Our IOS woods, or Nature Lit as we call it, is one of our most beloved areas on campus. We spend a minimum of 30 minutes every school day having unstructured Nature Literacy time in our woods. This area is filled with many types of trees, including our huge pecan tree in the center of our woods. 

This is an active part of our approach to cultivate future environmentalists. We give our students opportunities to fall in love with nature and let them develop a relationship with our natural world. When you have a relationship with nature, you will have a very concrete reason to want to protect it. While our students know about climate change, we do not focus on the "doom and gloom" of climate change, as fear often can create paralysis and anxiety. Instead, we focus on empowering students to take care of the nature we have on campus.

Within the last year, we have discovered we have an infestation of beetles that is endangering our trees, and we have already lost a few trees to these beetles. 

One of our Dimensions of Human Greatness is Initiative, and recently our 4th and 5th grade classroom (named Raccoons this year) has taken quite a bit of initiative to help the trees they love. They worked with their science teacher to find additional layers of protection. The Raccoons became “Nature Lit Guardians” as they took on this real-world environmental challenge.

Working in teams, students designed and tested a safe “tree protection formula” using natural materials such as cinnamon, mint tea, vinegar water, pepper, soil and leaf tea, flour paste, clay mud, oatmeal, rice, weeds, and even “beetle evidence.” They also used clean water and sponges to make sure their mixtures stayed balanced and environmentally safe.

Through this hands-on investigation, students learned how trees function as living systems, how insects and plants are connected in ecosystems, and why balance in nature matters. Along the way, they practiced problem-solving, teamwork, and creative thinking while using science to care for the world around them.

​One of my favorite things about Inside Outside School is that our students are seen as whole humans, already capable, already worthy, and already enough. Honoring who they are right now and celebrating the individuals they are today is one of the best ways to honor the people they are growing into.

A key part of honoring a child’s individuality is giving them a voice in their community. At Inside Outside School, this happens through a democratic process woven throughout the week. As an example, in our fourth- and fifth-grade classroom, students add topics to a discussion box as ideas arise, ensuring that important thoughts from Monday are not forgotten by Thursday. On Thursdays, each class holds a morning meeting called Honeycomb, where students bring ideas, concerns, and possible solutions to the group.

If an issue is not class-specific, such as reminding everyone to push in their chairs, it can be added to the school-wide Hive agenda.

Hive meets every Friday morning after our weekly Peace Circle and includes all students and teachers from kindergarten through fifth grade. Topics from classroom Honeycombs are shared with the full community. These might be reminders, ideas, or larger concerns that need deeper discussion. Everyone has a voice, supported by our talking stick.

Democracy, whether with adults or children, can be beautifully messy. When all voices are valued in shaping a community that is safe and good for everyone, compromise and care must coexist. While teachers may hold veto power or a tie-breaking vote, students of all ages have equal say. A fifth grader’s voice does not outweigh that of a five-year-old, and everyone learns something from everyone else. Having a voice builds self-identity, empathy, and the interaction skills needed for a meaningful life.

One topic that frequents our Hive agenda is dress-up days. Our students recognize and celebrate their own uniqueness and that of their peers, and dress-up days offer a joyful way to honor those expressive selves. Over the years, we have seen everything from pirates to favorite-color outfits to “old times” themes from the 1980s.

Our most recent dress-up day happened on the second day back after winter break. Anything Dress-Up Day gave students a chance to shine and share pieces of who they are. Across campus, we saw glittery hair, wings, capes, funky hairstyles, superheroes, and sharp suits.

One of our third graders arrived in a full suit and bow tie. This was met not with laughter or teasing, but with respect for an eight-year-old who showed up fully himself and ready to play in the woods. This photo captures him during our daily community stewardship time, when students take responsibility for caring for the school. That day, he and his partner were on poop-scooper duty. He pulled on his boots and headed into the animal pen without hesitation.

When asked how it went, he proudly replied, “We picked up all the poop, and I did not get any on my suit.”

A true win-win, kind sir.