Academic Plan 2021-2022 : full day outdoor classrooms
Outdoor Classrooms, limited need for remote learning
Outdoor classrooms offer a safer option for holding in-person class amid the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, minimizing the need for remote/online learning. We offer a Waldorf-based program held Monday through Friday in our outdoor classrooms.
Remote learning is limited to days when inclement weather, health, or safety concerns prohibit gathering in outdoor spaces. For more information on the daily, in person schedule, and what remote learning days look like, please visit the 'Daily Rhythms' tab in the drop down menu above.
In addition to Main Lesson, our program offers specials including watercolor painting, modeling, form drawing, games, music, Mandarin Chinese, and handwork.
Classrooms are set in beautiful wooded areas with large wooded play spaces and hiking paths.
Classroom spaces used by The Unity School offer shelter from the elements such as sun and mild/moderate rain.
Outdoor classrooms allow our students to experience our natural world and the true temperatures and moods of the seasons. Classrooms are equipped with fans for the warmer months, and electric heating elements for the cooler months as necessary. However, clothing does need to be appropriate for the season.
Open air environments greatly reduce the potential of transmission not only of COVID19, but of all the viral illnesses children typically pass back and forth throughout the fall and winter months. In addition to being outdoors, classroom desks are spaced appropriately, and a hand washing stations are be available in the classroom spaces.
Masks
Children are required to wear masks, with designated times during the day when appropriate spacing in addition to the open air environment allow children a break from mask wearing. Masks are provided by The Unity School, with a different mask color assigned for each day of the week. All the children wearing the same colored mask each day provides our students with a sense of unity, and lessons the burden on parents.
The Research
The decision to move to an all outdoor classroom model was made after research into recent statistics showed a decrease in disease transmission in an outdoor environment. Interestingly, there is precedent for the outdoor classroom model for health and safety of children during times of a pandemic. In the early 20th century, students in New York City were moved to outdoor leaning environments in an effort to stop the spread of pandemics of the time, including diseases such as tuberculosis. Here is a link to an article we found both interesting and inspiring. The article is linked on the Research Articles tab below.
Additionally, research published during the last several years demonstrates significant benefits gained by utilizing outdoor leaning environments. Documented benefits include improved behavior, attention, social-emotional development, grades, and even standardized test scores. Please visit the Research Articles page of this website or click the button below for more information about the substantial benefits of outdoor classroom learning!
Location
All classrooms are set in beautiful wooded areas. Children play in large natural outdoor spaces with abundant opportunities for exploration and creativity. Classes utilize wooded hiking trails for teacher-led adventures.
We are actively seeking land on which to build The Unity School's permanent location. At the same time, we are seeking donors, sponsors, fundraisers and benefactors! Our ideal space will consist of 3-5 acres, and remain within 20 minutes of our current location.
Community Classroom
We live in a beautiful and diverse city with so many magnificent outdoor spaces in which to learn and explore. In addition to regular outdoor classroom spaces and as the risks of the current health crisis diminish , we hope to take advantage of the many green spaces around us - Umstead Park, the NC Art Museum, the Greenway - to enhance not only our students' learning, but their experience of education and the world around them.
We also plan to involve The Unity School students in community service projects and volunteerism as an integrated part of the curriculum. This year, community involvement will happen as health and safety allow, but may include things such as community food drives for donations to our local shelters. By combining classroom learning with an experience of what we can each contribute to our community around us, we aim to cultivate and develop strong-minded, self-confident, creative, and kind human beings.