Our Gnome School
Our Gnome School offers a warm, nurturing environment set to inspire each child's natural love of learning. We believe in building strong connections, communication and community.
Our Mission
Inspiring Imaginations
Our mission is to encourage and support each child as they learn and grow in their their own way. We have a whole child approach; beginning by building a sense of community & comfort which allows children to form a feeling of ownership & belonging.
Nutrition is another fundamental building block. Students are encouraged to grow, choose & help prepare meals.
Our environment is warm, loving & silly. Much of our learning is achieved through play & social interactions. We set the stage each day for new experiences; learning through play with interest led themes, hands on activities & process focused crafts. We ensure that there is plenty of opportunity to expand and explore each area of development including social, emotional, physical, cognitive, language & literacy, all disguised as fun!
Outdoor Explore
Rain or shine
We spend the majority of our day outdoors! Being close to nature is an important part of our experience. The ever changing elements, creatures and garden offer new things to explore, discuss and learn every day.
​Our outdoor classroom includes climbing stumps, mud kitchen, art easels, our garden, a mini rock quarry, water table, sandbox, books, rotating toy boxes and most importantly open space to move!
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STEAM
Brain Building
Our little ones are natural scientists, artists, musicians and thinkers so we ensure that those talents are fostered daily.
​Music, experiments and crafts are always a class favorite. ​
​Arts & music have so many forms to explore and often leads us into learning more about other cultures as we incorporate styles from all around the world.
Imaginative Play, Social & Emotional Learning
Connecting With Ourselves & Others
Much of our learning is explored through play. When we play we are not just being silly and having fun; we are building upon our emotional intelligence, social connections and of course stretching our imaginations.
Our imagination station changes frequently. We have recently played at our restaurant, veterinarians office & farmer's Market. Next we will have a library then it will be a shop. These fun areas encourage pretending, writing, negotiating roles, turn taking & cooperation.
Our Fuel
Delicious & Nutritious
What we fuel our body and brains with is so important! We enjoy balanced, yummy, home made pescatarian meals and snacks.Â
The class helps to set the table, choose menu item and clears their dishes when they are done. We also grow some of our veggies and cook or bake together. Building a healthy connection to our fuel has life long benefits!
We serve breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack.
Our Classrooms
Creative Spaces
Our classrooms are yes spaces. The students can access all of the materials and are encouraged to choose the activity that inspires them. We foster a sense of ownership and belonging as this is their space. There are areas set up for imaginative play, manipulatives, art, sensory play, science, music and much more. We rotate what is available to keep things interesting without being over stimulating.
​​Our outdoor classroom is currently being upgraded to include climbing stumps, mud kitchen, mini rock quarry, fort, garden, art area and more. We spend the majority of our day outdoors and often even have our meals and naps outside.
It's The Little Things
​​Because We Care
We add little elements throughout our care to support the families as well as our students.Â
We begin with personal connections upon arrival. We bond with our families as teaching these babes is a team effort!
To keep things simple we provide just about everything. No daily bag to remember in the morning, no lunches to pack!
Each child has a water cup provided and available, at their reach, all day.
Family Appreciation Night!
Twice a year we host a fun night with the kiddos so their families can get out until 11:00p.m. to rest, play or whatever rejuvenates them.
Junior Preschool
Our Littlest Learners
​​0-3
Our babes come into the world ready to discover! The junior preschool class encourages learning and explorations at every age and stage.
For out littlest learners we focus as much on building bonds and as on building brains. Trust, care and attention are big elements in our early learning.
​Our junior preschool class is a small group of up to four children.​
This class also sets class and individual learning goals monthly as we help each child build upon their skills.​
Preschool
Learn & Play In A Creative Way!
​​3-6
Our preschool class is a wonderful place for expression, connection and growth! We have a comfortable space where our class feels loved, safe and encouraged. The classroom is their 'yes' space and they can access all of the materials as they explore what inspires them.
We set learning goals for our class and each child. Our activities and discovery are designed to support and connect our learning to those goals. We meet those goals in ways that are creative and interesting. Our lessons utilize real world materials and hands on learning for a more meaningful learning experience.
As we prepare for kindergarten and beyond we begin to have some more structured activities. We will need to be able to sit for circle times, wait in line and follow directions. We use fun activities such as relay races, board games as well as many other creative group activities as we build on our patience, improve our abilities to take turns and work together.
​Whatever discoveries we are embarking upon we are usually in our "outdoor classroom". It is important to us that every single day includes as much nature, literature, music, movement, silliness and fun as possible!