Creekside Forest School is a nature-based preschool program for 3- and 4-year-old children at Indian Creek Nature Center. We are creating Champions of Nature in an outdoor learning environment that educates the whole child through play-based learning.
Our approach to teaching and learning is play-based through an emergent curriculum. Children will connect with their natural environment through activities and explorations centered on what is happening seasonally. This approach uses seasonal occurrences as the underpinnings for year-long exploration.
For example, in a classroom using an emergent curriculum, students may show great delight at catching a leopard frog in the wetland with an ICNC Naturalist. That event may lead to studying the life cycle of amphibians with the preschool teachers, making frog sounds with everyday objects, and exploring books about amphibians while resting in the shade on an excursion. They may even capture a tadpole to watch the life cycle in action from an aquarium in the classroom over several weeks, releasing the critter together back into the wetland. Books, songs, manipulatives, and tools are weaved into the school day to deepen this unit of study. The children’s collective interest in the wetland extended into other areas of learning with the support of the teacher.
There is room for students and teachers to elaborate on an emergent curriculum throughout the year. We are defenders of childhood so we carefully balance unstructured learning and play with skill-building and other intentional teaching practices. As a result, we are able to meet children’s social, emotional, and physical needs while providing them with essential kindergarten readiness skills.
Nicole Upchurch began her path as an educator in 2001 in Idaho. She has experience instructing K-6 Spanish, Songwriting/Ukulele and Outdoor Education. After moving to Iowa with her family, she found her way into nature-based Early Childhood Education in 2009 while working with Taproot & Prairie Green School. She is a graduate of the Iowa Master Naturalist program. In addition, Nicole is a singer/songwriter, performing regularly with Awful Purdies and The Feralings. She and her family live in Iowa City. Together they enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors with their Australian shepherd dog, Copper.
Karlyn Senica graduated from DePaul University with a degree in Biology. She started her career working in behavioral health in 2015, offering Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS) at a live-in treatment facility, which led to offering BHIS in homes and in-school settings for children ranging in age from 3-18 years. In 2022 she began working exclusively in early childhood education, where her passion for nurturing and championing children in their most authentic expression came fully alive. Karlyn is a native to Cedar Rapids, and lives in town with her mother and toddler son. She feels most free and herself with nature, and, as such, loves spending time communing with nature through artistry, song, dance, movement, silence and play, both by herself and with loved ones.
Megan Weinberger grew up in Dekalb, Illinois and moved to Iowa to attend the University of Iowa where they received a degree in environmental science with minors in biology and Spanish. They have been helping with programs at the Nature Center since March 2023 and is excited to share their time and knowledge with the Creekside Forest School students. In Megan’s free time they like being outside, observing wildlife, creating different types of art, listening to music, and spending time with their cat, Freddy.
Tuesday-Friday 8:30-11:30am
Drop-off: 8:30-8:45am / Pick-up: 11:15-11:30am
Tuesday-Friday 12:30-3:30pm
Drop-off: 12:30-12:45pm / Pick-up: 3:15-3:30pm
