Marin’s outdoor classrooms could be some of the safest places for kids to learn during the coronavirus pandemic thanks to their open air and natural sunlight, some educators say.
They could also be a key for enhancing academics by calming a child’s brain and reducing mental fatigue, says Wendy Xa, head of school at Terra Marin School in Mill Valley.
The school, now entering its third year of operation in Marin, is adding an all-off-campus, nature-based micro-school track for the 2020-21 school year.
“Being in an environment where kids can continue to be curious and continue to connect in a multifaceted way with their peers and the Earth can help kids continue to develop as they’re supposed to do,” Xa said. “We’ve done a lot of great (outdoor) things before, but now we realize it’s even more beneficial during COVID.”
Xa, who founded the K-8 private school in Marin and in San Francisco, says she’s seen a big spike in inquires for the nature-based curriculum in recent weeks.
The outdoor micro-school is one of numerous alternatives parents are exploring in Marin since the local stay-at-home orders took effect — and since Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered Marin schools to start the year with distance learning until the county’s virus numbers improve.
Other parents who can afford it are looking at hiring private tutors, homeschooling or micro-school pandemic pods.
According to Xa, Terra Marin has been deemed an essential service and so is planning to offer both of its two tracks. Those are an all-off-campus outdoor program and a schedule of four days on campus in Mill Valley with small groups of 12 to 16 students, plus one day per week off campus, Xa said.
On Monday, the school launched the second of three, three-week summer camps to test the micro-school combination of outdoor education at Marin’s local parks, plus academics such as English, math, science and social studies.
“In my opinion, this may actually work better than regular school,” Xa said. “The kids are so engaged. The secret sauce is that they love it.”
At Monday’s class at Tennessee Valley, the kids learned how to break open a rock and find a fossil inside.
“They were so excited,” Xa said. “I bet if you gave them a test on how to find a rock that has a fossil inside, they would all get an ‘A.'” The kids also got a lesson in poison oak identification and had a session on decorating their own nature journals.
Dana Spaeth-Williams of Strawberry said her son Noah, 12, has thrived at Terra Marin. Noah had experienced attention deficit disorder and dyslexia before and did not do well in public school, she said.
“It’s been a game changer,” Spaeth-Williams said. “The project-based learning, the individual attention, the breaks, going outside. He’s more confident in his own self.”
Her son attended the school for sixth and seventh grades and now plans to enroll there for eighth grade when the new term starts Aug. 24, she said.
The tuition at Terra Marin ranges from $15,000 to $33,200 annually, depending on scholarships. The three-week summer camps, which range from the micro-schools to the all-outdoor camps to a specialized Mandarin language training, cost about $726 a week.
All the outdoor classes have one multi-subject certified teacher and an “earth educator” with special safety certification.
COVID-19 precautions include masks, gloves, sanitizers and social distancing.
“We minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission by working with parents to establish safety guidelines for home,” Xa said. “All participants agree to continue to shelter in place — no after-school sports or play dates — and limit their contact only to their classmates and household members.”
