We are an innovative, free-to-public Transitional Kindergarten-8th grade charter school in Chico, California, withing Northern California's Sacramento Valley, home of the Mechoopda Maidu people. Our classroom teachers utilize Open Classroom Interdisciplanary Thematic Learning to guide curriculum development in the classrooms, and offer Forest School programs to all grade levels as well.
Our classrooms are “open” in two senses. First, the classroom spaces themselves invite kids to move freely about for small, larger group, and individual activities and peace and quiet. Second, our programs involve a great deal of student choice and self-direction, so learning is “open” to reflect students interests, curiosities, and levels of learning and knowledge.
Rather than isolating learning by disciplines (which may work well for college-level academics), interdisciplinary education recognizes the interconnectedness of things in the world so school: reading flows into science, science engages students in mathematics, learning social studies takes place in the context of all of history and society, writing is about the whole world, not just penmanship and grammar. The skills and knowledge of the disciplines are best learned when students see applications across disciplines and in the world around them.
Teaching by themes or topics is the heart of interdisciplinary teaching. Themes may involve a large system (such as our community, an ecosystem, the seasons, the sky, Australia, our water supply) or a broad concept (such as healthy eating, games and exercise, and so on). Teachers connect the theme to the students’ everyday life. Often students participate in choosing the theme or themes. The role of the teacher is in accumulating some background resources and then helping students discover resources (through books and the internet) that answer their questions about it.
Our Forest School Program includes a full-time, all weather TK program that meets in our beautiful city park, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-12pm. Our on-campus classrooms participate in our Forest Day program in which they meet in nature five different times per year, across the seasons, rain or shine, with a qualified Forest School trained teacher. The Forest School program was established in the 2024-2025 school year.
All actions and decisions made by the Wildflower community are guided by eight core principles: collaboration, community, stewardship, joy and adventure in learning, integrity, personal responsibility, being respectful, and positive and honest communication.