The Nature School
LaFontaine Early Learning Center recently added to our family of schools! The Nature School serves children that are 3 (pre-school) or 4 (pre-kindergarten).
We chose to to add this educational offering to our collection of LaFontaine schools in Madison County because:
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We want to create opportunities for children to connect with outdoor environments. We want them to learn in spaces that encourage movement and physical activity. Research tells us that direct exposure to nature is essential for physical and emotional health. We have incorporated outdoor learning spaces to serve as the primary areas for schooling at The Nature School.
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We want to connect our young learners to the agrarian heritage of Central Kentucky by building experiences with the land. We build soft skills like industry and empathy as we care for the environment on our 12.5 acre farm. Additionally, we reinforce the aforementioned and instill responsibility and the ethic of caring through gardening activities.
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Nature-based schooling is gaining popularity throughout the United States. The LaFontaine family of schools strives to be at the front of innovation in Central Kentucky. We've taken notice of this movement and seek to ensure that the children in our community get the same opportunities that their peers from around the country and world have.
This video presents a visual overview of nature schools. We studied these types of educational environments throughout the country as we built our own version in Madison County.
Join our wait list for The Nature School to indicate your interest and be included on updates and enrollment information.
Our Location
Our space is an open floor plan designed to supplement outdoor learning activities when we face inclement weather and can't enjoy outdoor learning. The grounds stretch over 12 acres and include outdoor learning spaces, paddocks for our animals, and our playground.
FAQs
What does a normal day at The Nature School look like?
A day at The Nature School is structured like a day at one of our sister centers. Early learning experiences are guided by lesson plans and are organized into blocks of time. Our young learners rotate activities throughout their day. The main difference is that these early learning experiences will predominantly occur outside in one of our outdoor learning spaces. Learning at The Nature School will involve components of nature on our farm as well as care for our docile livestock.
Do you teach skills?
Early learning at The Nature School is guided by Brigance Early Childhood. We build and assess competencies in areas like visual and gross motor skills, color and picture identification, early language, counting, and oral communication. Parents may expect to conference with our teachers twice per year.
How much are my children outside? How do you maintain safety?
Our goal is for our students to have rich outdoor experiences. We recognize the need to make safety the highest priority so that these experiences are safe. We use a supplemental indoor space (as pictured above) when weather keeps us from being outside. We have designated outdoor learning spaces that we can use when needed. During warm months we will monitor conditions through the use of a wet bulb globe temperature meter. Limitations for outdoor activity are set according to heat readings. Similar strategies are used during cold months. We monitor hydration and exposure to the elements and build risk mitigation strategies around these components at The Nature School.
How are children expected to dress for their experience at The Nature School?
We offer specific guidance for dress during each season of the year. You can expect introductory guidance during your orientation.
How many children are in each class?
Each class has a capacity of 12-14 children.
Will my child nap?
Per Kentucky early childhood direction, children will be given a rest period once per day. Many students will choose to nap. Others are welcome to use the time as a quiet resting period but remain awake.