The importance of trees
What’s the difference between “deciduous” and “evergreen”? And what do those words mean anyway? Our nursery students found answers to these questions and more—not by sitting in the classroom, but by exploring our 140 acres of conservation land. To learn about different types of trees and their importance to the ecosystem, they raked leaves into piles, identified them, made leaf rubbings, and brewed tea with pine needles and honey.
By the way, kids agree—the more honey in the tea, the better.
Nursery
Blue Nursery
Green Nursery
Age: 3-5
Students per class: 18
Teachers per class: 3
Nursery-aged children learn through play. So, hands-on investigation is at the core of the program. Through play and activities, our youngest students make discoveries about themselves, their classmates, the larger school community, and the world. Science, math, art, and language are integrated into each day’s activities through digging, pouring, drawing, cooking, sorting, singing, building, and painting.
What nursery students explore is driven by their curiosity and interests. Whether it’s sculpting with clay, playing with Hula Hoops to learn about personal space, or practicing kindness by being a good listener, our nursery children learn by doing… and having fun.
With a 6:1 ratio in the classroom, our teachers get to know each nursery child well. They build meaningful relationships so they can help children reach their individual potential and build a solid foundation for next steps. Many of our students and families are so pleased with their nursery experience that they stay with The Common School for the primary level, and beyond.
A Quick Peek into Nursery Classrooms
- Every child’s voice, opinion, and perspective are important, at the nursery level. We create space for all students to express themselves and practice listening to others.
- Nursery children experience a huge burst in language development. They’re all about questioning, communicating, and organizing information verbally. We tap into this newfound skill with plenty of books, stories, songs, drama, and conversation.
- Nursery children are ordering and making sense of their world—it’s pretty exciting to watch. We give them activities that let them arrange, explore, compare, classify, generate ideas, experiment with cause and effect, and share what they find out.
- Dancing, running, jumping—nursery children are brimming with energy. We call it movement class. They call it fun.
- We encourage nursery children to follow their interests, organize their own play, make choices and decisions, connect and collaborate, and develop a sense of themselves as curious, competent, and resourceful people.