Gather Forest School Newsletter

14 hours ago
2 min read

What Gather Forest School has been up to:

It's funny, because each June when we don't have to wake up incredibly early, deal with mosquitoes, load the car, and rush our kids out the door — and instead get to teach long, leisurely lessons — we tell ourselves this is the good life. But by August, we are all itching to return to our Gather days of art outdoors, differentiated lessons, time to observe nature and her beauty, and literally life with fuller and lovelier days. A rhythm that allows for breathing out and breathing in — for play and whimsy and lessons and structure. Orientation among the trees and the first week of school - so full of familiar and yet new goodness - was the perfect welcome.

What We’re Looking Forward To This Year

Year Six - zoology, environmental science, geography, and lots of art!

Alongside Black August, our core work blocks continue. Our lessons will be on zoology, art, art history, environmental science, handwork, and geography.

Fall Camping 2026

If you've gone on camping trips with us before please reach out. For our fundraising camping trip, we will be camping in October this year!

Black August at Gather Forest School

Our lens is through the re-commitment to freedom — our vessel is education. The question we ask is: What would it look like for Black children (and us as their educators) to explore and experience an education that felt liberated from the shackles of expectations, oppression, and societal pressures?

This month, we've asked our families to use this time for study Black history, Black resistance, or Black revolutionary works. Starting with Ashley's piece below...

Teaching the Children How to Fly

Black August is typically seen as a time for deep reflection for the adult. I have been sitting with this idea about where does the Black child fit within the historical, physical and spiritual narrative of Black August? That is not an easy question to answer because this country was created from stealing, killing, and erasing the narratives, stories, and histories of those who came before the colonization. To have such an origin story…it is why I will be forever grateful to be born Black and to have the cosmic task of working with Black children and families because our mere existence is a daily reminder of the power of prayer, spiritual protection, and radical love.

Gather