Upper Elementary Program
Our Upper Elementary program is a three-year program for children ages 9 to 12, or grades 4 to 6. It is a continuation of the Lower Elementary program and, for many, it is a time of adjustment before venturing toward the Middle School. The Upper Elementary student will learn to be adaptable and to gain an empowering view of their own future.
Lessons in Upper Elementary are designed, as they are in the Lower Elementary classroom, by the teacher, and older children retain their position as guides to the younger members of the group. Students are encouraged to discover their world through a variety of in-depth projects. In this way, the student's social skills are enhanced by a combination of independent learning, cooperative group relationships, and personal responsibility. By making available to the students a list of basic requirements for each grade level, the teacher allows the child to become responsible for learning "the basics".
The culmination of a typical year in Upper Elementary is the overnight trip the students take using funds they have raised throughout the year through projects of their own design. Overall, in the Upper Elementary classroom the teacher is present to remind the student of what they need to learn, but it is up to the student to decide what it is that personally interests them.