Rattlesnake Nature School is based at my home in the Lower Rattlesnake. School will be a mix of time spent outdoors as well as indoors in our classroom.
While outdoors, we will learn about nature's ecosystems as well as plant, insect and animal identification. We will develop math and language skills through tactile, empirical experiences that further our understanding of nature and the world around us. At the same time we shall work on social development, conflict-resolution, maintaining positive relationships, compassion and empathy for our classmates and others.
It is known that children gather information and process it through play as they practice old skills and learn new ones. Outdoor play is a fundamental part of our program, as all areas of a child's learning and development are enhanced by it.
The children will enjoy both self-guided and teacher-led activities including painting, ceramics, print-making, cooking and various other hands-on learning projects. On a typical day you may find us birdwatching, drawing with sticks in the dirt, catching insects, following tracks, singing and storytelling or making mud pies.
Introduction into our outdoor space begins slowly as we familiarize ourselves with our classmates and the landscape around us. This will help establish boundaries, safety procedures and protocols. As children acclimate and skills emerge, so will creativity and the ability to problem-solve. Capabilities created through natural learning will be useful for a lifetime (but before that...kindergarten).
Hours
Monday through Thursday 9 AM-1 PM
Attendance
Children may attend Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday and Thursday or all four days.
Age Range
3-5 years
Tuition and Fees
$32.00 per day
* a $100.00 yearly supply fee is added to the first month's tuition
Schedule for a Typical Day
9:00-9:30- Drop Off and Free Play Outside
9:30-10:00- Craft and Project Time
Children will use nature based materials to create their own art projects.
10:00-10:15- Snack Time
10:00-10:45- Circle with Reading and Writing
We will gather together to greet one another, eat a snack from our packed lunches, share a story or personal object, read a book, play games, learn about a subject we are studying, etc. We will also work on early letter recognition.
10:45-11:15- S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
This will be a teacher-led activity or project. All needed supplies will be supplied on site. It may be based on something we are studying in nature or might be completely organic and spontaneous. The activities will revolve around math, language, sciences, writing, social studies and art.
11:15-12:00- Exploration and Free Play
Children will also have the option of continuing with an art project or other independent activities. Books will be available for children to read if more quiet activities are needed for the individual child.
12:00-1:00- Lunch and Free Play
1:00- Pickup Time
About The School
Contact us:
Outdoors@RSNatureschool.com
About the Teacher
Growing up in Philadelphia, PA (later moving to Brooklyn, NY as a teen) my first loves were art and children. My maternal grandmother was a foster parent. This, combined with my mother's 5 sisters, meant I always had a full house and ample opportunities to assist with childcare. I attended Central High School in Philadelphia, one of the oldest in the United States and also considered one of the top Public Schools in the nation due to its high enrollment and academic standards. During these years I was a nanny and babysitter as well as an aide for child print-making and ceramics classes at "Prints and Progress" a well-known Philly Art School.
I will always have a place in my heart for the rich tapestry of cultures, food, and language that I was surrounded by in the city, but there was never a doubt in my mind that my chosen home would be somewhere closer to the wonders of nature. I first came to Missoula in 1995 to visit my brother, attending the University of Montana at the time. Like so many others before me, I immediately fell in love with the place and endeavored to design a life here, starting with that very same University.
While attending UM, I worked as a habitation aid in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities, and remained there for 8 years. I also took a 2nd job doing weekend respite care for individual children with emotional and developmental disabilities. After graduating with degrees in Art and Anthropology (also minoring in Photography) and a couple of years running a local Bed and Breakfast, our daughter Olive was born. I stayed home with her and her little brother, Kai for the entirety of their early childhoods while my partner Jason (a 5th generation Montanan) worked. I enjoyed each and every day with its opportunity to teach, play and learn from my children.
Kai, now in Grade School, attended Pattee Canyon Outdoor school for 2 years. He came home dirty and tired, grinning from ear-to-ear and effusive about his daily adventures. For most of that period of time I acted as an assistant for Rachel Kantor, director of PCOS.
The experience for both Kai and myself at this wonderful school was illuminative as well as educational. It has convinced me that I have found my calling.
In the summer of 2017, I completed the Master's Naturalist Course at the Montana Natural History Center.
-Stacy Max