NOTCHCLIFF NATURAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

NOTCHCLIFF NATURE PRESCHOOL 

SPRING 2020 REGISTRATION (Fridays, March 6 - May 29, 2020)

FALL 2020-2021 REGISTRATION Now open - limited availability 

We can't wait to explore nature with your little one! Children ages 3-5 years old enjoy immersive, playful experiences in nature each week in our beautiful forest classroom at Glen Meadows Retirement Community. Read on to learn more or visit facebook.com/notchcliff. 

Our current Forest Fridays drop-off program runs from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. from September through May and meets entirely outdoors. We welcome families and elders at Glen Meadows Retirement Community to join us for special hands-on learning opportunities throughout the year. Family field trips are also built into the program to help families discover the many incredible wild places in our local community. There's still time to join us this spring!

In 2020-21, families may choose from a two-day option on Tuesdays/Thursdays in the Spotted Fawns class or join us for weekly Forest Fridays.  Our classes meet from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in our outdoor forest classroom. In case of severe or inclement weather, we utilize a lovely indoor classroom at Glen Meadows Retirement Community. Registration open now!

Summer Nature Programs
We are finalizing our six-week summer Forest Friday program (June 26 - July 31st), a weeklong nature camp, and a caregiver/child nature class. Registration coming in January.

Forest Fridays are underway! Contact Monica if you'd like to join us for the Spring session or you can register today!

OUR PARTNERS AT GLEN MEADOWS
Glen Meadows Retirement Community is situated on expansive rolling fields and lush woodlands in Glen Arm, Maryland, northeast of Baltimore City. Formerly a convalescent home for nuns, and Notch Cliff horse farm prior to that, Glen Meadows is a beautiful 482 acre campus brimming with places to explore. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the elders in our community who reside here.

What is 'intergenerational learning'?
When learning involves multiple generations - like grandparent to parent to grandchild - it is intergenerational. The elders in every society are the keepers of the past and anchors that help us navigate the future. We appreciate elders for their sage perspectives and want to help children cultivate respect and appreciation for all the elders in our midst.

Notchcliff Nature Preschool offers special opportunities for Glen Meadows residents to experience nature with us. We also enjoy spending time with our "grand friends" in assisted living who have limited access to the outdoors.

You can learn more about the history of Glen Meadows in this Baltimore Sun article and preview the location on Google Earth.

"Springtime orchards are shell pink and white. Summer light lingers on the meadows . . . autumn means the gum tree will be flaming . . .  winter brings whiteness and an almost paradisine beauty."

                                                                                                                   - Maura Eichner, a sister and former Glen Meadows resident

Want to learn more about outdoor preschools? Here is a wonderful article from the New York Times that examines Preschool Without Walls.

FAMILY PROGRAMS 

Forest Storytime
Sat., June 13, Sat., July 18, and Sat., August 8, 2020 
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Glen Meadows Retirement Community, Glen Arm, MD
Open to all ages - and yes, it's FREE!
Drop-in for a FREE Forest Storytime at Glen Meadows. This interactive storytime includes songs, stories, natural artifacts, and the occasional puppet. It's a sweet way to enjoy stories among the trees!

Directions: Follow the driveway all the way to the visitor parking on the left. Walk up the path to the Labrynth and look for us under the dogwood tree. 

This Notchcliff Natural Learning Community is a project of the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.