during the day?
We use an app called “Brightwheel” for all communication including checking your child in both at drop-off and pick-up. This is where we record potty activity for our toddlers, send incident reports etc. There’s also a place to send messages from teachers to parents to ask questions throughout the day.
We use an emergent curriculum where we strive to enhance the natural unfolding of the whole child, leading to the development of capable learners. Emergent curriculum means that we follow the lead of the children and we learn about what they want to learn about and when they want to learn about it. We provide lessons based on what nature is offering. Our curriculum is nature based and we believe that nature provides a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment for every child. The classroom is one of the most important teachers, so we set up our outdoor space to provide learning opportunities.
How do you handle “bad weather”?
We believe in the Norwegian phrase: “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!” We have a detailed gear list that we send to you in the welcome packet and all staff and children are expected to adhere to the gear list. We fully embrace what Mother Nature has to offer us.
Where do preschoolers nap?
Our preschoolers nap in Wild Owl hammocks with cozy fleece blankets in the spring/summer/fall months and we add on Nemo Equipment sleeping bags for the colder months. We call this “Norwegian Napping” and they all look like they are in little cocoons! We use Wise Owl rain flys for when the weather takes an rainy/windy turn.
How do you handle potty learning?
We believe that children should not be pushed to learn anything they aren’t ready to learn. This includes potty learning. The reason we call it potty learning instead of training is because when you “train” a child to do something, this requires extrinsic incentives and does not mean that the child has actually learned when their body is communicating and making queues to their brain about using the bathroom. We provide a holistic approach to potty learning by encouraging the opportunity to use the bathroom, but not forcing a training regimen. When a child is ready to use the bathroom they will be intrinsically motivated to do so, meaning, it will be their idea!
What do you do about bathrooming?
We are fully outdoor based, which means we use the bathroom outdoors. We provide outdoor commodes, hand washing/sanitizing opportunities, and a privacy tent for toileting/diapering outside.
How do you make sure my child is safe while in the woods?
At the Village Nest we provide risk play for children while minimizing hazards. When a child masters a challenging risk(say climbing a tree to the height of a teacher) they build confidence which encourages learning and development. Slacklines, tree climbing (free and harnessed), jumping, and building and climbing are all activities we regularly engage in and while in the woods teachers use walkie talkies to make sure all children are safe and accounted for.
What do we need for gear throughout the seasons?
To be comfortable and outside all day every day we have strict gear requirements that families must adhere to which we outline in detail and will send to you once your child is enrolled.
What’s the difference between the full & part-time preschool?
Full-time preschool runs M-F with the option of dropping off at 7:30am and pick-up by 5:00pm, part-time preschool runs three days a week.
How much does full vs. part time preschool cost?
Full-Time preschool costs $330 weekly, Part-Time preschool costs $260 weekly.
Why does the Village Nest not offer single-day or two-day care?
Children thrive in consistency. When a child comes one or two days a week they never have the opportunity to develop consistency at school. This does not promote healthy learning and often proves to lead to anxiety surrounding school. We also are truly a community at the Village Nest and a child that only comes for a single day does not have the opportunity to build community.
Why is the cost of tuition higher than other local preschool programs?
At the Village Nest, we believe that our mentors deserve a living wage. Did you know that childcare workers are severely underpaid? Childcare has the highest burnout rate of any field due to under-compensation and being overworked. We pay our teachers based on education and experience. We also offer Paid Time Off and Benefits for our mentors.
At what age can my child enter the micro school?
Your child must be at least 5 on their enrollment date and be physically and emotionally developed to be learning with other elementary-school aged children
Does the preschool/microschool schedule change in the summer?
Children headed into Kindergarten through 2nd grade have the option of signing up for our summer camps. Then run M-F (7:30-5:30) and have weekly themes. Preschool runs all year long as usual.
What if I want to take my preschooler on vacation during the school year or summertime?
Our school calendar follows the Eliot school system in terms of most holidays including a break for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have a small amount of built in staff training days as well. In order to hold your spot at the preschool we do not offer “free” vacation weeks. We still need to pay staff even if your child is not there.
What do you do about sunscreen and tick/bug prevention?
We ask that parents provide sunscreen and bug spray (with deet or picaridin). We apply/re-apply as needed.
How can I communicate with my child’s teachers during the day?
We use an app called “Brightwheel” for all communication including checking your child in both at drop-off and pick-up. This is where we record potty activity for our toddlers, send incident reports etc. There’s also a place to send messages from teachers to parents to ask questions throughout the day.
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