The natural world is a wise and gifted teacher. Young children need opportunities to connect with the wonder, beauty, tranquility, and integrative activities available in the great outdoors. These experiences provide an essential foundation for development and learning. We joyfully announce the opening of our mixed-age Forest Classroom. Our outdoor classroom will be the field and forest of our beautiful campus, nestled between the farmland and the Seven Sisters Mountain Range of the Pioneer Valley. We will spend our mornings outdoors and return indoors for lunch, rest and respite from extreme weather.
BENEFITS:
There is no more integrative force for the human being than nature. The natural world is uniquely suited to meet the developmental needs of children. Here are some of the benefits our Forest Classroom provides:
* full-body movement which establishes essential foundations for learning
* rich sensory experiences and opportunities for sensory integration
* improved cognitive activity, mental acuity, and concentration
* a natural environment for teamwork and social learning
* health benefits associated with fitness, fresh air and sunshine
* joyful participation in learning
* increased self-confidence
* a restorative tonic for the pressure of modern living
TEACHER:
Rachel Kennedy has been an early childhood teacher at the Hartsbrook School for seven years. A graduate of Sterling College and Antioch University, and a mother of two, she has had professional experience as a carpenter and environmental educator. It is, however, her childhood adventures on her parents' homestead in the Maine woods that most profoundly inform her teaching.
