Charlottesville Elementary School in the Forest
Private elementary school in the forest for Kindergarten through 4th Grade
Our Elementary program builds on the interests of the children.
Children are encouraged to ask questions, seek answers, find experts, and draw conclusions.
The natural world is their springboard for building a strong foundation of academic, social, and problem-solving skills.
All of these endeavors help to foster a love of learning.
Studies in the Context of Nature’s Rhythms
We benefit from being able to study in the great outdoors and seeing the seasons change before our eyes.
This means our math class might include studying nature’s designs and patterns, tapping and harvesting sap from maple trees, gardening, or data collection. Our graphing is often related to weather, plant growth, creature presence, and colors throughout the seasons.
Time for Curiosity — and Discovery
As we walk from place to place in our forest campus, we set an intention for walking. There are spots that we revisit throughout the seasons, that also serve as an anchor for mindfulness practices woven throughout the year.
We give time for meandering, allowing questions to arise as we walk the path, collecting questions for research later. These topics are integrated into units of study.
Independence-building and 1:1 teacher opportunities
Our elementary class size student-teacher ratio is 6:1, which creates strong bonds between both students and teachers.
Each day, children engage in independent skill-based time in which they work on a craft, revisit learning games, explore creative writing, or re-read books. This time allows for 1:1 skill-based review with teachers as well — whether the classroom teacher or specialists.
Fostering a Love of Learning
Fostering a Love of Learning
What Parents Say —
“We love the Reggio Emilia teaching approach that embodies students' curiosity, inquiry, collaboration, observation, learning from the environment, and community.”
We did a lot of research before enrollment and found CBI school's values and philosophy mesh ours. It is an inclusive school where you don't have to be Jewish to attend. As an interfaith and interracial family, one of our goals is to raise our kids and expose them to different cultures, religions, and backgrounds.
What made the decision to send our children to CBI easier was not only knowing that the student body is made up of children from different backgrounds but also the school’s curriculum and the Reggio Emilia philosophy that is student-centered and relationship-driven environments.
Our kids are always excited to go to school as each day is exciting and fun.
— Piya & Joel Selzer, Elementary & Preschool Parents
The Outdoor Classroom of CBI Elementary School
After arriving and playing outdoors with friends, we have our class community circle and Morning Meeting. We greet one another and play a simple game to build emotional safety and a culture of fun.
Then, we set to walking to our first Class Session at the cabin or an outdoor destination. We set an intention for walking:
When we get to our next place, share something that surprised you on our walk.
How will the plants have changed since last week or yesterday?
Which creatures might you see on the trail?
We pause halfway on our walk to enjoy sitting spots in nature. These are spots that we revisit throughout the seasons. They also serve as an anchor for mindfulness practices woven throughout the year.
We give time for meandering, allowing questions to arise as we walk the path, collecting questions for research later. These topics are integrated into units of study.
Our first class for the day is Literacy: Poems, plays, books, fiction, and nonfiction stories guide our understanding of literature and inspire the journey of becoming a reader. Wordplay and personal writing templates are part of weekly instruction for writing.
Math class today is spent in our “restaurant” - a mud kitchen where the children practice large sums by creating menus for each other.
We breeze through lunch and extended learning time, during which the children engage in independent skills or work 1:1 with teachers.
In the afternoon, we delve into our Specialists class - Jewish Studies or Nature Studies. Whether they are integrating the outdoors with the lens of Jewish Spirituality, learning a new song with rhythm sticks, creating baskets, or learning history, science, and outdoor skills through our integrated Nature Studies program, students experience their studies through a variety of modalities.
The end of the day is Explore Time in Nature: Children might explore a new or familiar place, engage in gardening, or have nature tea tasting at this time, too. Our nature teas allow for mindfulness, playfulness, and curiosity as children detect what each mystery tea could be. They bring together their five senses, and knowledge of plant structure, and build upon prior knowledge in this process. Nature journals are available and used for documentation of learning experiences during nature explorations.
Take the Next Step
Come see if CBI Forest School is the right Charlottesville private elementary
for you by visiting our location, meeting our staff,
and seeing our school in person.