Elementary School

Kindergarten and First Grade:  

(ages 5-6)   

Kindergarten students have very specific needs.  Some children are entering a school environment for the very first time while others are ready for academic and social challenges.  Active inquiry is considered an exemplary model of early childhood education.  It is a hands-on approach in which students hypothesize about a topic and study it in-depth.  This approach is committed to creating conditions for learning that will enhance and facilitate a child's power of thinking and learning.  This philosophy also believes that children are curious, intelligent and capable, as do we.  This approach is also consistent with Howard Gardener's idea of multiple intelligences.  We recognize that students all learn in a variety of ways and need the opportunity to explore in different ways.  A key element to this program is the participation by our talented, involved and committed parents who volunteer weekly, to help in the classroom.                                                                               

Afternoons are dedicated to small group reading instruction for first graders.
Hours are from 8:15 to 1:30 for kindergarten and 8:15 to 2:45 for first graders.  Teachers: Mara Irvin and Dorinda Stanley

Intermediate Classes:
(ages 7-9)

At this stage, children are exploring the world around them and switching from learning to read to reading to learn! They explore the world with two creative teachers and will discover a whole new arena of participatory theater and personal performance. Hours are from 8.15 to 2:45 p.m. Teachers: Amanda Timbermoon and Cyd Miller

Upper Elementary:
(ages 9-11)

Our upper elementary class is often gone on field trips to explore the wider world of California and U.S. history. Students at this stage are learning confidence in their learning inquiries and learning to organize their materials into presentation quality work. They are active in researching on the internet or in our library. They are scientists who read to discover and they are engaged in creative writing, art and music as well as honing their physical skills on our playing fields. Hours are from 8.15 to 2:45 p.m. Teachers: Bill Singer and Phil Wolch