Blitz Narrative: New Leaf Prep Academy

Now through their first school year, the brand new New Leaf Prep Academy located in Howard, Wisconsin is a K-8 Montessori & nature-based school on a mission to cultivate lifelong, self-driven learners. 

This custom-built school stems from a pre-school called, “Little Sprouts Academy,” and now also known as “New Leaf Preschool”. Their new name “New Leaf” was the product of a community brainstorming effort as the prep academy school was created. 

The style of education, “Montessori,” may not take place in a traditional school classroom but it has been used for hundreds of years. According to Paige Christoff, the head of the school, this highly-researched style is all about a “hands-on,'' holistic approach to education. They also choose to take a special focus on nature. Alongside their projects - taking care of worms, hatching butterflies, and making their own compost - a common lesson for students attending this school includes teaching children how to take care of plants in a garden.

New Leaf Prep Academy was a recipient of three Garden Blitz raised garden beds during May of 2022, and has already been working on putting them to good use with their current summer camp. 

The school embraces good nutrition for their students, knowing how this affects how students perform. Course curricula include the growing and cooking of food as well as pickling of produce.

When asked what kinds of plants they grow, the response was “everything.” They have found that the children tend to enjoy eating healthy foods and produce the more they are exposed to them and get to help in the growing and cooking processes. The students here enjoy eating all kinds of foods they bring in their cold lunch - even seaweed!

These projects do not go to waste. Produce not used in the kitchen goes into another project where the students raise money each year by running a produce stand to sell the fresh produce they worked so hard on. Additionally, the school has a compost bin that not only helps with food waste and teaches students the valuable knowledge of how to successfully create quality compost, but also to use it back into their gardens to help their gardening soil.

Their future plans for the school include a few buildings currently under construction such as an indoor atrium for living trees, garden beds, and turf for the colder seasons, as well as a heated greenhouse.

Before the building was finished, this was a school that was already well-supported by the community. Its curriculum and hands-on approach with a focus on nature teaches children the skills and knowledge they need to become leaders in living healthy, sustainable lives.

Learn more about the school and their mission on their website: https://www.newleafprepacademy.org/