a m 5/28/19 a m 5/28/19

School built in the 1800’s sores towards the future

In an age of education defined by tablets, online school, and technology, St. Anna’s Belfield’s early education program has decided to break the mold.

St. Anna’s Belfield School, otherwise known as STAB, was founded in 1851. It is located in the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia. The large campus housing students from pre-k to 12th grade is surrounded by rolling hills and hiking trails.

A map is required to help people navigate the campus. Each grade has its own unique section of the campus, outfit to address the educational needs of each age.

There are a variety of reasons it is a highly sought-after school for children in Virginia. According to STAB, the average class sizes are 12 students, 73% of students get accepted into their first or second college choice, 77% of the faculty hold advanced degrees, and 19 countries are represented in the small 914 student body. Their mission according to their website is to “provide students with a multidimensional education.”

This is particularly true with their early education program, which adopts a “natural classroom” approach. A natural classroom prioritizes outdoor play-based classes. The early education campus, housing ages two to kindergarten, has an outdoor art lab, science lab, and engineering lab.

It also has hiking trails, gardens where children participate in curating fresh produce, and a quarry site. Kathy Carpenter, the director of the Early Childhood Program, has deemed this outdoor oasis her passion project.

“Kids need the outdoors more than ever. We have seen a drop in students' ability to be creative, even in fine motor skills,” states Carpenter.

The early education program has outdoor classrooms, which are made to house classes outdoors. Each class is only up to eight students, and each teacher has a classroom assistant. The goal is to spend all day learning outdoors unless there is climate weather such as high winds or severe thunderstorms.

Each child is expected to bring a rather long list of items. This includes a rain jacket, rain pants, and rain boots. They also need a hat and hiking shoes for sunny days. The list changes depending on the season. Students also need two extra outfits to change into.

“We do a lot of water activities,” states Mrs. Olivia Wages, one of the two’s teachers are STAB. “Kids tend to get dirty pretty quickly with all the activities outdoors.”

The outdoor playgrounds have slides, stepping stones, and playhouses. There is even a train, outfitted with luggage for children to take on their “trips”.

“I spent a lot of time considering the details. We have tables that flip up, allowing students to have a desk, but also allowing teachers to create more space in their classrooms.” Carpenter explains during her tour.

Students learn STEM, and arts, and even have cooking classes. Carpenter describes their social and social-emotional learning curriculum that teaches students how to be active, engaged members of their community. Children are taught how to solve problems, manage their emotions, and express kindness and empathy for their peers.

“Each day for the children looks different. One day they may build boats to send down the quarry, another they might bake muffins or go hiking looking for particular plants on the trail.” Explains Carpenter.

Of course, not every day can be spent outdoors due to weather. The indoor facilities were also built with the curriculum in mind. There is an indoor treehouse and a library on wheels.

“We wanted a library but also wanted to be able to move things around to change or open up more space,” motions Carpenter as she points to the common area.

The classroom all provide comfort and coziness, with murals of the outdoors on the walls, comfy couches, and lots of toys geared toward learning and dramatic play. This includes kitchens, trains, musical instruments, and arts and crafts.

The price tag for this groundbreaking education depends on the number of days the student attends. A pre-school student who attends the full day, five days a week racks up $18,700 in yearly tuition.

Carpenter says that the construction of the outdoor area is nearly complete.

“ I think this is a place where all students can thrive.”

In an age of education defined by technology, St. Anna’s Belfield’s early education program has decided to break the mold.

*Sign in front of the Early Childhood Program, with the unique building number in order to find it on campus*

St. Anna’s Belfield School, otherwise known as STAB, was founded in 1851. It is located in the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia. The large campus houses students from pre-k to 12th grade and is surrounded by rolling hills and hiking trails.

A map is required to help people navigate the campus. Each grade has its own unique section that addresses the educational needs of each age

There are a variety of reasons it is a highly sought-after school for children in Virginia. According to STAB, the average class size is 12 students, 73% of students get accepted into their first or second college choice, 77% of the faculty hold advanced degrees, and 19 countries are represented in the small 914 student body. Their mission according to their website is to “provide students with a multidimensional education.”

*An ode to the bigger train on the playground, this welcome students through the front door*

It also has hiking trails, gardens where children participate in curating fresh produce, and a quarry site.

Kathy Carpenter, the director of the Early Childhood Program, has deemed this outdoor oasis her passion project.

“Kids need the outdoors more than ever. We have seen a drop in students' ability to be creative, even in fine motor skills,” said Carpenter.

The early education program has outdoor classrooms. Each class is only up to eight students, and each teacher has a classroom assistant. The goal is to spend all day learning outdoors unless there is poor weather such as high winds or severe thunderstorms.

Each child is expected to bring a rather long list of items. This includes a rain jacket, rain pants, and rain boots. They also need a hat and hiking shoes for sunny days. The list changes depending on the season. Students also need two extra outfits to change into.

“We do a lot of water activities,” said Mrs. Olivia Wages, one of the two’s teachers at STAB. “Kids tend to get dirty pretty quickly with all the activities outdoors.”

The outdoor playgrounds have slides, stepping stones, and playhouses. There is even a train, outfitted with luggage for children to take on their “trips”.

The extra clothes provided for children who forgot weather gear, the outdoor classrooms, and quarry

*The mural inside the two's classroom, creating an "indoor/outdoor" feel*

Students learn STEM, arts, and even have cooking classes. Carpenter says their social and social-emotional learning curriculum teaches students how to be active, engaged members of their community. Children are taught how to solve problems, manage their emotions, and express kindness and empathy for their peers.

Of course, not every day can be spent outdoors due to weather. The indoor facilities were also built with the curriculum in mind. There is an indoor treehouse and a library on wheels.

“We wanted a library but also wanted to be able to move things around to change or open up more space,” motions Carpenter as she points to the common area.

*The infamous "comfy" couch, filled with cozy blankets and stuff animals*

The classrooms all provide comfort and coziness, with murals of the outdoors on the walls, comfy couches, and lots of toys geared toward learning and dramatic play. This includes kitchens, trains, musical instruments, and arts and crafts.

The price tag for this groundbreaking education depends on the number of days the student attends. A pre-school student who attends the full day, five days a week racks up $18,700 in yearly tuition.

Carpenter says that the construction of the outdoor area is nearly complete.

“ I think this is a place where all students can thrive.”