Dear Parents,

Below is a peek into last week’s  goings-on in the school. There are so many things to say, but here are just a few to share. It is a joy to greet and teach your children each day!

From the DVWS Faculty

1st Grade

Baking lettersBlock: Qualities of Number. Students are discovering the truth of numbers in nature- the rose and the apple are 5, the honeycomb is 6 and the clover is 3- or 4 if you are lucky!

Math Skills: Reinforcement of number sense through body geography and movement- step counting and jumping rhythms.

Language Arts Skills: Developing and continuing phonetic awareness. The students are collecting items and sorting them by beginning sound and letter.

Spanish: Hansel and Gretel story, and numbers from 1-20.

Movement:  Seasonal cooperative games.

Handwork: Learning how to cast on stitches.

Music: Learning soft breath for excellent flute playing skills!

Extra Lesson: Left to right tracking. Awareness of feet and hands.

Other Highlights:

The class  baked bread in the shapes of letters, and continued its weekly contemplative nature walk.


2nd Grade

2nd grade math boardBlock: Math: Addition and subtraction in the vertical. Number bonds. Introduction of larger numbers, all in the context of Native American and saint stories and legends.

Math Skills: Repetition of math facts up to 12. Review and continuation of place value.

Language Arts Skills: Consonant blends and vowel usage and exceptions.

Spanish: Stone Soup, numbers 1-100, and preparation for Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.

Movement:  Seasonal cooperative games.

Handwork: Finishing knitted lions.

Music: Singing in “call and response” style; pentatonic flute playing.

Extra Lesson: Bilateral integration through movement. Point and Periphery painting exercise.


3rd and 4th Grade

3rd grade girls crochetBlock: Math: Review of long division and measurement.

Math Skills: Assembling and using scales- finding balance. Times tables reinforcement. Ongoing visual and mental math- thinking on your feet in time and visualizing an equation.

Language Arts Skills: Reading for content and comprehension. Preparing a first book report.

Spanish: Joseph and His Brothers, fall season, Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.

Movement: Introduction of skill-based and boundary games.

Handwork: Starting to crochet a flute case. (see photo)

Music: Singing in quodlibet (Latin for “as it pleases”) in preparation for singing in rounds, and playing diatonic “c” flute.

3_4 counting coins


5th and 6th Grade

Astronomy blackboardBlock: Astronomy. Movement of the Sun. Students observe where the sun rises and sets each day.

Math Skills: Metric Measurement.

Language Arts Skills: Spelling review. Noun and adjective classification.

5_6 extra lesson star

Spanish: The Adventurers! Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.

Movement:  5th - pentathlon introduction and endurance training.
5th and 6th - endurance training through mile-long runs, and kickball.

Handwork: 5th- knitting swatches before beginning to knit socks. 6th- hand sewing and embroidering handwork bag.

Music: Singing in parts; recorder playing in parts.

Orchestra: Working with rhythm and more difficult time signatures.

Extra Lesson: Upper and lower body movement differentiation. Spatial planning through form drawing.


Day of dead drawing

7th and 8th Grade

Math Skills: Group 1-Pre-algebra introduction.  Group 2- Algebra 1

Block: Organic Chemistry. Experimenting in the kitchen with sugars, starches and proteins.

Spanish: South American culture and geography, and Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.

Movement:   Building endurance running a mile; archery.

Handwork: Machine sewing and pattern planning.

Music: Choral music reading and recorder ensemble in parts.

Orchestra: Syncopated rhythm and sight reading.


Fall nature table

Early Childhood

Exploring fall's beauty in nature
on hikes and in play.

Making lanterns for Martinmas.

Autumn songs and rhymes.

Zach Mitchell
Zach Mitchell
Articles: 98