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Page 2 The OWL Connection Volume 2 Issue 1 The OWL Connection Volume 2 Issue Continued from first page local area Every Friday the Outdoor Enrichment Treks OET will provide homeschool families with an opportunity to nurture their children s social skills and teach them about birds trees and animal tracks Each trek will last two hours with one session in the morning and one in the afternoon We plan to hold the treks each Friday throughout the summer and they are open to mixed age groups Forest and Water will be the topics of our summer camps this year The week long camps will be held at Heyburn State Park with offerings for kindergarten through first grade second through fourth grade and 5th through 8th grade for the Forest Camp Children in grades K 5 are welcome to attend the Water Camp Camps for grades 2nd through 8th offer reduced fees to students who mentor another age group The Sportsman Ski Haus in Coeur D Alene is a sporting goods store that I ve been in contact with recently They are willing to allow us to set up an information table at their loca Page 2 Summer Camp Information Mon Jun 19 Fri Jun 23 The Forest Camp 2023 5th 8th Grade Mon Jun 26 Fri Jun 30 t i o n and at special events We will a l s o provide b r o c h ur e s for them to distribute to interested families We will also rent snowshoes and possibly crosscountry skis from them in the winter Their support is extremely appreciated Purchasing curriculum outdoor science materials updating the shuttle with learning equipment and creating exploratory areas at the Learning Location remain priorities On our donation page we have shared a wish list for Amazon thanks to Mrs Wnuwkowski for suggesting and would appreciate your help in spreading the word The Forest Camp 2023 2nd 4th Grade Mon July 10 Fri July 15 The Forest Camp 2023 K 1st Grade Mon July 31 Fri Aug 4 The Water Camp 2023 K 5th Grade Interested in Donating Total Donation Method of Payment Check Name Bill Me Address Visa MasterCard Shout Out and Thank You Jim and Gayle Prete American Express Phone Credit Card CID Exp date Mary and Peter Dalbis Debbie and Ken Wnukowski Forest Friends Preschool Sportsman Ski Haus Signature Natural Connections Academy Inc 5827 W Conkling Rd Worley ID 83876 Phone 208 930 5032 Email info naturalconnectionsacademy net Website naturalconnectionsacademy net

N a tu r a l C on ne c t i on s Ac a de m y I nc Na tu ra l C on ne ct i on s Ac a de m y I nc The OWL Connection 414 Coeur D Alene Ave Coeur D Alene ID 83814 At Natural Connections Academy we believe in the power of nature to inspire rejuvenate and educate Our outdoor nature education experiences are designed to provide children of all ages with an opportunity to get outside explore nature enjoy nature play and learn about the environment 5827 W Conkling Rd Worley ID 83876 Phone 208 930 5032 Email info naturalconnectionsacademy net Website naturalconnectionsacademy net We are on the Web www naturalconnectionsacademy net We strive to create meaningful hands on learning experiences that are fun engaging and educational Our activities are tailored to the individual needs of each group and help foster a connection to the natural world Come join us and discover the wonders of nature Let s get children outside April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 2 Our Educational Partners Birds of Prey Northwest Stimson Lumber Idaho Forest Products Commission Project Learning Tree Idaho Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission Volunteer Opportunities As our school grows we will be looking for volunteers to assist us in various areas If you are interested in helping please call 208 428 6224 Trail Preparation Social Media Manager Teacher s Aid Fall Grant Writing Marketing Associate Teacher s Aid Summer Other ways to help We are searching for Bird bath bird feeders Square patio stones 100 Picnic Table s Science Equipment Hand Warmers Binoculars Forestry Measurement Equip Snowshoes children s Canvas Tarps School Bus Seats doubles Kootenai Shoshone Soil Water Conservation District Coeur D Alene Tribe Dept of Education Project WET IDAH2O Kootenai County Noxious Weed Dept Sportman Ski Haus CDA Updates and News The spring season This is a time for rejuvenation growth new beginnings and opportunity for Natural Connections Academy Our focus in March was to procure a location near Coeur D Alene in order to make our services available to as many families as possible We were able to find a suitable location in downtown Coeur D Alene This property is situated only a few blocks from the city park as well as a hiking and wild area known as Tubbs Hill All of our programs will be executed from this new office at 414 Coeur D Alene Ave There has been a lot of work done in the office to make it work for our programs such as painting new furnishings additions such as bulletin boards shelving books and signs There was also the creation of the Conversation Tree Readalouds will be held here along with nature items that our students can to uc h a nd there are two rabbit holes for our littlest students to snuggle into while reading a book Throughout the year plants and animals will visit the tree to teach students about letters numbers and more We might just see an owl in the branches when learning about the letter O for instance Our outdoor school also has a new age grade range To get students started early with learning outside in nature we will now hold an Outdoor Kindergarten for children between the ages of 5 and 6 A maximum of 6 to 8 students will be accepted into our program and math language and science education will be integrated into nature play while maintaining a very low student toteacher ratio From mid August to mid June students attend the program four days a week from 9 a m until 3 p m The outdoor kindergarten program will use both the office and Worley s learning center but we will also utilize the Tubbs Hill nature area in Coeur D Alene Having the opportunity to partner with a local nature based preschool has been a great learning experience for me My experience taught me a lot about how a kindergarten program would be structured as well as what I would need to make it a success Our outdoor kindergarten will begin in August and I ve been spreading the word to other preschools and daycares A meet and greet has been scheduled for interested parents and preschool owners in order to share our mission and goals Facebook and Twitter have been updated with the news Our information has also been shared with the clients of the preschool program I have been working with Our nonprofit s programming has been expanded to include an after school program summer camps and outdoor enrichment treks All of these activities are aimed at getting children outside and learning Students in 3rd to 5th grades will benefit from our Outdoor After School Program OASP which will keep them busy hiking after school Currently we will serve three schools in our Coeur D Alene location and focus on the