Curiosity Grove Academy

Summer at CGA means I'm still working. Curriculum planning, scheduling, figuring out fall. This week I'm mapping out our first unit — dinosaurs and rocks — and trying to build something a five-year-old would lose their mind over. So far so good...

One of my students said something this year that I wrote down immediately: "I had so much fun and I am so excited to come back next year" — it reminded me why small schools matter. When a teacher knows every kid by name, things get said that wouldn't get said otherwise.

A lot of people ask me what a kindergartner's day looks like at CGA. The honest answer: it looks like play, with a lot of intention underneath it. They're building things, sorting things, asking questions we didn't plan for. That's the point.

We finished our school year a few weeks ago. I've been sitting with it — what worked, what surprised me, what I want to protect. CGA started because I believed some kids need something different. That's still true. And we're coming back in August.

More soon on what fall looks like. For now: we're here, we're planning, and enrollment is open. curiositygroveacademy.org/letstalk

That’s a wrap on year one.

Kids who grew more than we expected. Relationships that will last. A community that showed up for each other all year long.

We are so proud of every single one of these kids and so grateful for the families who trusted us with them.

See you in the fall. More adventures ahead.

Stay curious. Keep growing. 🦊

Lunch at Curiosity Grove doesn't look like a cafeteria.
No trays. No lines. No 400 kids trying to eat in 20 minutes.
We sit together at one table. Some days we talk about what we're learning. Some days somebody starts a round of Would You Rather. Some days it's animal trivia and things get competitive fast.
It's loud in the best way. And then it's quiet. And then somebody says something that makes everyone laugh.
This is also part of the education — learning how to be in community with people, how to listen, how to disagree, how to just sit together and enjoy a meal.
Family style. Every day.
Stay curious. Keep growing. 🦊

One of our youngest friends runs through the door every morning.
Giant smile. Full speed. Like he's been waiting all night to get back.
I could talk about our curriculum and our approach and the research behind what we do. But honestly — a kid who runs to school tells you everything you need to know.
This is what we're going for every single day at Curiosity Grove.
Stay curious. Keep growing. 🦊

One of my favorite traditions I started was tie-dying shirts with kids at the end of the year. I love teaching them how to tie-dye and the process and they get to make their own patterns and twists, and they turn out cool every time. 

One of our friends came in at the start of the year quiet. Unsure. Holding back.
This week she read out loud in front of the whole group. Answered a question she wasn't sure about. Got it wrong and tried again anyway.

That doesn't happen in a room of 25 kids where you're just trying to survive the day.
It happens when a kid finally feels safe enough to take up space.

Safety isn't just about physical safety at Curiosity Grove. It's about building a place where kids trust that they won't be laughed at, left behind, or lost in the crowd.
That's what we're building here.
Stay curious. Keep growing. 🦊