Skip To Main Content

Outdoor Learning 2023-24

Outdoor Learning Night 2024

The image shows a variety of outdoor scenes, including children playing on a grassy field, a garden with lush greenery, and people gathered around a building. The backgrounds feature trees, a brick wall, and a clear blue sky, creating a pleasant and natural setting.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten gardeners planted, cared for, and harvested a variety of edible plants, including Éclair and Chandler strawberries, cabbage, Swiss chard, onions and lettuces.  They also planted a big patch of milkweed in one of their square beds to attract Monarch butterflies.  Kindergarten also participated in outdoor imaginative play, building with the large outdoor building blocks, creating natural protective shelters, and taking a story walk in the tree hall.

A striped caterpillar crawling on a green leaf against a blurred rural landscape in the background.
A group of children are engaged in outdoor activities, playing with toys and exploring the natural environment on a wooden platform surrounded by a grassy field and a red barn in the background.
A green caterpillar with distinctive black and yellow stripes is crawling on a green leaf, surrounded by lush foliage in the background.
Three children are engaged in an outdoor activity, working on projects on a wooden table in a grassy, wooded area.
A group of children are gathered on the grass, examining and interacting with a pile of rocks and stones in the foreground, while the background shows a grassy area with trees.
A group of children of various ages are gathered around a raised garden bed, actively engaged in gardening activities such as planting and tending to the plants. The background features a grassy area with some trees, suggesting an outdoor setting.
A group of children gathered around a garden bed, examining and interacting with the plants and soil. In the background, there are various outdoor items and structures, suggesting an outdoor learning or play environment.
Three children are playing in cardboard boxes on a grassy field, with a large tree and buildings visible in the background.
A group of children playing with large wooden building blocks in a grassy outdoor setting, surrounded by trees.
A group of children are gathered around raised garden beds, engaged in gardening activities such as planting and tending to the plants. The background features a grassy area with some trees, suggesting an outdoor setting.
Two children, a girl and a boy, are gardening in raised garden beds, tending to the plants and soil. In the background, a brick wall and grassy area can be seen.
A group of children are engaged in gardening activities, planting and tending to plants in a raised garden bed set up in an outdoor area with a brick wall in the background.
The image shows a group of children playing in a wooden structure, surrounded by a grassy area with trees in the background.
A group of children, wearing casual clothing, are gathered around a large container filled with soil, engaged in what appears to be a gardening or outdoor learning activity, with an adult supervising them in the background.
The image shows a group of children examining a poster attached to a tree trunk in a grassy, wooded area.
Two children, a boy and a girl, are playing on a wooden play structure in a wooded outdoor setting with trees and a grassy area in the background.
A young girl in a yellow polka dot dress is smiling and holding a handful of fresh strawberries in a grassy outdoor setting.
A young girl with curly hair sits on the exposed roots of a large tree, surrounded by a grassy area where other people can be seen in the background.
A young girl in a purple shirt is crouched down next to a large tree, examining something on the ground in a grassy outdoor area with a red barn or structure visible in the background.

First Grade

First grade gardeners planted, cared for, and harvested a variety of plants, including parsley, mint, marigolds, oregano, lettuces (frisée, romaine, red leaf, and mesclun).  First graders also used items from nature to create their our flower fairies!  Families joined the first grade classes to enjoy a picnic in our beautiful outdoor space at the end of the school year.

A group of people, mostly children, are gathered on colorful blankets and mats in an outdoor setting surrounded by trees and a building in the background.
Two children are sitting at a blue table, playing with flowers and other objects in the foreground. In the background, there are brick buildings, stairs, and other people visible.
A young girl in a pink shirt and glasses is holding a flower, while other children are playing in the background on a paved outdoor area surrounded by trees and a brick wall.
A group of young children, both boys and girls, are standing outside a building, holding various snacks and drinks, and appear to be enjoying themselves.
The image shows a group of children playing and interacting outdoors on a paved surface surrounded by trees and buildings.

Second Grade

Second grade gardeners planted and maintained native pollinator plants (e.g. wild bergamot, pussytoes, wild geranium, yarrow, salvia, lyre leaf sage, coreopsis, daisies, hoary skullcap, mountain mint and other treasures).  They also explored the native wildlife, conducting an insect hunt around our green space.

The image shows a clear container with a grid-like pattern inside, held in a person's hand against a grassy outdoor background.
A group of children, both boys and girls, are gathered in a wooded area, surrounded by trees and a grassy field in the background.
A young boy wearing a green t-shirt with a baseball logo stands in a lush, green outdoor setting with trees and vegetation in the background.
A young boy wearing a black Levi's jacket is holding a glass container and smiling in a wooded outdoor setting.
A young boy wearing a black fleece jacket is holding a clear container with something inside, standing in a wooded area with trees and greenery in the background.
A young boy wearing a green t-shirt with text on it stands in a grassy, wooded area, with another child visible in the background.
A group of children, both boys and girls, are standing and sitting in a wooded area with a grassy field in the background.

Third Grade

Third grade gardeners used their garden bed to plant, maintain, and harvest oregano, thyme, parsley, onions, cherry tomatoes, and lettuces.  Students engaged in nature journaling that focused on observing changes in plants around the building, appreciating the natural resources around us and imagining what animals see and do around the schoolyard. Kids were hooked on sitting peacefully outdoors writing, while others seemed to prefer bouncing around the rocks or trees with an occasional peek at something in nature.

A person's hand holding a pencil is visible, writing on a notebook with a spiral binding on a white surface.
A simple drawing of a bird-like creature with a handwritten message below it.
The image contains a hand-drawn sketch of what appears to be a rocket or spacecraft, along with some text that provides measurements and weight information.
The image depicts a hand-drawn landscape with a cloudy sky in the background and a grassy foreground.
The image appears to be a hand-drawn illustration depicting various natural elements such as trees, mountains, and the sun. The text below the drawing provides additional context about the artist's experience and observations.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of birds flying in the sky, with the text %22I notice the birds are chirping%22 written below.
The image depicts a hand-drawn picture with a sun, clouds, grass, and a red leaf. The text below the drawing describes the child's experience of seeing the sun, claws, and a red leaf.
A young boy with a friendly smile sits on the grass, holding a small object in his hand, surrounded by a lush green lawn and foliage in the background.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of a cow with various labels and text describing the cow's features, as well as the writer's thoughts and observations about the weather and their plans.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of a tree with a bird perched on one of the branches. Below the sketch, there are several lines of text describing observations made by the artist, such as noticing a bird's chirping, the temperature being 73 degrees, the presence of clouds, and a black bird.
The image contains a hand-drawn sketch depicting a bird-like creature in the foreground, with mountains and clouds in the background. The text below the sketch provides observations and commentary about the weather and nature.
A spiral-bound notebook page with handwritten text and a faint sketch of what appears to be a bird or winged creature in the background.
Two young boys are crouched on the ground, intently examining something in the grass-covered area.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of a tree with several mushroom-like shapes on its branches, along with some smaller shapes that appear to be birds. Below the sketch, there are three lines of text expressing the person's wonder about the types of birds and what the birds are doing.
The image contains a child's drawing depicting various objects, including a cloud, a sun, a leaf, a stick, and a flower. The drawing is accompanied by the text %22Notice of big tree%22 written at the bottom of the page.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of a tree with a sun in the background, accompanied by handwritten text describing various observations or thoughts.
The image shows a hand-drawn sketch of a bird-like creature sitting on a branch or rock formation, with a landscape or natural setting in the background.
The image depicts a hand-drawn sketch of a figure on a platform, with text describing the figure's appearance and behavior.
The image appears to be a handwritten note or drawing by a child. It includes various illustrations, such as what looks like a spaceship or UFO, as well as some text that is difficult to fully decipher.

Fourth Grade

Fourth grade gardeners planted, maintained, and harvested oregano, thyme, parsley, onions, cherry tomatoes, and lettuces in their u-shaped garden bed. They also planted and cared for day lilies, Easter lilies and other flowers in the bed outside their classroom.  Fourth graders also engaged in nature journaling to observe change and explore the nature around the school's outdoor space

A group of people, including two women and two men, are standing on a wooden platform in front of a brick building, with a car parked in the background.
A group of young people, some standing and some sitting, interacting and engaging with each other in front of a brick building on a sunny day.
A group of young people, both male and female, are working together in a garden setting surrounded by lush greenery and trees.
The image shows a person's hand holding a small insect, likely a bee or wasp, against a background of grass and foliage.
A group of young people, likely students, are engaged in an outdoor activity, possibly washing or cleaning something, on the steps of a brick building.
The image shows a woman interacting with two young girls in a lush, green forest setting, with a pile of fallen branches in the background.

Fifth Grade

Fifth graders engaged in nature journaling to observe change and explore the nature around the school's outdoor space.  They also designed and redesigned bird nests around the schoolyard, and are were impressed with birds as engineers.  They also focused their planting efforts on pollinators.  They added some milkweed varieties and other summer/fall species to the no mow area on the hillside by the track. This area is mowed once a year (last year in February or March), which will disperse the seeds so that they can grow again the next year and also keep invasive species from taking over. Keep an eye out for butterflies, moths and other pollinators in these places throughout the spring and summer!  

Three young people, two girls and one boy, are standing together in a grassy field with barns visible in the background.
Three children, a boy and two girls, are standing together in a grassy outdoor setting with trees and cloudy skies in the background.
A group of people, mostly young, standing and walking on a grassy path surrounded by trees and buildings in the background.
Three young girls, dressed in casual clothing, are standing in a grassy field surrounded by trees. They appear to be smiling and interacting with each other.
Four children, two boys and two girls, are standing in a grassy field surrounded by trees. The children appear to be smiling and engaged in some outdoor activity.
A group of diverse children, wearing colorful clothing and protective gloves, are gathered in a grassy outdoor setting, engaged in what appears to be a gardening or environmental activity.
A young boy with glasses sits in the grass, surrounded by other people engaged in outdoor activities in the background.
A young boy in a blue shirt and gray pants stands on a grassy field, holding a baseball bat, with a soccer goal visible in the background.
Three children sitting in a grassy field, with two large barns visible in the background.
A group of young people, wearing casual clothing, are engaged in an outdoor activity in a grassy field with trees in the background.
A group of people, both adults and children, are gathered in a grassy field surrounded by trees, engaged in what appears to be an outdoor activity or gathering.
A group of people, both adults and children, are gathered in a grassy field surrounded by trees, engaged in what appears to be an outdoor activity or event.
A group of people, both adults and children, are gathered in a grassy field surrounded by trees, engaged in what appears to be an outdoor activity or event.
A group of people, both adults and children, are gathered in a grassy field surrounded by trees, engaged in what appears to be an outdoor activity or event.