Nature's Classroom

Each year, our Senior Elementary visits Nature's Classroom.  Nature's Classroom is an outdoor education center and Montessori school in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  The children are immersed in the great outdoors from the time they wake up until they fall into bed. The trip is an annual favorite where children can meet other students from various Montessori schools that are also visiting, but more importantly, it serves as a bonding experience for the classroom.  Our teachers share the classroom's experience this week...

We all have been having an immeasurable amount of fun at Nature’s Classroom. The children’s unbounded enthusiasm is shown from very early in the morning till the very moment they close their eyes at night.

Transition into nighttime has been smooth and successful. Ms. Heather reads aloud every night, which enables the children to fall asleep faster; plus, they really enjoy listening to her read “The Thing about Jellyfish” book. Your letters have also been anticipated and welcomed with much delight.

The weather and the scenery are so beautiful that the children truly enjoy staying outside all day.  They are also enjoying the food at Nature’s Classroom. It turns out, NCI has the “BEST bread sticks in the World!”, and the “salads taste better than the ones back home.” We must admit, we have never witnessed so many children eating so much salad before.

Every day, children are immersed in different activities and learning experiences. They get to pick and choose from a wide range of classes, such as:

• “World’s a playground” - games around the world
  
• “Star Power” – how the position of our earth creates seasons
  
• “People to People” – how to create your own culture and language
  
• “Green Building” – how to build housing that generates/preserves natural heating
  
• “Tissue paper art” – how to create art using only tissue paper
  
• “Fish dissection” and “Rats!” – how to dissect a fish/a rat and the anatomy of a fish/rat
  
• “Fire, Fire, Fire” -  everything you need to know about fire: the science behind fire, how to create fire, and how to safely handle it
  
• “Earthquakes” – what causes earthquakes and how to stay safe in case of an earthquake
  
• “Inside out” – everything about the human body, from the circulatory system to its most powerful organ – the brain
  
• and many, many more other classes.

Here are also some quotes from our students that can give you a small window into their own view of NCI:

• “NCI is a lot different than what I imagined. The structure, the buildings are different, and I didn’t expect the bunk beds to be so sturdy and comfy. Having milk and a cookie is also a very nice way to end the day. I love it!”
  
• “I Love that we get to spend time outside all day long. And playing Gaga Ball is my favorite part of the day.”
  
• “I love being in nature. It lets me spend some time in peace and quiet. I also loved the Star Power class. I got to burn leaves with a magnifying glass. That's cool.”
  
• “I love it here because I get to spend time out of the city. I have never been camping before, so this is very similar to camping for me. Less noise, less lights; it’s awesome.”
  
•  “I love all the activities that we do. We get to play games here that we don’t get to play at home. Also, I can’t wait for the simulation night. I know it is going to be amazing.”
  
• “I love that we are able to climb trees here. We got to climb really high, and we were actually allowed to do that!”
  
• “NCI is so much fun! Even better than I expected! I love that we get to be so independent.”
  
• “Last night was awesome! It was fun to hike at night. It was spooky but still cool being with friends.”
  
• “I like the classes the most. Learning to start fire with a magnifying glass was so interesting. And I can’t believe I get to stay awake for so long, till 10 o’clock!!!”
  
• “Being in nature is probably my favorite thing to do. I love being by the stream. That’s why I loved The Spineless Water Creatures Class. We got to catch frogs and release them back in nature. And we got to go fishing.”
  
• “I like the classes the best. You get to choose different activities every single day, and you get to do things that you normally don’t do back home.”
  
• “I totally loved the Late Night Hike! The Solo Walk was my favorite part, because it allowed us to be independent.”
  
• “I love that they give us so many options here. There are so many cool classes to choose from. And they are all pretty fun. And the food tastes really good here too.”
  
• “Bunking with your friends is the best! And the field groups are truly fun. And playing Gaga Ball is such an amazing game. I would love to come here again next year!”
  
• “I truly enjoy meeting new people and creating new friendships. And the songs we learn here are so much fun. I loved the Night Hike the most, and the story that they told us on the hike was pretty cool. I loved it!”

We will see you on Friday!