Ages 9-12 (Grades 4-6)
At the 9–12 level hands-on, project-based learning is a critical part of the classroom as fundamental skills continue to solidify and children become increasingly independent and motivated learners. Students in this stage of development move from concrete representation to abstract thinking, starting to bring order to various disconnected facts and increasingly able to think hypothetically.
Work journals are used to create personal goals with the student and capture several long-term project goals and deadlines. Long-term projects, research and the creation of 2-week work journal commitments demand strong organizational abilities and build executive functioning and teach children invaluable tools in self-advocacy.
Typical Day’s Schedule
8:30-8:45 AM: Morning check-in
8:45 AM Begin morning work cycle, independent work time and lessons
(Two mornings a week Spanish class occurs/ Two mornings a week are Co-Curriculars- P.E., Art, Music, Outdoor Education)
11:30 AM: Lunch and Recess
1:00 PM: Read aloud or silent reading
1:30 PM: Independent work time/ whole group projects / Committee Work / Friday Peace Council
3:00 PM: Jobs (children perform their class jobs)
3:30 PM: Dismissal
“Education for life” continues as students develop learning skills by exploring practical problems and processes. The classroom is designed to develop habits of inquiry, work, and wonder and to foster a life-long love of learning. The teacher, in the role of facilitator, bases the curriculum on a deep respect for the child’s ability to grasp great wisdom while understanding the individual developmental needs of each child.
The Senior Elementary finishes the year with a major overnight field trip relevant to their long-term study project. Recent classes have traveled to Seattle to sail in the Puget Sound, The Cosmosphere (Space Camp) in Kansas, and a trip to Mesa Verde.