A Note From Ms Kate,
How We Began:
Suzy's Nature Studies started out in 2013
with a handful of homeschool kids
gathering in my city backyard.
Over the course of the years, we've changed locations, classroom formats, teaching techniques, and even the demographic of our students.
Suzy's Nature Studies has grown
in a way I NEVER expected.
Meet the Teachers
Kate
Caitlyn “Suzy” Polyak-Roach (formerly Stock) is a mother, an avid homeschooler, and a life-long naturalist. In her youth, Caitlyn's work focused on animal rescue and rehabilitation. Nowadays Caitlyn is more heavily involved with local conservation and environmental education. Caitlyn is CPR and first aid certified. She is a certified conservationist, certified in basic wildlife rehabilitation, certified Michigan master naturalist, and currently working towards her certification as an environmental educator.
Her teaching methods are strictly secular, though they have been influenced by the works of both Charlotte Mason and Maria Montessori. She has had immeasurable success in her years utilizing an outdoor classroom in combination with the Mason and Montessori-influenced methods.
Caitlyn is a student of the world who practices what she teaches: respect for the environment, reverence toward nature, responsible usage of resources, and an ever-curious approach to what we can learn from all things which grow. She seeks to inspire the same in her students, as she believes that the influences of nature touch on every aspect of a child’s learning, from social and creative pursuits to hard sciences and maths.
Peter
Peter was trained to be a high school English teacher but life took him in another direction after he received his degree. Peter is CPR and first aid certified.
Peter's well-rounded knowledge base allows him to be a well-rounded teacher. When taking a class with Peter, a fern isn't just a plant to walk by, its a study in mathematics; taxonomy isn't just a system of classification, its an opportunity to talk about Latin roots and how ancient civilizations utilized various types of animals.
Peter's special interests include all things STEM but especially astronomy.
Lyric
In 2021 Lyric became the youngest person in the state of Michigan to attend and successfully complete the MSU conservation stewards program. Lyric is a third generation naturalist, a BSA scout, and is certified in first aid through Red Cross. Lyric's passion for biology began at a young age. As a homeschooled student, Lyric pursued his passion fervently. Now, after almost a decade as a student of Suzy's Nature Studies, Lyric is an assistant teacher for preschool level classes and lead instructor for all Dino Day events.
Neils
Neils has a passion for animals and helping people. He can often be seen with the Suzy's Nature Studies crew when we volunteer at Homeless Angels, when we're pulling invasive species, when we pulling trash out of the river, and occasionally when we have a big event where we need an extra pair of hands. Neils is always learning and growing; his presence is always greatly appreciated.
