LOWER GRADES 1 - 5
The academic program at The Waldorf School of Mendocino County places an emphasis on every aspect of student growth and development. Small class sizes and exceptional, qualified teachers allow us to offer a comfortable and inclusive educational environment, while ensuring each student receives the individualized attention and support they need.
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The grade school years are critical in children’s intellectual and emotional development because so much is learned through the senses, the feelings, and the imagination. With this idea in mind, the Waldorf Grades curriculum combines academic and artistic experiences that engage a child’s head, heart, and hands. Handwork projects, such as knitting, modeling, and wood carving are basic elements of the curriculum that improve motor and intellectual skills while raising the children’s concentration, self-confidence, patience, and self-expression.
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Each grade advances a special curriculum designed to deliver a developmentally appropriate academic challenge that is carefully integrated with academics, work in the arts, and extensive time spent in nature. As children progress developmentally, the curriculum transforms to meet their changing inner requirements.
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Proudly serving the educational needs of Mendocino County including
the communities of Calpella, Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Willits, Potter Valley, and Talmage
1st Grade
First Grade is a time of creating wholeness and a sense of rhythm in this new world of the classroom. Students become one class, learning and growing together. When the child is ready for first grade, it is appropriate to use the powers of understanding for more abstract matters, including writing, reading, and arithmetic.