Discovery Opens First Licensed Forest & Nature School in Simcoe

We're proud to announce a new Kindergarten program at Discovery Child Care. Starting in September 2014 we're opening a Forest & Nature School at our Harvie Road location.

What is a Forest & Nature School? 

Forest School [FS] is an educational approach that has existed worldwide since the late 1950s, with over ten thousand Forest School programs in the UK alone. In FS, children spend anywhere from a half day to a full day outdoors in various urban and near-urban parks, natural spaces adjacent to or on school grounds, or natural playgrounds and outdoor classrooms.   The activities that happen in FS also vary, depending on the season, climate, landscape, animals that have visited the night before, trees that have blown down in the wind, the kinds of provocations elicited by the educator.  Source: Forestschoolcanada.ca 

Discovery Child Care Centre offers an educational program as an alternative to the Ministry of Education Full Day Kindergarten Program.  As children are not required to attend school until grade one, children have the option to be enrolled full time in our Kindergarten program. 

Our curriculum is child-directed, hands-on, play based, emergent, and inquiry-based.  A growing body of research has emerged that affirms that children ages birth through eight years learn most effectively through this approach to education.

There are 4 teachers working in our Forest School program: Lisa Simmons RECE (full time), Michelle Hawksworth (full time) Karen Eilersen & Chelsa Osborne- both RECE & level 3 certified forest school practitioner (part time)

• 1/4 teacher child ratio while in the forest; 1/8 teacher child ratio while in the indoor/outdoor classroom
• Forest School Program  (9am-12pm daily) taught by Level 3 certified Forest School Practitioners
• We follow the Ontario Early Learning Framework, Continuum of Development so your child is well prepared for grade one. 
• Child directed, play-based, emergent & inquiry based learning environment
• Hot Lunch and snacks provided (full day program)
• Longer hours available 7am-6pm (no additional before and after school care required)
• Beautiful outdoor classroom (1.77 acres)
• Organic Gardening & Dinosaur School (Social Skills program), Book Backpack program (Literacy)

Visit our new website to learn more about this exciting program. www.forestschool.ca

Discovery Child Care offers interesting and educational before and after school programs. Call us for a tour. We'd love to meet with you and your child! 705-733-2052