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Not If But How At Touchstone Community School
Touchstone Community School has a long history of working through situations with creativity and compassion. When the Summer of 2020 came, it was clear that this year would be different. There would be new obstacles that the school had never seen before. “To the administration and faculty, the question was not if Touchstone would open the school in the fall, but how it would open with the safety of its families, students,
and faculty foremost in its mind,” said Sally Kent, Head of School.
Touchstone already spends a good portion of the school day outside with two recesses, a gardening program, and outdoor physical education classes. This year, there is a commitment to spending as much of the day outside as possible. Over the summer, administration and faculty spent the summer seeing possibilities and developing ideas and plans, and then getting to work to execute a plan to welcome back students to outdoor classrooms.
Touchstone is nestled in a beautiful wooded area on the border of Grafton and Upton. Nature trails, open fields, hills, trees and rocks cover the property that would become homes to new outdoor classrooms. It was decided that each classroom of 10-12 students would have its own space. Each space was thoughtfully considered and curated for the specific age group.
“One of our biggest challenges was developing a classroom for the youngest group of 3-5-year-old students,” Kent said. With a clear vision by the Early Childhood Education teachers and help from parent volunteers and the boy scouts, a space directly outside the classroom, on a hill covered with trees, was transformed. A man-made stream with frogs, little bridges, outdoor kitchens, other intimate play spaces, and even a chandelier hanging from one tree were all part of this new educational wonderland. Rocks and stumps were carefully placed in the round for gathering, singing and learning. An outside sink was installed for washing hands throughout the day and tarps were readied for rainy weather.
The 6-7-year-olds have made their home on the far end of a large field. A big tent and stumps were installed for their classroom space. Wooden tables and bins filled with moss, wood chips, stones, and bugs make the space feel lived in and magical. “Specimens for nature studies are unlimited,” said Heather Peters, head teacher to this age group.
Other classrooms were carefully placed around the property. The 7-8 year-olds enjoy a home in a tent adjacent to the chicken coop with more space to spread out among a pine needle covered hill. Big rocks became welcoming seats for time with a book or project. The older kids’ classrooms are simpler and functional.
With Literacy and Math outside for all, children have learned to come to class prepared. Layers of clothes, mittens, hats, rain gear, and even wearable blankets are part of the everyday uniform.
New trails are being formed in the woods and stick structures with tarps are scattered throughout the forest. “Students are not only learning to find their way around the school yard, but they are learning to navigate this unprecedented year and ultimately find joy at Touchstone,” said Kent.
Recently, students and faculty gathered for an all-school celebration spread out in a large field behind the school. A campfire, treats, a time to share ideas and be with their community was the perfect way to celebrate the community’s on-site learning success at Touchstone Community School.
“All TCS students have been asked a lot this year. Every child is doing their part to make this year work,” Kent said Parents, teachers, and administration are supporting the children to meet their academic and social/emotional goals. The students are exceeding expectations and rising to the challenges like champions,” she added.
Touchstone is nestled in a beautiful wooded area on the border of Grafton and Upton. Nature trails, open fields, hills, trees and rocks cover the property that would become homes to new outdoor classrooms. It was decided that each classroom of 10-12 students would have its own space. Each space was thoughtfully considered and curated for the specific age group.
“One of our biggest challenges was developing a classroom for the youngest group of 3-5-year-old students,” Kent said. With a clear vision by the Early Childhood Education teachers and help from parent volunteers and the boy scouts, a space directly outside the classroom, on a hill covered with trees, was transformed. A man-made stream with frogs, little bridges, outdoor kitchens, other intimate play spaces, and even a chandelier hanging from one tree were all part of this new educational wonderland. Rocks and stumps were carefully placed in the round for gathering, singing and learning. An outside sink was installed for washing hands throughout the day and tarps were readied for rainy weather.
The 6-7-year-olds have made their home on the far end of a large field. A big tent and stumps were installed for their classroom space. Wooden tables and bins filled with moss, wood chips, stones, and bugs make the space feel lived in and magical. “Specimens for nature studies are unlimited,” said Heather Peters, head teacher to this age group.
Other classrooms were carefully placed around the property. The 7-8 year-olds enjoy a home in a tent adjacent to the chicken coop with more space to spread out among a pine needle covered hill. Big rocks became welcoming seats for time with a book or project. The older kids’ classrooms are simpler and functional.
With Literacy and Math outside for all, children have learned to come to class prepared. Layers of clothes, mittens, hats, rain gear, and even wearable blankets are part of the everyday uniform.
New trails are being formed in the woods and stick structures with tarps are scattered throughout the forest. “Students are not only learning to find their way around the school yard, but they are learning to navigate this unprecedented year and ultimately find joy at Touchstone,” said Kent.
Recently, students and faculty gathered for an all-school celebration spread out in a large field behind the school. A campfire, treats, a time to share ideas and be with their community was the perfect way to celebrate the community’s on-site learning success at Touchstone Community School.
“All TCS students have been asked a lot this year. Every child is doing their part to make this year work,” Kent said Parents, teachers, and administration are supporting the children to meet their academic and social/emotional goals. The students are exceeding expectations and rising to the challenges like champions,” she added.
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Join us for an Early Childhood Admissions Event for 2-7 year olds on Saturday, February 8th at 10am
2025 Admissions Lab to be held Saturday, January 25
Join us on Saturday October 26th from 1-3pm for Mess Fest!
Join us for an Early Childhood Admissions Event for 2-7 year olds on Saturday, February 10th at 1pm
Join us on Saturday January 20th at 1pm for a unique Open House experience for students ages 8-14 and their parents. RSVP to admissions@touchstoneschool.com
Bea utiful Distractions by Heather Peters
Touchstone featured in the Upton & Mendon Free Press
Touchstone has announced the acquisition of a 5-acre island just one mile from the main campus. This property was gifted to Touchstone by the Purretta family to honor the elders of the families and their appreciation for the environment. We are very excited about incorporating the island into the ecoliteracy curriculum at Touchstone and our summer program. Ecoliteracy education is centered around understanding ecology and building empathy for the natural world, including the human impact and place within the natural world. The Ecoliteracy curriculum builds the communication skills to advocate and innovate for sustainability. Becoming a model school for ecoliteracy with an emphasis on place-based and authentic learning experiences is one of Touchstone’s strategic goals. There is no doubt that this island will provide authentic experiences. As seen in The Town Crier (Upton and Mendon edition) Siblings Honor Late Parents by Donating Family’s Island to Community School
In Early September. Touchstone Community School’s 75 students returned. They are spending most of their days in their outdoor classroom spaces, thanks to Boy Scouts of America Troop 132. There hasn’t been much rest this summer at Touchstone Community School, as staff prepared to accept its students on campus. Indoor classrooms were arranged to accommodate personal spaces for each student with adequate spacing, and high quality air filters were added to each room. Hours were spent assembling single desks, tables, organizing personal kits, setting up sanitization stations, and putting health and safety protocols in place. Once the indoor spaces and classrooms were ready, attention was moved to setting up outdoor spaces for each classroom. Touchstone’s head of school, Sally Kent, reached out to the Boy Scouts. When Committee Chair Peter Rapiejko replied, she invited him to visit the school. “Scout Eric Rapiejko and Sally did a campus walk through. The campus includes about eight acres on the border of Upton and Grafton with fields, woods, and trails. They identified a couple of areas to service, including a trail around the campus and a wooded area where the Early Childhood Program wanted to build their outdoor nature classroom. A week before labor day, the troop and many of their parents showed up with clippers ready to work. They worked from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. with just a short lunch break. “I was truly impressed with their efforts and hard work, and how fast they cleared the woods and moved a mulch pile. Their help was tremendous, and we are truly grateful for the service provided by Troop 132,” said Kent”. Eric is in the process of obtaining his Eagle Scout recognition. He offered to rebuild the school’s chicken coop as his Eagle Scout Service Project. He submitted a project proposal which has been approved and materials have been delivered. “The students at Touchstone are excited to see it take shape and to be able to welcome more chickens to the pen,” said Kent. We were ready and excited to welcome back our students and to carry out our mission: to cultivate a joy of lifelong learning through transformative intellectual, social & emotional growth. Touchstone is a not-for-profit independent pK-Grade8 progressive school. They still have a few openings for this fall. Contact the admissions office for more information. www.touchstoneschool.com For more information: Sally Kent sallyk@touchstoneschool.com Head of School Touchstone Community School 54 Leland St. Grafton, MA 01519 508-839-0038
At Touchstone Community School, Sally Kent, Head of School, was preparing for virtual learning since March 2 when the first COVID-19 cases came to Massachusetts. Her goal from the beginning was: “If we have to close school, I want our children to stay engaged with one another, and to continue to learn.” As part of Touchstone’s planning, a parent, Julie Roberts, trained teachers on using Zoom and offered a virtual class for parents. The teachers and staff created an inventory of at-home technology needs to support online learning. Tech integrator, Mary Brochu, ensured that every student had a device. Sally notified parents on Thursday, March 12, that school would be closing, and on Monday, the school rolled out a three-day plan. Day-1, teachers reported without students and created packets and kits for children. Day-2, the teachers stayed home and a limited administrative staff came to school so that parents could pick up their child’s kits and their Zoom schedule during normal school hours. Also on Day-2, teachers had their first short introduction with Zoom and their classes. Day-3, teachers began the day with a virtual morning meeting, attendance, and classes. Holding online classes has been a huge learning curve for everyone. Touchstone regularly holds formative assessments. This is a process where teachers reflect on how their lessons are maximizing learning experiences for each of their students, and adjusting the lesson to improve. Teaching virtually is one more example of how these teachers are learning, reflecting, and collaborating with one another. “I am so proud of the work our teachers are doing and the support from the families. It has been and will be a difficult time. We want to keep our children connected and to keep school a reality,” said Sally Touchstone Community School is an independent not-for-profit school in Grafton MA, serving students pK-grade 8 (ages 2 years and nine months to 15 year olds) from Worcester and Middlesex counties. www.touchstoneschool.com.
ABOUT US
Touchstone Community School is an independent school serving students in grades Pre-K through 8th grade that cultivates a joy of lifelong learning through transformative intellectual, social & emotional growth.
CONTACT US
Touchstone Community School
508-839-0038
54 Leland Street Grafton, MA 01519