Welcome to Roots + Wings! We are a growing small business and proud to be starting our 5th year in 2023. We are a mighty team of four, dedicated to outdoor education, positive school experiences, building community and raising children who engaged with nature throughout their lives. This fall we move into a new
Sandy Babbitt comes out of the world of early intervention, early childhood speech and autism. Her love of nature started as a child, with parents who valued nature and convinced her that a Saturday spent working in the yard was family fun. She's a master gardener and avid reader of all subjects of nature. She loves teaching children and especially enjoys creating lessons that are hands on and playful, believing that this is the best way for young children to learn. Sandy is lead teacher and creator of our Nature School curriculums. Sandy teaches First/Second, Kindergarten/First and our Four and early 5 classes. She co teaches Rooted Theater and some Rooted Project Classes.
Natasha Grogan's background is in special education, independent tutoring, and behavioral disorders. She is a community builder, mom of three littles, and a lover of local food. Natasha has a deep love for children's literature, believing that it offers children connections to history, life, emotions and dreams. She knows that any subject, even the "hard sciences", can be taught creatively and she proves it with our Rooted Math curriculum which she developed. Natasha has always loved time spent in nature, but after having children she witnessed, first hand, the benefits of "Vitamin N". Natasha is lead teacher and creator of our Rooted Math and our Rooted Literature concepts.
Kimberly Chu came to Roots and Wings as a mom of a child in Nature School. Her connection with the team was immediate, and when another team member was needed she was the obvious choice. Kim brings with her a deep love of nature. She has immeasurable respect for a young child's value and esteemed place in the world. Before becoming a mom of 2 littles, she taught children's theater and directed children's shows in DC and Vermont. She also loves being behind the camera as a birth and family photographer. Kim is lead teacher and creator of our Rooted Theater curriculum.
Elizabeth's love of nature began when she spent time in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains every summer for Nature Camp. Her love of nature grew when she earned her degree from James Madison University where she spent lots of time outdoors exploring Shenandoah National Park. Elizabeth spent 7 years teaching first grade in South Carolina in a traditional classroom. She believes curious children will develop a lifelong love for learning when they are presented with lessons that are relevant, engaging and fun. Elizabeth is the mom of two littles, lover of dogs, traveling, people and kindness. Elizabeth is co-teaching our Kindergarten/First and 4/early 5 classes. She's lead teacher and curriculum developer of our Nature Literature class.
We love getting creative, finding ways for young children to learn through play, connecting nature-minded families and being a part of the Greenville community
"Planting seeds, both literally and figuratively is what we strive to do. Propagation, basic botany, soil, parts of an insect, owls, landforms and basic ecology are not beyond a young child's grasp. Building with sticks, watching the way water flows, dissecting flowers and fruits, holding a wiggly worm, looking at grasshoppers legs with a magnifying glass…all “play”. Math, science, social studies, and literature education are possible without formality and their potential in the natural world is endless."
~Sandy Babbitt, Teacher, Co-Owner
"It has been a dream of mine to open a school that truly exemplifies what I want for my own child- a place where childhood is embraced, academics are taught through literature and play, and time outdoors is valued. I wanted to open a school where parents were friends, students emotional well being and habit formation was of higher importance than their ability to compute math problems and learn phonics."
~Natasha Grogan, Teacher, Co-Owner