Our program

Why is our program special? Well, we promote a connection to the earth. Food doesn't grow on styrofoam plates - yet, anyway! There are human hands at work, important work, that many kids have grown up dissociated from. Every spring we grow some food - strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes, raspberries, even apples. And we try to purchase as much organic food as possible. The research connecting pesticides to illness is pretty conclusive.

The kids play outside for a good part of the day. We teach them the names of the birds we see, and the plants we raise, and we look for monarch butterfly eggs to nurture so they can wonder at the process of metamorphosis.

I admit it - I'm a science and math geek. Well, maybe not so advanced on the math, but I try to make those connections wherever possible. Like in music. And it's important to me that kids actively problem solve, not just be passive observers. So.... not much TV here either (unless it's program related!).

I'm also a Montessorian in spirit, if not in our entire classroom. Montessori had wonderful materials for teaching about math, reading, and nature. We use those every day.

Next time I'll talk more about our kids' activities and some of the great things they say to me.