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Elementary

Our Elementary program is thoughtfully split into two stages—Elementary 1 (E1) and Elementary 2 (E2)—to mirror the expanding social and intellectual worlds of our students.

In E1, the focus is on building a fair and inclusive community. Students utilize flexible workspaces to develop empathy and identity, collaborating with teachers to set classroom agreements and navigate conflict with respect. This foundation of social growth scales up in E2, where our oldest students take full ownership of their learning and behavior. Guided by frameworks like RULER and Responsive Classroom, E2 students embrace leadership roles—such as "winging" in younger classrooms—and navigate the complexities of early adolescence. Across both levels, community service and emotional intelligence are woven into daily life, preparing students to be engaged, responsible mentors.

Work With Us
8–10AGESELEMENTARY 1
10–12AGESELEMENTARY 2
18–24STUDENTSPER CLASS
2TEACHERSPER CLASS

In-Depth Studies

Each year, E1 students engage in four to five in-depth science or social studies topics that often include related social and environmental justice themes. These studies shape much of the curriculum, including Choice Time projects, as well as integrated math and language work. Topics are explored through weekly lessons, discussions, and hands-on projects. Studies include Latinx Heritage, Human Body & Identity, Ancient Greece, Electricity & Sustainable Energy, Ancient China, and Light & Color.

In E2, Over the course of the academic year, three to four in-depth science or social studies topics are undertaken. These provide the central focus for much of the rest of the program, including many of the arts and crafts projects offered during Choice time, and some of the mathematics and language activities that occur throughout the week. In addition, aspects of the topic are explored through lessons, discussions, projects, and inquiries several times each week.  This year’s topics include: Rivers, Aquatic Ecology, and Water as a Human Right; Black Freedom: Struggle and Strength; E2’s spring play; and Astronomy: Our Place Among the Stars.

Literacy

Writing is integrated across subjects using the EMPOWER framework among other scaffolds  Students learn to generate, organize, and revise ideas in fiction, nonfiction, responses to texts, and research reports.. Peer and teacher feedback guides the revision process. A major research project is shared in a year-end learning museum. Students also continue building skills around word structure, etymology. grammar, punctuation, and common writing conventions.  Students are expected to apply these skills in all written work. Students also work on keyboarding skills and technological stewardship with Chromebooks.

E1

In E1, students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. They build fluency, accuracy, and comprehension using strategies like questioning, predicting, and summarizing. Small-group reading meets twice a week, and students complete related comprehension work tied to in-depth studies. They also learn to read nonfiction texts and follow directions across subjects. Weekly library visits support independent reading, and each year students collaborate on a puppet play for caregivers and younger students.

E2

E2 students develop fluency, accuracy, and comprehension across a variety of texts. They read both assigned and self-selected books, logging independent reading with guidance from teachers. In class, students participate in literature groups and complete related reading and writing assignments, often tied to in-depth study topics. Students also read scripts for a class play and texts across the curriculum, including math and research materials.

three students lying on the floor around a map, one facing away, one pointing to the map, and whose face is partially pictured looking on

Peek into an Elementary classroom on any given day and you’ll find:

  • Children working constructively with others, navigating friendships, advocating for themselves, and resolving conflict.

  • Teachers helping students prioritize and manage classwork and homework.

  • Reading-level groups that challenge students to engage with increasingly complex texts and discuss them in class.

Elementary Curriculum Highlights

  • two adults and one child looking at large scale which is weighing five pumpkins, two children in the background on grass holding pumpkings

    Elementary 1: Farm Study

    The School’s proximity to farmland creates opportunities to talk about where food comes from and who harvests it. Students learned from local farmworker advocates who visited the Elementary 1 classroom that most of the people who pick our fruits and vegetables are seasonal workers who live in Holyoke and Springfield. They also learned that these neighbors often make low wages, do not receive overtime pay, and work up to 10 hours a day without weekly day off. The class thought these terms were unfair, and several students wrote to their state representatives them to support the Fairness for Farm Workers Act.

  • people in coats facing away from the camera with signs that say "Donate Food YOU CAN HELP!" and "You Can Help By - Donations", rest of sign is illegible

    Elementary 2: Food Justice

    What should we eat to be healthy, and how can we make sure everyone has healthy food to eat? To answer these questions, Elementary 2 students read the Harvard School of Health’s Kids Healthy Eating Plate visual guide as well as excerpts from Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” column. They also learned to read and compare nutrition labels on foods they consume. Students also researched root causes of hunger in our community and the many organizations and programs that are helping solve food insecurity, such as Gardening the Community, Pioneer Valley Workers Center, Soul Fire Farm, Amherst Survival Center, and SNAP.