Take Root Nature School
100-acres to supplement your student’s learning
100-ACRES TO EXPAND YOUR STUDENT’S HORIZONS
Willowgrove’s Take Root Nature School is a part-time (Flexi-school) education program developed for children 5-10 years of age.
This unique, outdoor learning experience is designed to work in tandem with your student’s private, public, or home-school learning.
By providing hands-on, nature-based opportunities, Willowgrove’s Take Root Nature School nurtures the whole-child, by integrating their learning into the world around them.
The Benefits of Outdoor Learning
Take Root Nature School encourages students to approach learning with curiosity. By providing safe, play-based activities, students are able to integrate core subject learnings into everyday life. This not only fosters an appreciation for the natural world, it also develops your child’s confidence and social skills.
In Rhythm With the Seasons
Willowgrove’s Take Root Nature School offers programming by the season: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Students can select individual seasons, or enrol for the entire year.
Fall:
Sep. 12 - Dec. 22, 2023
Winter:
Jan. 8 - Mar. 8, 2024
Spring:
Mar. 18 - Jun. 21, 2024
A 100-acre classroom
Willowgrove’s Take Root Nature School takes place nearly entirely outdoors, rain-or-shine, putting students in direct relationship with nature. By aligning a child’s learning with the weather and seasons, they learn to notice the subtle changes around them while exploring Willowgrove’s many diverse ecosystems. This includes:
Willowgrove creek
Spring fed ponds
Old growth forests
Farm animals
Gardens and crops
Hayloft and playgrounds
Apple orchard
Barns
Bee hives
Meadows/Fields
Greenhouse
Maple sugar trees
Hiking trails
Outdoor pavilion
Sports fields:
Soccer pitch
Baseball diamond
Gagaball court
Flexible Enrollment Options
Willowgrove’s Take Root Nature School offers a Half Day and Full Day session each week. Students can enrol in one or both sessions for as many seasons as they would like. This flexible schedule allows families to fully customize their student’s learning experience.
Session Details
Starting Prices
Half Day Sessions
$50
Full Day Sessions
$95
Discounts
Siblings: Enrolling more than one student? After your first child is enrolled, each additional child within that household will receive a 5% discount.
Combos: Save $5 each week when enrolling in both the half and full day sessions.
Session Schedules
Tuesday Afternoons:
(12:30pm-4:00pm)
12:30 - Arrival/Check-in
12:45 - Opening Circle: Sharing/Overview
1:00 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
2:15 - Break: Washrooms/Snack
2:30 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
3:30 - Closing Circle: Sharing/Reflection
4:00 - Free Outdoor Play/Pick up
Wednesday Full days:
(9:00am-4:00pm)
9:00 - Arrival/Check-in
9:15 - Opening Circle: Sharing/Overview
9:30 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
10:45 - Break: Washrooms/Snack
11:00 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
12:00 - Lunch
12:45 - Free Outdoor Play
1:15 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
2:15 - Break: Washrooms/Snack
2:30 - Experiential Outdoor Learning
3:15 - Closing Circle: Sharing/Reflection
3:45 - Free Outdoor Play
4:00 - Pick up
The Benefits of Part Flexi-Schooling
We know that spending time learning outdoors can greatly improve a child’s mental health, but many families cannot afford full-time, private education programs. Take Root Nature School’s flexi-school model allows families to diversify their student’s education without fully removing their child from their core learning environment. This part-time model increases accessibility to meaningful outdoor experiences for only a portion of the cost.
How does Part-time Education Work?
Flexible School Attendance or “Flexi-schooling” is becoming increasingly popular for many Ontario families. Covered under the Education Act, it’s a regulation that allows children to attend school in a part-time capacity. It’s what allows kids to be pulled from school for competitive sports, or professional arts opportunities, and it can also be applied to alternative-education!
“A pupil may be excused by the principle from attendance at school temporarily at any time at the written request of a parent of the pupil… (Regulation 298, Subsection 23-3 of the Education Act).”
Our experience of Willowgrove has been phenomenal. Since attending this school, we have seen our daughter’s self-esteem and confidence soar.
-Nature School parent
Willowgrove Nature School has benefited our three children far beyond our expectations. Hands on experiences, small class sizes, and an inquiry-based learning model has allowed them to develop a strong connection to nature, with a desire for protection and appreciation for preservation.
-Nature School parent
Our daughter is thriving – socially, mentally, emotionally, academically – and we know that the team and environment at Willowgrove are a huge reason why. THANK YOU!
-Nature School parent
Extra Support
If you want to enroll your student, but need help communicating with a school or principle, please reach out. If you think that Take Root Nature School would be a good fit for your student, but you are facing financial barriers, please contact us. Marie Mehak, Willowgrove’s Education Director, is happy to speak with you, and is always excited to talk to families about Take Root Nature School.
Have questions? Please reach out.
Use the link above or call at (905) 640-2127.
“It’s so refreshing to see smiling faces at drop off and pick up. [Our son] comes back home so happy, and runs to the car in the morning. Such a difference from school last year. What a great thing you’ve all done.”