Fine and Gross Motor Skills
The classes take daily nature walks to support motor development. At Geneva Peeps a log becomes a balancing beam and a tree limb becomes the perfect place to climb and reach new heights, developing skill and balance. Outside the children are encouraged to take appropriate, healthy risks and gain confidence in their physical abilities. Activities that involve climbing, building and hiking are built into the curriculum. Fine motor skills are acquired through the practical arts of sewing, finger-knitting, cooking as well as through artistic endeavors such as clay modeling and watercolor painting on a daily basis. The children also participate in meaningful, physical work: building structures, chopping vegetables, raking leaves, planting and picking produce and feeding the chickens. With each task work becomes joyful. Such activities develop responsibility and foster a sense of self-confidence and achievement. The children are capable and proud when they know they can do real work and serve others.
Technology Policy
Why do we identify as a low-tech school? Our “unplugged” approach is backed not only by current research, but by the hundreds of thoughtful, creative, successful students who have graduated from MCHS over the years. During tours many schools eagerly show parents smartboards, iPads and Chromebooks as evidence of cutting-edge, “individualized learning.” This is not our definition of individualized learning. An impressive amount of money is spent on their effort, but in our opinion does not enrich the learning environment. Teaching with tech has yielded disappointing results.
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, released a comprehensive study in 2015, Students, Computers and Learning.Finding that, “most countries that invested heavily in education-related IT equipment did not witness an appreciable improvement in student achievement over the past 10 years.” Unlike flashy tech, art, music, movement, and note-taking by hand, are all scientifically proven to support brain development when integrated into the curriculum. The lure of electronics impacts the emotional and physical development of children at many levels and detract from their ability to create meaningful connections with others and the world around them. Brain research tells us that media exposure can result in changes in the actual nerve network in the brain. This can affect such things as eye tracking (a necessary skill for successful reading), neurotransmitter levels, and how readily students receive the imaginative pictures that are foundational for learning. Media exposure can also negatively affect the health of children’s peer interaction. CHS educators strongly believe it is far more important for students to interact with one another and their teachers, and work with real materials than to interface with electronic media or technology. By exploring the world of ideas, participating in the arts, music, movement and practical activities, children develop healthy, robust bodies, balanced and well-integrated brains, confidence in their real-world practical skills and strong executive-function capabilities.
Technology Use
In upper elementary classrooms, teachers embrace technology in ways that enhance the learning process, by using it as a tool, rather than replacing the role of the teacher. Students at Moodie’s use technology when conducting research for projects with teacher assistance. Individuals are introduced to digital literacy, exploring resources in a responsible way. Upper elementary students learn the basics of coding that foster sequential thinking, logical reasoning and problem solving without a computer. Teaching coding through hands-on activities makes the subject more interactive for students. Hands-on coding activities can teach students how to collaborate, be persistent and think critically and creatively.
Multi-Age Classrooms
Classes are grouped in two to three-year age spans. Typically two grades learn together in an environment that encourages cooperation and mentoring while allowing other students enough time to master the material and skills. Students often stay with their teachers for multiple years. This concept is sometimes called looping and has been adopted by many schools nationwide. Curriculum is implemented in a 2-3 year cycle so students are not repeating material, this also ensures that there are no gaps in learning. Staying with one teacher for 2-3 years gives the teacher the gift of growing with the student. It also eases transitions into new academic years for students who return to a familiar, trusted environment and gives the student and teacher more time to focus on learning.
Individually-Paced Learning
Because classrooms are multi-age, they are able to support a broader spectrum of learning levels. Lessons are carefully presented and thoughtfully supported with classroom materials. Students may then absorb the subject matter on a number of planes and are encouraged to apply their learning across multiple disciplines. Students go beyond memorization and repetition to true understanding and application of knowledge and skills. Supporting students in this way allows the individual student to progress, without self-consciousness, at their own pace, either moving ahead without having to wait for the rest of the group, or taking a little more time.
Intrinsic Motivation
We operate from the understanding that intelligence, creativity and imagination can be found in every child. The true challenge of education is to keep the spark of human intelligence and curiosity alive. The teachers create captivating lessons and fascinating materials so that learning does not need to be forced. We help children to choose work wisely, to focus their attention, and to come into a setting ready to learn. Students are given the time to reflect and play with ideas until they figure out how things fit together. They practice new skills until they are mastered. They are encouraged to do their own research, analyze what they have found, and come to their own conclusions. As individuals move up into higher grades, classes are instructed on how to present information during Socratic seminars and begin to actively put together their portfolios. This emphasis on inspiration and intrinsic motivation instills much greater self-discipline and a love of learning.
Curriculum
Upper elementary (3rd through 6th grade curriculum) includes language arts, math, science and history objectives. Physical education, Italian, Spanish, art, music, hand work and business classes are also incorporated for all students. Upper Elementary students attend art classes a few times a week and continue to develop a deep understanding of materials and processes in order to independently pursue projects of their own design, as well as achieve competency while working on class projects. Awareness of art history and art as an expression of culture continues to be important at this level.
Language Arts
The upper elementary Language Arts curriculum fosters the growth and development of receptive and expressive language. Students continue to develop skills in essay writing, stylistic writing, research and report writing, creative writing, and analytical and critical thinking. Sentence analysis and diagramming using manipulative grammar materials continues through the language curriculum. Choices of literature complement other areas of the Upper Elementary curriculum including history, cultural studies, and social skills. Comprehension, reading aloud, and group discussion skills, like participating in Socratic Seminars, are reinforced, and techniques for literary criticism are introduced. Each student completes an in-depth research project on a topic of personal interest that culminates in a written report and presentation to the community.
Upper elementary curriculum includes a spring drama unit, in which students perform a fully staged play. The curriculum combines acting training, improvisational theater exercises, and opportunities to gain experience in theater tech areas like props, scenery and costuming. Selections range from historical classics like Shakespeare and Mark Twain, to modern 21st-century repertoire. Drama students also stage Reader’s Theater performances based on well-known picture books for the school’s younger grades.
Social Studies
History comes to life in our classrooms. Students go on fossil digs, study lifestyles of ancient peoples in cultural anthropology experiences and tour early American historical sites. In the course of a 3-year cycle, students explore topics from the beginning of recorded history to the present-day. Early civilizations, including the Fertile Crescent and Ancient Greece, are studied, as well as Medieval and Renaissance Europe, among others. Classes also dive into United States history, covering early colonization up to the 20th century. They study a variety of cultures and how the geography of the regions impacted the culture.
Students use primary source data from the time periods whenever possible, as well as timelines, resource books and literature. Supplementary text like historical fiction is used in Language Arts and often corresponds with the time period that is currently being studied. Students complete projects of their own choosing, both independently and in small groups.
Science
Children in the Island classroom cover two main branches of science –life science, such as biology, botany and environmental science, and physical science, such as physics, chemistry and earth science. There are both independent and group projects throughout the year, culminating in a major research project in the spring on the topic of their choice, which they then present to the class. We have many speakers coming into the classroom, professors, doctors and scientists who come in frequently to lecture and provide hands-on experiences for our students.
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Children learn the scientific method, conduct experiments and record data in their science labs. They learn to hypothesize and adjust their thinking according to how their experiment plays out. They also learn to work and negotiate in small groups and listen to others’ opinions and ideas. Some typical projects/experiments/demonstrations include building the Bohr model of an atom, river erosion, dissection of a pig heart and an epidemiology project called Outbreak, where students must research and trace how a specific disease behaves.
Nature-based learning is incorporated into the Upper Elementary Science/STEM curriculum. Students participate in monthly adventures, in all kinds of weather, exploring local conservation land, focusing on forest and vernal pool ecology, animal tracking and foraging. Nature-based learning experiences allow students to understand and appreciate the outdoors and to develop a sense of place within the natural environment.


To begin “bridging” to Middle School, older students participate in science, engineering and math (STEM) labs, math classes and environmental science classes. This experience further develops each student’s skills through active engagement in inquiry-based activities using the scientific method.
Math
The math curriculum in the upper elementary program includes arithmetic, geometry, pre-algebra and algebra. Upper Elementary teachers initially observe and assess each student’s skill level to determine student placement in the curriculum. Students learn basic operations, math facts, fractions, decimals, word problems, measurement, ratio and proportion, percents, graphing tables and charts, rounding and averaging, as well as geometry and pre-algebra. Students improve upon their problem-solving skills by working collaboratively. The Upper Elementary math curriculum is built to ensure that all students are challenged appropriately, while progressing toward higher mathematical thinking.
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In addition to their regular curriculum in mathematics and geometry, older students participate in a weekly algebra seminar. Over the course of the year, they are exposed to concepts that are typically covered in seventh and ninth grade algebra. Using hands-on materials, students learn to factor polynomials, multiply the factors to produce the polynomial or quadratic equation, and divide one factor into a polynomial to produce the other factor. The students work individually or in small groups, often coaching one another.
Bush Craft
While learning the techniques of bushcraft, classes gain the ability to utilize natural resources to provide for their basic needs – fire, shelter, water and food. Bushcraft offers much more than basic survival skills. It is a massive grouping of skills and knowledge which encompasses botany, cookery, craftwork skills, fire craft, fishing, mycology, navigation, outdoor safety, tracking, trapping, wood carving, zoology and much more.
A Typical Day
Students attend main, group lesson blocks in the morning, following a morning work period. During the morning work period, children make out their own work plans, with assistance, and are able to decide what learning activities they would like to do based on their target learning goals for the week. This is why students become completely immersed in their learning. Students are very intrinsically motivated. As students are working on their work plans, main teachers work with students 1:1 or in small groups. In addition, children receive a variety of enriching specials: music, library, foreign language, violin, taekwondo, sewing and handwork, yoga, meditation, business ventures class and art. Frequent field trips and hands-on learning experiences make concepts come alive for the students on a daily basis. Parents are often amazed at the deep concentration and focus of the students. Whole-class instruction is minimal with lessons being given to individuals or in small groups.
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Independent learning and responsibility for one’s work are easily mastered in a classroom environment that is inspirational and skillfully organized. Students use daily and/or weekly work plans to keep track of assignments and work accomplished. They work closely with their teachers to set goals. The student’s involvement in determining their learning objectives leads to ownership and self-motivation. Teachers use their knowledge of individual interest and abilities to guide students into new areas of study, increasing the challenge as they master skills and show signs of readiness to move on.
Assessment
Various tools contribute to the assessment of student progress in our classrooms:
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Observation: Each child is observed in his or her work environment on a regular basis. The teacher takes notes on the students work habits, peer interactions, and ability to process the task at hand. Observation helps the teacher assess whether a child is ready to advance through different aspects of the academic curriculum, how well he or she is able to handle certain social dynamics, and allows teachers and students to have a reference point during student/teacher conferencing. Through this in-depth observation, teachers are able to quickly identify academic challenges the child may be facing and develop an individual plan to assist.
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Written Work: Daily and weekly written work is reviewed by a teacher to evaluate progress and ability. By reviewing everyday work, we are able to see natural strengths, as well as areas that are in need of improvement. With this knowledge, we can help find the comfortable and natural way to help everyone advance.
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Portfolio: An ongoing portfolio with student work samples are kept to track the success and progress of each student. Both teacher and student choose a variety of work to put in the portfolio.
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Classroom presentations: Each child has several opportunities through the school year to gather information and present a well-planned presentation of his or her work to peers, teachers, and parents. This process of research, writing, refining, and public speaking preparation is a wonderful tool to assess the advances a child makes through the year.

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Check point evaluation tools to assess proficiency: Through teacher-made benchmark tools and frequent aptitude assessments, students can advance at their own pace without the use of high-stakes testing.
