8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The ridge trail: a walk and a nature notebook
Outdoor day · Elise Danner and Titus Collier · The ridge trail
A nature-based microschool in Signal Mountain, Tennessee
Three days on the hillside, two in the room
Sixteen students aged 5 to 10 spend Monday to Wednesday outdoors with two guides, above the river, and Thursday and Friday at a long table with the windows open.
- Ages 5 to 10
- Sixteen students
- Two guides
The week
Three days outside, two days in the room
Monday to Wednesday begin at the meadow gate and end back at it. Thursday and Friday are for reading, writing, math and making, at a long table with the windows open.
A week in the school year
Showing 15 of 15
Monday
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch under the oaks
Outdoor day · Titus Collier · The meadow
12:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Shelters, ropes and tarps
Outdoor day · Elise Danner · The meadow edge
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The creek: counting, measuring and stones
Outdoor day · Elise Danner and Titus Collier · The creek bank
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch under the oaks
Outdoor day · Titus Collier · The meadow
12:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Reading aloud on blankets
Outdoor day · Elise Danner · The lawn
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The garden beds: planting, weighing and writing it down
Outdoor day · Elise Danner and Titus Collier · The garden
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch under the oaks
Outdoor day · Titus Collier · The meadow
12:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Maps of the hillside, drawn by hand
Outdoor day · Elise Danner and Titus Collier · The meadow
Thursday
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Reading and writing, in two groups
Room day · Elise Danner · The room
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Math, in two groups
Room day · Titus Collier · The room
1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Making: wood, clay and cloth
Room day · Titus Collier · The room
Friday
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Writing up the week's notebooks
Room day · Elise Danner · The room
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Math games and puzzles
Room day · Titus Collier · The room
1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
The Friday meeting and the note home
Room day · Elise Danner · The room
Nothing matches that filter.
Sample classes.
Rain moves lunch under the shelter. Lightning moves everyone into the room.
Weather
What we do when the weather turns
Outdoor days stay outdoor days in rain and cold. These are the rules the guides follow, and a note goes home whenever a plan changes.
Rain: we go out in rain gear, and lunch moves under the shelter.
Thunder or lightning: everyone goes into the room until it has passed.
Cold: layers, hats and a thermos, and a shorter walk.
Heat: shade breaks, water on every walk, and the creek day moves to the morning.
Ice or snow on the mountain road: school closes, and we text families before 6:30 a.m.
On the hillside
What the days look like
Garden beds on Wednesday, drawing on the lawn, a circle in the room.
Sample photos.
Summer weeks
Six summer weeks on the hillside
Summer weeks run 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the meadow and on the ridge trail, with one theme a week. Students who do not come during the year are welcome.
Summer
- Early June
Week 1
Creek and stones
Counting, measuring and sorting stones along the creek bank, with a notebook in every pocket.
- Mid June
Week 2
Garden and kitchen
Planting, weeding and weighing in the garden beds, then cooking what is ready.
- Late June
Week 3
Maps and trails
Drawing the hillside by hand and walking the trails the maps show.
- Early July
Week 4
Shelters and ropes
Building with sticks, tarps and rope in the meadow, then taking it all down again.
Waitlist - Mid July
Week 5
Birds and insects
Sitting still, listening and drawing what lands, crawls or sings.
- Late July
Week 6
Clay, cloth and paper
Making under the pavilion roof: dyed cloth, pinched clay and hand-bound books.
Sample sessions.
The guides
Two guides, sixteen students
Elise and Titus teach every student, every day the school is open.
Elise Danner
Founding guide
Started Docent and leads reading, writing and the Monday ridge walk. She is at the meadow gate when the first family arrives.
Titus Collier
Guide
Leads math, the creek and garden days and the Thursday making afternoon, and writes the Friday note that goes home to every family.
Families
What parents say
“Our daughter comes home muddy and talking about what she measured at the creek. The Friday note tells us what the week held.”
Katharine A.Parent of a second grader
“The visit day was a Wednesday on the ridge. Our son kept pace with the older students, and nobody hurried him.”
Corinna K.Parent of a kindergartener
“We wanted a small group with weather in it. The rain gear list and the Friday meeting made it easy to say yes.”
Kade M.Parent of a fourth grader
Sample reviews.
Visit
Book a visit day
A visit day is an outdoor Wednesday. Walk the ridge with the group, eat lunch under the oaks and talk with Elise and Titus about your family. Children come along.
Phone(423) 555-0107
School hours
- Monday to FridayToday
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- Closed