How to prepare for our days:
Please have your child pack a backpack with the following:
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water bottle(s)- send in plenty of water please!
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snacks - please no tree nuts/peanuts
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lunch - please no tree nuts/peanuts
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outdoor layers - We always trust the children to wear what they feel is right for them. Sometimes we suggest more clothing when it's really cold, but ultimately only they can know for themselves what is needed. We suggest sending them with layers they can add and subtract as needed. On colder temperature days/snow days please be sure they have warm gloves, hat, jacket. On rainy days, boots and raincoat would be helpful.
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personal item (chap sticks, lotions, etc.)
Optional Items to bring:
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computer/charger/headphones- only needed if your child plans to do any online school work or prefers to use their own computers. Computers are for learning opportunities. We have a monthly membership to Photoshop and Lightroom and can purchase other memberships as needed, such as Simply Piano, Canva, and other memberships our children may be interested in learning.
Please have your child take some time the night before school to think about what they would like to bring the following day. In time they will likely feel excited to do this on their own.
Every child can make an "offering(s) in the morning. There is no pressure around this. Some like to offer 1 per day, others many, and some none at all. We add the offerings to our day's schedule and children can choose to join in or not. The offerings can be a suggestion of a group activity, for example scootering, a game of cribbage, or drawing with chalk. Offerings can also be classes a child or facilitator teaches others, for example how to draw a face, learning the 9s multiplication table on your fingers, learning chords on the guitar. Offerings can be something your child wants to learn more about and together the group explores something, for example painting with water colors or juggling a soccer ball. Offerings can also be something the children want an expert to come in and teach, for example yoga, martial arts, hand building with clay. We have Blackstone Valley Tech right down the street. We plan to connect with them and see what kinds of offerings their students would like to come in and teach.
Your child also may want to bring a personal writing journal, book to read, activities they would like to work on during the day, etc.. They drive their own learning and create their own experience at school. Thinking about their day ahead of time can be really helpful. No need to push with this. The wonderful thing about the Agile Learning Model is that it teaches children how to be self-directed in their learning. It's really the opposite of public schooling where children are told what to do and children comply. The gift of self-directed learning is that children learn self-responsibility and find their inner drive.
