Ms. Jax didn't start out in early childhood education. She attended nursing school at West Chester University and then graduate school at Plymouth State University. Somehow it all just came together: nursing, biology and education-- and then having a baby girl. 

When her daughter, Liv, was still an accessory Ms Jax started exploring all the elements of so many early childhood education models and programs. She found she couldn't pick one; each had great aspects and some components that were so-so, but none were quite right. Since she was home, she decided to piece together a model of other models--and just after her son, Waylon, was born so was the vision for Saplings. 

Saplings was designed with the Scandinavian forest school model as the core. Elements of Maria Montessori, like many of the tools for language and mathematics as well as the fundamental principles of Maria Montessori were included in the blend. The fundamental principles of Reggio Emilia, the model of natural spaces and loose parts were also a component of the Saplings structure. Second to being in nature, the most important part of Saplings for her was that children would learn through play. Ms. Jax refers to herself and her teaching team as "the Jane Goodalls of Preschool." She and her teachers set up environments with invitations, provocations and tools-- and then they observe the secret learning taking place. 

Ms. Jax opened Saplings in 2015 only a month after she and her husband, Mister Paul, purchased their home. It all started because they had two teeny toddlers and she was going a bit stir crazy without any adult conversations throughout the day. 

These days, now years after Saplings starting in an unfinished barn, Ms. Jax and her tribe have grown Saplings to include full-time playschool, full-time kindergarten, and a pod of elementary students in a modern-day one-room schoolhouse. If she's not coming up with yet another crazy idea, you will find her being a director, a maintenance lady, a substitute teacher, a HR lady, a landscaper or a builder.  But she's a mom first, so she's also a personal chef, housekeeper, personal shopper, chauffeur and secretary. 

"Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart. Live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you thought could never be yours." - Dale Carnegie, American Writer

Mr. Paul met Ms. Jax (who he calls Jackie) in 2008. At the time, he was a middle school teacher. Mr. Paul loves history and social studies and working with children who need more support socially and emotionally. While he loved teaching, he didn't love some other aspects of public middle school enough to stay. He returned to the company he had worked for prior to becoming a teacher and spent the first seven years "coming home" to Saplings after a long commute from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. While Mr. Paul did a lot of industrial construction, concrete work and pipe fitting at the Shipyard, he also did a lot of teaching. He trained staff on how to properly and safely use tools and operate equipment, taught CPR and First Aid, and made sure the job sites were meeting codes and safety regulations. 

During the summer of 2023, Mr. Paul spent the summer tackling projects around campus. He officially came on board as full-time maintenance and he hasn't stopped being busy! Instead of "coming home" to Saplings, he gets to be a part of it every day.

Mr. Paul gravitates toward practical life lessons and hands-on learning. He's a calm, quiet presence and easy-going by nature. He's one who all are happy to be around! It won't be long until he's back in a classroom again!

From the mouths of babes, "Ms. Devyn is like a celebrity!" A celebrity with treats in her apron pockets!

Ms. Devyn has been a part of the Saplings family since the early days of the one room schoolhouse, making snacks and teaching nutrition workshops to the tiniest preschool classroom. 

Our small snack deliveries grew over the years and these days include an on-site teaching kitchen and full-service lunch program. Yes, Ms. Devyn's dreams came true and she has become a full-fledge lunch lady, packing up daily snacks and lunch for 40 Saplings (give or take) each day. 

Ms. Devyn is a NH-certified high school Spanish teacher as well as a certified holistic health coach with a certificate in culinary nutrition. She believes in real food, local food, and that a love for food and food education should start early. She boosts the treats with extra good stuff, serves up all the fruits and veggies, and keeps our Saplings well-fed and trying new things. 

Ms. Devyn has big plans to continue the food education curriculum at Saplings, including a compost program, a hands-on gardening component,  and  a true field-to-table model, getting kids' hands dirty and bellies filled. 

When she's not behind the stove, Ms. Devyn enjoys books and movies, gardening, live music, traveling with her two kiddos, and as much time at the beach as possible. 

Ms. Deb has spent her days working with toddlers and preschoolers since 1997. She started her career at a small, local center when she discovered she loved dancing, singing and getting artsy with the littles. In the years that followed, Deb took classes part time at NHTI in Concord while she and her husband owned and operated a restaurant. In 2001, she and her husband, Peter, had their first child, Marisa. After having a baby of her own, she knew that her future would always involve working with children. In 2002, Deb began working as a toddler teacher at Kidworks Learning Center, where she was able to bring her daughter to work with her. Four years later, Anya was born and she had two girls in tow. t was a fantastic time in her life, where lifelong friendships were made, but after sixteen years it was time for new experiences. 

Deb has been at Saplings since 2017. She adores hiking around in the woods with our youngest children and can often be found reading stories in funny voices and making a good, old-fashioned mess with the kids. She loves to sing, busting out the paints and really enjoys cooking activities. 

Deb is passionate about her family; anytime away from work is usually spent with them. Family vacations, boating on Squam Lake, trips to the beach, cooking together, watching Anya play her many sports or visiting Marisa who is now a college student in Florida are some of her favorite things to do. When she has time for herself, she enjoys curling up on the couch with a good book, listening to music or fiddling in the garden. 

"The early years are the most important in a child's life and I consider myself lucky to be able to be a witness to the growth of so many children at this crucial time. I believe it is my job as a preschool teacher to provide a welcoming environment, where each child feels special and loved. Every child needs to know that their feelings are important. I encourage expression of these feelings and help them to verbalize positive and negative feelings. I believe that children learn best through play. It is my goal to provide as many opportunities for children to explore and discover, create and most importantly, imagine. Giving them ample, uninterrupted time to play is crucial. Children should be given choices and the opportunity to take healthy risks. They should be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. It is my goal to instill a lifetime love for learning, for books and music, for the world around them and love for their fellow humans and themselves.  

Mister Jared has been with Saplings for a few years now, coming on full time in January of 2021. He spends his mornings playing and learning along with his playschool friends and afternoons practicing math and having fun with the kindergartners. Mr. Jared also keeps up with the general maintenance and repairs that come with forty small humans running around. 

Mister Jared graduated from a vocational technical high school through the carpentry program. He has also taken courses in welding, soldering, electronics, machining, wilderness survival and art. Jared is finishing up his CDA to become a lead teacher. 

In the good ol' days, Jared spent his time with friends riding, breaking and rebuilding dirt bikes, four-wheelers and snowmobiles. These days when he's not blazing trails with a pack of playschoolers, he spends his time woodworking, ice skating and skiing with his daughter, snowshoeing and hiking in the colder months. In the warmer months, you can find him around, in or under the water. He loves boating with family, is a master diver and is studying to get his captain's license. 

"I believe all children deserve to play and must have the right environment to do so. It is my desire to create the atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I provide a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and take risks. I believe teachers are guides, students need access to hands-on activities, students should be able to have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning and students need the opportunity to practice skills in a safe environment."

Although she grew up as the youngest in her family, Ms. Theresa's experience in child care started very early. Theresa learned the art of nurturing and creating a welcoming environment from her mom, dad, and two older sisters. Her upbringing, coupled with her experiences raising her little sister and observing my family's natural ability to connect with and support children profoundly influenced her approach to care and development. In a family full of natural caregivers, there was always someone to look after, or conveniently occupy her while the grownups were busy! Theresa says that being home grown in dirt and climbing high up in trees grew her love for the natural world and gave her an incredible advantage as she learns to navigate and positively function through the new adult world! 

In elementary school, Theresa was diagnosed with many learning disabilities, including ADHD. Although she loved to learn outside of the classroom, trying to function within a structure that clearly did not fit her muted her confidence and motivation to succeed in school. 

Theresa was raised playing multiple sports and stayed active which created a need and a want for good grades when entering into middle school and high school. As she grew and persevered, life experiences started to teach her more than she ever expected to learn from the education system. Never planning on college, Theresa’s senior year started with the dream of traveling and working through nonprofits, and then COVID hit. Sports were canceled, school went completely virtual and any opportunity to travel disappeared. During this time of struggle also came many blessings. The women's track and field head coach called and offered Theresa a scholarship to join the Southern New Hampshire University team, and the school offered a package of free tuition to any COVID graduates in need of higher education. So, college it was! Theresa pursued her education majoring in Psychology and double minoring in Sociology and Philosophy. Finally, despite the continued struggle of learning through the system, she fell in love with her studies while digging deeper into topics she loved: psychological and sociological structures and subsystems. 

Now freshly graduated and out in the real world Theresa was welcomed to the Saplings team at the start of summer 2024. Her biggest interests lie in the social and emotional development of children and adolescents. Her goal is to help fill everyone's toolbox with the life tools that work FOR THEM.  She believes with the right perspective, kids are our greatest teachers to a happy and sustainable life. These are just a few of the many reasons Theresa was such a wonderful addition to our forest family!

"Being in a socially active family my best escape from talking was observing. Everything. A quiet kid being brought up to care for others, the biggest lesson I learned is the importance for a child to feel heard, seen and listened to. I may be known to be loose around the word ‘no’. Instead I prefer to ensure that the child knows my intent to keep them safe and healthy and that with mutual understanding, at any age, a solution can be made. I want to teach children to be open minded, confident leaders who can see the value in different perspectives! I myself am an individual with an open mind and a love of learning! A good chat and shared tips about each individual kiddo will always peak my interest as we are all learning who your children are and just how much they are capable of!"

Ms. Jackie has been a teacher at Saplings since 2016 sharing her passion for the outdoors and her extensive teaching experience. On a daily basis she has the opportunity to immerse her students in nature based activities in which they can explore, play and learn while using the outdoors as their classroom. She is able to experience firsthand how "learning takes places through the lens of nature."

Jackie is a NH certified teacher with a Master's degree in early childhood education. With her experience as a nature based preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher, she nurtures, educates and inspires a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world in these young learners. 

When Jackie is not teaching she enjoys spending time fishing, camping, hiking and exploring with her husband and son. Jackie also enjoys participating in Spartan obstacle course races that take her through beautiful woods and up and down mountains numerous times!

"As a teacher of young children I feel that it is important to be a guide and a follower. During our days in forest school I provide hands on activities for students to explore, but I also follow their lead when they have different interests or observations. For example, recently we were collecting sap from the trees we tapped.  After checking two buckets and comparing red maple and sugar maple sap, some students found spiders and grasshoppers.  They all decided to become bug detectives.  I could have chosen to regroup and finish our sap collecting, but I chose to follow them.  I feel that it is important to encourage students to explore what they are interested in and just like a grasshopper-jump on these teaching opportunities.  Students gain so much knowledge through these hands on, free exploration experiences.   It is my role as their teacher to foster their natural curiosity."

Ms. Kristen joined Saplings in the fall of 2022 as the first through third grade teacher. Kristen went to school at the University of New England where she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education and got her NH teaching certificate for grades K-8. After teaching grades 2, 3, and 5 she took a few years off to be at home with her three boys. She and her family have a small farm consisting of cows, pigs and chickens and work to teach their children the importance of taking care of animals and raising your own food. Kristen also enjoys baking with her boys and spending as much time as they can outside!

“After spending several years at home with my children, I saw the importance of being outside and experiencing nature first hand. We can’t go on a walk in the woods without filling our pockets with rocks, sticks and acorns! After becoming a parent, it also helped me realize how important that one on one connection is with the students as each child learns in a different way. With the smaller class size I am looking forward to not only finding out how each student learns best, but to help them thrive and surprise themselves with what they’re capable of. Communication with families is also very important to me. I love sharing what the students are working on!”

We were a bit nervous for this veteran Saplings mama barista who volunteered her time because what we did know about her was that she doesn't love mud, a dirty child getting into her car, creepy crawlies--especially ticks-- or many of the other forest creatures. But she was willing, eager and nervously excited to help. Maegen joined during the fall of 2021 and we soon learned she LOVES winter! 

In the first few weeks, Ms. Jax dragged Maegen around for all of the best adventures-- putting on lots of miles, climbing giant boulders, tromping through slushy mud puddles, going through fields that were likely infested with ticks all while passing off all the creatures to Maegen to get to know and love. Neither Ms. Jax nor the creatures were able to scare Ms. Maegen away. There were days though where it seemed like the children might! 

On days when Maegen was doing side projects and avoiding adventures, her team soon learned that all of their least favorite things were her chosen activities: Sorting and filing, printing and copying, laminating, and most of all--shopping! And that’s when Ms. Maegen’s official role came to be. 

The books have never been more organized, the student files have never been so up-to-date, the coffee has never been so well stocked, the supplies don’t run out, the teachers have their wish lists filled like she’s a fairy godmother, and only occasionally does Ms. Jax have to roll her eyes because Ms. Maegen is calling her for the millionth time in one day or because Ms. Maegen is turning a little thing into a bigger thing and just cannot stop talking. Maegen fills a very valuable role and she does so in her own special, quirky way. She does own rain boots, but chooses to wear completely inappropriate footwear secretly hoping that she can wear all the cute clothes while she takes care of business.

"I’ve been told I have a childlike nature, so I’ve always connected well with children. I always loved kids, but didn’t really think much about working with them until my mom mentioned it in high school. That's when I started my journey working with little minds and learned I loved it and wanted to continue doing that with my life. Since then, I have pursued working with children however I could. I’m really close with my family. I’m really fortunate to have supportive parents and two siblings. I have an older brother and a younger sister. My brother and I are two years apart and so we were close when we were growing up. My sister and I are seven years apart, yet we’re practically inseparable. I’m very thankful to have a sister as close as we are. We spend a lot of time together and I’m always excited to be able to go home and visit my family. I also have two dogs, and I absolutely love them. I’m a huge dog fan, so I miss my dogs a lot when I’m away at school.

I’m from and grew up in Plymouth MA. I grew up on the edge of the woods, so I was always outside. My backyard had a swingset and a pond and the woods. So, I was always exploring the woods around my house and being outdoors. My brother and I spent the majority of our childhood exploring the woods and trails in our backyard. We also had a lake and would go canoeing and fishing on the lake with my dad when we were little. My sister and I utilized every aspect of our yard and swing set. Considering I grew up in Plymouth MA, it’s ironic because I go to Plymouth State University and now I’m a resident of two Plymouths.

I never realized that I could go to school for being outdoors, so it was a great opportunity to come to Plymouth State. I’m studying Adventure Education, which gives me the opportunity to teach and lead a career in the outdoors. I’ve never been the best at sitting still and being confined to a classroom, which is why I love the opportunity of saplings to combine two things I enjoy: the outdoors and working with children.

I believe it's important to let children actively engage in their learning and that children should learn through experience. Not everyone learns the same, but experiential learning is a good way for students to get that hands-on experience with their learning. Personally, I am a kinesthetic learner, and I learn best by doing. I love being engaged and active. I also am constantly being social and also believe social learning is important. It helps children to make connections and form relationships. After going through my time as an Adventure Educator, I’ve come to believe that immersing yourself in the natural world can teach more than any person can. The way I describe my future classroom is similar to the way Saplings is set up, all outdoors with little indoor sections when needed and with plenty of space to play and explore. I’m excited for the opportunity that Saplings has presented to me. It’ll help me strengthen my skills and help prepare me for what I plan to do for my future career." - SH

“Your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change.” - Jim Rohn

I recall my mother always saying … “Things happen for a reason…” And I think that's what this opportunity is for me.

After spending the past 20+ years as a professional in the hospitality industry I am switching gears (just a tiny bit ;)) and joining the crew at Saplings! 

Over the last year and a half since my kids attended school at Saplings  I have gotten more and more involved… First volunteering on field trips, then leading a garden club this past spring, and now this year pitching in where needed in the classrooms, on the grounds, and more.

Getting to know the kids and watching them interact and learn in their Saplings environment is AWEsome.

A short description of me would be - outdoor enthusiast, homestead-curious, and a creative hospitality professional with a rich variety of skills and experiences including; cooking, gardening, canning, chicken rearing, beekeeping, arts and crafts and a variety of outdoor activities such as fishing (ice, fresh, and salt), hunting, skiing (downhill+XC ), and mountain biking. 

I am deeply motivated by my love for my own children, the outdoors, education, sustainable living. I continuously seek new ways to grow, inspire, and engage others in learning about the world around us.

From the minute I stepped foot on this campus I knew it was something special. I am so grateful to be a part of it and look forward to the future.

Juniper

Stevie Mae, an October baby, joined our pack in the winter of 2019 when she was just twelve weeks old. Since then she has become the school mascot, the morning greeter, the cleanup crew after snacking (or if the back door of the family car is open for business) and the filthiest four-legged playschooler in all the land. When she wags her tail, her whole bum wiggles. She puts on anywhere from seven to twelve miles each day at forest school; she plays hard and sleeps harder. 

Stevie loves to make the rounds among all of the base camps. Mud and puddles are her favorite during the spring and summer. Chasing kids on sleds down the sledding hill, jumping in fresh snow and bringing in all the snowballs are some of her favorite winter things to do. She loves to bring sticks and rocks inside and rogue socks outside all year.

Stevie loves to play fetch, take car rides, and swim in the lake. She will do anything for popcorn, except take a bath. 

Stevie the Goldendoodle, did all of her training through Doggonit at the NH Humane Society with children.  

When you visit Saplings, hers is likely the first filthy, friendly face  you'll see. 

You may occasionally see Stevie in a muzzle. She has a very bad habit of carrying around rocks and is wearing down all of her teeth. She's also quite the opportunist when it comes to cleaning up under picnic tables after mealtimes. In an effort to keep her teeth and her gut happy, a muzzle helps. She much prefers it to being on a leash or run!

After experiencing a spring of remote learning and being unsure of what the fall would look like, creating a modern day one-room schoolhouse seemed like the best option for our staff's elementary age children; not only would they have their social and emotional needs met in a mixed-age group of ten, but Saplings would have an employee insurance policy.  These children would be unplugged, outside and learning with peers-- It was supposed to be great, but not so awesome that we continued post-pandemic. Who would be the right person to teach five grades, all subjects? Saplings found her! Ms. Erin joined us in the fall of 2020 and was so amazing, Saplings decided to keep her! 

Erin has a Bachelors of Education from Plymouth State University and  is working on her Master’s Degree in Experiential and Outdoor Education through PSU.  She was a fifth grade public school teacher for 10 years before taking time off when she had her son. Ms. Erin is passionate about baking and cooking.  She enjoys gardening and creating things with her hands.    

"I believe every child is able to learn and it is my responsibility as their teacher to provide whatever opportunity they need in order to be successful. I have high expectations for myself and my students. I believe every child is able to learn and it is my responsibility as their teacher to provide whatever opportunity they need in order to be successful.  I have high expectations for myself and my students.  There is so much more to a good education than academics, it also includes being a responsible and respectful person who puts forth an effort in all aspects of their life.  I think being a hard working, kind person is more important than having the ability to solve complex math problems or read challenging texts. I try to provide an environment of mutual respect that follows the child’s interests so they are more invested in their own education."      

Lauren came to Saplings in the spring of 2022 and while there wasn't a position for her-- after a jaunt through the woods followed by conversations over lattes at our favorite coffee shop  there needed to be a position for her. So we renamed her Ren and now call her our Resident Naturalist. Ren works with teachers who spend so much time learning "in" nature, "with" nature and "for" nature to bring more of the "about" nature to the program. 

She does walkabouts each morning to check the land for risks and hazards, reporting back to the staff. She helps maintain trails, cleans up streams, gardens and is the energy behind turning our Four Seasons Woods into an environmental education destination. We cannot wait to see how the program, the children and Lauren evolve with her background, knowledge and energy. 

Ren loves to hike and feels that family is everything! She graduated from Paul Smith's College with a bachelors in Environmental Studies and since then has dabbled in many fields including landscaping, stone masonry, substitute teaching and the field of caffeine--as a barista. She loves to get her hands dirty and watch things grow. 

As a former participant in outdoor learning she is fully aware of the benefits it can have for students of any age. Ren believes when there are more factors in play against our senses (sunshine, wind, rain, bird calls, the rustling of leaves, ever-changing temperatures, etc) our brains  are doing more on a wider plain. Putting education into a box is a silly concept for Ms. Ren. She appreciates the natural environment where we can do so much more-- see more, hear more, smell more, touch more and learn more; the environment where there is an opportunity to freely interpret everything that's being experienced. She strongly believes in helping children develop into caring and kind people. When we learn within and about our environment we realize how it serves us; we can then become leaders in serving the natural world in return. 

Over the past thirteen years, as an educator, administrator and mother, Lauren has had several experiences and worked in a variety of educational environments, which have all helped to shape the teacher she is today. Lauren believes that children learn best by doing. In order to gain the most from their educational experiences, children must be active participants in their learning. They need to be given opportunities to explore content and material that interests them and is relevant to their own lives. Having a voice in their education, and being able to experience learning through a “hands on approach,” will provide children with the ownership needed to maintain motivation and develop a true understanding of the content being taught. As an educator, Lauren has always maintained the belief that all children are capable of achieving greatness, and while they may not all get there at the same time or in the same way, they will all get there! Therefore, she makes it a priority to see each child as an individual and gain an understanding for how they learn best.

Additionally, Lauren believes in teaching the whole child and that social and emotional development is equally as important as academic growth. Her passion for Saplings, A Forest and Nature Playschool, has less to do with her educational philosophy and more to do with her philosophy as a parent and the way she chooses to live her life. She believes being outside and being surrounded by nature, regardless of weather, is essential to creating a healthy mind, body, and spirit. The more connected we as humans are to our earth, the more likely we are to make decisions and choices that will help sustain and preserve our natural environment. Lauren believes that children need to be given the opportunity to explore their environment with very little interference. Children need chances to get their hands dirty, explore, create, problem solve, and practice conflict resolution and I believe their natural world is the best classroom environment for them to put these skills into practice.

Ms. Renee joined the Saplings team just before the school year kicked off in 2023. Renee grew up and received her Bachelors in Massachusetts. She is now a mother of two school age children. When she is not working, she is busy exploring the natural world with her family. They recently moved to NH full time to explore homesteading and self-sufficient living.

With a deep love of nature and a background in developmental psychology she has seen first hand the positive effects holistic environments have on physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development. She believes that learning happens best when children are immersed in the natural world, free to explore in a way that makes sense to them. 

She noticed that when outside, children naturally gravitate towards activities that stimulate their senses which intrinsically motivates a love of learning. 

Each child within a group may need something different. One child might need to work on balance and coordination, while another may need to explore cause and effect. Their behavior is going to look very different but ultimately leads to the same destination.

In a world that is rapidly advancing in technology, it is easy to overlook the simplicities that foster the more critical stages in development. Patience, emotional regulation, empathy, endurance, curiosity, integrity and creativity can be overlooked when childhood is rushed. These are crucial to establishing a brain and body connection capable of thriving.

After choosing Saplings as the perfect place for her own children, she couldn’t help but support the idea of working in the play school herself. She hopes to create meaningful and developmentally appropriate experiences for playschoolers by ensuring a safe and enriching outdoor experience for every student. She is excited to help support the next generation of nature lovers and learners. 

No, he's not "Ms. Jax's new Paul" as some friends have reported at home... The original Paul who is married to the school has not been replaced!

THIS Mr. Paul grew up in New Hampton and attended Sant Bani School from 3rd grade through high school. His two sisters (one older, one younger) also went to Sant Bani, and my mother taught there for 20 years, during which time she was the Dean of Students, and a Board member. After graduation, he went to MIT for undergraduate and graduate school, ending up with a Master of Architecture degree. He also studied physics and astronomy at MIT, and spend a lot of time in the wood shop building furniture.

Paul moved back to NH after graduation, got married to Rose Marie, bought a house in Belmont, and had two kids, Sophia and Max. Rose Marie taught at Sant Bani for 20 years, and Sophie and Max went there through 8th grade, then to Bishop Brady HS in Concord. He worked as an architect designing schools ever since returning to NH.

Both of his kids were ice skaters from an early age, so he and his wife got involved with helping out on the ice, and eventually coaching. He's been coaching lacrosse for the past seven years - getting involved when his daughter played, and later being assigned a 1st-4th grade girls team to coach when nobody else would do it!

About five years ago he was asked by a family friend (who also happens to own the Shaker Road School in Concord) if he would teach two faculty kids there 9th grade science, which he did. While at the school, at the request of the 4th grade teacher, he helped introduce hands-on science and engineering to that grade, and the following year to 2nd-5th grade. He started an after-school design space where kids in grades K-5 built complex little cardboard houses, decorated them, and built furniture for each room. This expanded into what became know as "craft cabin", where kids worked on their little architecture projects, but also made jewelry, painted, sculpted, and did anything else creative. Craft cabin also became a week-long summer camp option, and the next year a full-summer option three days a week.

Mr. Paul has such an extensive background of knowledge and experiences and we're already witnessing all he has to offer here at Saplings! He may forget to bring a lunch, but he's sure to have a butterfly chrysalis, a bucket of shells and starfish, or a full-blown lesson on magnets and electricity ready to go. The children are huge fans of our newest grown up addition and we are so thankful that he has chosen to volunteer his time with us!