One School, Two Campuses

School Hours The College School owns 28 acres of property in the LaBarque Watershed near Pacific, MO. It’s quickly Classes begin promptly at 8:15 AM. Students should arrive in plenty of time to be in their classrooms at that time. Students are not allowed to be anywhere in the building (other than the Before School Program) earlier than 8:05 proven to be a rich place for experiential, hands-on, inquiry-based learning and our headquarters for learning beyond the classroom. AM. There is no charge for BSP from 7:30 to 8:05 AM. Located on the property is our Jan Phillips Learning Classes are dismissed at 3:15 PM. A few times per year, Early Departure Center, which is designed to connect people Students leaving school prior to 3:15 PM must be signed with nature and advocate a sustainability ethic out in the Administration Office. for our region. This 6,550 square-foot complex Drop Off/ Pick Up promotes The College School’s long held values School is in session from 8:15 AM - 3:15 PM. Students can of conservation and sustainability and serves enter their classrooms at 8:05 AM; students who arrive as a regional headquarters for sustainable earlier can attend the Before School Program (BSP). After conversations, learning, and inspiration, starting with school, parents have until 3:30 PM to pickup their child; our students. Absences otherwise, the child will go to the After School Program (ASP). See below for more details. Preschool students Science Our experiential education program cannot be contained by one campus. When students are absent, it is requested that a parent call the office before 8:15 AM. If possible, doctor Both campuses offer hands-on opportunities for science exploration and inquiry. The natural setting Lessons traverse and connect between our suburban Webster Groves Campus appointments should be arranged for after school or on at the LaBarque Campus allows a more intimate and our pristine 28-acre outdoor LaBarque no-school days. Extended family vacations during the and familiar connection to the science of the land: Campus in Pacific, MO. Tardinessobservations can be made over time, changing seasons can be experienced, and trends can be Students not in their classes by the 8:15 AM bell are tracked. marked tardy. Parents should go to the Administration Office to sign in tardy students. Because of on-going structured Social Studies activities and schedules, it is important for all students to arrive on time to school. Parents will be notified if a pattern develops. Discipline We believe it is essential to maintain a safe and healthy environment for everyone in our school community. The Through technology on our Webster Groves campus, students have opportunities to research, email with experts, or interact with maps. Lessons then come even more alive at the LaBarque Campus, where purpose of our discipline policy is to help foster such an environment. Our policy seeks to be childstudents do flint knapping, cook over campfires, and experience period crafts. centered and compassionate, while at the same time attempts to clearly communicate what we believe is Adventure acceptable and unacceptable behavior. We believe that consequences should focus on what is to be learned, not the punishment. Below are a few examples of consequences found in the Early Childhood Program. There is a full climbing wall at the Webster Campus, and there are two climbing trees and a rock rappel • Giving or writing an apology to the victim station at the LaBarque Campus. On both campuses, adventure education teaches students they can do more than they initially believe—a powerful lesson. • Losing privilegesStewardship • Calling home All schools recycle and talk about caring for the community. However, not all schools earn an MSD tax credit for their semi-permeable pavers; compare coal, wind, and solar energy on their own campus; and commit to building a Living Building Challenge structure, one of few in the world. The College School has been committed to environmental stewardship since we were established in 1963.

Throughout the year, all grades take advantage of the rich learning opportunities at our LaBarque Campus. Below are just a few ways our elementary school grades connect their classroom learning with place-based learning at LaBarque.

First Grade

First Grade connects their Food Theme to the maple trees on our LaBarque Campus. Students visit the property to tap trees, collect sap, and boil it down, on the property’s sugar shack, to begin the maple sugaring process.

Second Grade

Second Grade studies stream health and ecosystems at LaBarque, documenting macroinvertebrates and journaling on our suspension bridge.

Third Grade

Third Grade collaborates to grow and change their River City community on site. Through their work, they study urban planning and financial literacy.

Fourth Grade

Fourth Grade partners with their Kindergarten buddies to plant native species and remove invasive species. Students also practice reflection through journal writing in the field.

Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade has rich curricular experiences at the LaBarque Campus, as they use it on a regular basis as a foundation for understanding a variety of concepts. We practice fire-building skills, utilize cooperative game play, catch and tag migrating Monarchs, and learn about systems thinking models.