
Our Program


The Dewey School is located on nearly 700 acres of forest, pasture, gardens, and buildings at the historic museum setting of the Canterbury Shaker Village (a National Historic Landmark) providing endless opportunities for exploration and learning to instill. Children are valued as strong, capable, resilient human beings and their teachers are co-learners in discovery providing support and encouraging thought and inquisitiveness. Utilizing the natural world as a guide to support dual goals that address both child development and conservation values.
To begin each day, provocations bring nature inside creating opportunities to expand investigation and dig deeper from our previous day's exploration. Providing environments that support play-based learning in a multi-age setting of 3-5 year-olds provides opportunities for leadership, cooperation, a relaxed learning environment without competition, and endless opportunities to learn from one another.
From observations to explorations, children are provided opportunities indoors and out to inspire their imagination, exploration, and curiosity.
Our Day
We believe that limited interruption of the children's work is essential to their learning and exploration therefore our time is ish-time at The Dewey School allowing for shift in our day as needed.
8:00-8:30ish
Drop Off
Provocations: Math, Science, Art, Literature, Building
8:30ish
Sing Good Morning Song
Morning Meeting
Music or Library (alternate once a month)
9:00ish
Potty-time and Hand Washing
Snack
9:30ish
Adventure/Beyond
11:20ish
Good-Bye Song and Gratitude Circle
Morning Friends: Pick-Up Time
All-Day Friends: Free Play and Exploration
Noon-1:00ish
Lunch
Potty-time
Yoga
1:00ish
Rest Time
1:30ish
Art Exploration for non-sleepers
2:30ish
Get ready to go home




"All good things are wild and free." -unknown