Frequently Asked Questions

---

At Gilbert Nature School, we offer students unparalleled freedom, autonomy, and power of initiative. We allow risky play and support our students' growth by providing ample time each day for unstructured outdoor nature-based play. 

Our School Rules: Gentle With All Living Things (Do no harm), Listen to Grownups (and we promise to only give necessary instructions!), and Take Turns (when someone has something you’d like to use, ask, "When you're done, may I please have a turn?").

Because we provide so much freedom at Gilbert Nature School, our students must be willing and able to comply with these boundaries. 

We believe in the transformative power of strong community connections and encourage all of our families to invest their time in our Community Saturday events. Together we tend the gardens, school grounds, and classrooms as we celebrate our students' growth, make new friends, strengthen teacher-student-family bonds, and deepen our sense of belonging and inter-connection. We hope you'll join us!

The morning of each school day is spent outside in in our prepared learning environments. Each day begins with a  Morning Welcome Circle. Then, students are free to do as they like, so long as they do no harm. This hands-off approach is heavily backed by modern research and guided by the Forest School design principles for learning and child development. 

Some mornings also include educator-initiated activities and projects such as gardening, crafting, map-making, and science experiments, while others are less structured and allow for in-depth exploration of student-initiated and led activities. Think anything from theater productions to lemonade stands to obstacle courses. Our curriculum is limited only by our students' imaginations!

Our afternoon session includes a formal Montessori Work Cycle. This  includes teacher-presented lessons in practical life, Montessori sensorial materials, reading, grammar, mathematics, the sciences, cultural studies, art, and music.

We accept students starting at 2 years old and toilet trained, and our curriculum extends through 5th Grade. We tailor learning experiences to each unique child and our experienced educators can meet each student exactly where they are as we begin our learning journey together.

We operate at 13439 S Val Vista Dr, Gilbert, AZ 85296. Situated on nearly 3 acres, we have gardens, play areas, and abundant visiting wildlife. We are in the process of creating our own Food Forest and native plant sanctuary.

During the cool part of the school year we visit the Riparian Preserve regularly, weather permitting. The Preserve's abundant wildlife and plethora of unique plants make this the perfect environment for Sonoran learning experiences. At the Preserve, we abide by the Rules for Public Use established by the Town of Gilbert. 

Developed by Dr. Maria Montessori over 100 years ago, Montessori education is an educational approach devoted to respecting and encouraging each child's Inner Teacher. Also known as Child Led Learning, Montessori education is based on trust, respect, and courtesy and encourages children to develop and deepen their own natural interests. Our motto is, "Help me do it by myself!"

Our skilled educators weave an abundance of academic skills into the child's own areas of interest. We encourage and model asking questions, seeking answers, and making connections. We believe that children's innate curiosity is their best guide and we "follow the child"  as they navigate the wonderful world of learning with enthusiasm and delight.

Our Morning Session curriculum includes biology, ecology, botany, ornithology, natural history, gardening, outdoor survival skills, the creative arts, storytelling, and plenty of time for unstructured play (for all ages!)

Our Afternoon Session curriculum includes a formal Montessori Work Cycle, with lessons in Language, Sensorial, Practical Life, Mathematics, Geography, and the Sciences.

Weekly music classes are Suzuki based and emphasize ear training, pitch matching, rhythm fluency, and vocal training while supporting the development of every child's inner musician in a fun and enriching class structure that boosts confidence and camaraderie. 

Our Full Day students also have access to the Montessori Bells and extension materials during the Afternoon Work Cycle. 

We send a detailed packing list to each registered student, and here's a general guide:

Water bottle, filled and labeled

Lunch, labeled

Hat

Sensible shoes

Clothing for the weather

Optional: Sunscreen already applied

Our late pickup fee is $5 for the first 5 minutes and $2 for every minute thereafter. These fees are automatically added the next month's invoice.  If your schedule makes it difficult to arrive on time, please contact us to make special arrangements.

We create and model an environment that supports respect for oneself, others, and nature. Most of our effort goes into preventative measures to make sure this environment is sustained and supported by all participants. 

Our educators are experienced in setting clear boundaries with students that enable everyone to have a wonderful experience. 

Our School Rules: Gentle With All Living Things (Do no harm), Listen to Grownups (and we promise to only give necessary instructions!), and Take Turns (when someone has something you’d like to use, ask, "When you're done, may I please have a turn?").

Because we provide so much freedom at Gilbert Nature School, our students must be willing and able to comply with these boundaries. 

We will communicate with families when students require regular redirection. 

If a child repeatedly hurts or endangers the safety of other children or staff or resists engaging in academic work, a conference with the director will be required. Repeated offenses may result in dis-enrollment.

You can submit an application here.  Once received, we will reach out to discuss the program and answer any questions you may have before moving forward with the application process. 

We offer open enrollment pending availability. Tuition for our regular program is charged monthly and we ask for 30 days notice if you choose to unenroll before the end of the school year. Tuition for our Camp programs is due upon enrollment.

We use ProCare for all of our organizational and administrative needs. Your application and forms are all based there. All billing goes through ProCare with your payment information securely on file.  We also use ProCare to send you photos and other updates about our time at Gilbert Nature School!

Yes! We are a registered vendor and are listed as Gilbert Nature School. Please let us know if you are applying ESA funds to your account as this can take several weeks to show up in our system. 

Probably! Please dress in clothing that is soil-friendly and always keep us stocked with a complete change of clothes. 

We provide morning and afternoon snacks. The food we serve is always certified organic and gluten-free. We inquire about allergies and food sensitivities at enrollment so that we can accommodate all of our students' needs.

Gilbert Nature School does not provide prepared meals and asks that parents provide a healthy sack lunch to bring with their child each day.

We appreciate your generous offer! Please check in with us prior so that we can see if it will be appropriate for everyone's food allergies and preferences. We do ask that any food that is shared in our programs be organic.

We will always check for allergies when a child joins our program. It is each family's responsibility to ensure that our staff are aware of any allergies.