Students begin woodworking class in 5th grade, where they learn to use gouges, saws, chisels, rasps, and many other woodworking tools to sculpt and build with wood. The woodworking class is held in the woodshop building, where students delve into learning an array of different projects, including wooden hammers and stools. Many students are also introduced to power tools in eighth grade when they begin furniture making. Click here to see our woodworking video!

Gardening is taught in the 3rd-grade class for the entire year. In class, the students learn about biodynamic, worm composting, growing crops during specific times of the year, transplanting, and harvesting. The students also learn about farming, agriculture, and cooking. Next year, we hope to expand our gardening program from 1st to 8th grade. Stay tuned!

In the strings program, students in 4th grade learn how to read music, they learn how to hold their instrument properly, they learn how to play by ear and read music. Intermediate-level instruction in stringed instruments is offered twice a week during the school day for 5th grade and above. The school orchestra is open to 4th through 8th graders. The orchestra provides an opportunity for string students to learn to play in an ensemble.

At each grade level, students are experiencing lessons through creativity and art. Drawings are created to reflect the students' main lesson learning materials. Fine art classes such as form drawing, charcoal, pastels, and painting, help to take their artistic skills to extraordinary levels. Students also experience working with clay and beeswax modeling, building projects, and crafts.

The spoken word is key to learning languages in the early grades. Songs, poems, rhymes, tongue-twisters, counting, and group games all foster group knowledge of the language and appreciation of the cultures they are learning about. Reading in Spanish begins in 5th grade. In the later grades, the students learn more specifics about spelling and basic grammar. Students also learn about influential people from Spanish-speaking countries, study the varied geography, prepare traditional foods, and learn about other important traditions.

Knitting and other handwork projects play an important role in developing fine motor skills, inner calm, and intellectual clarity. Starting in the early childhood classrooms, children learn how to finger knit and do sewing projects. In first grade, they learn how to knit with needles. With each grade, the children learn new handwork skills, such as crocheting, cross-stitch, sewing, dying fabrics, felting, and more. The children discover where materials come from and they often experience the entire process of how wool and cotton become yarn.