Chickadees
Tuesdays and Thursday 8:45-12:45
Kindergarten Enrichment
Session 2
As autumn unfolds, we'll spend six weeks exploring the beauty of the changing season through nature, stories, songs, art, and hands-on discovery. Inspired by Montessori, Charlotte Mason, and nature-based learning, our days are filled with meaningful experiences that preserve the wonder of childhood while gently building kindergarten readiness.
Children will strengthen early literacy and math foundations through playful, hands-on activities while enjoying circle time, Student of the Week, nature walks, outdoor play, practical life skills, sensory invitations, art projects, seasonal crafts, songs, and meaningful friendships.
Every day is designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and nurture a lifelong love of learning in a warm, predictable classroom community.
Meadowlarks
Tuesday and Thursdays 1:00-4:00
1st-4th grade history/science/home ec
Session 2:
The Birchbark House: A 6-Week Journey Through Seasons, Land & Traditional Skills
Journey into the world of The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich as we explore the life of Omakayas, a young Ojibwe girl growing up near Lake Superior in the 1800s. Through literature, nature study, history, cooking, and hands-on projects, students will explore how the seasons and natural world shaped everyday life.
We’ll also look closer to home, learning about Indigenous peoples of Montana and the unique histories, traditions, and relationships with the land among different tribal nations.
Students will:
-
🌿 Create an Herbal Field Journal, studying plants, their parts, where they grow, and historical and traditional uses
-
🧺 Create their own Herbal Box, adding a new handmade herbal preparation throughout the session, such as beeswax lip balm, calendula salve, and other simple preparations
-
🧶 Learn the basics of weaving on a loom
-
🪡 Continue developing beginning hand-sewing and practical life skills
-
🥣 Cook and bake together while exploring foods, ingredients, and seasonal traditions
-
🍂 Explore how the changing seasons influenced food, shelter, work, travel, and everyday life
-
🌲 Study plants, animals, weather, and the natural resources people have relied upon
-
🗺️ Learn about the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe people featured in our story while also exploring Indigenous peoples and tribal nations closer to us here in Montana
-
📖 Enjoy rich read-alouds and discussions from The Birchbark House while connecting literature to our history, science, nature study, and hands-on work
Rather than simply memorizing names and dates, students will explore history through stories, nature, making, cooking, observation, and practical skills. We’ll consider how people used the resources available to them, how knowledge was passed from one generation to the next, and how closely everyday life was connected to the seasons and the land.
Each child will finish the session with their own Herbal Field Journal and wooden Herbal Box filled with the preparations they made, along with sewing, weaving, cooking, and other projects completed throughout our six weeks together.
Class does require approximately 15–20 minutes of reading two nights a week. Reading may be completed independently or together as a family.
Forest Friends
Fridays 10:00-12:00
Slow down, explore, and experience the wonder of nature together.
Forest Friends is a parent-and-child class designed to nurture curiosity, connection, and a love of the outdoors through seasonal adventures. Each gathering includes a story time, simple hands-on activity, process art or craft, games, and plenty of time for unstructured outdoor play and meaningful friendships.
Together we'll splash in puddles, search for animal tracks, discover woodland creatures, celebrate the changing seasons, create with natural materials, and make lasting memories.
Perfect for children ages 0–5 and their caregiver, however the entire family is welcome. Forest Friends offers a gentle, welcoming community where little ones can explore at their own pace while parents connect with other families who share a love for nature and preserving childhood.
