Kindergarten Forest Friday
/“I feel so much like myself at Jessieland. I’m able to move, build, listen to nature and have fun with my friends.”
Weekly trips off campus in K-8th grade allow for a deeper connection to our local community and immersive hands-on learning outside of the classroom. In Kindergarten, weekly trips to the woods (most often to Jessieland) have been coined Forest Friday. Established in 1997, Jessieland is a 21 acre nature preserve in Cumberland that was donated to Breakwater in memory of late Breakwater student, Jessie Bullens-Crewe, who loved exploring and playing outside. Over the past twenty plus years, Breakwater students, campers, and families have utilized this special place to play, explore, and connect. For Kindergarten students, teacher Katie O’Toole sees Jessieland as a wonderful place full of rich play experiences, connection, and immersive learning. Katie shares, “the goals of Forest Friday are to use the natural world and the child’s innate curiosity to foster a joyful interest in learning, growing, creating, and community.” When Kindergarten children head to Jessieland on Fridays with their class alongside Science and Adventure teacher, Fitz, there are ample opportunities to engage in creative play, connect to the natural world, and learn from many teachable moments.
One memorable teachable moment occurred at Jessieland when a child joyfully stomped on a mushroom during the class’ first trip to the woods. Fitz used this moment as a chance to teach children about mushrooms and their important job in the forest ecosystem. While incorporating a fun and catchy song, children learned when a mushroom has done its job and when it’s ok to stomp on them. Now, children love looking for mushrooms and working together to determine if the mushroom has ‘done its job’ and can be stepped on. Fitz has also taught the children about many animals that live in the Jessieland by pointing out scat on the trail, markings left on trees from bucks, and a variety of woodpecker hole. Back on campus, Katie has observed lots of imaginative play incorporating new animals the children have learned about while at Jessieland. “At Jessieland, children are able to explore these animals' natural habitat in order to learn more about them, which is then further nurtured and investigated in the classroom.” As the school year progresses, children will be able to witness the change of the seasons at Jessieland as it gets blanketed in snow followed by melting, lots of muddy trails, and the emergence of new life in the spring. These changes welcome new physical challenges and learning experiences, a different environment for play, and a host of new teachable moments.
At the heart of the Breakwater Way are curiosity, character, and community that are all fostered through integrated, authentic, and inclusive learning. Katie shares, “in nature children are experiencing at its core how to live well on the planet and become stewards of our environment. Experiences in nature with adults that children trust allow them to learn how to take risks, be challenged, try new things and do their best work.” Children are able to practice sharing, collaborating, and taking risks while playing in the forest most often when building forts and structures or adding on to structures that other children have built. One Kindergarten child shared, "I used to be really scared of climbing trees or anything. But here at Jessieland I can practice and now I can climb a lot higher. My friend showed me how and now I can get as high as he can!" Ultimately, Katie hopes that these weekly trips to the forest instill a love of science and nature and a joy for being out in the woods. Jessieland will always be a special place for Breakwater children and families and we are so glad that children of all ages at Breakwater are able to visit this special place.