Academics
Early School
The Early School program is centered around helping our students learn to love school, to trust adults other than family in a safe environment, to develop a sense of confidence and competence in a school setting through socialization, play, interaction with the natural world, and to introduce concepts and skills in language arts, math, science, social studies, music, physical education-health, and the arts.
Rather than holding all students to the same developmental expectations, children work and play at their own pace. The first year is devoted to acclimating to a school environment and developing social skills. Concepts are introduced in a multi sensorial way and children are provided open-ended opportunities to explore, experiment and discover at their own pace.
During the second year, students are given opportunities to revisit concepts from the prior year and develop a deeper mastery of concepts through more independent learning. The curriculum is inquiry based allowing students to explore topics that peak their curiosity. In addition to learning centers that reinforce academic concepts, projects and units are developed based on the natural surroundings of the campus. For example, students watched squirrels gathering food for the winter and asked “why do squirrels collect food?” This lead to the study of squirrels and other small mammals on-island, field trips to the State Forest and Off-Shore Animal Hospital for further study and exploration.
We strive to foster creativity, encourage independence and inspire a love for learning, setting a solid foundation for future education.
Rather than holding all students to the same developmental expectations, children work and play at their own pace. The first year is devoted to acclimating to a school environment and developing social skills. Concepts are introduced in a multi sensorial way and children are provided open-ended opportunities to explore, experiment and discover at their own pace.
During the second year, students are given opportunities to revisit concepts from the prior year and develop a deeper mastery of concepts through more independent learning. The curriculum is inquiry based allowing students to explore topics that peak their curiosity. In addition to learning centers that reinforce academic concepts, projects and units are developed based on the natural surroundings of the campus. For example, students watched squirrels gathering food for the winter and asked “why do squirrels collect food?” This lead to the study of squirrels and other small mammals on-island, field trips to the State Forest and Off-Shore Animal Hospital for further study and exploration.
We strive to foster creativity, encourage independence and inspire a love for learning, setting a solid foundation for future education.
