Welcome Activities: Students will be welcomed with variety of activities that reflect our focus for the week. This may include working on an art project, writing prompts, building, community games, choice time etc.

Morning Meeting: All students will gather to begin our day. This may include music, weather, calendar, sharing and intention setting.

Workshop 1: Students will be grouped by abilities and interests and will be guided through our weekly focus.

Community Snack: Weather permitting, snack is eaten outdoors and as a community.

Workshop 2: Students are grouped by abilities, interests and differentiated activities. This may include our weekly focus, independent work, guided reading, phonics support, math groups, long-term projects, art etc.

Community Lunch: Weather permitting, all learners gather to have lunch together outside.

Choice/Offerings: Students have opportunity to structure their afternoon. They may choose Maker’s Space, Cooking, Handwork, Sensory Activities, Art Offerings, Play, STEM, Science etc.

Our half-day options can be applied to either the Morning or Afternoon. This is a great option for our younger learners!

Forest program is held at Watchung Reservation in Mountainside. Students spend the entire day learning and exploring in the Forest. The curriculum is emergent based on students’ observations, findings and interests. The program develops organically as students begin to build a relationship with the forest. Nature-based curriculum changes with the seasons. The whole-child approach to what they can feel, touch, see and experience. Ms. Christina has extensive experience with nature-based programs. Her experience working in a Danish preschool and living in Denmark is really what has inspired our nature program. The nature studies are inspired by Charlottee Mason and rhythms by Waldorf Education. We begin the morning with welcome activities that may include painting, literacy activities, games, handwork etc. 

We hold a community meeting where we begin our day greeting each other, setting intentions, group sharing, read aloud, weather tracking, calendar and other shared learning experiences. After our meeting, students may participate in literacy circles, nature journaling, independent reading, handwork, homeschool curriculum etc. Students learn how to use a nature journal in an intentional and comprehensive format. Throughout the forest school students will be developing their nature journal and documenting their nature learning. Students gather for a community lunch and then we begin our hike. Our hike is after lunch from 12:30-2:00. On our hike, the students really take lead of the learning. We have multiple landing spots where students are encouraged to take a moment and observe what they see. They are also using their nature journals as we progress through our hike. 

At Holistic, our goal is to create a community of like-minded families to help support and grow with one another. Parents are encouraged to join us by sharing expertise or passions. Some families choose to plan a long-term program, whereas others volunteer sporadically when time allows. 

We attend field trips that are open to all our community members and their families. We also hold a variety of events that all our members love to participate in.