Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have report cards and tests, how do I know my child is learning?
You will know the same way your child knows: s/he/they will show you. Your child will show you/us what they know. Every 6 - 8 weeks, you will have the opportunity to come and visit your child at school. This is an afternoon/evening at the school where students will show their parents what they have been working on this ‘term’ and how much progress they have made. Some weeks a student might have to really struggle with an idea they have, and might not have accomplished their goal. Other weeks, their goal was achieved and they have also worked on other, smaller goals. That’s the joy of working at their own pace: they choose the path they wish to follow and the goals they wish to achieve. We give them the space and guidance they need. No rote or memory work – unless that’s one of your child’s goals. No tests, because your child will show what they know. No learning-something-for-that-unit and forgetting it after the test. Does your child want to memorize multiplication tables? Great! Learn more about the solar system? Awesome! Study a choreographer and create and perform a dance routine? Fantastic! Parents will be given the time to come into the school and have their child show them what they’ve been up to. This facilitates ownership in their goal setting, motivates their work ethic and instills accountability and pride. This approach instills in our students a desire to strive to achieve their goals and an appreciation for the satisfaction gained by diving in deeply and following their passions. Report cards, as we have participated in creating, are full of items and jargon that typically don’t tell parents much about what kids are really doing every day. Most of us really want to know that our children are kind, caring, contributing members of their classroom and good citizens for their school community. We will communicate the great things your child is doing regularly. We won’t need to wait for a report card to communicate with you about your child.
How much time will the kids spend outside?
As we have learned from Scandinavian schools, research and how we have all managed during this pandemic, children thrive when they are outside. Our goal is to allow children to come and go freely from the indoor area throughout the day. This means when it’s hot, the kids will be outside. When it’s cold, the kids will be outside. When it’s rainy, muddy, foggy … As long as it is safe to be outside the kids will be encouraged to be outside. There is so much to learn from nature in all different kinds of weather. As the Scandinavian philosophy goes – “ There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes!” Appropriate outdoor gear is essential. The Freedom Collective school supply list looks considerably different from the ones you may be used to. Rather than a rainbow of duotangs, we ask that you bring things like lots of extra waterproof mittens and that you always have a dry backup pair of snowpants on hand!
Is there a uniform?
No. We want your child to feel free to wear what they’d like. Personal clothing style is a form of self -expression and we want our students to feel free to express themselves. Please be sure that their clothes can get messy though – thrift stores are going to be your best friend! *;)
Kids need to do things they don’t want to do. That’s life. Isn’t it?
We all have to do things sometimes that we don’t want to do. These tough things are easier to tackle when we know our hearts are nurtured and we feel grounded and calm. The things that kids typically don’t want to do typically come up after they have had to sit too long, or behave a certain way for too long – and each child’s opinion of “too long” can vary greatly. Children naturally love to learn new things. If they know that they can move around and take as many breaks as they need while learning, it’s easier for them to stay excited about learning. Freedom Collective is the space where the tough stuff is enjoyable because it’s done in the way that your child learns best.
Where was this when I was growing up?
It existed. We didn’t invent outdoor education. We are bringing it to Chatham-Kent and to your children because we have seen the amazing things that it does for children all around the world. Weaving outdoor education in with the Montessori method is such a natural fit. We feel that this is a winning combination for our students.
Isn’t Montessori school just for little kids?
This is a common misconception! Many who have heard of Montessori schools have only heard of them as an alternative for young children to attend rather than a traditional day care. The Montessori philosophy is based on a comprehensive educational approach from birth through adulthood. In fact, there are many Montessori schools in surrounding areas such as Windsor, London and Toronto for example who offer a full education option from infants all the way to 8th grade. There are even Montessori High schools in some cities. We are the only school in Chatham-Kent offering the Montessori Elementary Program. Offering it in conjunction with Outdoor Education is what makes us truly unique!
Should I register my child for the Full-Time or part-time Program?
This is a question only you and your family can answer. It may be helpful to consider the differences between the two programs before making that call. Our full time program allows your child to become fully immersed in the Freedom Collective experience. They will be there every day, partaking in all that we have to offer. Freedom Collective is where our full time students work on everything to do with their education with us. We will work on their language and Math skills while also nurturing their love and respect for the natural world. The part-time program will focus mainly on the outdoor education component of Freedom Collective. Essentially , our part time students will still be attending school and developing their academic skills elsewhere for the bulk of the week and will attend Freedom Collective once or twice per week to get their Outdoor Education fix. The part-time program is a great option for those families who might not feel that they are quite ready to pull their kids out of a traditional school entirely but would like them to reap the benefits that time spent at Freedom Collective can offer.
Am I “allowed” to have my child miss school once or twice a week to attend Freedom Collective’s Part-time program?
The simple answer is yes. You have the right to choose how your child spends their time and if you feel that spending one or two days a week outside would be beneficial for them then go for it! Children are permitted to miss school for extracurricular activities such as sports and music lessons -this would be considered an extra-curricular activity. As we know, time spent doing extra-curricular activities is time well spent – it nurtures our heart, lifts our spirits and feeds our soul. This extra-curricular activity may very well result in more focused time when your child is still in the classroom at their full time school, as they know that at least one day per week they will have the freedom to move, roam and explore!
Is there a religious component?
Our religion is the world around us. We find beauty in nature, we find peace in nature, we find ourselves in nature. If a child is passionate about learning about world religions, or any religion in particular, we will guide that student to the information needed to support that curiosity. We will not stop any child from prayer or religious observance. Our mandate however is to offer education that does not have a particular religious basis. There are really great religious private school options in Chatham-Kent if that is of utmost importance to your family.
What is your sickness policy? What about Covid-19?
We want to take a moment to speak to the incredible health benefits that outdoor play, adventurous play and just generally being at one with nature will bring to your child. When your child loves to come to Freedom Collective, they will be less prone to stress-related issues like tummy aches, headaches and worry. Communicable diseases like Covid-19, colds and flu, thrive in close cramped quarters. With our students having access to 78 acres of learning space, the chances of sharing those germs are quite low.
We will be outside everyday barring unsafe conditions. If your child is unwell, they will not want to be active and in turn will not be able to fully participate in our day. Also, having the other children stay indoors because a child is unwell and wants to stay inside for the day is not fair to the group. While a cold is not the same as Covid-19, it is our hope that families will respect themselves and us and keep unwell children home so as not to spread any illness to other. In the event that a child is feeling unwell at school a call home will be made and the expectation is that your child be picked up as soon as possible.
We ask that our families do a Covid -19 self-screening at home each morning prior to arriving at school to save yourselves another trip to the school if your child happens to be symptomatic or is unwell.
What are you doing to ensure safety for our children during this pandemic?
The number one thing that medical professionals recommend is giving our kids a lot of time and space outdoors. We are totally for this! We have hand sanitizer accessible at various places in the classroom and we model proper usage as well as encouraging frequent handwashing. We take attendance daily and trust our families to monitor their child’s wellness. If a student or a teacher has a positive Covid-19 test result, we will follow Public Health guidelines to ensure that our space and our families are safe and that we can safely return to the classroom as soon as possible.
We are committed to providing a safe learning environment for our students and our staff by following expert medical advice.
What if the schools close again?
Whether the province mandates school closures again is unfortunately out of our control. Since we are a Private School registered within the province of Ontario, if closures are mandated they affect us as well. We had hoped to be excluded since we spend so much time outdoors, and we have a small cohort of students, however we are a school and staying open during the lockdowns was not an option.