Explore Outside

FPD's large, 240-acre campus provides ample opportunities for students to explore the outdoors - to touch, see, and hear what they learn in the classroom. Elementary students enjoy educational gardens, nature walks, and outdoor play. In middle and high school, students explore FPD's 100-acre conservation easement as part of their science curriculum.

Outdoor Education Opportunities

Educational Gardens

FPD’s Elementary Educational Gardens feature raised planter beds in which each class in FPD’s 1st – 5th grade has an opportunity to plant, tend, and harvest an array of vegetables and herbs. These are then served in FPD’s lunchroom as part of FPD’s dining program.

In the gardens, students study the parts of the plant, ecosystems, and how they can take care of the natural resources God provides. The Elementary Educational Gardens also feature a frog pond in which students can study the life cycle of tadpole and frogs as well as water biomes.

Outdoor Education Opportunities

Reading & Writing Outdoors

FPD teachers take advantage of FPD’s numerous outdoor venues to take their classroom learning outside! Using chalk, lower school students love to practice spelling and math on FPD’s campus sidewalks. Likewise, they often gather for outdoor reading and educational games. These multi-sensory approaches help students better comprehend what they learn in the classroom.

Outdoor Education Opportunities

FPD Nature Trails

FPD is home to a 100-acre conservation easement. In addition to serving as a wonderful backdrop for FPD’s on-campus cross country course, the conservation easement provides multiple opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students to explore the outdoors.

Outdoor Education Opportunities

New Playgrounds

Playground time is an important part of the school day for lower school students. Through play, students enhance gross and fine motor skills, cooperation, creativity, and teamwork. FPD’s elementary students welcomed a new playground in 2021 complete with a Viking ship climbing tower, obstacle course, turf playing field, and new swings.

Travel (& Learn) Together

Field Trip Exploration

Field trips are a favorite part of the FPD educational experience. Students love to travel with their friends and explore nearby venues. FPD field trips include Washington D.C., Jekyll Island, Dahlonega Gold Mines, local farms, Rock Eagle, Zoo Atlanta, and much more.

Field Trip Exploration

Rock Eagle

FPD sixth graders visit Rock Eagle located in Eatonton, Georgia to learn about the nature habitats and history of the venue. Students enjoy canoing in the lake, going on nature walks, and climbing the tall observational tower of Rock Eagle.

Field Trip Exploration

Washington, D.C.

In 5th Grade, students enjoy a week-long trip to Washington, D.C. Throughout the trip, students visit numerous monuments, museums, and historic venues. Students journal about their experience each day and end the trip with a presentation about what they learned.

Field Trip Exploration

Jekyll Island 4-H Center

The Jekyll Island 4H Center is the first overnight field trip for FPD students. FPD fourth graders visit this beachside location to study beach and marsh ecology, sea turtles, maritime forests, and nighttime stargazing.

Field Trip Exploration

Dahlonega Gold Mines

FPD’s third grade enjoy learning about Georgia’s history – underground. At the Dahlonega Gold Mines, students pans for gold and gems while learning about early mining in Georgia.

Don't Just See. Observe!

FPD’s early childhood outdoor science curriculum is based on the idea that science is not simply a set of content objectives to memorize. It is a process in which students can be engaged. Early science includes –

Observing and talking about what you see

Asking questions about what you observe

Noticing properties and describing them

Noticing patterns, cause-effect, and change

Crafting reasonable explanations using evidence

Conducting simple investigations

Research shows that participation in interactive experiences are strong predictors of later science achievement. All of this background confirms our emphasis at FPD on active hands-on science with our youngest students and demonstrates the value of our campus resources and facilities.