WHO WE ARE
Starting 18 years ago as a small Reggio Emilia-inspired program with just a handful of students, A New Leaf School has evolved to offer a vital outdoor education to families in the Nashville community. We guide our students in the mindset of learning together as teachers investigate alongside children, following the interests and passions that unfold out of a natural curiosity about the
world around us. Math lessons spring from acorns, art is inspired by the earth's clay, and scientific discovery evolves with the metamorphosis of the tadpoles in our pond. But just as important as the knowledge waiting to be discovered among the trees is the imagination and wonder that explodes during play, and the socioemotional skills that thrive in the relationships within our close-knit classes. A New Leaf School's outdoor preschool and mixed-age K-3 nature elementary are growing for the 2023-2024 school year! We are adding additional preschool classes at our forest campus – 32 acres of what will soon become the Overall Creek Arboretum – and we will extend our elementary to Fourth Grade at our 10-acre Pip & Pickles Farm campus. In addition, our farm hosts weekly parent-child play groups for children ages 1-5, and two three-week summer camp sessions for ages 5-16. Head to our website to learn more about these programs at www.anewleafschool.org. Following Reggio practices, our child-centered and experiential program focuses on project- and problem-based learning. We work together with children to build their interests into projects that cover many topics including math, language arts, engineering and conservation. OUR PRESCHOOL
We spend the majority of our day in outdoor spaces. Indoor rooms offer many choices that vary with our different programs, and our large outdoor classroom is made of grass, trees, a playground, a garden, and an outdoor art studio called L'Atelier. This environment filled with polysensorial experiences, hands-on inquiry, nature, and arts supports our Reggio Emilia approach to childhood and education. OUR ELEMENTARY
Our school-age group for Kindergarten to Fourth Grade balances inquiry-based learning and explicit learning curriculum. We encourage learning based on interest while also meeting and exceeding state and national learning benchmarks. WHAT WE DO
Our role is to be the bearer of joy as we shape the future of society. We transform everyday experiences into something creative and epic. We empower children to develop perceptual competencies; construct knowledge; and use hands that are thinking, communicate, reflect, think some more, self-regulate, and innovate. To support this growth, we prepare diverse and enticing learning contexts in the environment. We listen to children's words, behaviors, and interests. We document what we observe, and we use this documentation to promote inquiry and projects where children and adults become research partners in learning. As a consequence, we explore concepts in unusually great depth and from different points of view. Our projects integrate academic disciplines, languages, and development in meaningful ways. This rich emergent curriculum meets (and often exceeds) traditional educational standards in all subjects. OUR PHILOSOPHY
“A New Leaf” symbolizes the beauty, vitality, and power of each child. We believe that every child is gifted and has the right to explore a rich and safe learning environment. We believe that children are social from birth, and that they have the need and the right to engage in community with adults and other children. We feel strongly that society shall not waste or betray children's potential, and that we shall define success for every child. WHERE WE ARE HEADED
The next big step in our journey is to expand our classroom spaces and establish the Overall Creek Arboretum so we can offer the wonder of outdoor education to even more children. We also have plans to begin offering scholarships for our enrichment programs that include summer camps and a parent-child playgroup for our younger friends. Our expansion will give us room for more preschool and kindergarten students, and the addition of fourth graders in our school-age class. These classrooms – those indoor and out – are just the first step. As innate environmentalists, we have a strong interest in preserving the woodlands around us. We are establishing much of our 32 acres off Charlotte Pike to ensure the forests are left untouched and will be there for the enjoyment of generations to come. Our arboretum will become an asset to the Nashville area for all to enjoy, and will offer enriching programs for community members of all ages and demographics.�
HOW WE WILL GET THERE
An enormous undertaking like this one cannot be successful without the support of our community. We are honored that you would contribute to our vision for outdoor education and land preservation. We look forward to all the wonderful things we can create on 32 acres of botanical splendor, for our children and for generations to come. https://givebutter.com/xv2ez2
