Learning & Discovery
There’s always something to explore at IDS no matter what time of year. Our students enjoy ample outdoor time during classes, recess, after-school activities, and more. Some of the most cherished memories and experiences at IDS come from these places.
Sisson Pond
Sisson Pond, named for longtime IDS employee Janet Sisson, this special pond provides opportunities for students to not only conduct experiments, such as water samples, but also to use the pond for fishing during PE class or summer camp. The joy on a young person’s face when they catch and release a fish back into Sisson Pond is truly priceless!
Mugford Yurt
The Spencer Mugford Yurt, named in memory for former IDS student, Spencer Mugford, is a rustic learning space adjacent to the Langer Playground. The Yurt can accommodate a class of students (up to 16) for teachable moments outside of the classroom. It is powered by portable solar panels and often gets more use during the fall and spring months of the school year.
Langer Playground
The Langer Playground, named in memory of past IDS parent, Joyce Langer, has been a staple of IDS for over seven decades. It is the primary playground space for students in Grades 3-8, and has been updated over the years to reflect changing times. In addition to two 4 square courts, a basketball court, swings, slides, and a Gaga Ball pit, the newest addition to the playground is a buddy bench called “Sharon’s Spot,” named in memory of former IDS staff member, Sharon McLaughlin, who thoroughly enjoyed seeing IDS students grow over the years through play at recess.
Gusenburg Playground
The Gusenburg, named in memory of former IDS teacher, Cheryl Gusenburg, is located in the back of the school and is the primary playground space for our Early Childhood and Lower School students. With two 4 square courts, a basketball hoop, swings, a slide, and a large sandbox area, the Gusenburg Playground is the perfect spot for our youngest learners to learn how to interact together positively as well as use their creative spirit at play.
Bee Farm / Pollinator Garden
One of the newest additions to the IDS grounds is our Bee Farm and Pollinator Garden. Thanks to grants from the Rockfall Foundation, new walking paths have been created for our pollinator garden. Plants that are an invasive species have been removed and new pollinator plants have been added, which ultimately will assist our IDS Bees and our Bee Farm to produce a unique brand of honey.
Maple Classroom / Maplevillion
Since 2019, IDS has had the opportunity to tap sugar maples on our property, not just to make maple syrup, but to use this special learning opportunity as an endless supply of teachable moments for our students. The maple sugaring process is truly a team effort involving all students from Beginners to Grade 8. Once the trees start to produce sap, those buckets are brought to the Maplevillon, located to the right of the Langer playground, where a team of faculty members boils the sap to eventually make maple syrup. On average, it takes 40 gallons of maple sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. Our maple syrup not only becomes a great gift, we have also sold it at local farmers markets as well with our students even making the labels for the bottles.
Fearless Gardens
At IDS, our 33 acres are covered with a variety of native plants as well as a series of Raised Beds that were installed in 2023. These ten raised beds are used to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Like the Maple Classroom, students can see first hand how their hard work pays off from planting seeds in the spring to harvesting fruits and vegetables in the late summer and early fall months. The culminating activity occurs each October when the IDS community hosts the Fall Harvest meal!
