NEW & NOW
New nature school inspires wonder in students
Back to Earth School launched their first school year in the fall of 2022. Considered a homeschool hybrid school, the school currently serves a class of first and second graders on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with many students participating in homeschool or virtual school programs on the off days. In addition to teaching reading, writing and math, students enjoy plenty of unstructured time outdoors, in addition to yoga, movement, singing, art and handwork like knitting and crocheting. Wide open outdoor space, a wooded area and simple, natural elements encourage kids to be imaginative in their play. “Kids discover all kinds of little things in the natural world that spark a sense of wonder in them,” said founder Carlie Khodabakhsh. “That sense of being grounded and peace you find when you are in nature are important for mental health.”
The school’s teachers are trained in Waldorf Education, which offers an experiential, academically rigorous approach that integrates arts across subjects and aims to inspire life-long learning. Instead of trying to fit many subjects into each day, block scheduling allows students to intensely study a topic for 3 to 5 weeks before moving on. With small class sizes and a flexible schedule and curriculum, teachers are free to foster the specific interests and needs of each child. Back to Earth School offers 8-week Forest School classes for ages 4 to 6, during which students focus on engaging with the natural world. Weekly parent-child classes are offered for ages 0 to 3. New in 2023, the school will be offering a 3-day kindergarten program for ages 4 to 6. Classes take enrollment throughout the year. Contact backtoearthschool@gmail. com for more information.
BACK TO EARTH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENJOY EXTENDED TIME TO EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS.
Mid-Del Public Schools launches program to address period poverty In late 2022, the Midwest City-Del City Public Schools Foundation launched a groundbreaking program for addressing period poverty in the district. In partnership with SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital - Midwest and Aunt Flow, a nationwide purveyor of period products, each of the district’s elementary, middle and high schools received dispensers providing free period products. High-quality, sustainably made period products are available in 207 dispensers across the district, free to all students and teachers, regardless of income or need. This program is the first in Oklahoma and one of the first in the nation. Period poverty is the condition of being disadvantaged due to menstruation and is most often experienced by individuals under financial constraints. Lack of access to adequate pads or tampons can lead to students missing class, staying home from school and falling behind academically. “Period poverty is one of those problems that people tend to think of as happening in other times and places – if they are aware of it at all,” said Lindse Barks, director of the Midwest City-Del City Public School Foundation. “Unfortunately, period poverty is very real for today’s Oklahoma students, and we believe this partnership will go a long way to help address it. Additionally, we hope this will help start a dialogue not only in our schools but in our community and the state as a whole, so we may all better understand and confront the inequities brought about by period poverty.”
MORE THAN 200 DISPENSERS THROUGHOUT MID-DEL SCHOOLS PROVIDE FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JAN-FEB 2023 43
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