Our amazing AmeriCorps Farm to School Specialist Maiela is essential to the success of each day! Maiela coordinates with local businesses and farms to bring products and produce to KVFS. She makes the most yummy, hearty and healthy snacks everyday for our students. A well fueled day makes for a good day! Maiela also brings many opportunities to the students to learn about food and where it comes from. Sometimes students help process food, like walnuts that go into energy bars, or apples for applesauce.
So much fun and so much good food!
#AmeriCorps
#snackprogram
#thankyou
#forestschool
#forestschoolfuel
#farmtoschool
We were so excited to see the grass again after all the snow of winter had melted away. The dry grasses provided material for some very creative play! Houses and shops were built and many crowns woven. Have you ever had a croissant made out of dried grass? They are SO GOOD!
#imaginative
#creativeplay
#connectexploreengage
#forestschool
#emergentcurriculum
#kvfs
#KVR
#lafargewi
We've had an excellent sledding season! Sometimes we make a train with our sleds and occasionally when we don't have sleds around we go without and it's just as much fun!
Happy end of Winter!
#springisnear
#forestschool
#kvfs
#kvr
#lafargewi
What fun it was to visit the RedLou Library for the first time! Students and adults had the opportunity to browse the books and check-out a few. The RedLou Library will visit KVFS once each month at dismissal time. KVFS teachers were also excited to borrow a few books for their homeroom libraries. For more information about this amazing community resource check out redlou.org
#kvfs
#forestschool
#lafargewi
#redloulibrary
#libraryonwheels
#learningoutdoors
#kindergarten
Visit the employment page on our website kickapoovalleyforestschool.org
for more information and to apply!
#outdooreducators
#forestschool
#kvfs
#lafargewi
#kvr
Kickapoo Valley Forest School is closed today due to weather conditions.
KVFS has Kindergarten spaces available for the 2022-2023 School Year. Check out the link for more details: https://www.kickapoovalleyforestschool.org/o/kvfs/page/enrollment
See you Tuesday, Oaks & Lindens!
A photographic ode to forts!
It's in our nature to build and we sure do love building a good fort at Forest School. Each time students visit a new nature play space there are ample opportunities to build forts and structures.
Making forts is a great way to learn the in and outs of teamwork, problem solving and the fundamentals of construction. Big forts have room for group creative play, while little forts can provide a calming spot for just one.
#forestschool
#creativeplay
#forts
#spacialawareness
#kindergarten
#outdooreducation
#natureschool
#connectexploreengage
#lafargewi
#kvfs
#kvr
Thanks to Emily Schendel with the Boscobel Dial for this great article about the innovative approach to leadership at the Kickapoo Valley Forest School. And a shout out to our current all female Governance Council too!
Happy GALentines!
https://www.swnews4u.com/local/education/new-forest-school-offers-innovative-approach/
#kickapoovalleyforestschool #learningfromtheoutsidein #kickapoovalleyreserve #lafargewi #iloveforestschool #connectexploreengage #outdoorexploration #publicforestschool #kvfs
Observing bird nests, constructing forts, library time, long hikes and new reading games are just a few highlights from this week!
Mornings are often cold but once we are all bundled up, off we go! We often find sheltered sunny places for playing, story time and song sharing.
Happy Friday!
#kickapoovalleyforestschool
#learningfromtheoutsidein
#kickapoovalleyreserve
#lafargewi
#iloveforestschool
#connectexploreengage
#outdoorexploration
#publicforestschool
#kvfs
#schoollibrary
Apply today!
Mixed aged groups provide children many rich opportunities to help each other and ask for help from peers. Whether it's pulling a friend on a sled, helping each other to read a trail sign, or building an extravagant structure from wooden blocks, working together fosters connection and caring friendships and gives children opportunities to be helpful, responsible members of the community.
#kickapoovalleyforestschool
#learningfromtheOutsideIn
#lafargewi
#iloveforestschool
#connectexploreengage
#outdoorexploration
#publicforestschool
#kvfs
Kickapoo Valley Forest School will be closed on Wednesday, January 26 due to the wind chill advisory.
Tues, Jan 25: 2 hour delayed start to school
Our Forest School kids LOVE climbing trees. Trees are used for all kinds of activities; resting in tree nooks, playing games around fallen trees, nimbly crossing a creek via tree turned bridge or making walking sticks out of fallen branches. One way to pay tribute to the wonderful trees that are such an essential part of our daily lives, is to learn about them.
How do they grow? What makes them unique from one another? How can we help care for them? There is so much to learn and so much fun to be had!
Photocredit: @drewshonkaphotography
#LearningfromtheOutsideIn #lafargewi #iloveforestschool #connectexploreengage #outdoorexploration #publicforestschool
We love our hearty KVFS parents! Coffee and conversation at -14 degrees this morning!
Stop by Fridays as 8am and visit. Meet some great people and talk all things Forest School!
#itscoldouthere!
This has been an exciting weekend of connection and outreach for KVFS!
Congratulations to our lead teachers Julia Buckingham and Ximena Puig who were invited to speak at the Celebrating Our Children Montessori Conference at UW-L on Saturday. The recording of their session will be shared on our website soon.
On Saturday evening, an updated and expanded piece aired on CBS Weekend News, using a wider lens and some additional footage and voices about what makes KVFS unique.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=344794017474310&extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&ref=sharing
Last, an article about KVFS is featured on the front page of the Wisconsin State Journal this morning. The online version includes a short video as well.
We are grateful that this article takes a deeper look in telling the KVFS story!
As Leadership Team member Robin Hosemann said, "This article truly sings the song of our little school."
https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/watch-now-a-charter-school-with-all-day-outdoor-education-in-the-middle-of-winter/article_144be83c-14cd-5c8b-9c03-d39a209af0a2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story
Visit KVFS!
Kickapoo Valley Forest School will be closed on Friday, January 14.