Ashlar's programs follow a simple daily rhythm. Activities at the Learning Center typically occur at the same time every day, but if they end up off by a few minutes, we work to ensure that they still occur in the same order as often as possible. This predictable pattern helps us to achieve many of our goals. 1) Children learn very quickly what to expect, and what is expected of them, while attending our programs. This leads to feelings of both security and confidence, as children display calculated behaviors that many may find surprisingly mature, responsible, and helpful. 2) Routines create a sense of certainty that many children need in order to feel comfortable, especially neurodiverse children or children with anxiety, a history of trauma, or other developmental differences. This leads to a community that feels more welcoming, proves more inclusive and becomes more diverse. 3) The framework allows our Mentors to weave in points of growth, naturally and effectively. The points of growth are deliberately worked into our child-lead activities in order to nurture the 7 intelligences for whole-child development.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Red & Green Blocks (Grades 1-9)
Program Times: 8:00-10:40am weekly on Mondays & Wednesdays (Red) and Tuesdays & Thursdays (Green)
8:00 Breakfast is Served.
We provide a nutritious and delicious breakfast to get our Questers off to a healthy and happy start each morning.
8:30 Morning Meeting
All grades meet in the Morning Meeting Room. Music welcomes them in. The date and weather are discussed, as well as fun facts such as this day in history, and age-appropriate current events. A joke may be shared. Questers themselves provide some of the music/information/entertainment.
8:50 Nature-Based Academic Enrichment
Questers will break off into their cohorts (Skipping Stones, Geodes & Bedrocks), for project-based learning activities. Each group of 8 Questers have their own Mentor to guide them.
10:10 Nutrition Break & Unstructured Outdoor Time
The cohorts will join together again for a garden-inspired snack, and then enjoy unstructured outdoor play at our Learning Center.
Program ends at 10:40.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Orange & Blue Blocks (Grades 1-9)
Program Times: 10:10am-1:00pm weekly on Mondays & Wednesdays (Orange) and Tuesdays & Thursdays (Blue)
10:10 Nutrition Break & Unstructured Outdoor Time
Questers are greeted with a garden-inspired snack, followed by unstructured outdoor play at our Learning Center.
10:40 Nature-Based Academic Enrichment
Questers will break off into their cohorts (Skipping Stones, Geodes & Bedrocks), for project-based learning activities. Each group of 8 Questers have their own Mentor to guide them.
12:00 Lunch
Questers will join together for a nutritious and delicious lunch, provided by Ashlar.
12:30 Unstructured Creative Quiet Time (U.C.Q.T.)
Questers will have their choice of quiet activities to engage in. Examples include drawing/reading/journaling/resting in the Meeting Room, Yoga, or Outdoor Reflections on the Learning Center grounds.
Program ends at 1:00.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Yellow, Indigo & Violet Blocks (Grades 1-9)
Program Times: 1:00-4:00pm weekly on Mondays & Wednesdays (Yellow), Tuesdays (Indigo) & Thursdays (Violet)
1:00 Nature-Based Academic Enrichment
Questers will be welcomed into their cohorts (Skipping Stones / Geodes & Geodes / Bedrocks), for project-based learning activities. Each group of 12 Questers have their own Mentor to guide them.
2:15 Garden-Inspired Snack
Questers will join together for a nutritious and delicious snack, provided by Ashlar.
2:30 Walk to Outdoor Classroom or Community Garden
Questers will gather their belongings into their backpacks, and walk with the Mentors to our Outdoor Classroom, The Arboretum at Lake Wilderness Park. On Thursdays (or select Thursdays- details to be confirmed), Questers will spend time volunteering in the Community Center's Community Garden.
2:45 Guided Nature Lesson
This may teach wilderness skills, environmental care, nature-based science, connection with nature, gardening skills etc.
3:00 Unstructured Outdoor Time
The cohorts will enjoy unstructured outdoor play at our Outdoor Classroom.
Program ends at 4:00.
Pick Up is at The Arboretum at Lake Wilderness (or at the Community Center on Thursdays, details to be confirmed)
Simple Daily Rhythm for Gems
Program Times: 9:00-12:00pm weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays
9:00 Program begins.
Doors will open at 8:55 for anybody who arrives a few minutes early. If you arrive before 8:55, please wait in your car to allow our Mentors to complete their preparations for the day.
Welcoming Invitations (10-15 minutes)
Children will be warmly welcomed into a cozy studio full of fun activities to engage in while their parents say goodbye for the morning, and their peers arrive.
Circle Time/ Rug Circle/ Fire Circle (15-20 minutes)
Questers sing their Welcoming Song and follow with 2-3 other songs, practice counting, the Mentor reads aloud, followed by brief discussion to promote comprehension and literacy skills.
Indoor Open Choice (30-60 minutes)
Questers are provided with opportunities to explore, discover, and play freely. This element is crucial to their social-emotional development, and allows us to nurture whole-child development.
Morning Nutrition (~20 minutes)
Snacks are garden-inspired, which means the children will be encouraged to try fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Nature-Based Curriculum (~20 minutes)
This is a Mentor-Guided learning invitation, which may involve crafts or other activities.
Outdoor Open Choice and Invitations (60-90 minutes)
The children gather in the outdoor space at our Learning Center, where they can choose from several areas in which to engage in unstructured free play with their peers.
11:55 Closing Circle
The children pack up their belongings and prepare for their parents' arrival. Gathered in a circle, a special Goodbye Song is sung, and parents are welcomed in to pick-up. Children may not enter the parking circle until their parents have come to walk with them.
Program ends at 12:00.
Simple Daily Rhythm for Pebbles
Program Times: 9:00-12:30pm weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
9:00 Program begins.
Doors will open at 8:55 for anybody who arrives a few minutes early. If you arrive before 8:55, please wait in your car, to allow our Mentors to complete their preparations for the day.
9:05 Welcoming Circle
Questers sing their Welcoming Song and follow with 2-3 other songs, discuss the date and weather, practice counting, explore the letter of the week (including show and tell, which involves children quickly sharing anything they brought from home or found in the studio that starts with that letter), read/recite the poem for the month.
9:25 Nature-Based Academic Enrichment
The group splits into two, based on skills in that subject, each group lead by 1 Mentor. On Mondays & Wednesdays, they explore project-based math concepts, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they explore project-based language art concepts.
9:45 Morning Nutrition & Yoga Break
Our snacks are garden-inspired.
10:00 Nature-Based Academic Enrichment
The group splits into two, based on skills in that subject, each group lead by 1 Mentor. On Mondays & Wednesdays, they explore project-based science concepts, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they explore project-based art/music concepts.
10:25 Walk to Outdoor Classroom
Questers gather their gear into their backpack and join their Mentors on a short walk to our Outdoor Classroom, The Arboretum's play garden at Lake Wilderness park.
10:40 Guided Nature Lesson
This is often a story-telling moment. The focus will be on nature science, environmental care, connecting with nature, etc.
11:00 Unstructured Outdoor Peer Engagement
This is crucial for whole-child development!
12:00 Lunchtime
The Questers gather for a nutritious and delicious lunch, provided by Ashlar. Families may bring a lunch and join the picnic at any time.
12:25 Well Wishes & Gratitudes
Gathered in a circle, the Questers take turns offering things they were grateful for this morning, or things they wish for their friends until we return. A special Goodbye Song is sung, and parents may then pick-up. Children may not enter the parking circle until their parents have come to walk with them.
Program ends at 12:30.
Pick Up is at The Arboretum at Lake Wilderness Park.