Our Facilities

We achieve our goals in education by providing environments as shown below that are conducive to self-exploration both inside the school as well as ouside in various play areas.

Outdoors

The Canaan Ridge School has two separate playgrounds and a sports field. One playground is set aside just for our Nursery children. We have 10 acres for nature walks, picnic areas and outdoor equipment. Our outdoor facilities include playhouses and a gazebo (for story time and snacks), sandboxes, climbers, slides, swings, Nursery Rhymes croquette and a climbing elephant.

Indoors

The activities areas include spacious classrooms, arts and crafts rooms, gymnasium, music room and science room.

Multi-age children also learn from one another. They learn to concentrate, to listen and to express oneself. They leave us with the confidence that they are good learners and with a sense of self-value. Our multi-age classroom has six computers (both Mac and PC) incorporating a variety of software programs reinforcing academic programs in reading and math. The Internet is available to research nature programs and current events appropriate to each child's level. Video chat functionality on our Apple computers provides us with instant communication with our sister school in Malibu, CA - The California Ocean of Learning School. We gather and sing songs to them periodically as they do with us.

The Canaan Ridge School also has a sister school in Africa - The Meru School in Arusha, Tanzania. From time to time each year, we collect pencils, uniforms, computers and hearing aids that we send to the children in Arusha and an orphanage in Botswana. Communication through letter writing and e-mail, when possible, helps our older children gain an understanding and appreciation of others in the world who are in need.

Beyond the School and Classroom

The students at Canaan Ridge have taken part in many outreach programs, both locally and around the world. We feel that all children, from the very young to our oldest fourth graders, are capable of compassion, and instilling and fostering this in them at such a young age will assist in making them responsible and caring adults.

*We have supplied our local Yerwood Center with equipment, books and Christmas cookie tins.

*We have sent toys, clothes and various supplies to an orphanage in Haiti.

*We send donations and supplies to the Keratu Orphange in Tanzania, which is run by India Howell.

*We are a long-time member of Jane Goodall’s organization, “Roots and Shoots”, wherein children are involved with fulfilling three objectives: diversity of cultures, concern for our environment, and care and protection of animals.

*Canaan Ridge is a contributing member of the Riverkeeper Organization, founded by Bobby Kennedy, whose family has been members of our school.

*We are a member of David Sheldrick’s Wildlife Fund, for which we help with the upkeep of Thoma, an orphaned elephant.

Security

Our building is protected by video surveilance cameras showing all areas of parking and playgrounds. Each parent is given the code to our front door for entrance. This being the only entrance to the school for parents.