We value ‘what if ‘ thinking. We believe that innovation, creativity and resourcefulness comes from an exposure to multi-sensory, open ended experiences and materials. Children at Raindrops will be exposed to a variety of opportunities to engage their imaginative thinking. We will engage our brains to imagine possibilities by telling stories and representing ideas using drawing, painting, sculpting, and building. Each and every one of your children’s ideas will be valued and considered. We believe in cultivating a YES environment within the boundaries of our core values.

Children will be encouraged and supported while they push themselves to learn new skills, try new materials and engage with the ever-changing and ever-complex natural world. Risk in play promotes confidence as children practice hard work while initiating, promoting and discussing their ideas. Additionally, failure will be celebrated as part of the learning process. We want children to see setbacks as opportunities to learn and grow now and in their future endeavors. We celebrate the messy, the problems, and the mistakes that emerge from our reaching past our comfort zones- because this is where resiliency and creativity lie and are awakened!

We model the importance of collaboration by not adhering strictly to any one pedagogy and instead integrate the core philosophies of multiple disciplines to customize learning and meet the needs of the Whole Child. We cultivate and support children in developing a classroom culture of listening and reflecting, and balancing individual and group goals through mindfully guided exchanges of ideas. We believe in helping children acquire the language needed to communicate thoughts, needs and ideas pro-socially.

When we immerse ourselves in nature, we allow our senses to come into a state of homeostasis. From this place of abundant neural connectivity, our minds begin to engage fully and without boundaries. Children will learn vocabulary related to exploring, such as with a compass, they will engage in representational drawings in their nature journals, and learn about the plants, animals and happenings in our forest. Children will be encouraged to ask questions about the natural world that inspires scientific thinking. We will follow some of the teachings of Jon Young to engage in the natural world in order to develop respect for it, confidence in it, and love for our interconnectedness.

All humans are sensory beings. At Raindrops, we believe children need a healthy and integrated sensory system that is fully supported in order to thrive and learn. We believe that in nature children’s senses are heightened while not overwhelmed, making it the optimal setting for learning. We borrow tenets from yoga and other mindfulness practices to cultivate a culture of inner peace and serenity. Research supports movement and mindfulness for healthy brain development and we advocate for this by making it a core priority in our program.

The children will use the following learning cycle throughout their interactions here at school when naturally applicable.

Observe & Empathize

Hypothesize & Define the problem

Investigate & Generate Ideas

Experiment & Create

Reflect & Redefine

This form of engagement supports children’s developing minds at all levels as each stop within the Cycle of Learning will be geared towards each of the children’s individual goals.