Daily Rhythm

Routines offer security and help children regulate their energy

Schedule note: these times are based on the September -June School Year. For Summer Camp Sessions 1 +2, we have shifted the time earlier (8:30- 12:30) but the rhythm of the morning is the same.

9:00 Arrival: Children settle in and start exploring the classroom or engage in a hands-on welcome activity.

9:35 Group Circle and Snack: Teachers share the plan for the day based on our weekly theme. We sing songs, play a game, or practice one of our key social and emotional regulation skills. We usually keep our weekly themes related to what is going on in nature or what the children have shown an interest in, also known as “emergent curriculum”.
For snack time, we bring food packed from home (in a squirrel-proof pack) and wash our hands thoroughly before eating and sharing conversation.

10:20 Exploration and Adventure: Most days, after about an hour of classroom exploration (in our sectioned-off outdoor classroom space), we go on an exciting adventure hike. Some days the children might vote to stay in our classroom (a sectioned-off area of the meadow) and spend more time on their interests such as digging, bug hunting, reading, building, climbing or dramatic imagination games.

12 Lunch and Story: Packed in a (squirrel-proof) backpack or lunch sack, children bring their own lunches from home. We eat in a circle and commune together.

12:40 Clean-Up time and Closing Circle: After a brief tidying up, which connects us back to our environmental impact, we gather as a group and share our experience of the day.

Evening: After school learning continues as the lead teacher that day writes a StoryPark* post, shared only within our school community (parents, grandparents, nannies, teachers, etc.). These posts share a summary of the day, complete with child quotes and photos, for parents to engage with and connect with each other. *Note that StoryPark daily updates are only for the school year. For Summer Camp we send out weekly newsletters to enrolled families.