Our first school tour of the year at St. Paul’s was joyful and informative! The tour began with a moonlit walk around the garden and an overview of the program by Pam Christenson, who is the outdoor classroom teacher, in the covered patio. We learned that the program is divided into two sessions. The morning session is Reggio inspired and follows a traditional flow whereas the afternoon session is completely outdoors. The outdoor classroom is in its second year and while it was developed as an antidote to Covid, it has proven to be a rich and exciting way to structure the school day. Pam shared, “Everything that is done on the main campus is done in the outdoor classroom (and more)”. The outdoor teachers have seen many benefits of their nature school, including more resilient children, less and shorter duration of sickness, less behavioral challenges because every child becomes an expert amongst the group, and an enhanced awareness and relationship with ones senses. Later on, we ventured inside to tour the indoor classrooms, which were warm and welcoming (as were the teachers!). The classrooms had thoughtful and inviting provocations, offering inspiration and new ideas for all of our visitors. Conversation was lively and all questions were answered graciously and enthusiastically. It was apparent that there is love and great pride in this learning community.
We’d also like you to share your ideas at our next meet up on Saturday February 24th at Irvine Valley College (parking passes will be provided). We will be discussing a video by Dr. Zaretta Hammond, author of "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain", where she explains how her personal experiences led her to investigate what children need to have an academic mindset. Dr. Hammond also explains how "grit" and "pep talks" aren't the solution when early learners struggle. We invite you to sign up for the event by February 21st, watch the video and add your thoughts, questions, or wonderings to this shared google doc. We can't wait to collaborate with you!