PROGRAM DETAILS

Bell Creek’s Elementary-level program allows our forest school students to continue their educational journey in a natural outdoor setting. Academic lessons will be incorporated into exploration, experimentation, play, and place-based learning. Top priorities for our school-aged programs include fostering curiosity, kindness, self-confidence, and a love for learning. Find more curriculum details below or email us for a complete curriculum description.

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year opens on February 1st, 2024. Please email us at enroll@bellcreeknatureschool.com.

Bell Creek’s nature-based Elementary program is open to children ages 6-8; generally considered 1st and 2nd graders. Please see our Forest Preschool, Kindergarten, and Homeschool Enrichment programs for additional age groups.

Elementary Schedule 2024-25:

  • Monday – Thursday 8:45am – 3:30pm

Tuition:  $8,550 (9 payments of $950)

For this upcoming school year (’23-’24) we are going to experiment with a sliding scale pay structure. We are dedicated to keeping our programs available to as many families as possible. As such, we’d like to offer families the flexibility to select which tuition amount they can comfortably pay with the goal of maintaining affordable, high-quality, and financially sustainable programs:

  • Enrolled families will select their own tuition, between $7,200 (9 monthly payments of $800) and $9,900 (9 payments of $1,100). Ideally this will ensure the program’s costs are met, while maximizing accessibility.

First day of School:

  • September 3rd, 2024

Bell Creek’s Nature-based elementary curriculum combines nature immersion, environmental studies, teamwork, socialization and interdisciplinary work. Some of our favorite curriculum resources include Project Learning Tree, Handwriting without Tears, Messy Maths, Wild Math, Wild Reading, Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State, and the WA State Core Learning Standards.

All lessons take place outdoors on our 5-acre campus and the adjacent riverbed of the North Fork of the Nooksack River. Our integrated and hands-on learning style promotes creativity, confidence, problem solving skills, and real-world application. This supports an understanding of how we can apply academic skills to everyday life which in turn provides a meaningful motivation for children to learn.

Bell Creek teachers are trained to develop a flexible curriculum that supports an interest-led learning environment. Developing a curriculum around the interests of students validates their ideas and individuality. It fosters the idea that their interests are worth learning about! Teachers are intentional in their planning by recognizing and taking into considering each child’s personality and preferred method of learning. The small class sizes and low student to teacher ratio allows for attention to detail and the ability to meet the needs of each student. Children will be given the chance to discover their likes, dislikes, and their own unique learning styles and personalities. While teachers will always provide instruction and guidance throughout each learning experience, they also recognize that it is important for children to practice and learn to rely on their own intuition and abilities. We also recognize that it is important for children to learn from each other.

Our approach to learning follows the Place-Based Education model:

  • Takes place on-site and in the local community and environment
  • Learning focuses on local systems, themes and content
  • Learning is personally relevant to the learner
  • Experiences that contribute to the community’s vitality and environmental quality
  • Academic subjects are incorporated through interdisciplinary work
  • Learning style promotes connection, respect, and love for one’s place

For more on our teaching philosophies see our About Us page.

The new Elementary campus, built in the summer of 2023, is located on the east side of the orchard. The main structure is a a 300+ sq ft open air classroom that can be converted into a cozy heated classroom on the coldest winter days. Other learning spaces are spread around the 5 acre campus and include covered areas for small group work, cedar groves for story times, nature trails, Bell Creek and the Nooksack River for science investigations, the orchard for gardening, free play, and physical education, and various shelters built by the students for quiet reading, writing, and reflection.

We’re fortunate to be located on an ideal piece of property in Deming, WA. Depending on the students’ interests and current lesson themes the class may embark on the following:

  1. Explore Bell Creek – here we’ll discover scores of fish eggs, tad poles, and miniature waterfalls; not to mention many gravity and water-based experiments
  2. Wildlife Quest – on 13+ acres we’ll search for salamanders, frogs, insects, and spot bald eagles and other birds
  3. Daily Hikes – on our series of ever-expanding trails we’ll get great exercise while finding different types of mushrooms, flowers, and ferns
  4. Nature Art & Recycled Crafts – utilizing recycled materials and what nature provides
  5. Natural Building – working together, we’ll construct forts, waterways, and natural obstacle courses

2023-24 School Calendar

  • First day of school: August 28th, 2023
  • Labor Day: School Closed September 4th, 2023
  • Fall Break: School Closed November 20 – 24, 2023
  • Winter Break: School Closed December 18, 2023 – January 5, 2024
  • Martin Luther King Day: School Closed January 15, 2024
  • President’s Day: School Closed January 19th, 2024
  • Spring Break: School Closed April 1-5, 2024
  • Memorial Day: School Closed May 27th
  • Last day of school: June 4th, 2024
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