Mindful Moments with our Elementary Classes

Mindful Moments with our Elementary Classes

We are so grateful to Greenspring Parent, Nila Berger, for working with our Elementary students on mindfulness and movement this year. Nila is focused on several aspects of supporting the children in their growth and development. On the surface, she shares yoga techniques and philosophy to help them ground and center themselves, but the real work she is doing with the children is giving them the tools to help with self-regulation of their nervous system, as well as raising their level of self-empathy and societal empathy as well. Utilizing yoga philosophy, she gives the children activities from breathing prompts to journaling about their emotions especially when those emotions are ones that children (and adults) struggle to grapple with. The benefits of Nila coming into our room are so vast. She gives the children the ability to become more self-aware, regulate themselves, and build self-confidence. Learn more about Nila below!

Nila believes in creating a space where her students can make their practice their own and be their true authentic selves. Along with teaching yoga at various Baltimore area studios, she leads team-building activities for the varsity athletic teams at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) including stress management classes. She lectures on building resiliency through mindfulness at JHU and sits on the task force for overall student wellness at the University. She also built a post-trauma yoga program along with the University’s Counseling Center that launched in 2018.

Roots and Shoots with our Children’s House Writers’ Workshop

Roots and Shoots with our Children’s House Writers’ Workshop

Our Children’s House elders are participating in the Roots and Shoots program for their Writers’ Workshop this year. Roots and Shoots is a writing program created by Jane Goodall’s daughter Angel in tribute to her mother. The program focuses on empowerment and an understanding that anyone can make a difference if you persevere and care!

Their focus is on learning about and paying tribute to change makers, beginning with sharing the story of change-maker, Jane Goodall. The classes recently completed a group book about Jane Goodall. They read Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell and Jane Goodall: A Champion of Chimpanzees by Sarah Albee and shared their favorite moments from the books. Each writer picked two interesting facts that they learned about Jane and wrote and illustrated them for the book.

They are so proud of their work together and each child will receive a copy to bring home with them. We love this as a journey to practice handwriting and bookmaking, all while demonstrating their knowledge of Jane Goodall and her impacts on our natural world. We can’t wait to see the future projects in store for our Children’s House elders.

2023 Harvest Festival at Greenspring

2023 Harvest Festival at Greenspring

Thank you to everyone who attended our Harvest Festival this weekend! We hope you had a wonderful time. Children and families enjoyed a haunted house, bounce house, fire trucks, games, crafts, face painting, music, and more! Enjoy photos from the Harvest Festival below. 

Events such as the Harvest Festival are made possible because of our amazing parent and staff volunteers. Thank you to everyone who donated your time to set up this event, prepare food, and donate to our many events this week!

Fall Adolescent Odyssey to East Hill Farm

Fall Adolescent Odyssey to East Hill Farm

In early October, our Adolescents ventured to East Hill Farm in New Hampshire for an immersive Fall Odyssey trip. The Farm is located at the base of Mount Monadnock on 150 acres where they raise heritage breed cows, goats, and pigs along with horses, sheep, chickens, and other farm animals.

Our students worked with the farm staff to accomplish morning and afternoon chores including goat milking, collecting eggs, cleaning stalls, grooming, and feeding the animals, along with preparing their own meals. They also attended workshops on cheesemaking, mycology, and candle making as well as classes in caring for each of the types of animals. The mycology workshop was a favorite – the students searched the woods to identify, dissect, and explore various types of mushrooms. They learned about the benefits of fungi in our natural environment and how to incorporate them into meals. The Adolescents were eager to learn about animal husbandry, sustainability, and farm-to-table concepts.

Odyssey travel offers many benefits to our students. It invites them to step out of their comfort zones by spending time away from their families and stretching their independence. In a new environment, students learn to care for and rely on each other. They bond through new experiences, such as caring for farm animals and learning how to make cheese. Finally, Odyssey offers lots of unstructured time to be together and build community, which will strengthen our connection for the rest of the year and beyond.

Outdoor Education this September

Outdoor Education this September

Our children and adolescents have been deeply immersed in nature during the first month of school. From our youngest children working and exploring the outdoor environments to our Elementary and Adolescent students venturing off campus for field trips and overnight trips, there is so much happening at Greenspring!

Our focus this year is the Spiritual Nature of the Child and we are supporting our children with beautifully prepared outdoor environments and opportunities to engage with nature. Click through the photo galleries below to see photos and learn more about this big work!

Toddlers

Our Toddlers have been exploring their classrooms and outdoor environments with all of their senses. Guides and Assistants carefully model how to use the materials and the children eagerly soak in new experiences.

 

Children’s House

In Children’s House, our students have been enjoying the gifts of the outdoors. This year, our Children’s House Naturalists introduced sit spots – a place where the child can sit for five minutes away from distractions to observe nature and enjoy time in quiet reflection. Sit spots are a way for our children to try out a new way to enjoy the world around them – observing the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of the natural world. 

In addition, our children have enjoyed the classic activities of the outdoor environments – working with manipulatives, gardening, reading stories, and fine and gross motor play.

Elementary and Adolescents

Our Elementary and Adolescent students have been exploring the natural world of the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed. Along with their work in the outdoor environments, Lower Elementary students recently traveled to Marshy Point Nature Center for a field trip to hike and explore. The children loved seeing and learning more about the creatures who live in the Bay watershed. Seeing the Monarch caterpillars and chrysalis was certainly a highlight!

In Upper Elementary, the students visited Echo Hill Outdoor School for an immersive three day trip. They had the opportunity to explore the Chester River by boat, complete a ropes course, and enjoy many team-building activities. See photos and learn more about their trip here

Our Adolescents have been working on campus to prepare the new rain garden and sensory trail for our younger students. They have also been harvesting tomatoes from our gardens to create various dishes before the end of the season. In Art and Physical Education enrichment, they also have ventured off campus to visit Sherwood Gardens to sketch and Oregon Ridge Nature Center to hike.

What’s Next?

We look forward to sharing the many ways that our children and adolescents explore the outdoors this year. Stay tuned for more updates this fall.