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  1. Nourish the mind, body, and planet
    We provide a safe and secure place to learn with abundant activities that model healthy behavior, grow strong bodies and teach children how to make a lasting, positive impact on the planet.

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Winter holidays are a great time to start a family tradition of giving back to the earth and instilling the values of sustainable living in your children. Here are three suggestions.

Buy a living Christmas tree. Ball-BurlapTreesA potted or balled tree (roots still attached) can be replanted in your backyard or donated to the parks department. Planting a small tree together as a family also offsets the loss of a tree. Learn more about caring for living Christmas tree here or from LivingChristmasTree.org.









Take a family nature hike. winter trailA peaceful walk through nature on Christmas day will be remembered and valued more than the score of the football game. Pick a local place such as an arboretum or nature preserve that you can return to throughout the year and watch the seasons change. Or volunteer an hour helping to clean up or enhance the trail. This introduces children to volunteering and acknowledges nature as a source of our well-being.




Decorate a tree for the birds. Chickadees1-2009-01-main_Full In addition to ribbons or popcorn garland, place seed bells, suet or pine cones with peanut butter on any tree in your yard. It’s preferable to find a tree in the open where cats can be seen easily by the birds. This is a great activity for kids because it connects them with the world outside their window. Plus it offers an important food source for birds during the winter.

Ideas from Eartheasy.

Britt is the editor of The Grove School website. She's got 15 years of writing and editing experience, a 6 year old daughter, a garden and a healthy obsession with all things green.

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Push-Along_Small_DuckWith toys, a little bit of research goes a long way. Try to shop locally when you can and ask questions about the contents of the toys and the manufacturing process.


Plan Toys are widely available. These are made out of organic rubber wood, non-toxic glue and water based dye. The company has a strong environmental stance. My child has several of these toys. They are indestructible and really cute.





Green Toys are toys made out of recycled milk jugs in California.




And Healthy Child has a good list of “green” toys/manufacturers. They also have good tips for reducing, reusing and recycling during the holidays.

Regan is a communication and events specialist with Knowledge Universe. She advises us on environmental issues with expertise in child care center operations and the Eco-Healthy child care provider endorsement process. She has a young daughter and a passion for decreasing children's exposure to environmental hazards and toxins.

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wrapped-presentsWrapped presents don’t have to be pretty for kids or even wrapped for that matter. Consider not wrapping presents or using paper bags to wrap presents. You can involve the kids in having them decorate the wrapped presents with crayons or markers. Or reuse drawings they’ve made on scrap paper.

For younger children, remember that the packaging is often more interesting as the actual present. Don’t be hasty in throwing away boxes and used paper. These items can lead to meaningful play in the days following the holiday, from playing with the different textures of ribbons and paper to making “art” out of the leftover pieces!

Regan is a communication and events specialist with Knowledge Universe. She advises us on environmental issues with expertise in child care center operations and the Eco-Healthy child care provider endorsement process. She has a young daughter and a passion for decreasing children's exposure to environmental hazards and toxins.

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Sustainability. The word is everywhere, but what does it really mean? How can we get past all the green washing, green bling, green this or green that to understand what sustainability means in our everyday lives?

I like the UN definition of sustainability:  to “meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (WECD, 1987 UN conference). This definition helps me keep my kids and their future in mind as I go through my day. Not that I think about sustainability every minute of the day, but it reminds me that there is no magical solution. There are, however, decisions I can make right now that will make a difference. It means that sustainability isn’t just about “stuff,” but about community, choices, design and the world around us.

The Grove School’s focus on community is such a wonderful embodiment of the word sustainability. Check out our local events and meet the fantastic staff and teachers who are part of The Grove School community.

Serena manages print production for us. She is also the mother of 2 teenagers, and a certified Master Recycler performing volunteer community outreach on sustainability and recycling.

 

 

One of the things I am personally very passionate about is physical health and its two necessary components: exercise and nutrition. As the father of an 18-month old, I try to model healthy behavior for her, and give her a well-rounded diet that includes an appropriate amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

That being said, it’s difficult to see the multitude of unhealthy food options available – and marketed to – the parents of young children. When you factor in the realities of modern society – busy schedules that leave little time for exercise and a plethora of convenient, yet unhealthy, food options – it’s no wonder that obesity rates are on the rise in the U.S. This is one of the pressing reasons that we felt The Grove School was necessary (and why I am personally involved). We wanted a place where we could model, teach and foster healthy behavior for future generations.

A recent study by the United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention entitled, “The Future Costs of Obesity,” outlines the potential costs to America in the coming years of this trend. The authors find that, beyond the obvious social and public health problems, rising obesity rates will have a real economic impact, primarily in health care costs, over the next ten years. Other major findings by the study include:

· Obesity is growing faster than any previous public health issue our nation has faced. If current trends continue, 103 million American adults will be considered obese by 2018.
· The U.S. is expected to spend $344 billion on health care costs attributable to obesity in 2018 if rates continue to increase at their current levels. Obesity-related direct expenditures are expected to account for more than 21 percent of the nation’s direct health care spending in 201.
· If obesity levels were held at their current rates, the U.S. could save an estimated $820 per adult in health care costs by 2018 – a savings of almost $200 billion dollars.

Clearly, we aren’t going to fight this problem alone. However, our first two schools are an important step toward elevating the importance of health in those two communities. Furthermore, as we look to expand nationally, we hope that The Grove School will play an important role in not only curbing the rise of obesity, but in setting an example for other schools and pushing the education field toward the future as well.

In order to address this and other pressing social issues, we must start by educating our children.

Dan steers our business development. As the father of a toddler and a conscientious consumer, he's energized by The Grove School's focus on high-quality education and the triple-bottom line (social and environmental responsibility in tandem with profitability).

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I have a 14-month old child, and lately focused on reducing my family’s exposure to household chemicals/toxins. I learned that small children are more susceptible to exposure to environmental toxins and consume more pound-for-pound than adults because of their natural behavior. While crawling around on the floor and putting everything in their mouths helps them to learn about their environment, it also exposes them to potentially harmful substances.

So I’ve been using vinegar, baking soda, lemon and good old fashioned elbow grease to clean my home. I only bring out the “hard-core” stuff (commercially produced disinfectant) when I have a “hard-core” mess to clean up. Poop happens–sometimes in the tub–and when I do use it I make sure to use according to the package instructions. When I am done I rinse, rinse, rinse and ventilate the area.

I think these little changes make a big impact on the health of my family.

Regan is a communication and events specialist with Knowledge Universe. She advises us on environmental issues with expertise in child care center operations and the Eco-Healthy child care provider endorsement process. She has a young daughter and a passion for decreasing children's exposure to environmental hazards and toxins.

 

 

When we set out to establish the outdoor experience for The Grove School–just like the classroom experience–we wanted it to be different. We want our parents, our children and our own staff to see it for the first time and come away thinking it is completely unique, interesting, dynamic and a difference-maker in a child’s growth opportunity.

We want children to explore, to experience a sensory environment with natural elements, to plant and watch things grow and, at the same time, connect these tangible experiences with learning in the classroom. Our mission is that everything must tell a story. All of our choices inside the building and outside are meant to enhance a child’s learning experience.

For example, when we made the choice to select recycled content plastic benches for adults and children, we now have the opportunity to share how those benches were made with everyone. The benches are made from recycled plastic household consumer items. Items that we all use everyday. We loved the benches so much–and, by the way, we have them in both adult and child size–we ended up buying planter boxes made of the same recycled plastic. The planter boxes will help us share gardening and a very cool sensory experience.

outdoor drum Music is such a great thing. There are some fantastic musical items available these days and even musical items suitable for the outdoors. We have two examples at The Grove School. One of them, currently dubbed our “Plant Drum,” was originally a gas cylinder. The cylinder was recycled, cut in half and then finished with special grooves that, when struck, create a musical note. Children will be able to explore their own musical gifts in a really neat way.

The Grove School team is only scratching the surface and will continue to strive to create unique experiences for our children. The concept of pushing ourselves to deliver today and tomorrow is why being part of The Grove School is such an inspiring thing.

Scott oversees design and construction of our school buildings and playgrounds. His vision is to create sustainable spaces that encourage amazing learning experiences.

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The overall experience for our children, parents and staff is meant to be unique with a clear goal of using sustainable materials and energy efficient technology whenever possible.

One thing really stood out when we researched and visited other providers. We noticed a tremendous degree of “sameness” amongst other preschools, to the point where they were hard to tell apart, especially when it came to physical elements. Frankly, most were pretty boring.

With The Grove School we wanted to say something different and blaze our own trail. Our buildings retain as much as we can of the existing materials, because it’s our belief that there’s nothing more sustainable than using what we’ve got wisely. And we replace only items that allow us to enhance the experience and tell a story.

We’re using recycled content flooring, casework, turf and playground equipment. Our lighting and plumbing fixtures are more energy efficient than industry standard. Even our signs feature low impact and recycled content materials.

The first two pilot schools are only the first steps in this direction. We wanted to push the envelope a bit and challenge everyone. But I want to stress that we have only begun. When you make a commitment to be a leader, you can never stop pushing the envelope. We expect even more from ourselves as the school grows.

Scott oversees design and construction of our school buildings and playgrounds. His vision is to create sustainable spaces that encourage amazing learning experiences.

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Physical fitness and nutrition go hand in hand. Healthy Me teaches children the importance of physical activity as well as nutritious foods.

The benefits of Healthy Me influence every domain of a child’s development–emotional, social, physical, and cognitive. The Grove School aims to foster children’s self-esteem, build interaction and teamwork skills, develop movement capabilities, and enhance an understanding of what it means to be healthy and physically fit.

Healthy Me Goals

Our school day offers developmentally and individually appropriate experiences that help children gain confidence in their movement and develop healthy lifestyles. Overall goals guiding the program are identified below. These goals address the program’s purpose, and are in alignment with the standards and guidelines set forth by the American Association for Health Education (AAHE) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

Our goals for the Healthy Me program are to:

- Improve children’s levels of fitness through movement
- Nurture children’s natural love of moving through playful movement activities
- Enhance children’s understanding of movement concepts, principles, and strategies
- Help children develop the dispositions, knowledge, and interpersonal skills necessary for achieving and maintaining health-related fitness
- Increase children’s understanding of the roles of physical activity and nutritious foods in the body’s performance
- Provide children with information that will positively influence their physical fitness and food choices
- Generate enthusiasm among children and families for healthful living

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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There is wide agreement among the scientific and educational communities that motor skills develop as a result of the interaction between a child’s hereditary potential and his or her life experiences. Children’s physical abilities and motor skills develop in a predictable manner. Changes in physical development are qualitative, sequential, cumulative, directional, multifactorial, and individual (NASPE, 1995).

Here’s a description of these characteristics.

Qualitative. Children’s motor skills change in qualitative ways as they grow and gain experience. For example, the running of a three-year-old child looks very different from the running of a nine-year-old child. The movement patterns of typically developing children become more effective as they age.

Sequential. Children’s motor skills develop in a sequential, orderly manner over time, progressing naturally from immature to advanced. Activities designed to support children’s physical development should follow a scope and sequence based on both vertical and
horizontal progressions of skill development. Activities within each block of Healthy Me follow a scope and sequence based on knowledge of motor-skill development in children. The early childhood years are associated with the fundamental movement phase of motor development. Healthy Me teachers have knowledge of the typical sequence of acquisition for fundamental motor skills such as walking and jumping.

Cumulative. Developmental change is built upon previous developments. Fundamental motor skills act as building blocks for more complex skills. For example, the ability to walk is a building block for the later emergence of the ability to run. Foundational skills and abilities should be developed before more complex and difficult skills are introduced. Children are offered sufficient opportunities within planned learning experiences to practice the skills they are acquiring. This helps children develop a sense of confidence about their movement abilities. In Healthy Me, children are given multiple opportunities to repeat activities and to explore specific motor skills in multiple ways before more complex activities are introduced.

Directional. Developmental change occurs in a direction, or toward a goal. In terms of movement, the ultimate goal may be for children to become skilled movers. The direction of developmental change can be progressive, moving toward the goal; or regressive, moving away from the goal. Change may be regressive with age, progression of a disease, or lack of practice.

Multifactorial. Motor skills do not develop in a vacuum–they develop simultaneously with skills and abilities in other domains of human development including cognitive, social, affective, and psychomotor. Development depends on many factors acting together. For example, a child must have strength, balance, perceptual capabilities, and motivation to develop the ability to hop on one foot. Healthy Me goals and outcomes consider interactions between all areas of a child’s development. These goals and outcomes have been carefully designed to acknowledge children’s skills and abilities related to all domains of development.

Individualized. In addition to following the predetermined program scope and sequence for skills instruction within each block, teachers implement Healthy Me in a way that is consistent with children’s individual abilities, skills, and knowledge. Motor-skill development is age-related, but not age-determined. For example, one four year-old may have developed the ability to alternate feet while ascending stairs, but another child of the same age may still be placing both feet on each step. The rate of motor-skill development differs from one child to another, depending on each child’s body characteristics, experiences, and environmental situations.

Healthy Me considers children’s individual characteristics such as developmental status, body size, age, previous movement experiences, and fitness and skill levels. The program recognizes differing capabilities for movement and provides learning experiences that challenge each child to move to his or her next stage of development.

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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