Birdsong Outdoor School

Testamonials from Enrolled Families

“We were so lucky to find Birdsong and teacher Elizabeth. This school was a perfect match for our son. Having a PhD in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in early childhood education, I have much experience and knowledge of quality ECE programs. Teacher Elizabeth is extremely knowledgeable, caring and goes above and beyond for the children and families in her care. Children are allowed to explore and create (within boundaries) and the intentional and open ended experiences provide a solid foundation for kindergarten and life. We will forever be thankful for our time at Birdsong and wish we hadn’t moved out of the area or our daughters would have also attended. If you are interested in learning more about our experience please reach out, I’m happy to share! I honestly wish every child was given an opportunity to experience such a well rounded and holistic approach to learning. This school will not only help your child grow socially, but cognitively in ways you can never imagine.” -Joanna Englehardt

“This review is long overdue! My daughter went to this preschool for a year and a half before we moved out of the area. She enjoyed going to school, she was happy every time I went to pick het up and even now, months after she no longer goes to the preschool she talks about Mrs Elizabeth and the good times she had at school.
Looking back I can see that she really thrived at Birdsong. She improved her English, as she was not a native speaker, her social skills blossomed, she enjoyed chickens and gardening, story-telling, baking and field trips.
Mrs Elizabeth is a loving teacher, very knowledgeable on early childhood development and she was guiding us parents to better understand and support our kids. Her program is very impressive and due to low number of kids she is able to attend and nurture every child and their needs. She is also very connected to nature and we loved her play based nature rituals and stories.
Regular updates, helpful links on parenting, school photos were all a big plus.
All in all, Thank you Birdsong! :)”    -L.C.

“I feel so lucky and blessed to have found this gem of a school for our son. The all outdoor aspect of the school was one of the first things that drew us to it.  We feel like connection with nature and the natural rhythms is such a great environment for kids to learn and thrive. However, this school is so much more than just “regular” preschool held outside. Teacher Elizabeth has clearly put tremendous time and energy into developing the program and her lessons.  We love the the school gives lots of time and focus on free play and supporting the social/emotional development of the child.  We love the emphasis on natural materials and self-guided imaginative play. Every week our child comes home with new songs or new stories or new things he’s learned about the world.  We know that the respectful and “growth-mindset” approaches that teacher Elizabeth employs really bring out the best in our son. Additionally, Birdsong has been a haven for us during the times of Covid.  Teacher Elizabeth has been diligent and creative in figuring out ways to keep the kids safe, while still incorporating favorite enriching activities. Even with Covid restrictions on larger parent attended gatherings, the community fostered with the other families at the school has been so valuable for myself  and our family.  We would love our son and younger daughter to continue at Birdsong for the rest of their preschool time… unfortunately for that hope, we are moving out of the state. Hopefully our loss can benefit another child to snag his spot and join the Birdsong family.” -L.S.

 “The Birdsong campus is a haven for the students and includes many different areas for creative and cooperative exploration. The kids feel at home there and have ample materials with which to challenge themselves physically and to stretch their imaginations. The curriculum and materials at Birdsong are fabulous, but the real treasure is Elizabeth. She puts her heart and expertise and enthusiasm into everything she does and it shows. The kids feel loved and nurtured and challenged and parents have a real partner to collaborate with as they work to support their child’s growth. Our son is very sad to leave Birdsong and Elizabeth for Kindergarten, but thanks to her loving care we are all enriched and ready for the journey ahead. We are especially lucky to have found Birdsong during the pandemic. Elizabeth guided us through the changing requirements and kept everyone safe and comfortable. It was so much fun for the kids to resume field trips to local parks and preserves during the second half of the year. We are incredibly grateful for this year at Birdsong.” – H.O.

“We’re extremely happy and fortunate to have found this school. After extensive research and trial and error of a few schools, this is exactly what we had hoped for: a place filled with love and happiness, set in a beautiful location with lots of outdoor activities and appropriate toys. The school is fostering an environment where kids will learn a lot about Mother Earth, being conscious of natural resources and getting to know the rules of building relationships with each other. Elizabeth is always caring and on top of everything, and our son loves her! We cannot recommend this place enough!” – A.J.

“Our family’s experience with teacher Elizabeth has been truly wonderful. We found Birdsong after a particularly stressful experience at another home-based school. I had sleepless nights at the time and wondered how am I ever going to get through this year. I mention this because as I researched and toured more schools, I realized ours was not an isolated experience. It is so important, first and foremost for teachers and parents to share an anxiety-free rapport, as children really pick up on this, and teacher Elizabeth does all she can to keep pick-up and drop-off times relaxed and stress free. I really like the goodbye song, and being together as a group and learning about the children’s day.  A few other quick specifics: 1. The outdoor time has been wonderful for my son, and there was a big improvement in his stamina levels at first. 2. Teacher Elizabeth is very organized and meticulous, in general, and also in documenting the week gone by, her plans for the weeks to come and other things. 3. The toys are routinely switched up, and new activities and games introduced. Play is more than a bunch of sensory activities (although there is a lot of that), but the focus is on really stimulating them. 4. The school is also very respectful of allergies and dietary restrictions/preferences, and that’s hugely appreciated. Not many would go the extra mile so willingly.” -A.G.

“We are very happy with Birdsong School! We love the outdoor play with natural materials like leaves and acorns, and the process-based art. The weekly updates + photographs and monthly family parties are a fun window into what goes on at school, and Elizabeth is very helpful and responsive. Our daughter has blossomed here. Many schools advertise themselves as play-based but it’s hard to find one that truly allows children the freedom to play and create in their own way. It’s even harder to find one that honors the emotional development of preschoolers. Birdsong does just that and we’re thankful to have found it.” – R. H. 

“This is an extra special school. We feel so lucky to have found Birdsong with Elizabeth. It’s a rich and engaging learning environment with an extra caring and knowledgeable teacher. My son loves the chickens, story-telling, process art, unstructured play-time, field trips to nature preserves, and baking. Truly, everything we were looking for!” – J. N.