We welcome you to discover a unique learning opportunity for children located in Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada!
Curriculum
– The Head
– The Heart
– The Hands
Programs
– Forest Preschool – Kindergarten
– Early Elementary
– Senior Elementary
– Middle School
Enrolment
– Take a tour
– Apply
– Interview with the educator
– Acceptance!
The following make up our 2023-2024 School Year Offerings:
Forest Preschool – Kindergarten Class : (ages 2.5 – 6)*
3 day program, ideal for the young children entering into a gentle, play-based caring & rhythmic environment where we explore the woods, gardens, wetlands and fields through all the seasons as our home base, and come back to the cozy cabin for a tea, rest time and imagination play as part of our rhythmic flow to the day. Stories and seasonal crafts are also offered as gathering times and nourishment throughout the week.
Melissa is our lead teacher for the Forest Preschool – Kindergarten Class. Melissa has been a francophone public school teacher for 19 years and last year she was our program lead for our preschool class. Melissa has completed her Enki Community Connection course.
Details
This is a 3-day program, Mondays to Wednesdays from 9 – 3 pm from September to early June. Waitlist for Enrolment. Send us your registration form if you wish to be added to our waitlist and we will contact you.
The cost is $3300 for the 2023-2024 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan and a term payment plan are outlined on the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children from the same family
Early Elementary Class (ages 6-9)*
3 day academic program + 1 day integrated Wild Child program. This class brings a focus in on story-centred learning where we explore the wealth of folk, fairy and trickster tales from all over the world but with a central theme of that the vitality and value is inherent, no matter where you live & who you are and our human journey is to access that inner vitality and wisdom with all the falling and tries needed…. it is here that we know there will be lots of room to mess about with our academic skill development and that is welcomed and indeed part of the journey. Wonder, curiosity and practice of core skills will take students through the discovery of the quality of letters and numbers towards mastering these skills over the 3 years span of this class.
Our lead teacher is Sierra Mangum, with pedagogical support & mentorship from Tegan Wong-Daugherty. Sierra has been the co-teacher with Sparrow for three years on our Wild Child Thursdays, and was the program lead for our Forest Kindergarten class last year. She has 3 children of her own and is a gentle, grounded educator and in 2022 Sierra completed her Enki Foundation courses for teaching.
Details
This 4-day Enki Grades program runs Mondays to Thursdays from 9 – 3 pm from September to early June. Enrolment is now open.
The cost is $3800 for the 2023-2024 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan and a term payment plan are outlined on the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children from the same family
Senior Elementary Class: (ages 8 to 11)*
3 day academic program + 1 day integrated Wild Child program. This class expands upon the story-centred learning towards deep cultural immersion lived through a biographical journey of a human that has changed the world in some way, through their curiosity and willingness to step into their own truth, despite challenges that may have presented. The students in this class have already gained some mastery of core academic skills, so they are now expanding the practice and exploration of these skills in creative ways – such as longer creative writing and poetry – and for math, now using the 4 processes as a base in a larger exploration of patterns and relationships presented in the world around them.
The lead teacher for this class, Leah (Sparrow) Houghton, comes with an extensive Wilderness Education background (including 3 years at the Alderleaf Wilderness College & 4 years as Lead Early Childhood & Grades Teacher at our centre). She has a deep love and respect for children. She has also completed the foundation courses for the Enki Education Teacher Training.
Details
This 4-day Enki Grades program runs Mondays to Thursdays from 9 – 3 pm from September to early June. Enrolment is now open but there is limited availability . The cost is $3800 for the 2023-2024 school year (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan and a term payment plan are outlined on the registration form.
* A 20% sibling discount will be applied automatically for any additional children from the same family
Middle School Class: (ages 9 to 12)*
3.5 day academic program + .5 day integrated land-based learning. This class is now delving into exploration of humanities through still cultural immersion connected to biographical journeys of individuals – but now looking to the wider societal change points of human history. The underlying questions now become – what has influenced the way things are now in society? What journeys of struggle and courage have people gone through to stand up for their truth. Academically, the students are now honing into more the realms of writing styles and grammar concepts as well as pre-algebraic thinking, different number bases and advanced geometry in preparation for high school learning – but still in a story-connected, experiential way.
Our lead teacher for this class is Agnes Took, with pedagogical support & mentorship from Tegan Wong-Daugherty. Agnes has been part of an Enki pioneer group of educators for grades 1-3 and has completed both foundation courses for the Enki Education Teacher Training.
Details
This is a 4-day Enki Grades program, Mondays to Thursdays from 9 – 3 pm from September to early June. Enrolment is now open.
The cost is $3800 for the 2023-2024 school (plus a one-time $100 materials fee due upon registration). A monthly payment plan and a term payment plan are outlined on the registration form.
* age ranges are given as guidance, but each family should meet with the director and class teachers to discuss the best fit for their child. Tuition Relief & Credits Options: • Applications for one-time tuition relief will be accepted. A form will need to be filled out with your registration form and it will be presented to the board in early June. • Workshare options will be considered based on the needs of the classroom teacher or the centre. A formal application is to be submitted at the time of registration. A contract will be made up between KANC and the parent regarding the arrangement: 2 hours per week for the whole year for $750 tuition credit 1 hour per week for $375 tuition credit
Application and Enrolment Process
We welcome inquiries from parents and families wishing to learn more about the Knowlesville Art & Nature School offerings. The following application and enrolment process is designed to help families understand what the school brings to their children, and how they can support their children’s education at the Art & Nature School.
Step 1
Arrange a Tour or attend an Open House: Tours can be booked by contacting the School Director. Open Houses are scheduled periodically throughout the year.
Step 2
Complete an Application. Applications can be found above under School Year Offerings > your selected program> registration.
Physical copies can be made available at the KAN Centre. ** New families must fill out a New Families Application Form! These can be sent to admin@knowlesvillenature.ca upon completion.
Step 3
Interview with the Class Teacher and/or School Director: The parents and student(s) will attend an interview with the class teacher.
Step 4
After the interview, students applying to the grades program ideally will be able to visit the class for 1-3 days. They will have the opportunity to experience the school day with their peers and the teacher will have the opportunity to see the child at work in the class. Alternatively, if applying when the school is not in session, we recommend that your child(ren) enroll in our summer nature camps to start making connections with the land and community that support the school.
Step 5
Acceptance: Once the student has been accepted by the teacher, an acceptance letter will be sent and the family will have 2 weeks to book an enrolment meeting.
Step 6
Complete Enrolment Contract and Payment Schedule with our office administrator.
Please contact us more information about any of our programs or to arrange a visit, by e-mailing info@knowlesvillenature.ca or call the school at 506-375-6400.
School-Wide Curriculum Goals
At the Art & Nature School we offer opportunities for children to explore and learn in ways that engage their whole being and cultivates independent thinking and creative problem-solving. We use a combination of Waldorf and Enki Inspired Curriculum that nurtures the head, heart and hands of the children.
The Head
Thinking and Knowledge
The Art & Nature School’s emphasis is not on what to think but on how to think. It embraces complexity through simple acts. To be truly prepared for the future, it will not only be necessary to discover unknown answers to a given problem, it will be necessary to define the problem, ask the right questions, and envision many different solutions.
The Heart
Feelings and Motivation
We feel that all people have vitality, wisdom and compassion at their core. We strive for a learning community that engages the hearts of the children to help uncover their own inherent capacity to care about themselves and their fellow human beings; to discover the wonder and inter-relationships in this world, and to experience many ways to engage and create. Artistic activities (painting, drawing, drama, music, and handicrafts) are part of the school experience each day. They foster a heartfelt connection between the student and the subject and make education more meaningful and memorable.
The Hands
Purposeful Activity
The goal of education is to instill confidence and fosters self-esteem in order to find a meaningful path in a complex and confusing world where self-determination and strong character are needed. Handwork includes knitting, woodworking, sewing, gardening, cooking and general care of their school environment. All of these meaningful tasks help to create responsible free individuals who can ultimately contribute to the vitality of their families and communities.
Spirituality
Our school families come from various religious and cultural backgrounds. The curriculum is not based on a particular religious doctrine. Rather, it is based on the belief that there is a spiritual dimension to each human being that also requires nurturing.
Affordability
The Knowlesville Art & Nature School is run primarily on the volunteer spirit of our team. Our lead teachers are qualified teachers who are offering their teaching abilities at below market salaries because they are passionate about making a rural school in a natural setting a reality. Our specialty teachers come from the school parents and the local community and include artists, yoga instructors, carpenters and language & culture specialists who very generously give their time and add richness to the classroom on a regular basis. All this has made it possible to work with families to make tuition affordable for families of diverse economic realities.
KAN School Vision:
The KAN provides a holistic nature-connected environment for ourselves and our children. We started in 2008 with a Forest Kindergarten, which has evolved to including a homeschool collective for children up to grade 8. Inspired by Waldorf & ENKI pedagogies, we strive to nurture through heart connection the inherent vitality and wisdom of our shared human journey.
ENKI is an art-enriched global cultures program. The foundation of ENKI is the nurturing of the inherent vitality, wisdom and compassion which exists in every child. All programming offered through the Knowlesville Art and Nature School uses this foundation as a starting point and guiding principle. We are excited to be pioneering this rich educational pedagogy in New Brunswick, Canada.