Elementary Program
The Sequoia Room
Our 6-12 Year Old Environment
The Lower Elementary program builds on the skills of concentration, coordination, order, and independence developed at the early childhood levels.
- The student, now in a new stage of development, is able to use higher level cognitive skills and is interested in more abstract concepts.
- Using stories and props, the teachers spark the vast imagination of the students and inspire them to further explore their world through research and prepared lessons.
- Students continue to hone their practical life skills through activities in caring for the classroom, gardening, cooking, and building projects.
- Download Lower Elementary Learner Outcomes PDF.
The Upper Elementary program further expands on the skills introduced in The Lower Elementary program including:
- An integration of arts, science, geography, history, and language that evokes the native imagination.
- The presentation of knowledge as part of a large scale narrative, unfolding the origins of the earth, of life, of human communities (agricultural and urban), as well as empires and modern history, always in context of the wholeness of life.
- The presentation of the formal scientific language of zoology, botany, anthropology, geography, geology, etc., thus exposing the student to accurate organized information that respects the student's intelligence and interests.
- The use of timelines, picture charts, and other visual aids to provide a linguistic and visual overview of the first principles of each discipline.
- The presentation of mathematical concepts with concrete materials, becoming more and more abstract as the student is ready. These materials simultaneously reveal the arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic correlations.
- The teaching of all subjects in an integrated form, not as separate disciplines, but as part of a whole intellectual tradition.
- There is an emphasis on open-ended research and in-depth study, using primary and secondary sources (books and the Internet), as well as other materials.
- The utilization of community resources beyond the four walls of the classroom, incorporating the principle of students "going out" to participate in learning projects, cultural events, and community service.
- Download Upper Elementary Learner Outcomes PDF.
