Koan School

We are so proud of this group and all they accomplished together. What an adventure. ❤️

One of the biggest things our students gained from Costa Rica wasn’t just adventure — it was independence, resilience, and life skills. 🌎🇨🇷

For eight days, students practiced getting themselves up and ready for 6:30am breakfasts, managing early bedtimes after long days, repacking suitcases every few days without forgetting important belongings, keeping track of passports through airports and customs, handling foreign currency, and navigating travel responsibly.

They practiced ordering food and communicating in Spanish, living closely with the same group of people for over a week, working through exhaustion, and persevering even when the next adventure meant kayaking, whitewater rafting, or climbing 600 steps to and from a waterfall. 💪🌿

Travel teaches so much more than what can fit into a classroom. Watching our students grow in confidence, responsibility, adaptability, teamwork, and independence was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. We are so proud of them. 💚✈️

🇨🇷🌿 Cool things we’ve learned about Costa Rica on our travels:

🦥 Costa Rica is home to nearly 5% of the world’s biodiversity despite being such a small country
🌎 The country runs on nearly 100% renewable energy
🐒 Hunting is banned to help protect wildlife and ecosystems
🌳 Over 25% of Costa Rica’s land is protected national parks and reserves
🐢 Costa Rica is famous for sea turtles, sloths, monkeys, toucans, and incredible rainforest wildlife
💧 The country is filled with volcanoes, waterfalls, hot springs, rainforests, and beaches all within a few hours of each other
🌱 Costa Rica is a world leader in conservation and eco-tourism
😊 “Pura Vida” is more than a phrase there — it’s a way of life focused on gratitude, simplicity, and enjoying life

🇨🇷🌿 Costa Rica was the perfect place to visit with Koan’s focus on sustainability, environmental responsibility, animal protection and care, recycling, and experiential learning — all while giving our students the opportunity to practice and utilize their Spanish in real-world experiences. 💚✈️

A large group of our HS students and parents embarked on an unforgettable study abroad experience filled with rainforest ziplining, wildlife exploration in Tortuguero, whitewater rafting, snorkeling, hot springs, national parks, and cultural immersion along the way. Tortuguero to Guanacaste! From stepping outside their comfort zones to building independence, teamwork, and lifelong memories, this trip is about so much more than travel.

We love giving our students opportunities to see the world, experience new cultures, and grow through real-life adventure together. 🌎💚

Here’s to learning beyond the classroom, embracing curiosity, and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Pura Vida!

Our Middle School and Lower High School students celebrated their last Friday of the school year at Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center — soaking up adventure and time together in nature.

From exploring the trails to making memories with friends, it was the perfect way to wrap up an amazing year of growth, friendship, and community. We love watching our students enjoy being kids, supporting each other, and embracing every moment together. 💚

Eye-Spy: Teaching Aide Edition. Can you find Sammie??

Each year, our classroom gets the privilege of working with a student teaching aide from the upper school, and it always ends up being such a meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Our younger students get extra encouragement, attention, and connection, while the student teacher gains real classroom experience and confidence working with children. It’s been such a joy getting to know Miss Sammie this year and watching the relationships she’s built with the students.

The benefits of mud kitchens do not stop in preschool. It has been incredibly satisfying to watch all of our hopes for this space play out over the school year.

This table has been everything from a bakery to a science lab to a restaurant to a potion shop. Kids work together, solve problems, create systems, tell stories, and connect with nature in ways that feel increasingly rare these days.

Some of the best learning moments happen right here covered in dirt, leaves, sticks, and imagination.

We love spending time with our students — and one of the best parts is seeing how much they genuinely enjoy spending time with each other too!

Our middle school and high school students had a great afternoon together on the Denton Square sharing lunch, exploring, laughing, and making memories together.

Opportunities like these remind us just how special our community is. The friendships, independence, trust, responsibility, and connection our students build together are such an important part of what makes Koan feel like family!❤️

The upper elementary worked very hard and learned a lot planning their Mother’s Day Tea Party. It started with planting their Forget-Me-Nots. Then the students wrote invitations and poems. Finally, they planned the party. They learned about budgeting, preparation, etiquette, and hosting. It all came together in a wonderful afternoon with some very special guests.

What a fun afternoon celebrating the creativity of all of our Koan students! From Kindergarten through 12th grade, every student had artwork proudly displayed.

A huge thank you to our fabulous Ms. Rachel, whose vision, passion, and hard work brought this beautiful event to life. This art show was truly a collaborative effort with help from our teachers and students, made even more special by the support of our wonderful parents and grandparents who came to celebrate alongside us.

Our culinary class also helped make it even better with delicious charcuterie cups and Oreo truffles that were almost too pretty to eat - but we managed!

We are so grateful for our community that values creativity, connection, and giving students the opportunity to shine. 💛🎨

Our Animal Crew had a beautiful morning at Ms. Jenny’s spending time with yearling, Obi, and the donkeys. 💛

The girls focused on calm, grounded energy — allowing Obi to explore, be curious, and build confidence at his own pace. It’s amazing to watch them learn that sometimes the best connection with animals comes through patience, quiet leadership, and creating a safe space for curiosity to grow. 🐴✨

They were able to successfully apply everything that they have learned with our confident, well-developed horses at school to this beautiful baby.

They got a little puppy time, too!