Foxes (JK–Grade 1)

Strong Foundations. Meaningful Experiences. A Love of Learning.

Our Foxes program serves Junior Kindergarten through Grade 1 students and provides a thoughtfully balanced educational experience that combines strong academic foundations with nature-based, experiential learning.

At The Owl's Nest, we believe children learn best when they feel connected, capable, and engaged. Through small group learning, meaningful relationships, explicit instruction, and hands-on experiences, students develop the confidence, skills, and curiosity needed to thrive both in school and beyond.

Located at Reroot Organic Farm, students learn not only through literacy, mathematics, science, and the arts, but through daily experiences with nature, animals, agriculture, forests, gardens, creeks, and community.

A Different Kind of Primary Program

Our program doesn't fit neatly into a single philosophy or educational model. Instead, we thoughtfully blend evidence-based academic instruction with child development research, nature-based education, experiential learning, and responsive teaching practices.

Building Strong Foundations

The primary years are an important time for developing literacy, numeracy, executive functioning, and social-emotional skills.

Our students participate in:

Literacy & Communication

Using evidence-based practices rooted in the Science of Reading, students develop foundational reading, writing, spelling, oral language, and communication skills through both explicit instruction and authentic literacy experiences.

Mathematics & Problem Solving

Students build mathematical understanding through systematic instruction, hands-on learning, games, investigations, and real-world applications that help mathematics make sense.

Executive Functioning & Independence

Students develop organization, self-regulation, responsibility, attention, perseverance, and problem-solving skills that support lifelong learning.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Our campus serves as an extension of the classroom.

Students regularly engage in:

• Nature exploration

• Agriculture and gardening

• Animal care

• Science investigations

• Creative arts

• Community projects

• Leadership opportunities

• Inquiry-based learning experiences

We believe children learn best when they can connect their learning to meaningful experiences and the world around them.

Choice, Play, and Purpose

Play continues to be an essential part of learning during the primary years. Through play, exploration, and inquiry, students build creativity, collaboration, communication, resilience, and critical thinking skills.

Alongside explicit instruction, children are given opportunities for choice, voice, and ownership within their learning. We encourage students to challenge themselves, take risks, contribute to the community, and develop confidence in who they are as learners.

Partnering With Families

One of the things families value most about The Owl's Nest is the strong partnership between home and school.

Communication, collaboration, and relationship-building are at the heart of our program. Rather than focusing solely on grades, we work closely with families to understand each child's strengths, challenges, goals, and growth.

Families receive ongoing communication, learning documentation, observations, and personalized feedback that provide a rich picture of their child's development and learning journey.

Together, we create a learning experience that supports not only academic growth, but the development of confident, capable, and compassionate young people.