Wellness and Wonder

Apple Blossom provides children with joyful and meaningful experiences that keep awe and wonder alive! Our curriculum encompasses all aspects of wellness:

Social AND EMOTIONAL Wellness

We model and practice problem solving throughout the year, guiding children to become compassionate listeners and speakers. Children practice social skills through imaginative play, collaborative learning and reflection times. In a caring and supportive environment, children feel safe to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves. Activities focused on mindfulness and quiet reflection times improve resiliency and confidence, allowing children to better manage emotions. The Rhythm of the day naturally includes quieter times (in breaths) and times for robust play and movement (out breaths), creating a balanced daily experience.

PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Children build strength, coordination, balance and stamina when they are allowed extensive free movement. Children will build, create, climb, hike and explore. Extended outdoor time creates healthier bodies and stronger immune systems. Movement Arts are offered to introduce children to games and movement that create strong core muscles, balance and agility in a non-competitive way. Healthy eating is modeled through “Soup Day” in the kindergarten and cooking activities in the grades. We provide a daily snack, organic when possible, and incorporating our own harvest. Lunch is brought from home with guidelines for healthy eating. Gluten free and Dairy free foods are incorporated into our snack menu. Children also learn about qualities of herbs, and some foraging skills are taught as they grow with us. Sleep is also an important factor in a child’s health and wellbeing!

COGNITIVE WELLNESS

By working on academic skills at their own pace with more teacher support and in a natural environment, children will build confidence, attention, and increased comprehension. The curriculum is language and story rich, and subjects are studied in blocks and then allowed to rest. The engaging content captures children’s attention in a developmentally appropriate way which allows children to sink deeper into their learning, rather than rushing through content areas. In addition, learning in a small, multi-age classroom allows children to choose their academic pace without stigma. Children can take on leadership roles and challenge themselves intellectually.

ENVIRONMENTAL WELLNESS

Through immersion in nature where we experience seasonal changes no matter the weather, students begin to develop their own ecological identity. This understanding of where they live, how they are connected to nature and their purpose as a human being supports their environmental wellness. It also promotes active citizenship in our community.

WELLNESS OF THE SPIRIT

Through storytelling, arts, yoga and reflection, the child’s heart or spirit is engaged in learning as well as the head. Developmentally appropriate discussions occur after our stories, as we explore different cultures and beliefs in an inclusive and non-judgmental way. Universal values, morals, and human rights are explored in age appropriate ways as we work together on inclusiveness in our own classroom community, expanding that to the larger community as the children grow. Deep connections to nature foster a sense of wellbeing tying back to the need for Environmental Wellness.