CCS Curriculum Guide 2024

Welcome to CCS.

Children’s Community School is a progressive school dedicated to teaching children to think for themselves, collaborate successfully with others, and take responsibility for their own education in a safe and loving environment.

CCS embraces the principles of diversity, selfdetermination and participation in democracy. We foster critical thinking, compassion, and respect for each student, their community, and their world.

Our History

Children’s Community School was founded in 1981 by Neal Wrightson and Leni Jackson, two progressive educators who sought to create a school where children’s opinions were valued, their creativity was encouraged to take flight, and their minds were challenged through experimentation and inquiry. They championed diversity in their student body and staff, encouraged a child’s autonomy while honoring their teacher’s professionalism, and formed a community who were active participants in a democracy.

Today, CCS’ founding values and principles hold true and steadfast. The outcome is a learning environment that puts children at the center of their own education through a dynamic, hands-on, and challenging curriculum. As a result, Children’s Community School graduates students who know themselves and enthusiastically accept their role as change makers, difference creators, and opportunity builders in our ever-changing world.

Portrait of a Graduate

Seeks intellectual challenge and growth

Makes and appreciates art

Is an active and informed participant in our democracy Advocates for themselves and others

Possesses a deep and complex understanding of the world

Knows how to be a good friend

Identity

From the time they arrive in Kindergarten, children at CCS are in community with individuals who are different from them in their life experiences and backgrounds. CCS values providing every student with windows and mirrors within the community and embedded in the context of their learning. In the books chosen, the perspectives acknowledged throughout historical studies, the guests on campus, and their fellow classmates and teachers at the school, we know the importance of children seeing themselves reflected and valued in their community and learning from those who are different from them.

We have many active affinity groups that welcome parents, students, and staff to join together for regular coffees and connection in spaces of shared experience. Our affinity groups (such as Rainbow Alliance (LGBTQIA+), Black, Latinx, AAPI, Neurodivergent Parent, and Single Parent) also organize themed events and community time which provide moments of togetherness and an education for all. The parent-led DEIJ Committee, in concert with our staff and dedicated DEIJ Consultant, engages in active work to ensure we are paving new avenues for access and that we are constantly keeping this important work fluid, front of mind, and impactful.

Community Building Community within CCS

The 30 minutes after lunch each day are reserved for community time—a flexible period utilized for community building in many different ways. Whether the groups are singing together in the auditorium, a younger group is sharing their latest project with an older group in their classroom, or two groups who haven’t interacted in a while are having a group game together on the South Yard, this is a time for the students of CCS to strengthen their connections and grow in community.

All School Meetings are held about once a month on Friday mornings and are open to families.

All School Meetings are led by the students in 5th and 6th grades, and include joyful singing in community, shares from students about the work going on in their classrooms, and important announcements for our community at large. From Kindergarten, the children are growing their public speaking skills and comfort level sharing in a large group setting with the loving support of their classmates, teachers, and families.

CCS’ buddy program connects every student in the youngest group with a buddy in the oldest group. Through shared snack times, play times, and even field trips, the children develop lasting friendships with their buddies. Many alumni speak about the lasting impact their buddies had on them, both as Kindergarteners and as members of the oldest group.

Bridging Community in our Neighborhood

The location of CCS is intentional. Since its founding, the community of Van Nuys has been a rich source of learning for the students of CCS. In Kindergarten, children begin connecting to the community with walks to Luigi’s Tailor Shop, The Country General Store, the post office, and the “Bobcat Tree” on the corner to observe how it changes through the seasons and represent it in easel paintings. The whole school participates in a book drive for the neighborhood, and a 4th/5th grade class created a Free Little Library to share books with the community on a regular basis. Classes find ways to connect with the seniors at Bernardi Senior Center, bringing crafting projects over, playing Bingo, and sharing their work in music and creative movement with them. Just like the community itself is always changing, so are the ways that the students of CCS engage with it.

Our Educational Roadmap

CCS encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning, collaborate successfully with others, and to challenge themselves deeply.

Our curriculum is designed to give students the tools to evaluate and address the shifts taking place in their world and to tackle new problems and situations that will arise creatively. Our emphasis on collaboration, inquiry, problemsolving, independence, and observation equips our students to experience the world as active participants who can work with others, communicate effectively, conduct the research necessary to solve problems, think for themselves, and explain why.

Our Specialists (Music, Creative Movement, Art, Library, STEM, and PE) work closely with the classroom teachers so that all subjects taught are expanded upon in different spaces and studios, providing our students with multiple access points to mastery of intricate concepts.

Having a deep understanding of themselves and the world around them allows CCS students to approach their experiences with a compassionate and open mind, make important intellectual connections, and navigate the obstacles that will inevitably come their way. We have created an educational roadmap that uses experiential, hands-on education to prepare students to advocate for themselves and others and to make an impact on the world.

The following pages explain how this educational perspective comes to life in our daily instruction.

STEM

At CCS, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Environmental Stewardship, and Math. Classes take place in our dedicated STEM lab, our outdoor classroom, and garden. Students learn about physics, biology, chemistry, technology, engineering, and environmental sciences through cycles of inquiry, observation, and experimentation. Here are some examples of projects and experiences that happen at various grade levels.

Early Years (K–2)

• Creating environmental awareness posters from their own observations

• Building a marble run obstacle course using various materials in order to model and observe forces of push and pull

• Creating living and nonliving models of ecosystems

• Making observations about weather phenomena in Los Angeles

• Building structures to protect from extreme weather conditions

Middle Years (3 –4)

• Collecting and graphing climate data and other environmental factors on a wildfire prone area in Los Angeles in order to assess the likelihood of a wildfire

• Designing space suits and space vehicles built to survive the various conditions and climates of a chosen planet or star

• Researching various microhabitats in Los Angeles and how living organisms have adapted to those environments

• Exploring the climate and environmental changes in Los Angeles over millennia and human impacts on the city in modern times in order to design solutions to protect native organisms

Later Years (5 – 6)

• Exploring the phenomenon of gravity and its role in the universe and our planet by creating living and nonliving models and simulations of meteor crashes and collecting data

• Creating models of the four earth systems and making observations on how they interact with each other

• Growing and harvesting mushrooms in order to observe their life cycle and to understand the importance of fungi on our planet

• Conducting various experiments using yeast in order to understand the chemical processes that make bread

Visual Arts

The arts are an integral component of our curriculum as they allow possibilities for democratic perspectives, creativity, innovation, building community through collaboration and communication, and problem-solving. Our art studio provides a landscape wherein students can find their unique voice by exploring subjects through illustration, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and graphics. CCS is home to an Intaglio printing press, providing our older students with myriad opportunities to integrate language into their artistic work in the print shop.

Early Years (K–2)

Kindergarten students begin with foundational work in their art study: cutting out simple shapes, learning how to mix secondary colors, and making their own paint colors to match their skin tone as part of their first identity study. In 1st and 2nd grades, students delve into using variations in line, shape, color, and texture to communicate ideas of feelings in works of art. Classes work together to create large murals tied to their life study unit, shape and blend air dry clay, and are able to describe and replicate repeated patterns and textures found in nature, the environment, and works of art.

Middle Years (3 –4)

Students in 3rd and 4th grades expand their portrait and figure studies by utilizing the conventions of facial and figure proportions, leading to more nuanced and fully realized self-portraits. Children identify and describe how foreground, middleground, and background are used to create the illusion of space and depth, which they then use in action to create dioramas and landscape paintings. Their work with paint mixing continues, as these grades explore mixing and applying tempera paint to create tints, shades, and neutral colors which they then use in their work.

Later Years (5 – 6)

Older students at CCS have by now cultivated an openness to all modes of visual art and therefore have a willingness to experiment and explore with new concepts, challenges, and ideas. They take responsibility for problem solving with art projects and can apply art and design principles fluidly. Children can identify and describe characteristics of representational, abstract, and non-representational works of art. There is also frequent crossover between STEM and art in 5th and 6th grades, resulting in projects ranging from creating topographical maps to making 3D robot heads. Students understand how the mixing of tints and shades creates value in works of art, and can identify media and techniques used by other artists. These grades also have dedicated time in the print shop where they learn how to set type and blocks for bookmarks, invitations, and class projects.

Creative Movement

Being able to express themselves with their bodies and cultivating a freedom to inhabit the space around them are two skills that CCS students learn which serve them far into adulthood. Movement inspired by music, integrated with their studies, and enacted in community with others are constant thrulines of our program. Students learn to trust their bodies and tell stories with them.

Early Years (K–2)

Kindergarteners begin by learning the elements and concepts of dance, starting with games and small group work around space: personal, general, and the way they travel in it. They incorporate shapes and movements at levels they can dance to (high, medium, low) and explore the concept of time. Students change speeds, start, and stop movement, gaining fuller control of their bodies into the 1st and 2nd grades. At this age, they also have refined partner skills (mirroring, imitating, leading, following) and can repeat simple movement patterns.

Middle Years (3 –4)

Third and fourth grade movement work is centered around mindfulness, storytelling, and creating choreography. By bringing awareness to the relationship between their body and mind, we move seamlessly into sensory awareness, focus, gratitude, and using breath as a tool to bring calm. The students learn different approaches to choreographing a dance piece, starting with finding connections between their life study and creating a narrative for the dance. With their imaginations activated, they watch and work with their classmates to create different performance pieces.

Later Years (5 – 6)

Children at this age are developing, memorizing, and showcasing complex dance sequences with each other. They expand their work on the mind-body connection by demonstrating how our bodies physically react to how we are feeling. Since they always work with a partner or in small groups, this furthers their communication, problem-solving, and cooperation skills. Fifth and sixth grade students are adept at channeling their energy into creative expression and finding connections that integrate their classroom learning into movement.

Music

Music instruction at CCS is closely aligned with the Orff Schulwerk approach, which is centered on things children like to do instinctively, like sing, play, chant, rhyme, clap, dance, and dramatize. These natural instincts are directed into hearing and making music first, then reading and writing music later, similar to the way we learned our first language. Students begin with instruments in Kindergarten, and by graduation are comfortable on the xylophone, recorder, and multiple percussion instruments. We lift our voices in song together often, bringing to life our catalog of Community Songs at All School Meetings and Sings during which our multigenerational population of students, staff, and parents all join together in harmony.

Early Years (K–2)

During the early years of music education, children sing, sing, sing! A focus is on developing their “ear”, so classes focus on learning and singing songs. The percussion family, the concept of rhythm, songwriting, and body percussion are all introduced, and they play speech games to reinforce steady beat and build rhythmic understandings. Our instrumental pieces and songs are based on the pentatonic scale—a five-tone scale that is the root of music in every culture throughout the world. Children utilize both unpitched, handheld percussion instruments and xylophones during their musical explorations as they learn how to hold mallets correctly and rotate among instruments.

Middle Years (3 –4)

At this age, children are introduced to the recorder and begin learning musical language and notation. There is extensive use of basic jazz, blues, and folk rhythms while we work on more complex musical forms and structure like the twelve bar blues, intricate ostinati, and interlocking musical parts. Permutations of the pentatonic scale on xylophones are learned and then utilized in performance, and students practice playing together in a musical ensemble, honing their listening skills. Much of the focus revolves around their life studies units as we play and listen to music that correlates with different cultures and countries.

Later Years (5 – 6)

Fifth and sixth grade music revolves around multi-part singing, expansion into the full family of recorders, and learning how to play more complex instrumental music on xylophones. Students use major/minor scales, pentatonic scales, and modes, in addition to working with a wider variety of time signatures. They are also working with more instrumental music, ranging from West African to the Western Classical Tradition. By this time, the children have a firm musical foundation and are able to compose their own pieces. They are also responsible for organizing and running our All School Meetings, and we refine our performance and presentation skills in preparation for these events.

Library

The CCS Library is home to over 14,000 books and many busy readers. We aim to instill a love of reading and create inquisitive thinkers who become self-sufficient information gatherers. We don’t just want students to read—we want them to love reading. We introduce students to a wide range of literature and show them how to access information for research in our library and via digital resources. Reading joy happens when students are supported with reading skills, then given access to read independently and broadly. By engaging with books of all kinds, students learn about themselves and the world around them, giving them a lifelong appreciation for resources as a tool and literature as a treasure.

Early Years (K–2)

Students learn how to navigate the library during their first days at CCS, using their library cards and meeting every week for storytimes, games, and songs. They explore authors, genres, and the artistry of illustration as they identify their interests and find books for reading practice. Students use context to puzzle out meaning in new vocabulary and recognize the differences between fiction and nonfiction. They can identify plot structures, main ideas, details, cause and effect, and sequencing. Books are used to celebrate holidays, understand history and events, and to support our social and emotional learning.

Middle Years (3 –4)

These students continue to explore new authors and genres and learn to have deeper conversations with each other around books. They explore longer fiction, finding main ideas, and seeing how text structures support an author’s storytelling. The students do reader’s theatre, play with different forms of poetry, and begin with biographies and historical fiction. Third and fourth graders develop in-depth research skills by comparing sources and evaluating their validity. Their digital literacy skills involve keeping personal information safe, communicating with kindness, having healthy habits with usage, recognizing advertising, and distinguishing between fact and fiction.

Later Years (5 – 6)

By taking on expanded responsibilities in their Literature Circles, 5th and 6th graders lead rich conversations about what they’re reading and work together to organize the group and create presentations. They also hone their skills as researchers through differentiating between primary and secondary sources, modifying phrases and synonyms, using reference materials, and evaluating URL extensions to identify the authority of a writer or organization. By 5th and 6th grade, our readers understand intellectual property, freedom of speech, and are confident in choosing books they enjoy.

P.E.

Come onto the CCS campus, and you will invariably see students engaged in sports of all kinds— basketball on the blacktop, football on the Middle Yard, and soccer on the South Yard. These are games that the students organize themselves, but they learn about their rules, how to use their bodies, collaborate, and play fair in PE. From making up their own sports to learning how to keep their bodies healthy, our students become self-aware, confident leaders through our PE programming.

Early Years (K–2)

Kindergarten students’ PE education begins with a focus on gross motor movements, balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and how to have fun playing a game while staying safe. Self-completion activities like Octopus, obstacle courses, objective relay-runs, and traditional yard games are the primary methods used to awaken the interests of our youngest learners in physical activity. As they get older, they move into partner games like footbowling, partner rescue, and follow the leader. They also focus on identifying muscles and learning about what happens in their bodies as they exercise.

Middle Years (3 –4)

These are the years where children really dive into working together collaboratively towards a common goal. Many of the activities (team scavenger hunts, team relay runs, and team problem solving activities) have a focus on identifying clear objectives, effective communication, conflict resolution, and celebrating success. The work continues to focus on coordination (foot work), endurance, agility, and social and emotional learning during physical activity. Relay runs, evading games, foot patterns, and eye-tracking all hone students’ agility and self-awareness.

Later Years (5 – 6)

By 5th and 6th grades, students have found their rhythm and consistency in physical education. They work on increasing endurance with games like Caterpillar Jog and Jaguar Sprint; becoming better leaders (learning how to delegate tasks fairly, act with integrity, and take responsibility for their actions); and understanding the role of teamwork in physical activities. The children break down game plans and learn tactics for two sports of their choice, and then develop their own sport from scratch. Students not only explore the aspects of game design and rule setting but also experience the benefits of cooperation, communication, resilience, and constructive feedback. This culminates with sharing the game with the school.

Students learn multiple instruments including xylophone, percussion, and recorder.

STEM classes dive into scientific inquiry, exploration of environments, and experimentation.

PE focuses on collaboration, communication, and learning how to use their bodies.

Choreography, storytelling, and the mind-body connection are hallmarks of our Creative Movement program.

Human Development

The Goal of the CCS Human Development program is to help children feel confident and comfortable in their bodies and facilitate their growth into adolescents and adults who have safe, healthy, and satisfying relationships and experiences. Our information builds in child developmentally appropriate ways from Kindergarten through 6th grade, in a layered sequence. Some of the topics discussed are friendship, families, puberty, gender identity and expression, emotions, consent, anatomy, and reproduction. We follow children’s lead as to how much they are ready to learn. We introduce the basic information on the topic and then respond to their questions with succinct, truthful answers, offering more in-depth information as they develop.

6th Grade Seminar

When a student at CCS reaches the 6th grade, we have an important opportunity to help them reflect on their growth as a student and to help them prepare for the transition into middle school. The seminar, which takes place throughout their 6th year grade year, focuses on opportunities for self-reflection around their time at CCS and about the middle school application process. The seminar also focuses on skill-building around note-taking, test-taking, and executive functioning skills. We also have alumni come visit to share their experiences transitioning to middle school.

Math

The CCS math curriculum is not only based on skill building but also on real life application as much as possible. Mastery requires both the possession of ready knowledge and the conceptual understanding of how to use it. We do not teach math as a rote set of algorithms and bundles of memorization, but rather demonstrate it inside and outside the classrooms so that students see how integral it is to discovery. Everything from basic addition and subtraction to algebraic problem solving is taught in the classroom and then mastered in action. Using the Illustrative Mathematics Curriculum as our guidepost and CGI (Cognitively Guided Instruction) as a benchmark for math instruction, teachers develop a rich, differentiated mathematics program to challenge and engage students while helping them develop their identities as mathematicians.

Early Years (K–2)

In Kindergarten, the initial focus is on number recognition, number ordering, and comparing numbers from 0–10. There is a basic understanding of what is more or less when comparing numbers through 10, and children are building a concept of addition and subtraction. Picture books that explore math concepts are introduced so students connect mathematical ideas to their personal experiences. Children work on developing a concept of estimation and developing a solid number sense up to 20, and they begin to develop an understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction through work with fact families. Simple graphing is introduced, and they work on single digit addition and subtraction facts. By the end of 2nd grade, students add and subtract within 100 and work with numbers up to 1,000. The concept of mental math is formed, and children learn double digit addition and subtraction without regrouping. Students are exposed to the concepts of time, money, and geometry, measuring length, and multiplication and division is explored through hands-on projects.

Middle Years (3 –4)

Third grade is where multiplication, division, and fractions are further emphasized and studied as units. The children work with finding patterns on a multiplication chart, solving and creating story problems, using manipulatives to represent the concepts, and recognizing, creating, and using visual representations such as arrays and diagrams. Students are introduced to area and perimeter, and they wrap up addition and subtraction within 1,000. The middle years also cover measuring length, time, liquid, volume, and weight. By the end of 4th grade students are exposed to fractions, and deepen their understanding of factors and multiples. Many new concepts are introduced in the fractions and geometry unit, where they use cooking, woodworking, and measuring projects using rulers to apply concepts learned. The relationship between multiplication and division is solidified and students hone their skills using multi-digit numbers. Geometry focuses on angles and angle measurement and explores the properties of two dimensional shapes.

Later Years (5 – 6)

Throughout the later years, there is an emphasis on problem solving, logic, and abstract reasoning. Students continue to explore fraction operations (interchanging improper fractions and mixed numbers, and adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators), place value patterns, and decimal operations. Fifth graders become more efficient with their multi-digit multiplication strategies, exponents, and squares, and they build efficient strategies for long division problems. In 6th grade, students build on their measurement skills by studying volume and area, shapes on a coordinate plane, converting between metric and imperial measurements, and problem solving with elapsed time. They work towards mastery of multiplication, division, and fraction concepts by 6th grade, and study square roots as they refine their use of the algorithm for larger numbers. Their knowledge of fractions, decimals, and percentages is applied in a money unit where they calculate taxes. Students also dive into probability and statistics and learn how to utilize mathematical reasoning and logic to develop sophisticated and efficient strategies to solve problems.

Language Arts

The Literacy goal at CCS is for the students to foster a life-long love of reading and writing—a love of language— and to develop the skills necessary to communicate and connect with the world around them. We work on reading skills, comprehension, and developing their oral and written expression. Our Language Arts program applies all modes of literacy—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—through a variety of instructional approaches. Reading and writing readiness (both the form and structure of our language) in the younger grades focuses on developing the skills necessary to share and make connections through literacy. Once fluency has been established, we shift our focus in the upper grades to expand their knowledge of literature and help them find their voice as a writer.

Early Years (K–2)

Developmentally, children in Kindergarten discover the relationship between letters and sounds to printed and spoken words. A tremendous amount of dictation, chart work, and book making is done in the early years, because children often begin making meaning of written language by reading their own words and those of their peers. Phonemic awareness is built beginning in Kindergarten through direct instruction, as well as engaging games and activities. As children progress through first and second grade, they begin reading books that incorporate the phonemic elements taught as well as the high frequency words that are introduced. By the end of Kindergarten, children use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to communicate their ideas. Their concept of vowel and consonant sounds solidifies and they develop a firm understanding of the correspondence between letters and sounds. Children in this early stage are invited to use phonetic spelling to write independently while incorporating basic punctuation and upper and lowercase letters appropriately.

Middle Years (3 –4)

As children reach 3rd and 4th grades, they receive direct instruction in advanced decoding skills and spend time reading familiar and interesting books to promote fluency. Teachers incorporate read alouds at levels above students’ independent reading levels to develop language, vocabulary, and concepts. Through research projects, children shift from a “learning to read” mindset, to a “reading to learn” mindset. In small, teacher-led reading groups and literature circles, children read “just right” books based on their reading levels and interests and begin reading more analytically while discussing the text with their peers. In writing, children in third and fourth grade make the shift from phonetic spelling to conventional spelling. With guidance and support from teachers they begin writing opinion pieces, explanatory texts, and narratives using effective technique and descriptive details. Students also are introduced to the process of planning, revising, and editing their work.

Later Years (5 – 6)

In the 5th and 6th grades, children read increasingly complex trade books, reference books, newspapers, and magazines and engage in meaningful, analytical discussions with their teachers and peers. Read alouds are used as a rich tool for learning, because children at this age still have stronger listening comprehension than reading comprehension. Work in literature circles continues in the later years, including more in-depth conversations around character structure and content. In writing, children are taught to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense, use punctuation to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements, and maintain consistency and tone. They also learn to write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence by gathering information from multiple print and digital sources; assessing the credibility of each source; and quoting or paraphrasing the data and conclusions of others.

Life Studies: The Story of a Study

Our experiential life studies program integrates the arts, sciences, language arts, mathematics, and block building. It uses field trips, immersive learning experiences, and inquiry to help students become better researchers and make connections about the world and how it works. We follow the state standards for social studies curriculum, but we let the children’s questions and observations guide the life studies program so they approach their learning as researchers.

Water Study (1st & 2nd Grade)

The goal of this study was for children to understand the properties of water and the important role this resource plays in their daily lives and the life of the planet.

We began by making lists of what the children knew about water and what questions they wanted to answer. Then, the students began by making observations around boiling water, made drawings of a water molecule, and created posters of water molecules in solid, liquid, and gas states. Other projects included making a rain gauge, sink, float experiments, and reading a thermometer after we learned about temperature. Each student then picked a place around the globe and they tracked the weather & temperature there for a week. Students also listed all the ways we use water, listed all the sources of water at home and at school, and then graphed those sources. We also went on field trips to Tree People and Sepulveda Basin, after which they chose to blockbuild different bodies of water including a river, geyser, ocean, and a flood.

In Art class, they created a water cycle collage inspired by the work of Eric Carle. In Creative Movement, the class explored the idea of water qualities and found connections with dance concepts like speed, space and time. In STEM, the class focused on the sun and moon, specifically their relationship to water on our planet. They created sundials, moon phase models, and looked at various models and images of the sun and moon in order to see how seasons work as well as how day and night occur.

For the Study Share, the children worked in small groups to create a visual and wrote a script that reflected what they knew about the theme they had picked: States of Water, the Water Cycle, Bodies of Water, Clean Water, Sources of Water. The students shared their learning through Water Reflection posters they created with mixed media and read their independently researched reports. At the end of study, the children wrote a reflection piece on how it felt to share their knowledge with the school and parent community.

Mexico Study (2nd &

3rd Grade)

The goal of the Mexico study was to broaden student’s awareness of geography and ancient history and to teach them about the role and importance of culture in societies.

As the study began, students were asked to share what they already knew about Mexico and expressed what they were curious to learn. This study began with a geography unit so students could identify Mexico on a map. Each student worked on an individual research report based on sports and games, architecture, traditions and holidays, native animals, traditional foods, the arts, and clothing. Students were immersed in research though reading books, watching videos, and reading articles. As students gathered their research, important dates were added to the classroom timeline of Mexico’s history. Classroom projects included making paper picado, an Aztec pyramid, and Aztec regalia.

Cooking was also a large component of this study. Students made salsa, guacamole, jamaica water, and tacos. Students visited Olvera St. to view the Ofrenda during Dia de los Muertos and Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca came to perform on campus. We also had parents volunteer to make sugar skulls, explain the aspects of an ofrenda, and share about aspects of Mexican culture.

In Music, the students learned the songs “De Colores” and “Cielito Lindo,” accompanying the latter with xylophones and maracas. In Creative Movement, students explored Folklorico and Aztec dances, and in Art, each child drew a picture of the Mexican flag. Later, groups of four made topographical maps of Mexico showing mountain ranges. After months of learning about the intricate and complex culture and history of Mexico, the students shared what they learned at their culmination.

National Parks Study (5th & 6th Grade)

Although not a traditional US history subject, studying the national parks provided an access point for our students to think about land, the systems of land, as well as the Indigenous perspectives about the national park systems. In addition to strengthening research and communication skills, students had opportunities to practice critical thinking and consider social justice when learning about the history of land distribution. The classes used the Ken Burns documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” as the basis for the introduction. Subsequently, the students were asked to choose individual parks for their in-depth study, following a basic introduction to all the parks. Each student did their own research using books and website sources (including the National Park sites for each park). The teachers also arranged a virtual session with Kate Siber, the author of National Parks of the U.S.A. Each child received an activity book from her publisher and learned from her directly about her process of researching and traveling to the parks. Each student then wrote a research paper to accompany their chosen park.

The next phase of the study began with a brainstorming session about the culmination. Based on the ideas they came up with, we worked with the students in developing a plot for a play they would perform for their school community and parents reflecting their life studies work. Students shared ideas for their characters, all modeled after their national parks themselves. The kids aptly named the play “Raiders of the Lost Park.” They made posters which detailed the indigenous people upon whose land their national parks are on, as well as beautifully detailed national park posters painted on lightweight plywood. Both art projects played a part in the stage design for the play. The students also cooked food for the parents from indigenous cookbooks representing some of the parks.

A few weeks later, the class boarded a plane to Seattle and spent the next five days exploring the Pacific Northwest. The class visited Glacier National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, and Olympic National Forest. The immersive natural world experience was the perfect ending to the national parks study.

Woodworking

Woodworking gives children a sense of agency and empowerment. Our woodworking program spans from Kindergarten to sixth grade and students have the opportunity to express their creativity and meaningfully create everything from accessories for their block builds to props for their culminations and community projects like the Little Free Library. Guided by our master carpenter, students use saws, drills, and hammers to render their visions and realize their impact.

Block Building

Children collaborate and plan block building based on current Life Studies work. For example, when studying the Fire Station, they use blocks to build a replica within the Block Room. The large blocks on the middle yard are also used for children to deepen their understanding of their Life Studies work, creating life size structures that the children can move in and out of. When block building, the children break off into committees to first plan their structure. Then, they collaborate with one another in the building process, navigating their spatial constraints and compromising on which ideas are incorporated. Once the building is complete, the block builds come to life with the students playing out what they have learned as they visit each other’s structures. Language arts is integrated when students make signs to inform visitors of what they have created.

Demonstrations of Knowledge

Assessments are happening all the time at CCS. At the beginning of the year teachers assess in math and reading. Math assessments are also completed at the end of each unit of study. Teachers confer with students individually throughout the year on their reading and writing and have an intimate window into their growth. Curricula, projects, reports, and presentations are all ways to assess the level of a students’ understanding. Student-led conferences are held twice a year with parents, and the children all have the opportunity to reflect on their own development across domains with their teachers in preparation for these conferences.

Culminations and study shares give students an opportunity to collaborate with one another in order to share their work and knowledge with the school community and their families. While culminations come at the end of a life studies unit, the deep learning continues in preparation for these events, and

the integration of STEM, creative movement, cooking, woodworking, music, and the visual arts are all at play. Through this work, the students are encouraged and supported in putting what they have learned in context, both in the collaborative work with their classmates and in the presentations and explanations they give to those students and adults who come to see them.

Teachers thoughtfully observe the children from the first day they step foot in the classroom. Learning records are an in-depth portrait of each child at school, documenting each child’s strengths, passions and areas for growth, the way they carry themselves, the way they connect with others, and how they grow and change throughout the year covering academic and social emotional development. Learning records are shared with families at two points throughout the year, once in the winter and once at the end of the school year.

Parents sit in on conferences with students twice a year

Students lead the discussion on their own growth

One-on-one discussions allow for conversations about social-emotional development

Teachers create learning records, which are in-depth portraits that document each child’s strengths, passions, and areas for growth year over year.

Cross-disciplinary curricula, projects, reports, and presentations assess students’ knowledge all year round