Ascension Lutheran School

Ascension Lutheran School has been Nature Explore certified since 2019. Since becoming certified, the school has really blossomed into a place where children can learn and play outdoors all year round in a way that both stimulates their creativity, as well as spark their curiosity for all things Nature.

Our outdoor space is divided into areas of play; we have a mud kitchen for creative playing, tinkering and art, a sand area for digging, a stage for musical instrument playing and large loose parts building – at the moment students are building beautiful creations with cardboard. Our log area with a newly built teepee and swinging hammocks even get the 8th graders involved! Our biggest success story this year was the repair of our water pump and river so the students could start water play on campus. They absolutely love their mud kitchen and taking turns pumping water into the river. They are so full of joy!

Another big improvement this year was the addition of two garden boxes to the space with herbs and vegetables for the students to water and take care of. These additions help reinforce to the students the importance of caring for plants, and play a key role in our message to help take care of the environment. Our composting program is another priority for our school. We believe in teaching our students to be good stewards of this earth, help keep it clean, reduce food waste and foster a love of Nature.

Our big annual tomato sale in March is a time when families truly come together. Students have planted seeds and grown their tomato plants for several months, and the sale is a fundraiser that brings in community donations for our nature lab and gardening program. It is a much loved event that the students look forward to every year.

All the families that choose to send their children to our school believe in and support our commitment to Nature, as they share our passion for integrating student learning with the outdoors, in addition to traditional classroom learning. They show their support by showing up for family and friends work day, as well as donating items to the outdoor classroom such as chalk, buckets, utensils, cardboard, tubes etc. We are very grateful to our parents for their support.

Learn more about this classroom on their certification page!