Classes and Curriculum 

We see the natural world as a rich context for all kinds of learning, and the subject matter and themes of our curriculum will be inspired and informed by its seasons, its rhythms, and its myriad life forms and their interconnections.

We use a Reggio-inspired, emergent curriculum that begins from our students' interests and from our values as a school community.  Our curriculum emphasizes inquiry-based learning, project work, and problem-solving.  

We value children as competent, creative people who actively work to construct and develop their knowledge.  We seek to provide hands-on, experiential learning within a supportive community of adults and mixed age peers.

The learning that takes place during the children's projects, inquiries, and experiences is documented through photos, samples of student work, learning stories, and teacher records. These are then collected in individual portfolios, classroom floorbooks, and documentation panels and are tracked back to curricular standards to show what learning has taken place. 

Recognizing the importance of literacy for children's continued ability to participate in their education, individualized literacy instruction will be an important part of our curriculum and will be integrated into the children's experiences, projects, and daily routines.

Our science curriculum is focused on learning and living the inquiry process, and will take advantage of the rich learning experiences provided by our setting on a sustainable farm among forested hills.

Math is also an important part of our curriculum and school environment, and will be incorporated into hands-on experiences such as working in a tinker lab and workshop, creating and managing budgets for our farm enterprises, working hands-on with building and engineering materials, cooking, measuring and graphing the world around us, and playing math-focused games.

The development of self-awareness, awareness of emotions, and skills for self-regulation will be a focus of social studies in the early years, as will the cultivation of a respectful, responsive social environment in which children learn empathy for others and develop an ability to use their voice and participate actively in a supportive community.

We value the variety, subtlety, and creativity inherent in artistic expression and thus view the arts as an essential aspect of a child's education.  We incorporate song, story, the visual arts, and drama into our daily experiences.

Helping children become curious, playful, and engaged life-long learners is central to their cognitive, academic, and creative development.  We are preparing students for a world that we can't yet imagine, but we trust that creative, flexible thinkers with self-confidence and strong social skills are likely to flourish in their lives now and later.