Heartland School plans to offer more grades

FAIRFIELD — A small private school in Fairfield is planning to expand the grades it offers after finding teachers willing to help.

The Heartland School of Learning opened on Sept. 14 in the former Medical Arts Building on South Maple Street. Though it has started modestly with a couple of families, founder Anna Spanton said the school is ready to accept kindergarten and high school students in addition to the other grade levels in elementary and middle school it already offers.

Spanton said the school was able to find a kindergarten and outdoor studies teacher, and hopes to start kindergarten classes in March or April using a Waldorf approach that emphasizes “thinking, feeling and doing” and being outside. She said a high school teacher reached out to say they are ready to offer classes if there is enough interest from high school-age children in the community.

“We knew that we just had to find a place to hold down the fort, and now teachers are coming to us,” Spanton said. “We’ve had a lot of support from the community.”

Spanton said a person from Hawaii found out about her school and is moving to Fairfield to participate.

She said the school is offering support to homeschool students, who can supplement their homeschool education through programs at Heartland School of Learning. She said the school is hoping to acquire an outdoor play structure to increase outdoor activities for the kids.

Spanton said the school is taking steps to become accredited, which takes a few years. Spanton’s mother, Elizabeth has 52 years of experience in the education field, and was once a principal at a school in Tokyo, Japan. She is the main teacher at the school, and was named “Teacher of the Year” at three prior schools. Elizabeth is going through the process of making the school accredited. Spanton wants the public to know that the teachers at the school are certified and have degrees.

Wisdom Keepers

The school is hosting another round of its Wisdom Keepers series, which began in the fall. The school is making these classes free and open to the public, and has moved them from Saturdays to Sundays. They will meet from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20, and are designed for ages 5-12. Sessions will include crafts, songs and stories.

In the fall, the Wisdom Keepers class made lanterns to give to businesses and families in the community. The recipient of the lantern was asked to place it in a prominent window “to inspire light, hope and love that our world needs now,” Spanton said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com