Mission – Education rooted in nature to inspire in our students a deeper connection to the community around them.
Vision – Every child is given the opportunity to learn about their world through daily access to extended time in nature. Quality educators facilitate an emergent curriculum that reflects the needs of the whole child and meets the demands of the world in which we live.
Exciting News!
Our Kindergarten Program is now officially licensed and part of our childcare program at Greenbelt Academy! We’re proud to be part of CWELCC, making our rates more affordable for families. This includes 2 snacks, lunch, and extended hours from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. No additional charges for before or aftercare!
How Does Learning Happen at Greenbelt Academy?
Our vision is that every child is given the opportunity to learn about their world through daily access to extended time in nature. Quality educators facilitate an emergent curriculum that reflects the needs of the whole child and meets the demands of the world in which we live.
At Greenbelt Academy we strive to meet our vision through hands-on experiential learning opportunities that follow the interests of the child, by allowing the curriculum to be fluid and built through observation and real life happenings. Teacher-led workshops and small group demonstrations are a mix of Ontario Curriculum and Forest School pedagogy which offer new skills and address the needs of the whole child and realities of their community. We incorporate opportunities for risky play while in the forest and onsite, and offer multiple unstructured play sessions throughout the day. Our pedagogy places importance on developing emotional intelligence and we incorporate these skills into our lesson plans and responsive interactions with students. Through nature immersion, children develop environmental literacy which encourages them to grow to be humans who are authentically connected to the world around them and are more likely to care for and advocate for the future of our planet and their communities. Through our program, your child will be prepared with a solid foundation to support them down whatever path their education takes them.
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Interview with CHCH News.
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Community Day – Niagara Waste Management
Niagara Waste Management came in to talk to the children about the importance of recycling and composting and they read a story.
Dressing for the Weather
Please find below helpful information on how to ensure your child is prepared for the outdoors. Especially during colder [...]
Community Day – Sewing
We’d like to thank Roncia for coming in to talk to the children about her role as a seamstress/ tailor and for doing a sewing activity with us.
Community Day- Grimsby Garden Club
Thank you Ms. Marilyn and Ms. Kay for coming in to teach the children about plants that live through the winter.
Community Day – Farmer Sarah
In our recent Community Day, Farmer Sarah visited our school, educating us on farming, grape vine pruning, and more. We enjoyed hands-on activities like yoga, art, and games, and had a blast with the new equipment. Thank you, Farmer Sarah!
What We’re Reading: Rooted
In Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s Rooted, cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets, artists, mystics, and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over millennia: life on this planet is radically interconnected.
TESTIMONIALS
My child started at Greenbelt academy when she turned 18 months. My husband and I started recognizing the benefits immediately. Her increase in social skills, emotional skills, problem solving skills, and creativity skills improved immensely. She is very excited to share her new skills with us every evening when reviewing her day. Nature based learning encourages her to focus and makes learning fun! Our daughter loves going to daycare everyday, making the transition back to work very easy!
We will forever be grateful for the experience our girls have had at Greenbelt Academy. They absolutely love attending and we have seen such a difference in their growth! From the confidence they have gained from the rich experiences that the educators provide, to their ability to self-regulate and name their emotions, it truly provides growth and learning opportunities with the whole child in mind. We know they are more connected to nature now than ever before and we are witnessing the positive impact this has had on them on a daily basis. The thoughtfulness of every educator leaves us with such a sense of gratitude knowing they are well cared for! What a joy it has been for our children to have these experiences in their earliest years.
I just wanted to say that I didn’t realize at the time when I put the kids on the waitlist but I understand now…is how important/imperative forest school is for development. Regardless of how we ended up at Greenbelt, from the depth of my soul, this is the best school for all our children and I am so grateful to be able to send Leonardo there. You/your staff’s hard work has not gone unnoticed over the past few months. Our child was always a happy child but it’s happy on a whole other level these days. Thank you.
Greenbelt has truly given our children a place to thrive in the great outdoors. Their nature based programming fosters a true connection to the environment while allowing them the freedom to explore and create using organic tools – teaching them to think outside the box! We have seen a real change in our children since joining the program – from language, imagination, writing, gross motor skills, socialization, and physical play just to name a few. We look forward to many more years growing and learning with our Greenbelt Family!
Enrolling our child in Greenbelt Academy and Early Learning Centre was one of the best decisions we have ever made for our family. We can’t recommend it enough! Our son attended Greenbelt from Preschool all the way through Senior Kindergarten. The teachers and staff helped to bolster his self-confidence and physical development, in addition to his social and emotional well-being through a nature-based curriculum that has set the foundation for a life-long love and respect for the natural world. We have been particularly impressed with the STEAM programming offered at the school, which has given our son a head start in subjects such as environmental science, astronomy, geography, math, art and French. We loved our Greenbelt experience and plan to stay involved with the community through summer camps and the Forest Friday program.
Our family could not be more thrilled that we found Greenbelt when we did. Our oldest son, who is now five, started in the Seeds program and is still attending their summer camps today. His respect for nature, our planet, and ecosystems from a young age is all thanks to Greenbelt’s programming. You could see the excitement and pure joy he had while attending the forest and exploring the outdoors.
Now, our youngest son has been in the Seeds program for over a year, and we can see the same passion growing within him. They both chant with excitement every day, eager to see what new adventures await. Regardless of the weather—hot, rainy, snowy, or cold—my children love being outside and exploring. I don’t believe they would be this way without Greenbelt.
I cannot say enough good things about how happy my boys are from attending Greenbelt. The owners truly feel like family, running a seamless program both outdoors and indoors. They learned to be kind and respectful to themselves and others. Not to mention, they now eat almost anything, thanks to the healthy meals the school provides.
If you are contemplating enrolling your child here, don’t wait. Greenbelt truly brings back the essence of “being a kid,” and I guarantee your child will explore, adventure, and live like one here.
We first contacted Greenbelt Academy to register our daughter for summer camp. Since our daughter was too young for camp, Joelle was very helpful to find room in the daycare program instead. Our daughter loved being there. We immediately saw an increased interest in learning and an improvement in her tonus overall. We ended up registering for the whole year, full time. Joelle and her team are very kind and go above and beyond to accommodate any needs and they are very responsive to any parent concerns. We are impressed with the attention given to every child, the focus on play-based learning, and all the nature immersive activities that foster resilience, awareness and kindness for others and the environment. We are very grateful for everything they do to help our daughter prepare towards the school years.
I originally thought her idea of 4-6 hours a day outside was utterly preposterous. It is a far cry from typical child activities these days, most of which last no longer than an hour. At the invite of a friend we began to spend large immersive chunks of time in nature and immediately my eyes were opened. Children who are allowed this freedom of time outside get lost in nature. They get lost in their imaginations and they get lost in wonder. And then they rapidly develop. There are many factors why but one reason is due to the rich sensory environment that nature always provides.