REVIEW OF Saplings Nature School BY parent, Lucy Brunke

(5) Student Experience

My daughter started at Saplings attending the toddler program at age 2. It was a great introduction to being away from home, learning social skills with children her age and being immersed in nature. The educators were fantastic—they helped my child feel comfortable away from home, had fun and interesting activities every session, and always had a positive attitude. Now, my daughter is in the preschool program and loves it—she asks to go 7 days a week! She has built close friendships with many other children and adores her teachers. She has grown into a strong, determined and creative child, no doubt helped by the time she’s spent in nature, in all the elements, surrounded by a fantastic group of educators.

(5) School Leadership

The team at Saplings has been fantastic since we first started with them. They reply to messages quickly and respond promptly with any changes that need to be made. I have always been able to reach out to them with any concerns I have had, and I have always felt listened to. All issues have been handled fairly, and I feel they foster a positive school environment. I would not hesitate to contact them should any problems arise.

(5) Teaching

The teachers at Saplings are fantastic! They are extremely knowledgeable about nature, local fauna and wildlife, good outdoor practices and survival/outdoor skills. They are well versed in childhood development and seem able to really ‘get on the kid's levels,’ which I have noticed is especially valuable when children are inevitably having a hard time. Their communication skills are fantastic, and I have even copied some of their approaches to issues and found them successful with my own child. They choose open-ended, age-appropriate activities, which means different ages children can play with the same activity at the same time, completing it in their way. They do a great job finding creative, educational activities linked to nature, tying all aspects of forest school together seamlessly.

(5) Academics

As my daughter is only in preschool, academics have not been a huge focus thus far compared to older children. They do activities daily that build foundational literacy and math skills, such as counting activities, number recognition, games with letters and early reading skills. They sing and read books daily. The main focus seems to be on play at this age which I believe is entirely appropriate. They are building all the key skills that they need to succeed in the future. The applied nature of many activities is definitely a strength as it brings abstract concepts into the real world for young children. I strongly believe that my daughter's education at Saplings will provide her with a strong base moving forward into the future stages of her schooling.

(5) Extracurriculars

I am not aware of extracurriculars available at Saplings, though these may only be offered to older children. I believe the school is helping to develop well-rounded children through regular classes alone. The mix of academics (math, science, English), creativity (art, music) and outdoor physical time (running, playing team games, climbing trees) will build strong and well-rounded children without the need for additional activities.

(5) Students

The student body is split over numerous campuses, so I am unsure of the total size. The Pemberton Heights location has a preschool and nature school and is the base for the toddler program. Overall, there is a great atmosphere at the location; the students and teachers are all very friendly with each other, and there is a close-knit environment. The older children play with the younger ones, and most people know each other by name due to the smaller class and school size. Many of the spaces are shared throughout the day, so there is a general feeling of it being everyone’s school rather than certain areas being separated by age or class. The overall feel of the school is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to other families.

(5) School Life

Overall my daughter’s experience at saplings has been fantastic. She loves going and has been asking to go 7 days a week! The mix of the classroom environment, time spent outside in nature, quality educators and well-thought-out activities have made for a wonderful experience, and this is something I have heard echoed from many of her classmates’ parents. The specific forest school teaching style draws families in who generally share similar values and helps create a close-knit community of parents who want their kids to spend lots of time outside connecting with nature. For prospective families, I would recommend investing in some good quality outdoor gear as they spend lots of time outside, rain or shine (heavy on the rain, being in Vancouver!)

(5) Community

I have had a great experience connecting with other parents in my daughter’s class. Due to the small class size (16 in the preschool), we see each other regularly at drop-offs and pick-ups, plus birthday parties and the occasional other event. There aren’t many community gatherings or additional opportunities for parental involvement, simply due to the small class size and the fact that parents are generally quite involved in their child’s schooling due to their age. The school currently does community gatherings before the winter and summer breaks, which I feel is adequate. It is also a nice experience to share food in a ‘potluck style’ with classmates, parents, and educators. I think the level of community is appropriate for the size of the school :)

(5) School Location

The school is split between multiple locations, meaning families can choose the best location for them. The location of the main preschool is at (Pemberton Heights) which is in a very family-friendly neighbourhood with good road and bus access, plenty of parking, a 30km/h school zone and a generally safe and friendly environment. Most children are too young to venture off school alone but would feel safe doing so once they’re older.

(5) Admissions

The admissions process for the toddler program and preschool was very straightforward. The team replied promptly when I contacted them, clearly explaining what we needed to do and how the process would work. They explained how the forest school worked, what the expectations were from us and what we should expect from them. It was not stressful at all, and there wasn’t anything that would need changing. Overall, the admission process was very simple, and I would recommend it to other families.