Our Classroom
Our school house built in 1917
The Little Red School House
A typical day at our historic and charming little red school house starts with placing backpacks in a cubby, signing in and getting name tags. Children take part in a variety of activities and materials designed to enhance the growth and development of the children. The program is designed to respond to the age, developmental levels, and interests of the children in each class.
At about the mid-way point of class, the children are encouraged to clean up and prepare for Cooking Time. Parents rotate being the providers of snacks. Our cooking program focuses on back to nature, health foods that teach children how food grows and where their food comes from.
After snack, most classes participate in Circle Time. Designed to incorporate movement, song, story telling, and music, each class’s Circle Time is unique, just like our teachers! When energy is high, a hike, walk, or game may take the place of circle time. Participation in group activities is not required of the younger children. However, by four and five, we expect children to be able to participate in circle time.
Our 2 year old classes end their day with lunch time.
Our Forest Classroom
Our little school in the woods offers all the wonders of the Santa Cruz Mountains: giant redwood trees, vibrant ferns, slimy banana slugs, a never ending collection of sticks, feathers, and rocks. During the Fall and Spring, our classes meet at a variety of outdoor locations, including the newly expanded play area in the ravine behind the schoolhouse.
After placing backpacks on a tarp, a typical day in the forest starts with getting used the natural surroundings. Our outdoor classroom is designed to provide an atmosphere and environment where the children can develop positive feelings and attitudes toward nature. They can experience nature first-hand, free of an indoor world bound by order and neatness. They can get wet and dirty and know it is okay! They will learn to survive and thrive in less than perfect conditions, have fun, explore new adventures, and take risks!
Our school’s cooking program is simplified for our forest classroom, with parents providing accessible, nature-friendly snacks. After changing into dry clothing, the children gather on a tarp for circle time, which usually involves an invitation for stillness with storytelling, books, or puppet play. Most classes close the day with a hike or other nature activity.
Outdoor classrooms vary from class-to-class. Saturday classes will use outdoor sites as available. The older classes (3/4s & 4/5s) explore an array of outdoor locations on field trips throughout the year.
OUR PLAY YARD AND GARDEN
Even when class is held at the schoolhouse, our play yard and garden explode with nature, adventure, and challenge! The center of attention is our uniquely diverse climbing structure, which can transform into anything your child imagines. Is it a castle, a submarine, a treehouse, a runaway train? The possibilities are limitless.
An antique water pump carries water down a carefully constructed gutter pathway to the sandbox, where children with shovels, trucks, and rubber ducks await the formation of puddles, tunnels, and dams.
Children run to the chicken coop to greet the schoolhouse chickens and excitedly check for fresh eggs to take home. Our guinea pigs reside comfortably in the school garden, enjoying fresh mint and scraps from cooking projects.
Climb a rope ladder, swing from the monkey bars, zip along the zip line, water the tomatoes, dig for worms, or don some goggles and watch your fingers at the wood working station! There is no shortage of activities to engage, challenge, and delight your child.
