Elementary School
The Setup
Our cabin and outside ranchos with stages (3 of them) helps to create a safe and nurturing environment for the students to work in and perform. Inside the cabin we have a cozy kitchen with homemade food cooking all day long, we have a library and research room with an abundant selection of books and a silent reading room where children can retreat to after they have completed their works. We also have a Games room and a Montessori Materials room. All instruction is completely outside, all day!
White boards of varying difficulty circulate the campus. Students are not divided by grade. They work at their own pace choosing the boards they feel comfortable with. Many students work above their normal grade level.
8:00am: Soft arrival, children play for the first part of the day
8:30am Morning Circle, songs, games, community sharing.
9:00 am: Work period 1 (1.5 hours)
10:30am: Snack break
11:00am: Work Period 2 ( 1.5 hours)
12:30pm - 1:15pm: Lunch/Recess
1:15 pm: Theatre Class/Read aloud/Dancing.
2:15pm: Clean up/Student jobs
2:30pm: Dismissal
2:45pm - 4pm : After-school activities
Typical Day
Academics
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Students complete a whiteboard each day. When a student does not understand a mathematical concept abstractly they use concrete materials. They also complete a chapter from their math book. Grades 1-3 work with Spiral Review and Grades 4-6 work with Oak Meadows. We don’t focus on grade, we give an assessment and work with each child where they are at. Some first graders are doing third grade books and some fifth graders are doing fourth grade books- our goal is to make the child feel stimulated and successful with where they are at. If a child does not understand a concept they ask the teacher to give them a mini lesson. The teacher does not stand up at the front of the class as they do in a traditional school, instead they give small, group lessons tailored to the students individual needs.
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We focus largely on creative writing and studying the intricacies of figurative language. Students spend time writing books, poems, songs, plays and stories. Each week a child is required to do a creative writing which they choose from a variety of creative writing prompts, once they have written their stories, many choose to read it to the rest of the class. Some students choose to write whole books with numerous chapters. We follow the child with whatever ignites their imagination.
Every week the child is also required to complete a DOL - Daily Oral Language. This is a piece of writing with many punctuation mistakes and incorrect uses of language. It’s similar to a game where the children rewrite the paragraphs correctly.
Children are also required to write poetry each week and some form of copy writing, usually it is the song of the week. Some students choose to write entire plays which they then act out with their friends and perform in our Nosara’s Got Talent Show!
Every day students are required to read a chapter of a book and then complete a few sentences in a book report. Some students who have completed their work choose to read for hours until the end of the day. Two to three times a week, the teacher reads a classic chapter book to the kids.
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We study all different characters from history in our Wax museums where the students research their characters, fill up poster boards with drawings and interesting facts and then make their characters come to life. The Upper Elementary and Middle Schoolers first do lots of research on the chosen country, and then come together to write their own play, which they then perform to all the parents. We study three countries every trimester.
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The Lower and Upper Elementary classes are taught the Montessori Five Great lessons.
The Coming of the Universe
The Coming of Life
The Coming of Humans
The Story of Writing
The Story of Numbers
Additionally the Upper Elementary has weekly science classes. During these they participate in a variety of fun activities geared to to stimulate and challenge the brain in preparation for the more advanced science classes in Middle School. These activities include, but are not limited to, scavenger hunts, trivia, pop quiz's, and hands on projects.
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We study all different mediums. Fridays are usually spent doing some type of artwork. Students also spend a lot of time designing and painting the sets for our plays.
Theatre & Dance
Theatre is arguably the biggest component of our curriculum, each class performs anywhere from three to six plays annually. Over the course of a trimester we study classic works of literature, transforming them into theatrical productions that come to life on stage. During the final two weeks of each trimester, our students dedicate themselves exclusively to these productions. When they are not on stage rehearsing they devote themselves to building and painting props, painting the sets, and helping their peers to practice their lines .
Our focused approach fosters a profound understanding of the themes, plots, and characters within each story, ensuring that every child not only appreciates the literature but also gains essential skills through the art of theater. It has been scientifically proven that theatre helps children with speaking, learning new words and confidence-building.
All of our shows having different styles of dance incorporated into them. Any student at the Playhouse has the opportunity to perform during one of our plays or at a festival. They can audition with any style of dance, no matter if they are just beginning their dancing journey or if they are advanced. If a student does not wish to perform their own piece, our choreographer, Ms. Jen teaches all the students a minimum of two dances which the whole class performs during a theatre production.
