Specials

Music

In the younger grades, students express music through movement, singing, and instrument exploration. As students grow, our more formal introduction of music experience includes learning the skills to sight-sing and to play the ukulele. Middle school students deepen their understanding of the elements of music and music literacy. Music is recognized as a powerful way to communicate emotion, understand our world, and celebrate.

Physical and Stewardship Education

Drawing from physical education, environmental education, and citizen science activities, P/SE supports students to explore ways to take care of themselves, each other, and the earth.

Spanish

Being able to communicate in another language can enrich learning and expand cultural and intellectual awareness. Students become familiar with the language through songs, games, and simple phrases. Spanish classes provide a safe environment where students experience what it is like to learn words, form sentences, and converse in Spanish. Students also explore the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries, including in the United States. As students develop their skills, they engage with more complex language, reading, and writing. When building on previous years of Spanish, most graduating 8th graders will be prepared to enter a Level 2 Spanish course in high school.

Art

All students take classes with our art teacher, creating in an art studio setting. Materials and techniques, print-making, drawing, painting, mixed-media, ceramics, and three-dimensional forms are taught and practiced to develop each young artist’s personal ideas and processes. Building an appreciation for other artists' work and their lives, past and present, is woven into the program. Studying the work of diverse artists immerses children in different ways of seeing the world and representing it. Children explore art as a form of expression: self-expression, social commentary, and activism.

Buddies

Each year, every student in the school is assigned an older or younger “buddy”. Buddy groups meet at least weekly to play outside together, read together, and share their learning with each other. Through the buddy program, students build special bonds across ages that provide an additional layer of belonging and community for each student.