Jessica D. Saint Paul, MN 04/21/2023

When our family was looking for a school for our 2 1/2 year-old son we had very particular requirements for what we were hoping to find. 

We wanted: - A small sized school that was truly outdoors and remained true to the values and benefits only a nature school can provide. 

- A teacher who had years of experience in nature training, child development, and worked with students through kindness, empathy and patience. 

- A place where our son had the opportunity to learn how to not only be kind to others and share, but how to be a good citizen of the world to all creatures big or small, old and young. 

- A place that put health and safety first and foremost for our son and family. We have some high-risk people in our family, so finding a school that was COVID cautious and took health and safety seriously was something that we absolutely needed. 

- Allowed us to be hands on and build a partnership with our teacher and remain engaged in his learning and development journey. 

- A mixed age school that focused less on every child being the same level in age and development and more on being part of a community where you learn from others and are expected to help others in turn. 

- A school that not only encouraged but expected minimal screen time of all students. 

You may be thinking, “Good luck finding a school that ticks all those boxes”, but we did! Our interview with Ms. Michele at FSMN was a nature walk at Wood Lake. We were able to meet parents and children already in the program on our walk and ask questions of everyone. We were so impressed by the feedback from other parents as well as just how calm, polite, engaged, patient, and at ease all the current students were. And Ms. Michele was no exception. She was engaged, patient, kind but firm, and already guiding us on better ways to engage with our son. From the first interview, we were all so excited to start this journey with her and the FSMN community. 

We are now three weeks in and our son is going to school for 3 hours daily/3 days a week. It’s hard to believe, but he has grown so much already in under a month. He is making friends, becoming more independent, and has a big smile on his face when we pick him up. He has played, stomped, and collected sticks in wind, rain, snow, and sun. Through this, he has learned how to listen to his body and adjust to all types of weather and circumstances. He usually comes home with a “goodie” such as a stick or rock or other piece from nature he has fallen in love with. 

While this is all amazing and bodes extremely well for future months, it has not come without hard work on our part (but that is what we signed up for!). Every day we are working with our son to be able to independently dress, go to the bathroom and understand what is in his gear bag, and so on. This has brought challenges, tears, tantrums, and fits of giggles from all of us in our house and can be exhausting at times. 

We aren’t doing it alone though. We discuss every day with Ms. Michele on what we can do at home to continue our son’s growth in independence. We wanted to be engaged parents in our son’s education and this is part of it… and it is paying off! Our son is dressing and undressing himself, cleaning up his toys, and starting to show perseverance in frustrating and emotional moments. 

The parents have also been so great! They have all been warm, welcoming, and so helpful in answering questions. It is even just knowing that the things your child is struggling with, is something another parent and child probably went through just a short while before you is comforting. It takes a village to raise a kid and FSMN is a shining example of this! 

Lastly, we are so grateful that Ms. Michele puts health and safety first for herself and her students. All students are required to be up to date on their vaccinations (including COVID) and when anyone is sick (parent or child) they are expected to stay home and masks to be worn. You have no idea what a relief this has been to us and how it helps us feel confident in dropping our child off for school. 

Even this perspective reinforces the values of what FSMN stands for and what we want to instill in our child - we are members of a community and must look out for the well-being of ourselves and others around us. Health and safety are an important part of that. 

If you are looking for a true nature school where your child can build a strong developmental foundation and you, as a parent, are expected to be an active partner in their growth and development, look no further. We have been so impressed by FSMN and the passion and expertise that Ms. Michele shares with her students on a daily basis and are looking forward to many more months to come at FSMN. 

Ingrid S. Minneapolis, MN 03/06/2023

The Forest School of MN program is the best thing to happen to our family! A toddler in a pandemic took reign of our family and we felt lost, but Michele helped us get back on track. She made us aware of just how capable our preschool daughter is at having a golden heart, having good character, and the social skills needed to navigate interactions with others. And just as importantly, she’s helped us realize how capable we are as parents! 

The Forest School of MN program has brought much needed structure and balance to our growing family since our daughter started at age 2.5, and we couldn’t be more thankful for Michele’s guidance, time, and genuine love for seeing our family thrive. Her intentionality with the children, the thought and care she puts into holiday celebrations and daily activities, the delicious healthy food, the observations from nature that inform young children’s imaginations, and the unpaid time and wisdom she gives us all is nothing short of extraordinary. We wish all preschoolers and parents could participate in this program- the world would truly be a better place!

Tasha W.
Minneapolis, MN 11/08/2019

The Forest School of MN provided our daughter with a foundation like no other pre-school experience. Throughout her three and a half years there, we often saw evidence of this when she would interact with other children, and once she began Kindergarten, she flourished and became known as "the nice kid." During Kindergarten orientation, the parents of a shy child expressed their concerns that their son would have difficulty making friends. Our daughter overheard, walked up to him, and said, "I'll be your friend!" During a September all-school event, the parents of two other children told us that their daughters described ours as "always kind" and "really nice." At our first parent-teacher conference, her Kindergarten teachers said she was "confident," "wonderfully inclusive," and "able to make friends with anyone." She is so self-assured that when she doesn't understand something, she assumes she will, and persists until she does. Her social skills come naturally now, thanks to Miss Michele, and rather than having to learn how to navigate challenging interactions with her peers, she can focus her attention on learning how to read, science experiments, and Kindergarten math. Other teachers, librarians, lunch room staff, administrative staff, and parent volunteers have expressed gratitude for how welcoming our daughter is. She is a leader among her peers, and never misses an opportunity to stand up for her friends. We cannot thank Miss Michele enough for her teaching philosophy, her emphasis on empathy, her ability to turn everything into a teachable moment, and the Forest School of MN, the paragon of pre-school education.

We miss you dearly, and are looking forward to the Lantern Walk, but hopefully we will see you sooner!

Bridgett E.
Minneapolis, MN 9/17/2014

I sought out The Forest School of Minnesota because my son loves being outside. He's now been part of the school for 9 months. He loves it. He always comes home happy and shares his experiences of the day. He has learned better manners than I would have taught him at home. We have had only positive experiences with the teachers at the school.Having an older child, I've had a few interactions with preschool faculty in Minneapolis. I've been more than pleased with the honesty that Michele has provided me in regards to my son's abilities and personality. It is a very good fit for our family. The environment is supportive of reaching one's full potential. There is also a reverence for imagination and childhood all while preparing kids for kindergarten.

Caroline M.
Minneapolis, MN 9/20/2014

Both of my children spent the last 3 years at The Forest School, my youngest daughter starting at only 19 months, and I could not recommend it more highly.

Compared to the impersonal cookie cutter approach of mainstream education for children (even in the good preschools and kindergartens) The Forest School is truly an holistic wnoie-cnna approacn ana community oi ootn cnnaren ana parents.

Assuming you are prepared to be engaged and honest in helping your child develop (including honestly tackling any social or behavioral issues they encounter) the school provides wonderfully creative and individual attention.

If you just want somewhere to drop your kid off for a few hours a day and not hear any feedback about their development or socialization this isn’t the right place to try! Michele won't try to fool you or just paint a rosy picture of things, she has an innate skill for seeing things that are sometimes hard to look at. But she WILL work with them (and get results) if you are willing to work with them too.

It is a small, selective school with real beliefs and individual approaches for each child's needs. It's not a mass school for all. It can't and doesn't accept all possible applicants. That's hard for some applicants who don't really research what they are applying for. but better for all in the long run.

Small points worth noting - it is truly outside (except in the most dramatic extremes) and embraces all weathers, which the kids love, and Michele makes sure all are prepared and comfortable no matter what.

The food provided is fresh, healthy, natural and organic, putting to shame at times even our own homegrown & coop bought efforts.

Michele, her teaching assistant (and indeed Michele's family) are wonderful and strong role models as well as friends to the students there.

Incidentally, my daughter was diagnosed with a chronic condition requiring shots during the day. Michele did not miss a beat, and my daughter was back out with the Forest School THE NEXT DAY with Michele assuming responsibility for her meds after training. I trust her absolutely.

All in all, it was an amazing and truly unique start- my daughters are now in grade school and this school is recognized and respected as an outstanding foundation. They are well mannered (Forest School kids are remarked on in the neighborhood for their behavior), at ease with adults and children alike and excited and curious to learn.

Our only wish was that they could have stayed there for longer!

Jayakumar R.
Minneapolis, MN 9/19/2014

My son Jaggath have been going to Forest School for last 3 years and he loves the school. The experience he gets there is amazing. We love FSMs nature immersion program. The kids here gets groomed nicely before they step in to their Kindergarden. Even during very hot summer or harsh winter, they go out and have fun to the fullest. I totally recommend this school.

Julie K.
Minneapolis, MN 4/18/2012

This is an outstanding program. I could not be happier with this experience for my son (3 years old) and our family. Michele has many years of teaching experience and is enthusiastic, supportive, knowledgeable, and loving. My son loves going to school.

Emily F.
Minneapolis, MN 9/18/2011

Our son (2.5 years) is in his fourth month at The Forest School and we cannot say enough about what a positive experience it has been for him. The founder of the school, Michele, created The Forest School
with a genuine vision to allow our children to have a multifaceted, multicultural, deeply caring, fun and educational learning environment. The Forest School is a true nature immersion school. The children spend their day outside and learn through the "teachable" moments that nature provides.
Our son is genuinely excited to go to school, and we are happy knowing he is in a safe and loving environment that inspires and encourages his curiosity.

Cat H.
Minneapolis, MN 9/17/2011
I concur with Allison C.'s review. Our 3 year-young son began at the Forest School this summer and it has been a transformative experience for him and us. Michele treats each student as an individual. She works with them to foster leadership skills, cooperation, creativity, patience, kindness, and understanding of their bodies. If there are any behavioral or developmental challenges of the child, she works creatively with the children and parents to help address them at home and at school. Our son is better at sharing, cooperation and listening because of Michele's care and investment in his development. What we really like is the idea that the day's agenda is dictated by the children's pace in exploring on their way to the forest or lake, or elsewhere. It is not focused on getting the children to learn to read, write or be potty trained before they are ready.

Still, she incorporates these skills daily by teaching them to write their names with their fingers in the sand or snow, or to read the street signs, for example. What we also like is that our son interacts with children between the ages of 2-6, so he learns to help out younger students while also learning from the older students. The groups are small, and as Allison mentioned, Michele works with you on your schedule and the budget. We feel very fortunate to have found her especially since so many "nature" schools are popping up when in fact they don't spend most of the time outside. How will that work in the winter? Just as it did when we were kids. They don't stay outside the entire time when it's very cold. They come inside and get cozy and then go out again! What do they do when it rains? They put on a rain jacket and pants and go puddle jumping! It's a real nature immersion school that teaches our son the appreciation of his environment and all its living creatures and how he relates to that environment in space and time. In that respect, he learns about his own body, his emotions, and himself.

Allison C.
Minneapolis, MN 9/16/2011

y daughter (age 3 years) began attending Michele's program this summer and I cannot say enough good things about it. Michele is gentle, patient, and really cares about cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment as Kids explore and discover from their outdoor surroundings. I've noticed a marked difference in not only my daughter's behavior, but also her intellectual curiosity and attention to detail. If you believe in a program that fosters inclusiveness, and allows kids to be KIDS by getting dirty, exploring, taking risks in a supervised manner, and allows the day to flow and progress naturally rather than rigidly structuring and controlling the environment then this is the perfect place for your child. Another bonus is that the director is very flexible with regards to schedule and budget, and doesn't require children to be potty-trained (which I know can be a source of stress if your child isn't quite there yet but you feel they need school). A gem!