WARWICK — Just one year after it reopened its doors to students in kindergarten through sixth grade, Warwick Community School is adding a preschool program to serve children ages 3 to 5.

“The preschool will be following the same mission and vision — learning in and about nature, and also with a focus on social justice,” said Carole Learned-Miller, superintendent of the independent Warwick School District. “And we use research-based curriculum to teach math, reading and writing. We do much of our learning outdoors, really learning all about the environment, using our campus as much as the curriculum.”

Wendy Emberley, an administrative assistant with the Warwick School District, led the research effort for the project. After putting out a survey to families in Warwick and neighboring towns, she found a high degree of interest.

“I think there’s a real need for preschools … in our area,” Emberley said. “There just doesn’t seem to be enough availability of openings in the preschools that already exist. I mean, on top of that, I think people are very interested in our program, as far as the nature, project-centered, play-centered [method]. I think that’s very appealing to people.”

So far, the school has had roughly 25 families express interest in the program, which is set to start this fall. Learned-Miller anticipates that there will be roughly 12 to 15 students in the first class.

“The preschool classroom really came about … with families wanting us to build this with their children,” Learned-Miller added.

The preschool will operate on the same campus as the elementary school, Learned-Miller explained. With 25 acres of woodlands, there is ample space for students to explore and experiment with the natural environment using the school’s project-based learning curriculum.

“We are experiencing so many issues in our environment, such as climate change, and we really want our students to be stewards of the Earth and the environment,” Learned-Miller said. “The reason to learn in and about nature is to really become champions of keeping the environment safe, caring for the environment, and also to develop real, natural curiosity, which leads to learning.”

Learned-Miller anticipates that the preschoolers will spend close to half the day outdoors, with various blocks for recess and outside projects.

She added that the school uses “expeditionary learning,” a standards-based curriculum for learning with nature. The preschool will use this curriculum, as well as the Tinkergarten curriculum, an outdoor educational program that was originally designed for home schooling but has since been adapted for schools.

Heather Berlin’s 3-year-old son is enrolled in the preschool for the fall.

“Everyone is just so happy with the school,” Berlin said. She explained that three of her nieces and nephews attend Warwick Community School, as do several children of her friends and neighbors. “Everybody loves it, everybody says that their kid is thriving [at the school]. They love the outdoor classrooms.”

Berlin explained that she reached out to Learned-Miller last school year to inquire about a preschool option.

“I was really [curious] with how the new school year and new school model was developing. … She let me know that it was something they were trying to make happen, and since working with her and the other involved staff at the school, I’ve felt so valued and so much passion and excitement about the school,” Berlin said. “[We’re] just so excited about it.”

For more information about the preschool program, contact Emberley at wemberley@warwick-k12.us.