Organic Gardens
Our life lab garden is comprised of about 2,000 square feet of sunny fenced land with many prolific fruit trees and raised vegetable and flower beds. As well as tending this garden, students help prepare two enormous and delectable meals each year with food grown on campus, for the annual Harvest Festival held in October, and the Thanksgiving Feast the following month. In addition, kids use garden-grown ingredients yearlong in the school’s hot lunch program and for cooking class electives.
The orchard
Our spacious 14-acre property in the Aptos foothills boasts a seasonal creek, a meadow, play structures, a swimming pool, all kinds of trees and a redwood grove. Children are given ample time to run, climb trees, play field games, dig in the sand and mud, and build forts and fairy gardens. Extended recess time is valued because unstructured play time provides an important opportunity for deep engagement and cooperative, child-driven learning.
The Animals
Three alpacas, three goats and a flock of chickens live at the school. All grades take turns caring for the farm animals -- feeding them, cleaning the corral, collecting eggs, grooming, interacting and observing. Periodically, the whole school makes an enormous human fence by linking hands to let the animals run free for a time.
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