The Nature Explore Classroom at

For years we had a virtually unused outdoor space that we piecemealed together to create an outdoor nature area. In early 2018, I was contacted by a family in the congregation to talk about making a substantial and tangible contribution to our school. After many conversations, it was agreed that the need for an Outdoor Classroom provided the best opportunity for this generous family to enhance our Early Childhood Education Program.

 

Thanks to the generosity of the Roth Family we were thrilled to present the completed Outdoor Classroom to our community in September 2018. Because the opportunities for children to connect with nature and explore and discover freely have become less accessible in today’s culture, we are proud to be able to offer this opportunity to our youngest children. Not only can our students explore, create, and dance to the music they create; they are the gardeners who plan what we will grow in our garden beds, perform the planting and sow the fruits of their work.

Our space allows for growth and change as we assess the future ideas and needs of our community. We take pride in the universal values of our faith that command us to care for the world in which we live, for the present and the future. Therefore, in the coming year, we look forward to adding child created art installations depicting the Jewish value of Tikun Olam, caring for the earth.

Our professional and tenured staff recognizes the importance of providing unstructured, yet intentional experiences for children outside with nature, and through continual professional development and keeping up with current research, we provide experiences that encourage wonder and development across all domains of learning. We are fortunate to have a dedicated STEAM teacher who embraces daily opportunities to provide a curriculum of discovery in the outdoors.

Address

200 South Woods Road
Woodbury, NY  11797