MARCH 6, 2012
TODAY THE FARM WAS RADIANT! We had a warm welcome back, the sunflowers we planted in November were blooming!
Here is a story of our day at school:
PART 1
As we began our morning weeding we found a dead garden gopher that still had a big leaf in his teeth, After much deliberation(including a visit to the farmer's office) we came to the conclusion that we must bury him. We finished putting the last flowers on his grave as his honoring and went back to weeding, only to stumble on the next problem to be solved!
Ari came across a stubborn kale plant that had roots deep and did not want to let go, so he called for help.
"Maja, Maja, come and help me pull the kale plant!" Maja was pulling grass in the far field and came to help. It wouldn't budge.
Maja called out, "Finbar, Finbar come and help us pull the kale plant!" Finbar was walking the fence and stopped to come help. It wouldn't budge.
Finbar called out, "Sean, Sean come and help us pull the kale plant!" Sean was climbing sister mulberry and came down to help. It wouldn't budge.
Sean called out, "Finn, Finn come and help us pull the kale plant!" Finn was munching on some cabbage leaves and stopped to come help. It wouldn't budge.
PULL, PULL, PULL, PULL!!! But, It wouldn't budge.
PART 2
"Let's have a closer look at this thing. It is really stuck!"
Sean and Ari investigated closer and pulled some more.
It wouldn't budge!
PART 3
Sean went along to water other plants, when Finbar and Finn arrived on the scene to try again.
All three boys decided to pull on the plant at the same time, as a matter of fact, they were using 6 hands on this one kale plant.
They pulled hard, They pulled strong, they didn't give up until....
POP! It finally came out!!
THUD! Everyone hit the ground with victory!
It was a hard day of work in the garden...you've got to be tough to be a farmer!
Program Description
Wild Roots, an experiential forest preschool and kindergarten, offers a curriculum rich in the life sciences that aims to nurture a sense of community and belonging among children, families and the land. Our work is inspired by the teachings of Edward O. Wilson, Rudolf Steiner, Paulo Freire, David W. Orr, Jon Young, and many others. Drawing on a deep understanding and continuous exploration of child development our small class size, high adult/child ratios, and the curriculum provide a foundation of respect for the developmental process and the unique unfolding of each child.
Wild Roots meets in local natural spaces where our students learn to identify local flora and fauna, recognize patterns in nature, build physical prowess, and develop the foundation for lifelong learning. With a strong daily rhythm, our classes are infused with songs, games, poetry, stories, and plays. This creative work develops a keen memory, a rich vocabulary, the foundation for reading comprehension, and a strong sense of rhythm, along with a wide array of other skills and qualities. Our imagination acts as a bond between ourselves and nature, helping us to develop reverence, understanding, and compassion.
Using wild harvested materials in our play and work helps us to experience our interdependence through all of our senses. Our classes are busy foraging, recognizing plants that can heal or harm us, tracking and observing animals, observing changes on the land, painting, drawing, crafting, and playing in nature’s playground. Daily, the land offers a host of new adventures to spark the natural curiosity and imagination of each child.
What we love, we are likely to protect, and to love something we must know it. Natural settings afford the children direct experience with a world not made by humans where we can feel ourselves a part of a larger community of life.
Wild Roots offers two classes:
The willows class is a two year kindergarten for children 4 years and 9 months to 7 years of age. This class meets 5 days per week.
The acorns class is a mixed age class for children 3 years to 7 years old, that meets two days per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This class works closely with a sister program, Seedlings, which meets in our director’s home-based classroom on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2011-2012 school year. We invite you to contact us with any questions you may have and to schedule a visit.
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