The kids call them “forts” - they could as well be called playscapes, construction sites, stages, clubhouses or hobbit holes. The rules disallow synthetic material: nature and imagination fill in the gap.

   “Centers” time allows the students to choose from a rich variety of fun, engaging activities - from silent reading and drawing to messing around with tools and electronics.

   Moving water stirs the imagination of young people, who are drawn to it for imaginative play, contemplation, and even massive works of civil engineering.

   In an integrated social studies/math/language and tech design unit, students first learn methods for statistical analysis of artifacts, then plan and work an actual dig behind the school.