PROGRAM DETAILS
Kindergarten at Bell Creek allows Forest Preschool children to continue learning through play, build on their social-emotional growth, strengthen their connection with nature, and begin transitioning into more focused academic learning.
Social-emotional learning and development is the foundation of learning in the Kindergarten classroom. At this age, children are still developing fundamental skills that will shape their future education and life! Our goals are to ensure that students are continually gaining confidence, independence, and learning productive and positive ways to express themselves and their needs. Students will also work towards completing the WA Core Standard requirements through hands-on learning and connecting with nature.
Top priorities for this program include fostering curiosity, kindness, empathy, self-confidence, and a love for learning. Find more curriculum details below or email us for a complete curriculum description.
For more information or enrollment questions, please email us at enroll@bellcreeknatureschool@com.
Bell Creek’s Nature-based Kindergarten is open to children ages 5+. Students must be 5 by September 1st. Please see our Forest Preschool, Elementary, and Homeschool Enrichment programs for additional age groups.
Kindergarten Schedule 2024-25:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9:00a-3:00p
We have chosen three full days rather than four half days to eliminate time restrictions on lessons. A full day programs allows plenty of time to include an open-ended element to experiences and lessons that may normally be squeezed into a 40 minute class block. It also allows the class to embark on extended adventures and field trips upriver for more in-depth science investigations. Children learn in many different ways and at different speeds. Our class size, low student-teacher ratio, and extended days ensure that no child is rushed and no child is held back. Our program is designed to meet the needs of every child and to support each child’s learning experience in the way that sets them up for success this year and in their future education.
Tuition:$7,200 (9 payments of $800)
For this upcoming school year (’23-’24) we are experimenting with a sliding scale pay structure. We are dedicated to keeping our programs available and accessible 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 may select to pay an amount within the following range: $650-$950/month). 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 Kindergarten 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 Math’s, 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 activities 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 and social skills to everyday life which in turn provides a meaningful motivation for children to learn and grow.
Social-Emotional development is at the core of Kindergarten learning. Bell Creek teachers are trained to develop a flexible curriculum that supports a child-led learning environment, and to recognize that children learn in many unique ways. Children will feel validated and supported to share ideas, ask questions, challenge themselves, and make mistakes! The small class sizes and low student to teacher ratio allows teachers to meet the needs of the class as a whole as well as the needs of each individual student. Children will be given opportunities to discover their likes, dislikes, and preferred learning styles in an environment where unique personalities and interests are celebrated. While teachers will always provide instruction and guidance throughout each activity, they recognize that it is important for children to practice and learn to rely on their own intuition and abilities.
All of our programs foster resilience, independence, and confidence! When something feels challenging, one of our favorite mantras is “We can do hard things!” especially with encouragement and support from our peers. Learning from and growing along side friends creates a positive, nurturing, and community. Being outdoors surrounded by nature creates a learning space that feels calm and safe for children. Students have access to the space they need to support their physical needs as well as their emotional needs. Connecting with nature also fosters empathy and compassion for all living things including those in nature, the people around us, and ourselves.
Bell Creek’s 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 Bell Creek campus, built in 2021, is located on the south side of the orchard. Structures include an 18ft geodesic dome, a 300 sq ft open air classroom with overhead infared heaters, and a 24 ft greenhouse classroom/science center. Other learning spaces are spread around the 5 acre campus and consist of 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.
- 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
- Wildlife Quest – on 13+ acres we’ll search for salamanders, frogs, insects, and spot bald eagles and other birds
- Daily Hikes – on our series of ever-expanding trails we’ll get great exercise while finding different types of mushrooms, flowers, and ferns
- Nature Art & Recycled Crafts – utilizing recycled materials and what nature provides
- 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 , 2024
- Last day of school: June 4, 2024