Dear Parents,
If you were to look through the window of your child's classroom, you would see students learning many subjects in a variety of ways. We're inviting you to share in the experience through the photographs and words below.
Together the teachers and students are breaking new ground, making connections and discovering the wonder of our world. Thank you for your support of this effort!
From the DVWS Faculty
7th & 8th Grade
Block: Organic Chemistry. The "Carbon Snake" (or in this case "swan") where students watched with interest and delight as sugars reacted with acid.
Math Skills: Group 1-Pre-algebra, solving for X with fractions and decimals. Group 2- Percentages. Group 3-Algebra-, substitution in a formula.
Language Arts Skills: Spelling and increasing vocabulary - a favorite word this week was "epitaph." Presentation of book reports.
Spanish: Dia de los Muertos Celebration. Central and South American geography reports. 
Handwork: Trip to the fabric store to select and measure fabric for machine sewing projects.
Music: Lantern Walk/Martinmas songs, choral music reading and recorder ensemble in parts.
Orchestra: Syncopated rhythm and "Spook House" improv.
5th & 6th Grade
Block: Astronomy- observations of sunrise and sunset. Seasonal results of sun's position.
Math Skills: Metric conversion and graphing time and events.
Language Arts Skills: play practice- A Wrinkle in Time.
Spanish: Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead celebration. Number review.
Music: Lantern Walk/Martinmas songs. Recorder parts.
Handwork: 5th- knitted "swatch gnomes."/ 6th- transferal of design to cloth handwork bag.
Extra Lesson: Counting Star exercise. Students discovered the challenge of dividing a large circle evenly on the chalkboard without any tools.
3rd and 4th Grade
Block: Math-weight measurement. Students found balance on scales with common items.
Math Skills: Number arrays. Continuous review of times tables.
Language Arts Skills: Presentation of book reports.
Arts: Painting a scene from David and Goliath.
Spanish: Seasons and months of the year, and celebration of Dia de los Muertos/ Day of the Dead.
Handwork: Continuation of crocheted flute cases. Exploring colors.
Music: Martinmas songs. Steps toward round singing.
2nd Grade
Block: Math-place value using manipulatives, number charts, story and mental math.
Math Skills: Addition and subtraction of larger numbers. Number families- 7 and 2 live in the Nine House with 6 and 3 and many other friends.
Language Arts: The "oo" sound. Boo! Who knew Sue?
Spanish: Fruits and vegetables. Dia de los Muertos.
Handwork: Continuation of knitted lions and mice.
Music: Singing Martinmas songs and flute playing.
Extra Lesson: Body geography and laterality- Can you stand on one foot and rub your tummy and pat your head?
1st Grade
Block: Qualities of Numbers : Introduction to the four processes. Will Peter Plus add anything to your pocket?
Math Skills: The many ways to think about a number: 12 is 6 and 6, but also 5 and 7. Encouraging flexible thinking and problem solving.
Watercolor Painting: Working with pigment washes in varied intensities.
Spanish: Dia de los Muertos and body parts vocabulary.
Handwork: Learning how to cast on stitches. Getting ready for our first knitting day.
Music: Learning soft breath for excellent flute playing skills!
Extra Lesson: Body geography awareness with counting- 7 windows in my head!
Early Childhood
Children hammered holes in cans for Martinmas lanterns. This kind of activity builds fine and gross motor skills, integrates the sensory system, and strengthens the will system.
In early childhood, the children are "bathed" in rich language throughout our morning. In one of the kindergarten rooms, the story "Rumplestiltskin" was recently told:
"Whirr, whirr, whirr, three times round.
Whirr, whirr, whirr, three times round.
Straw into gold the bobbin be found.
And so it went on until the morning, when all the straw was spun, and all the reels were full of gold.
By daybreak the King was already there, and when he saw the gold he was astonished and delighted, but his heart became only more greedy...."
Stories, songs and rhymes rich in vocabulary enter the child's imagination and auditory memory. Later these experiences are resourced for writing and reading... and so much more.
