Kindergarten - Second grade
We have a mixed-age group of students from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. We base our curriculum on Maine State Learning Standards. The program draws on various sources, including the Wild Math curriculum, Lively Letters for literacy, and materials from the Oak Meadow curriculum, all of which we adapt for outdoor use.
We are outdoors all day every day, except when the weather conditions are hazardous, such as thunderstorms, high winds or wind chill temperatures below ten degrees. Because of this, please make sure that your child has all the outdoor gear and clothing from our gear list.
Our day starts with free play during drop-off time and early care, followed by morning chores. Chores include recording the weather conditions, changing the daily calendar, helping teachers take attendance, etc. At 9am we have a morning meeting during which we sing and discuss the plan for the day. Afterward, we start our core learning in Math and Literacy with some active play and snack time in between. During these times we offer activities for the students to choose from based on grade-appropriate learning standards. Offering choice activities enables the students to develop independence, responsibility, and accountability skills.
After our morning work, we prepare and head out into the woods to eat lunch, play, and explore. During play, teachers observe and listen closely to note what the students are wondering about. Later we discuss our observations with the students and find ways to develop them into place-based learning projects. These projects will cover social studies, Maine studies, science, health, physical education, fine arts, and community building. We wrap our day up in the Falcon outdoor classroom by coming together for a book, reflecting and sharing our favorite part of the day, and enjoying our “sit spots” or time to meditate.
Every Friday is “Fire Friday”: we build a fire in the Heron outdoor classroom. We discuss fire safety and learn to cook simple foods. We also have guest teachers visiting to discuss subjects outside our usual curriculum. Fridays can also be used as academic catch-up days or days for more involved physical activities such as tree-climbing (with ropes and safety gear), field trips or longer expeditions into the woods. On Fridays we suggest packing extra snacks in case your child doesn't like the food we cook.
We are outdoors all day every day, except when the weather conditions are hazardous, such as thunderstorms, high winds or wind chill temperatures below ten degrees. Because of this, please make sure that your child has all the outdoor gear and clothing from our gear list.
Our day starts with free play during drop-off time and early care, followed by morning chores. Chores include recording the weather conditions, changing the daily calendar, helping teachers take attendance, etc. At 9am we have a morning meeting during which we sing and discuss the plan for the day. Afterward, we start our core learning in Math and Literacy with some active play and snack time in between. During these times we offer activities for the students to choose from based on grade-appropriate learning standards. Offering choice activities enables the students to develop independence, responsibility, and accountability skills.
After our morning work, we prepare and head out into the woods to eat lunch, play, and explore. During play, teachers observe and listen closely to note what the students are wondering about. Later we discuss our observations with the students and find ways to develop them into place-based learning projects. These projects will cover social studies, Maine studies, science, health, physical education, fine arts, and community building. We wrap our day up in the Falcon outdoor classroom by coming together for a book, reflecting and sharing our favorite part of the day, and enjoying our “sit spots” or time to meditate.
Every Friday is “Fire Friday”: we build a fire in the Heron outdoor classroom. We discuss fire safety and learn to cook simple foods. We also have guest teachers visiting to discuss subjects outside our usual curriculum. Fridays can also be used as academic catch-up days or days for more involved physical activities such as tree-climbing (with ropes and safety gear), field trips or longer expeditions into the woods. On Fridays we suggest packing extra snacks in case your child doesn't like the food we cook.
Important Notes:
- We provide optional, outdoor fun after school care from 3 - 5 pm daily
- Our one, mixed age classroom has one amazing teacher requiring 10 or fewer children to retain ratios and offer high quality care
- 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
- We are outside all day, everyday*
- To be comfortable and outside all day everyday we have strict gear requirements that families must adhere to
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