feature story / 13 up shop as South Mountain Nature School, running en- richment programs in the South Mountain Reserva- tion for children who are 2 to 5 and 6 to 8 years old. Foundational to her ap- proach is “flow learning” or child-led learning, in which there is no pre-determined curriculum. Rather, lesson plans flow organically from what na- ture presents and from children’s in- terests. The goal is to tap into the chil- dren’s sense of wonder about nature while teaching basic environmental and natural-science principles. Teach- ers function as mentors and guides, actively modeling curiosity and en- gagement in nature while allowing children’s interests to set the pattern for the day. During a recent class on a sunny Wednesday morning, Sonneman led a group of 3-year-olds and their parents into the reservation with little more than a tarp for sitting, water for clean- up, and a collection of pails, trowels, and metal pie plates for play. For the Mary Clair Sonneman, founder of South Mountain Nature School, leads her class in a conversation about soil as they dig to find out what’s in it. Bugs? Roots? Who knows? Photo credit left, top and right: Emily Feinsod MAGGIE AXELROD-CALISTER Zeman Religious School Jewish Learning for Curious Children My daughter loves going to Zeman School on Sundays, and I love that she comes home singing Hebrew songs and full of stories about all the creative Jewish projects. —Michelle N. The Rose and Isadore Zeman School is Oheb Shalom’s religious school for children in grades K-7. Through music, art, drama, family activities, and elective courses, we engage students in a thoughtful and meaningful way. zeman school Rose & Isadore of Oheb Shalom Congregation Nurturing the seeds of lifelong Jewish living and learning MikeDorfman,EducationDirector 170ScotlandRoad SouthOrange,NJ (973)762-7067 “ “ REGISTER NOW OHEBSHALOM.ORG/ZEMAN-SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN IS FREE!