Transition from PPS in 2nd Grade:

My son was in Kindergarten in public school when the pandemic hit in 2020. When we were trying to transition back to the public school setting for 2nd grade I was having a hard time sending him in to the classroom. Covid plus recent news of school shootings made it really difficult for me to wrap my brain around why I was doing it. I had signed him up on the Portland Forest School waitlist for 2nd grade months before as an idea. After two weeks of feeling a weight every morning dropping him off I got a call that there was a space open in 2nd grade at PFS and I didn’t hesitate.

My son is a careful kid, he didn’t much care for getting dirty. I was excited for him to get messy and get out of his comfort zone but I wasn’t sure how the transition would go…

It was fine :) He did great and the only complaint was that he didn’t have a watch (tracker) to tell him how much he had walked during the day. He loves data- and math and reading and learning those things between (and with) navigating a map and compass and rescuing stuffed animals by administering first aid, he was thriving!

Our plan wasn’t necessarily to have him in an independent tuition based school through 8th grade but we love it and who are child is in it. These years of learning this way are priceless and are preparing him for life (not just academically). He is working on speaking up and communicating, the small student to staff ratio allows his teachers to pay attention to social emotional needs and work on individual goals. I appreciate learning of all kinds, state standards yes but when I also know my child is learning personal responsibility, how to work in a group and gaining flexibility, confidence and personal strength, my heart is happy.

- Mom of a now 5th grader (all pics below are of him at Forest School)