NATURE-BASED LEARNING
We are now Nature School of York!
Vision
By connecting children with the earth and each other, we are creating a conscious generation committed to a sustainable future.
Mission
Seven Tribe Playground is a community dedicated to spirited learning, imagination, and outdoor play. Our approach is holistic as we focus on the growth of the whole child and foster a sense of belonging to and appreciation of the natural world.
Child-centered learning
Our educational philosophy underscores our commitment to child-centered learning. Educators guide students to new learning as children ask questions, express curiosity or concern, and show enthusiasm toward discoveries.
Students experiment, problem-solve, and explore with their senses. They voice opinions and express ideas through language and arts. Students develop friendships and learn from one another through cooperative play. In other words, our students actively participate in all aspects of learning!
Our Curriculum
As the academic content of the primary grades is pushed down into kindergarten and even preschool, young children face inappropriate expectations that do more to damage their relationship with literacy than to facilitate a life-long love of learning, reading, and writing.
As teachers, we do not dictate what we will learn or when we will learn it; our students do that. Every year our curriculum varies as our students change. Because we have mixed-age classes, the pace of learning is individualized. We follow our students natural curiosity and use key learning opportunities to introduce ideas and concepts. Even though our topics change from season to season and year to year, we always find ways to develop language and math skills and stimulate growth of equally important social and emotional skills.
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A Typical day
Our days flow naturally with our flexible but routine schedule. We invite and embrace emergent curriculum as we follow students’ interests. Our teachers are facilitators of learning, they are in tune with students’ needs, skills and discoveries. We go outdoors almost everyday, in sunshine and rain.