Program Components

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the college school

Experiential Learning

Our curriculum is grounded in experiential learning - learning through experience. The classroom, our LaBarque Campus, local neighborhoods, and beyond all serve as avenues through which our students explore, create, think, and collaborate.

Prospective parents sometimes ask why we go on so many trips. Age-appropriate trips provide children with fresh, life-altering experiences and new challenges, along with opportunities to apply skills learned in the classroom, collect data for use in the classroom, solve problems, bond with classmates and teachers, and develop self-confidence. Trips aren’t just fun add-ons, separate from academic studies. Our trips into the field are an inextricable part of the way we teach and learn at The College School.

By combining rigorous academics with direct experience, application, and reflection, our students become lifelong learners and citizens of today. See more on Page 8.

Academic Disciplines

As students progress through the elementary grades, their academic skills continue to expand and build upon each other. In addition to the rich project-based and experiential learning, students in First-Fifth Grade work on Math and Language Arts every day. As they explore and master these skills, we know that different students progress at different speeds - with our constructivist philosophy, we believe in meeting children where they are at so that we can maximize their academic growth.

See more on Page 11.

Social and Emotional Growth

In addition to their academic growth, students in First-Fifth Grade are experiencing tremendous personal and social growth. As they work to define and refine their sense of identity, there are many parts of the program that are mindfully aimed at providing opportunities for this growth and exploration. Whether through the outdoor adventure program or regular class meetings, students are learning who they are and how they interact with their many communities. They develop interdependence and a sense of their contributions to the world.

See more on Page 12.

Parent Partnership

Connection, partnership, and open dialogue between home and school are essential to student success. We actively partner with our families in many ways.

Support for their child’s academic and social development.

An understanding and support of the school’s mission, educational philosophy, and behavioral guidelines.

A commitment to act with responsibility and respect toward all members of the school community. See more on Page 19. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL the college school