KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten at a new leaf school Farm Campus
Kindergarten is a wonderful year of transition for children. They are quickly developing physically and emotionally, and their awareness of themselves and the world is growing exponentially. However they can still be at uneven levels in their many domains of development, so kindergarten is a vital window of time to challenge and promote growth in a wide range of areas. We work together in small groups to set and reach our goals.
Our students are engaged in a well-rounded nature based academic education that is supported by indoor labs, studios, and the exploratorium. We are guided by the Reggio philosophy in our artistic and scientific projects, which are complemented by the Wild About Learning curriculum and instruction in ELA and Math. In addition to conventional physical education, our students build strength and stamina through hiking, yoga, and a variety of whole body practices outdoors. A New Leaf's combined curriculum meets or exceeds all Tennessee state education standards.
Here at the farm, we encourage our students to develop projects that benefit and contribute to our beautiful ten acre campus. The day flows between the light lab, exploratorium, garden, sports field, art studio, forest, pond, creek, and barns with the caretaking of the animals and plants. Groups take turns harvesting and preparing plants for the farmers market. This is a very popular economics project. The day begins with social emotional team building activities. Our assembly is a powerful time to discuss the day’s plans, study geography and learn about the world’s cultures and languages. The morning cycle includes small group work on academic subjects and projects where the Wild about Learning curriculum complements our Reggio inspired project approach.
For example, a project may involve studying sunflowers by cultivating several cycles and observing the differences in sizes between seasons. But projects don’t stop there! Newly grown sunflowers attract birds for us to admire, observe, and learn from. Watching the birds eat, we may decide to harvest the flowers and cook them for us to try. Investigations often lead to more studies which brings us back to practicing skills that we need to hone and use in the journey of the projects.
Join us for a magical year of nature and learning. We look forward to our kindergartners from both campuses to visit each other for field trips and communicate and challenge each other over the course of the school year!
