Toddler Outdoor Environments
Children’s House Outdoor Environments
Students in our Children’s House Outdoor Environments have been immersed in a rich journey of discovery. Since the first day of school, we have been enjoying our explorations of the beautiful grounds on campus. Strolling by the dogwood trees, pine trees, fig trees, and colorful zinnias brings the children so much happiness and they are able to explore the campus with all of their senses. We were grateful to experience two weeks of rain, which welcomed an abundance of salamanders, slugs, worms, and even an amazing giant toad! The rain was a welcome gift for our plants as well. We eagerly await the stunning array of colors that autumn will unveil!
The children have been discovering the art of effectively using our garden tools, which can be quite a journey for our youngest Children’s House students. Through dedication, guidance, and the help of elders in the classroom, the children discover a passion for digging, raking, and utilizing garden tools.
With regular visits to the nature center, we enjoy feeding and engaging with Ivan, having snake-handling lessons with Nessie, and discovering the many different creatures that reside there.
The children in the Dogwood and River Birch class have been nurturing our Oak Tree Nursery, with four white oaks grown from acorns that are thriving in pots. They also have been enjoying the process of herbal tea making, with herbs from our herb garden! Mint tea with honey is a fan favorite.
Sit Spots
Starting in Children’s House, students participate in Sit Spots outside in all weather – 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.
Elementary and Adolescent Outdoor Environments
Our Elementary and Adolescent students have been exploring the Outdoor Environments, our campus, and even venturing out to learn about the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Lower Elementary
In Lower Elementary, students grew a large harvest of radishes as the weather began to cool. They sold the radishes to the community to benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene. Now they are setting their sites on the colder winter months ahead and working to build a low tunnel over their raised garden bed to protect their winter lettuce.
Lower Elementary students continue the practice of Sit Spots, heading outside each morning in all weather conditions for five minutes of reflection and observation.
Upper Elementary
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.
Adolescent Community
Our Adolescents have been working to improve our campus rain garden, pulling invasive weeds and making way for native plants to thrive. They also ventured out into the Baltimore community to volunteer with NeighborSpace Baltimore to clean up local pocket parks, add native plants to rain gardens, and run tests in a local stream. The students loved meeting a local Baltimore artist and learning more about these communities. They had an opportunity to see firsthand how environmental justice can serve city residents with improved access to multi-use green spaces.
