Garden School is a DCFS licensed, Waldorf, Reggio, & Montessori inspired, nature-based learning center providing an excellent preschool education with full-day childcare. We are a completely screen-free zone where children are encouraged to utilize their imaginations with open ended toys, interact with each other, the environment, and their teachers, create, dream, and explore the amazing world w
e share! The over-arching themes of Garden School include Earth Citizenship/Stewardship, growth mindset, honoring and celebrating all types of diversity, social justice, mindfulness, and extending kindness to all creatures, big and small. Students work on phonemic awareness & letter recognition, patterning, shapes, counting by 2, 5, 10's, and 1's in both Spanish & English as well as explore various units each week based on student/teacher interest, seasons, world happenings. Much of our learning is accomplished through music and movement. Our "outdoor classroom" is equally, if not more important than our indoor classroom and we spend a tremendous amount of our day exploring, hiking, climbing, playing, caring for animals, and hands-on learning of growing amazing food and learning right along with us we explore components of agroecology- composting, vermicomposting, foraging, permaculture, forest gardening, etc. . . Littles also harvest, prepare and eat what they've grown; we spend much time in the kitchen! I (Dianne DuSavage) hold a masters degree in education with undergraduate work in communicative disorders including extensive coursework in child development, child psychology, and language acquisition. I've 3 adult children whom I homeschooled and four grandchildren I am fortunate to spend much time with. As a public school teacher I dreamed of what I would do differently if I had my own school. I knew if I could give children a more organic, natural education with hands-on discovery they would thrive. Garden School is the culmination of that dream, my experience, education, and passion. My daughter (Miss Hannah), co-teaches with me and lives just "down the road" on a farm with her husband, tribe of children, and a bunch of crazy, free-range chickens. My husband (Mr. Terry) holds down a full time job but spends about every minute of his time off pouring over seed catalogs, starting plants, gardening, experimenting with gardening techniques, talking about what he wants to plant next, etc... he truly puts "the garden" into gardening school. Our little "Garden School" is located on nearly eight acres of land filled with various organic gardens, fruit trees & bushes. We are continually learning, implementing, and teaching all we can about permaculture and other sustainable gardening practices. We share our days with 2 cats, two dogs, chickens, ducks and geese.
