Grades 1-8
An Education Where Teachers Guide the Potential in Each Child
At the Upper Valley Waldorf School, teachers guide children to grow intellectually, artistically, emotionally, and socially.
From the welcoming Rose Ceremony of 1st grade to the final culmination of the 8th grade graduation ceremony, the Upper Valley Waldorf School prepares students for the future.
Our graduates are the ultimate testimony to this education. All who witness an 8th grade graduation cannot help but marvel at the confidence, poise, and vast array of skills and talents our graduates display. The affection and gratitude they display for one another and their teachers is palpable.
Their many accomplishments, the fruits of this education, are evident all around:
In-depth, thoughtful writing with exquisite illustrations.
Paintings, projects, and sculpture reflecting studies in science, history, mathematics, and geography.
Wooden stools they have designed and crafted, and clothing they have sewn themselves.
But that is not all:
They sing and perform together on violin, cello, and recorder.
They dramatize a play completely in French.
This marvelous display of accomplishments reflects hours of self-discipline, determination, hard work, and growth unmatched in other educational environments.
Our curriculum is based on a deep understanding of child development, where each grade leading up to eighth grade provides a meaningful and rich experience for children that supports their natural stage of development.
“We are filled with gratitude for all that UVWS has instilled in each of our 3 children. Our family’s choice to attend UVWS stems from our commitment to raise individuals who will contribute positively to the larger society. We value the curriculum that dives deep and is steeped in compassion, respect and integrity. We also appreciate the thoughtful integration and emphasis on creativity, the actual making of objects, and being in touch with the natural world. High school has been a seamless transition for our graduates both academically and socially. They gained a level of self assuredness and presence of self reliance that is a direct result of the joyful unique learning environment at UVWS that cultivates the potential in each child. ”
An Integrated Approach to Learning
At the Upper Valley Waldorf School, children receive an education where rigorous academic instruction prepares students for the future, focusing on both creativity and critical thinking.
We introduce academic concepts thoughtfully and sequentially, building a solid foundation for all subsequent learning. Each grade of instruction is an important step that thoughtfully leads up to the joyful culmination of eighth grade graduation.
Children learn best when they can engage their imaginations with the academic content. We surround our students with stories that inspire their own imaginative thinking.
We cultivate children’s imaginative capacities through a wide palette of artistic, practical, and movement activities.
Children receive ample time for free play in the natural world which allow them to develop their imaginations in social interactions with others.
Further Reading: Why Should Schools Embrace Integrated Studies?: It Fosters a Way of Learning that Mimics Real Life
Strong Relationships Build Resilient Learners
A unique and essential cornerstone of Waldorf education is the relationship that the students develop with their class teacher. The class teacher typically teaches the same group of children for several years. This allows a warm relationship of mutual regard and trust to develop between the students and their teacher.
Our class teachers acquire a deep knowledge of each child over the years they share together in the classroom:
They witness and celebrate each child’s growth and achievement over time.
They understand and support each child’s individual areas of challenge.
They form partnerships with parents in helping children reach their highest potential.
The relationship that students develop with their class teacher is supplemented by strong connections with teachers of other more specialized subjects—all who take a personalized interest in the growth and learning of each child.
But not only do students build strong relationships with their teachers— the bonds they form with their classmates often remain for them long after they have left the school, reaching well into adulthood.
And because of this strong foundation, when social challenges occur, our teachers are well-equipped to help students navigate difficult interactions with resiliency and grace.
Further Reading: Students Learn From People They Love | Multi-year Teaching in the Grade School
Wisdom Underlies Academics
To deliver our curriculum, teachers depend upon an oral tradition that fosters the development of ethical and moral judgment.
The great myths and legends from around the world, stories from history, biographies of inspiring individuals form the backbone for academic learning. At the right developmental stage, children resonate deeply with these stories.
Students grow in moral development as they discover time and again that the best and most noble aspects of human experience can live alongside the darkest and lowest tendencies. They learn that they have a choice and a responsibility in how they participate in the world and contribute to its well-being.
Art and Beauty Inspire Academics
In every grade, children learn artistic techniques that allow them to express, process, and interpret their knowledge through drawings, paintings, and modeling. Starting in first grade, children build artistic skills that allow them to express their academic learning through beauty. This inspires joy and love for learning.
Dipping into different grades classes you might see:
Drawing pictures from fairy tales enhances learning letters of the alphabet for first graders.
Study of shelters around the world in third grade coming to life through water-color painting.
Careful construction of forms with compass and ruler and beautifully shaded with colored pencil, illustrates geometric concepts for sixth graders.
Creating diagrams and lab reports in seventh grade physics illustrating a see-saw that lifts students in the air to help understand the properties of levers.
Using clay to model the human hand helps the eighth grader better understand human anatomy.
In drawing and painting content from their lessons, singing songs and reciting poems, children deepen their appreciation for beauty. They gain confidence in their ability to express themselves in multiple ways and develop creativity, enhanced by activities that support visual and spatial thinking.
Movement and Play Enliven Academics
Children thrive when they can move their bodies. Movement enlivens academic learning in our school. Every day, children have many opportunities to enhance their intellectual learning through movement.
Jumping rope and clapping games help children learn their times tables.
Imaginative circle games help children develop gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Folk dances bring other cultures to life as part of geography and history studies.
Further Reading: Pediatricians Writing Prescriptions to Play Outdoors, Children Should do Exercise in Math and English Lessons to Boost Grades
Practical Activities Enhance Academics
In every grade, students learn through practical activities that take them away from their desks and require them to learn with the full use of their bodies. Learning through doing helps students to understand that the academic work they are learning in the classroom is meaningful and important by helping them experience the real world application of those concepts.
Meaningful and practical work leads to focused thinking and perseverance. Here are some examples:
Third graders learn to measure according to the different lengths of their own feet in order to understand the benefits of the standard foot and inch measurements.
Fourth graders create cross-stitch pincushions which supports spatial and mathematical thinking as they come to understand fractions.
Sixth graders design and craft their own swords and shields as part of their study of the Middle Ages.
Seventh graders build a kiln and make charcoal to observe the chemical processes that take place during their Chemistry class.
Eighth graders construct three-dimensional models of the Platonic Solids made from paper and clay to understand the geometric properties in math.
This is only a sampling of the many activities that take place throughout our grades program. To experience the depth and richness of our curriculum, schedule a visit with our admission office.
Through this well-rounded education, children experience joy and enthusiasm in learning that lasts them a lifetime!