Adventurous Play (Risk)
Norwegian researcher Ellen Sandseter identified seven basic types of adventurous play that children are attracted to: play at great heights, rough and tumble play, play with dangerous tools, play with a chance of getting lost, play at great speeds, and play near dangerous elements. Allowing, and in fact, encouraging children to have experiences with these types of play teaches risk awareness skills and helps develop judgment skills, develops confidence and self-esteem, fosters resilience and emotional well being, and supports physical growth and development.
At school, this is supported through a Risk/Benefit Process – needless risks (those having no benefit) are removed, risks the students are not developmentally able to understand or deal with are removed or off limits, and opportunities for the students to take appropriate risks for their developmental level are identified.
The framework of Colin Mortlock’s Adventure Models helps determine when children are benefiting from adventurous play. In the Play level, there is easy participation in the activity without reaching one’s limit of abilities. At the Adventure level, there is excitement with the activity with one still in total control and ability limits not reached. The Frontier level is reached when one is experiencing adventurous challenges very near one’s ability limit. These are the three levels of adventure play we want children be in and through guided analysis we help them determine how to stay at these levels and out of the final level, Misadventure. Misadventure happens when one chooses or is forced to participate in something that is beyond their capabilities, resulting in negative outcomes mentally and/or physically.
Backpack
The backpack you send your child to school with each day is their traveling cubby! It should have a chest strap to help distribute the pack’s weight off the shoulders and padded shoulder straps for comfort. Pack it each day with your child’s plastic bag of extra clothing and a non-breakable water bottle filled with water (refills are always available). It is best if toys, special items from home not be packed – they have a way of getting lost or broken, causing distress. If they are brought to school, make sure your child is aware of this!
Behavior and Behavior Management
Our goal is to be a safe place for children to explore, learn, and have adventures. Behaviors that interfere with this are addressed and students are worked with in a positive manner to come up with alternative ways to act that keep everyone safe. These are preschoolers, though, and learning appropriate group behavior is an on-going skill!
There is a zero tolerance policy for any type of abuse – physical and verbal, including physically hurting anyone or taunting, teasing, and name calling. A continuing pattern of these behaviors will be addressed with the parents/guardians and a plan worked out before the child is allowed to continue in class.
Typical Calendar
First Friday in September – Meet and Play at Base Camp 9:30 – 10:30 am
Day after Labor Day – First Day of School
October – Family Autumn Celebration
November 11th – Veterans’ Day Holiday, No School
Wednesday through Sunday – Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
December – Family Forest Lights and Lantern Walk
Last two weeks of December – Winter Break, No School
January – Martin Luther King Day Holiday, No School
February – Presidents’ Day Holiday, No School
Last week of March – Spring Break, No School
May – Memorial Day Holiday, No School
End of May – Tentative Last Day of School (depending on how many school closure days we had during the year)
June – End of Year Family Cookout
Clothing
An important part of playing outside for long periods of time is having the appropriate clothing. It’s no fun to be wet and cold for hours! While every child’s comfort level is different in cold weather, here are some guidelines:
Warm, dry weather – Clothing your child feels comfortable in: shirt and jacket, sturdy pants, socks, waterproof boots. If it’s been dry for a long spell, sturdy shoes suitable for hiking are fine otherwise rain boots. Always send rain pants for water and mud play. The forest stays chilly longer in the morning so having a jacket available is important.
Warm, wet weather – same as warm dry weather, but make sure pants and shirts are not cotton as this gets wet and uncomfortable. Wool or synthetic fabrics such as fleece work much better.
Under 50 degrees, wet or dry – a base layer of wool or synthetic material, a middle layer of wool or synthetic material, an outer layer that is waterproof, windproof, and breatheable, wool or fleece mittens and hat, wool socks (2 pair or 1 pair and a wool sole insert), rain boots or snow boots. If snowy, insulated snow mittens or wool mittens under a waterproof outer mitten cover.
Please send your child with an extra set of clothing appropriate to the weather. This will include extra underwear, shirt, pants, and socks and may include extra base layers, mittens, hats, and wool socks in cold/wet weather. Packing these into a plastic bag works well.
So what’s wrong with cotton in cold weather? When cotton gets wet, it stays wet. Even if there is no rain, your child plays hard and may get sweaty, which the cotton soaks up. Once cotton gets wet, it stops insulating, plus it gets cold, causing the body to lose heat instead of helping the body to keep its heat. At the very least, this makes one feel uncomfortable and cold and at the worst can lead to hypothermia. Wool insulates even when wet and synthetic fabrics such as fleece wick moisture away from the body.
Emergency Contacts
Please make sure your emergency contacts are kept up to date! I will not release a child to someone who is not on the list! Also make sure if you are carpooling, you have the carpool adults on that list. I carry the emergency contact lists with me – just ask to see it for updates.
Emergencies/Natural Disasters
In an emergency, such as a natural disaster, the school will shelter in place. Should an evacuation be necessary, the children will move to either the area of the Vernonia Fire Department or City Hall. If it is necessary to evacuate the entire area for the children’s safety, the children will be transported to a safe area and parents will be informed as soon as possible by text message.
Ethos
At Songbird, we believe children are competent, strong, curious, and thoughtful and use
teaching models that recognize and support this belief.
We believe the outdoors is a perfect place for children to learn and grow through play,
developing independence, resilience, emotional intelligence, well being, and
social/communication, creative thinking, physical large/fine motor, and problem solving
skills.
We also believe that being in the outdoors over a long period of time, children develop a
deep love and respect for and connection with nature and all living things, becoming
environmental stewards.
Food
A mid-morning snack will be provided, along with hot beverages during cold weather. Sometimes this will be a food we cook over the fire. Children will be encouraged to try new foods but will never be required to or made to feel different if they decline.
Forest School
Forest Schools are an international educational approach that values play based, child led learning. It is place based in a natural setting that students visit regularly and over a long period of time. There is emphasis on whole child learning, community building, adventurous play, reflection on experiences, and environmental stewardship.
Health Policies
Songbird Nature School does not have the facilities to care for children who are ill or who become ill during class time. Please keep your child home for the day if he/she exhibits any of the following:
– fever over 100.4 degrees in the 24 hours preceding class time
– undiagnosed rash or rash with fever or behavior change
– more than one vomiting episode within 24 hours of class time
– recurring diarrhea
– pink eye unless child has seen a doctor and has been deemed non-contagious
– deep, frequent cough
– if she/he is not well enough to comfortably participate in all activities
If your child will not be attending school for any reason, I greatly appreciate a text message before 9 am so the group can start the day without waiting! If your child will be late, please let me know with a text message and then escort your child to Base Camp when you arrive.
Hygiene/Toileting Procedures
We have composting toilets in both of the camps.
Children wash their hands with provided soap and water after toileting and before eating. Please do not send hand sanitizer with your child.
Inclement Weather
Songbird Nature School will be closed for the day if the Vernonia School District is closed for weather reasons. If the School District is on a late opening schedule due to weather, we will begin the day at 10 am. If Stoney Point Road is on snow routes or without service for the school district, there’s a good chance we will be delayed until 10 am. CheckWeather related full day school closures will be made up at the end of the year, up to 5 days. Any days after that will be deducted from the tuition and refunded.
If the weather makes it unsafe to be outdoors, we do not meet. This includes wind chill temperatures below 14 degrees, winds sustained or gusting above 38 mph, and when lightening is visible or thunder is heard. When wind chill temperatures are below 32 degrees, we take warming breaks in the Studio every 20 – 30 minutes. When wind speeds are between 25 and 38 mph, we use the open pasture areas until the winds lower.
We are also closed if the Air Quality Index due to forest fire smoke is Orange or above
(Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 100+).
Medications
If your child is taking prescription medication, please administer this before or after school. Exceptions are medications for chronic or emergency conditions, such as inhalers for asthma or Epi Pens for allergic reaction – these need a written, signed plan for use.
Nondiscrimination/Privacy Policy
Songbird Nature School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identification,
race, color, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age in the
administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and hiring.
We respect the privacy of every child and family and hold confidential all records
regarding a child’s personal information. We do not store children’s records
electronically.
Licensing
Songbird is registered with the state of Oregon, but as Oregon does not have a licensing option that works for outdoor schools, it is unlicensed. I am following all licensing regulations that are possible with an outdoor school, but items like no insects and keeping a temperature of at least 68 degrees are out of my skills level!
Newsletter
A weekly newsletter is published on the Songbird closed Facebook group.
I will keep everyone updated as to events coming up and things to be aware of, so please give it at least a quick glance through each week.
Risk Assessments
A site risk assessment walk through will take place each school day before children arrive.
The process for risk assessments is:
- Hazards are identified along with possible harm they could do
- Those who are at risk are identified
- Risks are evaluated to check whether existing procedures are sufficient or whether
additional procedures need to be in place - All our findings are recorded on risk assessment forms
- The risk assessment forms are regularly updated and are re-evaluated twice a year.
- Completed risk assessment forms are available at Base Camp at the back of the
staff/volunteer handbook.
School Hours/Drop Off and Pick Up
School meets from 9 am to 12 pm on Mondays through Wednesdays. Meet in the driveway area by the shop and we will leave for Base Camp from there. Mondays and Wednesdays we will leave Base Camp a little before 12 pm and meet you in the drop off area. On Tuesdays, we end the morning in the Studio and will meet you there at 12 pm. You are always welcome to join us at any time and see what we’re working on!
Tuition
Tuition is based on 100 days of school, is billed for the entire school session, and is payable in full or in monthly installments due on the 1st school day of each month and late after the 5th school day of each month. There is no tuition refund for missed days. The last month of school there will be no tuition installment, as this is the registration fee paid upon enrolling. If a student is withdrawn from Songbird Nature School with two weeks notice, this fee will be refunded.
Songbird Nature School 