Nature-Based Early Childhood Programs at Juniper Hill School

The Nature-Based Early Childhood programs include, Nature (pre-pre-kindergarten, ages 3-4, attendance1 or 2 part or full days) and the Seeds class (pre-kindergarten, ages 3-5, attendance 3 or 5 full days).

The Nature-Based Early Childhood programs at Juniper Hill School:

• utilize nature as the central concept of all of the learning experiences and curriculum, including the organization of the indoor and outdoor classrooms
• integrate developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood and environmental education, led by qualified teachers who are trained in both
• cultivate ecological literacy and focus on all aspects of child development (cognitive, social, emotional, physical, aesthetic) using the woods, fields, and wetlands of the 42-acre campus as the classroom.

*Above points from a document on the organizing principles of nature preschools by Dr. Patti Baille, nature preschool researcher and assistant professor at the Univeristy of Maine and Ken Finch, Founding Director of Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood.

Place-Based Elementary at Juniper Hill School

The Place-Based Elementary programs for 2017-18 include the Roots class (ages 5-6, grade K), the Sprouts class (ages 6-7, grade 1), and the Branches class (ages 7-9, grades 2-3).*

The Place-Based Elementary programs at Juniper Hill School: 

• place equal value on the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth of students 
• promote authentic learning with high expectations. 
• provide an open atmosphere for the student's discovery of self, others, and the world around them. 
• encourage an intimate connection to the natural world and surrounding communities through in-depth, integrated study. 

*We are planning for a pre-K through 5th grade early childhood and elementary school in the coming years.