About
Whispering Creek Farm Academy
Meet Kim Trudo
Proprietor
Whispering Creek Farm Academy
After retiring from a 30-year career in the childcare industry - from hands-on daily care to owning and managing 3 childcare centers in Eastern North Carolina - Pamlico County’s Kim Trudo retreated to Whispering Creek Farm, her 12-acre “hobby” farm, gathering a variety of small farm animals, including ducks, goats, sheep, chickens, stray ponies, and a menagerie of other farm family members.
She never imagined that retirement on her farm would lead her back to a calling to serve children. “About two years ago, a mission was continuously placed on my heart,” recalls Trudo, “and a vision started to solidify in my mind - to create a learning oasis on my farm, where little minds and hearts can sprout and bloom, surrounded by the natural, nurturing life on my Whispering Creek Farm.”
It did not take long for a clear vision to emerge for what has now become the Whispering Creek Farm Academy. Soon, construction began on the barn-inspired learning space adjacent to the pasture areas. “I imagined preschoolers – ‘sprouts’ as I began to call them – having the freedom to ramble in natural spaces and the opportunity to interact with my friendly farm friends,” says Trudo. “At the same time, they will progress in preschool-appropriate developmental skill areas.” Paramount to Trudo’s mission is that, “these precious ‘sprouts’ will be nurtured and cherished according to how each child blooms and grows.”
“Whispering Creek Farm Academy will provide a hands-on, experiential learning environment in which the delivery of a fixed curriculum is child-directed,” explains Trudo. She then muses, “And maybe even animal-directed at times.” Whispering Creek Farm Academy’s emphasis is nature-based learning, which
includes exploring wildlife habitats, pond animals, growing and harvesting vegetables, and learning about healthy eating habits, just for starters.
Our Vision
Bloom Where You Are Planted
We want to partner with our Sprouts’ parents in exploring and uncovering their gifts and interests as they begin their lifelong journey of learning. We will provide a hands-on, experiential learning environment in which the delivery of a fixed curriculum is child-directed (and maybe even animal-directed).
When we are exposed to learning in a fun and enjoyable way, we learn much faster. In addition to the traditional learning centers in the classroom, songs, fingerplays, books and art will be used to introduce the curriculum subjects.
Your Sprout will get to know our “resident” farm friends: Chickens, Gypsy, (our mini-Horse), Scuffy (who is Scuffy?) and Luna (the mini Fainting Goats) and Molasses (our micro mini calf) as they help care for the animals, developing their social-emotional skills in a new and fun way. Imagine the delight in their eyes when they share with you about gathering eggs, brushing Gypsy’s coat, or getting licked by a goat who loves animal crackers!
In addition to the Whispering Creek Farm Academy “resident” animals. the students will visit our other animals around the farm. Nature-based learning will revolve around Caring for our Planet
through Conservation practices, Wildlife Habitat, pond animals, birds, bats, and insects, to name a few.
Children will help plant a garden, harvest veggies, and eat them as part of their morning snack; learning where their food originates will instill heathy eating habits. They may pick flowers to make a bouquet for the classroom or to take home. Parents and Grandparents are encouraged to participate in the gardening fun and take home some of the “goodies from the garden”.
A large part of the morning (sometimes barefoot) will be spent outside exploring our natural playground, getting their hands dirty in the mud kitchen, stretching their muscles using the
balance beams and climbing structures made from locally sourced trees. Outside learning opportunities abound; they can learn to count by gathering eggs, or marking off how many logs
they hop over or count the petals on the flowers in the garden.
My wish for your Sprout is that they develop a Love of Self. With that foundation, everything else comes easily. Raising a loving, independent, and successful member of the community takes all of us. Whispering Creek Farm Academy is a part of the local community we share together. Parents, grandparents, and siblings will be a part of our WCFA family.
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Address
1088 Lee Landing Rd
New Bern, NC 28560
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