Desert Sky Community School
A public charter school for K-5 inspired by Waldorf Education

 

Daily Schedule

The kindergarten and grades meet from 8:15am through 2:30pm every day.

Curriculum

The curriculum of Desert Sky Community School articulates State Standards for Academic Excellence with a methodology rooted in the work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education. Subjects are integrated into thematic units called ‘blocks,' enhanced by an emphasis on music and art, to gently guide the natural imagination and creativity of children toward the abstract processes of reading, writing, and arithmetic, and then onward to critical thinking and problem-solving. This approach engages the whole child - head, heart, and hands - to instill academic excellence, independent thinking, a sense of social responsibility, and motivation for life-long learning.

 

Kindergarten - Ms Jeanne Kresser, Teacher & Ms Marsha Larson, Assistant

The all-day kindergarten starts with a traditional Waldorf kindergarten then supplemented with an afternoon program. In daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms, children learn about language and nature through an emphasis on memory, sequence, and pattern recognition. In addition to creative circle time with songs and story-time with fairytales, activities include painting, beeswax modeling, gardening, handwork, and cooperative outdoor play. Great care is taken in providing a classroom environment that surrounds the child with beauty, a sense of security and comfort, and nurturing teachers whose words and actions are worthy of imitation.

 

Grades

After greeting the students, the class teacher presents the core curriculum in a main lesson that is integrated with art, music, and movement. For example, during a block on housing-building, students may learn traditional work songs, work with linear measure, and create models of houses. In all grades, the daily main lesson is followed by specialty subjects, including Spanish, German, music, handwork (such as knitting), gardening, woodwork, form drawing, and outdoor games or physical education. Children also do Eurythmy, an art form of words and movement, in all grades, as well as watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, pentatonic or diatonic recorder, and vocal music. A class teacher stays with the students throughout the grades, and teaches the main lesson each day; in this way, the students and teacher develop a sense of community and continuity through the years. Monthly assemblies and seasonal festivals also encourage a sense of community, and invite parent participation in the life of the school.

 

Specific topics taught in grades include:

First grade - Ms. Heather Wheat

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are introduced; The alphabet is explored and reviewed through stories; fairy tales, folk tales, nature stories, poetry; songs and activities in Spanish and German.

Second grade - Mr. Rampa Tinling

Writing and reading are emphasized; fables, legends, Native American stories; multiplication tables; word problems; nature observations, gardening; crochet; Spanish & German lessons focus on vocabulary.

Third grade - Miss Maria Teresa Cardenas

Old Testament stories as introduction to history; weights and measures; history of agriculture; house-building, nutrition, and animal husbandry; grammar, punctuation; begin writing Spanish and German.

Fourth Grade - Ms. Kristin Cuneo

Fifth Grade - Mr. Bill Demerath

Fractions & Decimals, Norse mythology, Geography, Literature & Grammar, Greek mythology, Botany, Zoology.

Games & PE - Miss Nell Summers

German Teacher - Ms. Oksana Lisetska

Handwork Teacher - Ms. Kristin Cuneo & Miss Nell Summers

Music Teacher - Miss Sara Smith

Spanish Teacher - Miss Maria Teresa Cardenas

Student Services (ELL, Homeless, Title 1) & Special Education Coordinator - Laura Alvarado-Coady

Speech Therapist - Ms. Kim Ruddick

Secretary - Miss Emily

Administrator - Shelly Adrian

QUESTIONS?

Email us at friends@desertskycommunityschool.org to share your thoughts and questions.



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Desert Sky Community School, 122 North Craycroft Road #3, Tucson, Arizona 85711. Telephone: (520)745-3888