FAQs

Why are you in the Forest?

Abundant research shows that learning outdoors not only supports diverse learners such as those with attention and focus difficulties, but that establishing a strong relationship to nature encourages resiliency, focus, regulation among people of all ages. But as importantly, we believe that developing a relationship to the forest, becoming stewards of the land, from a young age, is an essential response to our rapidly changing climate and world. As young conservationists and land stewards, children in our program learn to read, write, and think critically, to tackle math and science in hands-on and practical applications in the Forest, making those skill sets both more enjoyable and less intimidating. Movement is naturally built into the day. And while the Forest offers distinct challenges from a traditional classroom, persisting in our learning amid challenges builds resilience, cognitive vibrancy and collaborative problem solving. Following our school’s principles of land stewardship, community care and accessibility allows for the unique opportunity for children to learn civic responsibility, reciprocity, to respect all beings, and the understanding of a broader ecosocial contract.

How will my children’s education compare to a more classic education, in terms of rigor and academic skill acquisition?

While our classrooms and location are very different from a traditional school environment, our educators design their units and lesson plans across content areas in alignment with learning standards from the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. This ensures that students are acquiring skills that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has designated as grade-level appropriate, including math, natural and physical sciences, English Language Arts, reading comprehension and critical writing and social studies. This approach also ensures vertical alignment of the curriculum, or that skill acquisition will build sequentially as students advance from grade to grade. In other words, educators from MFM use the same guiding document to design and implement instruction that is used in public schools across Massachusetts.

Public Health Policy

In order to keep all our community members more safe, we employ layers of protection to protect against the spread of aerosol transmitted viruses. All students and staff wear N95/KF94/KN95 masks at all times. We employ regular survillence testing, and offer generous paid sick leave for all staff.

We are proud that our accessibility policy allows us to provide a much-needed in-person schooling option for immunocompromised children and other families who need or desire masked schooling. Masking together to keep our program accessible, and reduce the burden of new and existing chronic illness and other impacts, is a form of community care.

How do you determine indoor and outdoor learning time?

Given the average temperatures and snowfall in Eastern MA, we anticipate using the outdoor classroom as our primary classroom September through November, and April through June. The months of December and March will be transition months, with time spent both indoors and outdoors. The months of January and February will primarily be indoors with outdoor time every day. (see table below.)

Tools will help us decide when to retreat indoors. We will consult various resources regarding heat and humidity, including the following from the NWS:

In cold temperatures, forecasts for extreme cold will be monitored. Below 40°F, wind chill factors will play a role in determining how frequently students need to go inside to warm up. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s chart on wind chill factors (a nationally respected resource) will be a resource in decision-making. For temperatures between 40°F and 35°F, students will be both indoors and outdoors throughout the day. When temperatures are 35°F or below, time spent outdoors will be limited, depending on other conditions.

How do you ensure my child will learn safely in the forest?

All staff are certified in first aid and CPR. We have a lower than average student-teacher ratio, and focus on individualized teaching that ensures attention to children’s movement and activities in a safe way. Part of the first few weeks of school and our morning and afternoon meetings are about reinforcing norms of staying together, looking out for each other, establishing social and physical boundaries, teaching children to use tools properly and safely, and general safe interaction with one another and the environment.

We always keep a comprehensive first aid kit on hand. Parents will be notified to pick up children who sustain minor injuries or illness. In the case of significant injury or illness, emergency services will be called, and the student plus one qualified adult will be taken to the nearest hospital for treatment (e.g., Melrose Wakefield Hospital, Lahey Hospital Burlington, or Winchester Hospital). We have a primary care physician on call.

Is Mulberry Forest School licensed and accredited by the state?

We are in the process of licensing with EEC as a nature-based small group program. The EEC is aware of our existence and we are currently running under an EEC license excemption, which allows us to offer a lessons-based curriculem where children register for a set of discrete lessons.

For private elementary schools, accreditation happens at the town or city level. Our elementary program is in the process of pursuing accreditation with the Town of Reading.

How do you teach Writing and Math in the Forest?

The outdoors offers an array of opportunities for students to explore mathematical and literary skills. They will apply traditional classroom learning to real world applications, enabling them to add relevance and personal meaning to their learning. They will be able to understand measurements and algebraic equations by quantifying distances on walking trails and calculating heights of trees and rock formations. They will learn the fundamental skill needed for mathematical thinking by learning to recognize patterns that they observe. By creating nature journals to document their learning and observations, they will practice their writing skills, in a range of genres, from poetry to scientific observation to non-fiction essay and they will learn to read and understand academic and literary texts as they research information to answer questions that arise as they explore the flora and fauna they discover in their exploration in the woods.

Do you offer Financial Aid?

We plan to offer an income-based tuition scale. While our highest tuition bracket is slightly below comparable area programs, our commitment to accessibility extends to financial accessibility. While we are not there yet in year one, we ultimately intend to be able to admit students independent of income level.

Homeschool School Program

We offer a homeschool enrichment program on Thursday afternoons from 12:30 - 3:00 pm. During this time, we are delighted to welcome children who are not registered in our regular academic program. Children will engage in hands-on exploration of conservation and ecology. This simultaneously gives students in the school the opportunity to be hosts and guides – welcoming the homeschooled children to the Forest, and joining them in fostering love for the ecosystem and environment.

My child struggles with engaging in school and lessons. How do children focus in the forest, is it not distracting?

Although this may sound counterintuitive, experiential learning (learning by “doing”) in contexts where students can move more freely and engage their senses can improve focus and attention by allowing them to self-regulate when they are feeling distracted. Robust research demonstrates learning in a natural and serene environment can promote feelings of safety, wellbeing, and confidence. Students who have had negative prior schooling experiences or who have found the routines of a traditional classroom restrictive or stressful have an opportunity to redefine their self concepts as learners when provided with quality education in a unique setting.

Also, many students struggle and are distracted in the classroom because they feel that the lessons are not relevant to them and do not match their learning styles and needs. In outdoor learning, students learn in a real world setting where they can directly see relevance and are actively involved in constructing their own learning; they are too busy with the challenges presented by the natural environment to be distracted!

Accessibility and Individualized Learning?

Although as a private school, MFS is not required to implement Individualized Education Plans in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), accessibility is one of our core values. Teachers are trained to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners and to develop individualized learning plans for all students. These plans are based on teacher observation and formative, ongoing assessment of student learning but also on diagnostic assessments administered quarterly to assess students’ skills in decoding, reading comprehension, reading fluency, written expression, and mathematical reasoning and problem solving. These diagnostic assessments are reviewed by all members of the MFS teaching team and are used to identify appropriate skills instruction and teaching methodologies.

Will my child be learning at grade level? How might they later adjust to a more traditional school?

Montessori classrooms are grouped in three year age blocks to allow for the more natural and varied learning paths that distinct children may take. When given the opportunity to learn in a supported fashion, children are often working above “grade level.” Simultaneously, we understand that children may need to transition to a different program, either upon reaching grade seven, or for other reasons before then. By linking individualized learning plans and our overall curriculum planning to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, we ensure that your child will learn joyfully and rigorously in our program.