Specialists

The art program builds on the natural creativity of children, while developing the skills and concepts that form the basis of art making. Art experiences are framed by four guiding principles:

• respond to the emergent interests of our students
• integrate with classroom content and learning
• take inspiration from our forested campus; often nature-based
• value a process-oriented approach to artistic expression

Art for the early childhood students at The Little School is based in art exploration and social emotional learning. The students at this age level are still experiencing a lot of new ideas and materials, so why not let them explore and experiment? Each week, students use new materials as they see fit, giving them the opportunity to discover art on their own terms. Having the students discover art in this way allows students to think creatively and critically, building their ability to problem solve as they continue through their education.

As students mature, art becomes rooted in exploring one’s identity as an artist through creative, critical and social emotional learning and thinking. Through the lens of exploration, art technique and art history, students tie their personal interests and concepts into lessons while honing their skills as artists and learning about previous artists and art movements.

Each spring student artwork is exhibited in a gallery setting as part of our annual Arts Festival. In addition to the opportunity to create anew, this celebration recognizes the rich artistic creativity of our students. Each child has work of their choosing on display as part of a stunning collection, showcasing the depth and breadth of artistic media, styles and creative exploration. Seeing one's work displayed in a public space encourages students to appreciate, respect and value themselves and their peers as creative agents.

The Little School’s Environmental Education program fosters meaningful connections between children and the natural world that inspire lifelong commitments to community and environmental stewardship. By encouraging care of our local socio-ecological systems, students are empowered to see themselves as leaders for positive change in their own communities and beyond.

Our forest and gardens heavily inform this place-based program, providing students with a multitude of hands-on experiences that shape their learning. From planting, harvesting, and cooking garden veggies to studying tracks and signs left behind by local mammal species in the forest, our campus guides students’ natural curiosity towards environmental connection and care.

Children’s natural curiosity is fueled and furthered when they find answers to their questions and wonderings. The library creates a community of readers and zealous information seekers. Each student’s identity as a reader is reinforced by offering a variety of reading material and creating opportunities for students to share their reading joy with their class. Students develop their ability to articulate their reading interests and preferences by crafting recommendations and book talks or whenever they excitedly wave a copy of their favorite comic in a friends’ direction! By sharing a variety of books with the class, they become familiar, even appreciative, of formats and styles that they may not have otherwise encountered.

The library also invites students to consider the ways that stories can celebrate, reveal or explain histories, identities, friendships, culture and conflict. Filled with diverse voices and perspectives, our collection reflects our commitment to expand conversations around justice, stewardship, community and respect.

Lastly, the library is a place for all members of our community to seek information and learn. Students are supported to build their ability to research and understand a topic, learning how to assess information and its sources. Faculty use a robust professional development collection to expand their skill and knowledge base. Families are encouraged to explore titles about parenting, child development, learning or any other subject that captures their interest.

Current families can use this link to access the library catalog from home.

TLS Library Catalog

The purpose of the creative music, movement and drama program at TLS is to build students’ musical knowledge in a fun and engaging way, to develop locomotor and spatial awareness through dance and movement and to teach voice projection that enhances public speaking in class or in a performance.

The music program also gives students the building blocks they will need to go out into the world and explore what music has to offer them. It gives them the foundation to create their own opinions about music and how they can approach it in a way that is meaningful, knowledgeable and joyful.

Students explore the concepts of rhythm, tempo, duration, pitch, dynamics, accents and pauses holistically, experiencing them with their voices, bodies and imaginations in a way that also connects and responds to their interests and experiences in the classroom. Music is also experienced through singing, listening to and moving to a variety of songs, rhymes and chants. Students are able to make connections with the role of music in their lives, sing and play instruments, create and compose music and explore notation.

The TLS physical education program cultivates a sense of body awareness and engages children in such a way that they develop initiative and sheer joy in the process of intentional movement. Through our P.E. program, students come to understand that movement is important for our whole body throughout our whole lives. Children are naturally driven to move and the goal at TLS is to give structure, skill and purpose to that movement.

Our program aligns with an ever-increasing body of modern research proving that structured and unstructured physical activity has a positive effect on children’s executive functioning, motor skills, sensory integration, health and academic success. As students develop physical skills such as coordination, large motor, balance, sensory motor integration and proprioception, they engage in games and activities that build healthy social/emotional skills as well. Setting personal fitness goals, learning cooperative and team sports and exploring strategies to build skills and fluency, lead students to practice and discuss sportsmanship, communication, inclusion and fairness.

The Technology, Engineering and Design (TED) program integrates technology, design thinking and creative problem solving into our classrooms as part of our project-based approach to learning. Students engage in hands-on projects that expand their skills, creativity and curiosity, while building tenacity to persevere through challenges.

This program is anchored in a belief that children should have access and understanding of the tools and resources they need to design interesting solutions. Whether using crayons and hammers to design and build the early childhood Trike Barn or using web-research and the laser printer to learn about Dungeons and Dragons and create their own playing pieces, students expand their repertoire of problem-solving tools and learn to design, test, seek feedback and iterate.