Chairpersons: Laura Irrizary, Hillary Gage, Alyssa "Lizzy" Meacher, Heather DeCaluwe, Heidi Solomon, and Rebecca Schmidt - kyffinelf@gmail.com
2025-26 School Year's Theme is Designs in Nature
ELF is an award-winning environmental education program designed as a school-wide theme for kindergarten - 4th grade with activities adapted and taught by parents and other community volunteers.
ELF is designed to give children an understanding of and appreciation for the natural world. The program instills a spirit of caring and curiosity that encourages students to lead environmentally responsible lives while increasing their scientific and environmental literacy.
ELF encourages students to interpret what they learn by asking “Why?” and “How?” and to answer questions by making observations in nature.
ELF encompasses several ecological concepts which are cycled every four years, having each year be dedicated to one of the following concepts:
Earth and Sky
Adaptations
Designs in Nature
Cycles
Kyffin's ELF program occurs five times a year in the classroom. If you would like to volunteer in a classroom's ELF program you can volunteer for one, a couple, or all of the sessions - whatever fits your schedule. It is never too late to get involved and NO prior experience is required. More volunteers make for an even better experience for our students!
For any questions, comments, or information about your child's classroom ELF coordinator please email kyffinelf@gmail.com
Unit 1: Kyffin Fall Garden/ Leaves and Cones
opens Sept 8th
Curriculum by grade for Unit 1:
Slideshow for all grades
*coming by monday Sept 8th*
Introduction script for Slideshow for all grades
*coming by Monday Sept 8th*
Videos for Unit 1:
(Not training videos for coordinators, but here are some resource videos by grade for the kids, that are also linked on the slideshow for use in the classroom)
1st Grade: Seed Growth Timelapse
1st Grade: Sunflower Seed Harvest
Elf/Garden resources for coordinators and volunteers:
Kyffin Garden Bed Maps
Classroom Planting Schedule
ELF 2025/26
Schedule:
Unit 1 : Fall Garden Curriculum/
Leaves and Cones
runs Sept 8th - Oct 9th
Unit 2: Spiders and Webs
runs Oct 23rd - Dec 4th
Unit 3: Tracks and Traces/ Snow
runs Dec 15th - Feb 3rd
Unit 4: Honeybees
runs Feb 17th - March 20th
Unit 5: Spring Garden Curriculum/
Camouflage
runs April 6th - May 22nd