Class Hours:

Please arrive between 8:50am and 9:00am for sign-in. Please arrive at 2:55pm for sign out and pick up at 3:00pm

Drop Off:

Please arrive to drop off between 8:50 and 9:15am. We need all students at class for the day by 9:50am or else we need to consider them absent for the day. If you give us a call letting us know you’re arriving later we can do our best to accommodate.

Pick Up:

Please arrive to pick-up and sign-out between 2:55pm and 3:00pm. All students must be signed-out by 3:15pm. If you plan on picking up early please be aware we are often back at pick up area by 2:30pm for Journal and Circle Time together for class. However picking up before then can be very difficult for both you and our staff as we are often in the wilderness areas of the 340 acre property which could be at our archery range, along the river and so forth, so please make sure to check in about picking up early as taking the day off of class may be more fitting.

No Early Arrival/Late Pickup:

Although our staff is on-site both before and after sign-in and sign-out, they are NOT available to supervise children outside of the arrival and pick-up times indicated above. This time is used for program planning and debrief, and it is critical to us being able to provide each individual student and the group with the best week possible. We know that this is challenging for working parents and appreciate your understanding.

Late Pick Up Fees:

Additional fees will be charged to parents who are more than 20 minutes late to pick-up at a rate of $1 per minute. Parents who are 15 minutes late will be given one verbal warning before being charged. Parents that are more than 20 minutes late will be charged without a warning.

Sign In & Sign Out:

It is our policy that each student be signed-in every morning and signed-out every afternoon by an adult. Please make sure that you park your vehicle in a designated parking space and not along the curbs or sidewalks. We have been having a lot of students get “dropped off” by simply pulling up and getting out and walking up to class while the parents drive off. 

What Your Child Should Wear:

What NOT to Pack:

• Electronic devices, games, and screen based gadgets (Mobile phones may be carried turned off inside a ziploc bag inside the pack, but are not to be used during class.)
• Excess extra clothes – an extra layer / rain gear is fine if necessary but please do not pack a change of clothes for after class in their backpack. We do not allow students to change while at class and this adds extra weight and bulk that tires kids out. Keep these (or a blanket or towel for your muddy child to sit on) in your car and change after class is over.
• Extra weight. We will be hiking each day, and heavy backpacks become a challenge for all. Bring only what you need.
• Toys & Stuffed animals, trading cards or anything else. These items in the past have been lost, gotten wet, dirty, destroyed or forgotten and we hate to see kids lose their items when they didn’t need to. If you have something you like to share with other students. Please make time for this after class is over.

What to Expect at Nature School

Each Morning:

The school staff will greet you at the sign-in table. Please keep your child with you until after all stages of sign in have been completed. At that point your child will be given a t-shirt and a name tag, and then invited to join the rest of the group in a game or explore our hands-on nature museum. This is a good time to check in with the school director if you have any questions or concerns. The school director can pass along any important information to your child’s instructor once the initial arrival phase has passed.

Daily Schedule:

Each morning there will be an active nature themed game that students can join as they arrive. We will also have a crafting area as well as a nature museum set out for those who prefer a quieter or more stationary activity to start off their day. This is followed by one of the staff sharing a story that introduces a general theme or focus for the day. After the story, students join their small groups we call “clans” for the majority of the day exploring the park together and participating in school activities, challenges and projects.

Nature Immersion:

Because our classes are always outside, students tend to get wet, dirty, muddy and may have the occasional frog in their pocket. For these reasons we always encourage parents to be prepared for the messes. Bringing a towel, a change of clothes as well as shoes, bags to put dirty clothes and shoes in and maybe some more towels for the seats just in case. Don’t forget to bring a cricket for that hungry frog also.

Groupings:

At nature school, students are placed into small groups called clans. If you requested that your child be placed with a friend during registration, we do our best to honor that request but sometimes we are not able to meet every request. Requests for students of significantly different ages to be grouped together will not be accommodated. 

Nature Mentoring and Connection:

We use children’s natural passions in order to perform our natural flow style of teaching called Nature Mentoring. Our goal is not only to teach kids about nature but more importantly to help them develop better relationships with the earth, their friends, and themselves, all while having wild fun outdoors learning earth-based skills and crafts. You can learn more in the About section of our website. If you have any questions, please email us at info@natureversity.org.

We look forward to seeing you this Fall!