Elementary
Lower (grades 1-3) and Upper (grades 4-6)
The Elementary program is broken into two levels. Lower Elementary supports our 1-3 graders and Upper Elementary, our 4-6 graders. Elementary children are characterized by a thirst for knowledge, powerful imagination, fascination with fairness, and a desire for intellectual independence. The Elementary child grows intellectually, emotionally and socially. Our classrooms are designed to enhance collaborative learning and continue to challenge individuals with a breadth of dynamic material.
A Learning Community
As students progress through each 3 year cycle, they gain more responsibility and take on new leadership roles. Elementary classrooms are lively and use the children’s innate yearning to be social to great advantage. Class meetings are regularly held to address community issues and support the development of leadership skills, and compromise.
An Environment Built for Learning
The Elementary classroom maintains the same organizational logic found in the Primary. In designated curricular areas you will find language arts, mathematics, geometry, cultural studies, science and art materials readily accessible throughout the classroom. Our rooms are thoughtfully designed to support intellectual curiosity, independence and collaborative work. Each classroom has a large outdoor space and access to our 6-acre campus to enhance students' sense of interconnectedness with nature.
Our Curriculum
The Elementary curriculum is designed as a bridge to abstract ideas. It encourages students to see and explore connections between concepts they are actively learning. This is the time for “Cosmic Education,” in which the child explores their place within the world and comes to appreciate the interconnectedness of all things. By seeing the whole, children are better able to understand interdependence and their roles and responsibilities on micro- and macro-levels.
The Elementary curriculum builds upon the academic foundation gained in Primary. Elementary children work to make the transition from concrete to abstract thinking. Their work is hands-on, self-directed, and explores all areas of the curriculum. Children are encouraged to see and explore connections between concepts they are learning and go more in-depth through their research. This Cosmic Education allows the child to explore their place within the world and appreciate the interconnectedness of all things. By seeing the whole, children can better understand interdependence, relationships, and connections.
The Elementary child’s ability to use their imagination through stories, lessons and materials vary in complexity and depth for Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary presentations. While all of these learning objectives meet national standards, most exceed national and Core Curriculum standards. The six-year program allows students to embrace complex concepts on their terms and provides children with an uncommon depth of research. Students benefit from highly trained teachers and the independence and flexibility to work at their level and beyond.
