Here’s how we begin every day: with music or a gentle signal, we move into our morning circle on the rug. In silence, we settle our bodies and our minds and open ourselves up to a new day. We then greet each other and our teachers by name, share our hopes and questions, and spend time getting to know our friends and ourselves.
The work of our early elementary learners is joyful, purposeful, and deep.
Thanks to the foundation laid in Kindergarten—where friendships form, letters begin to dance into words, and numbers find their place in the world—our first, second, and third graders are ready to stretch both their minds and their independence.
In first grade, we strengthen the trust in our own voices. We read with greater fluency and write with intention—small stories, big ideas, growing curiosity and confidence.
We take what we’ve learned and try it out in new ways, connecting more dots, noticing more patterns, and asking more questions.
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In second grade, we dive deeper into the world around us and into ourselves. Our group continues to be strengthened as we co-create a space centered on peace, stewardship, and integrity. We become more sophisticated scientists and problem-solvers, confident readers and writers, imaginative artists and friends. We learn to explain our thinking, take turns as leaders, and reflect on what helps us grow. We look back at our journey from the first day of first grade to the last week of second grade with amazement as we see the evidence of our two-year journey. By third grade, our confidence is blooming. We balance our increasing independence with care for others. We can manage more complex assignments, juggle different perspectives, and take pride in our hard work. Our third graders are thinkers, collaborators, and changemakers—readying themselves for the big step into fourth grade with excitement. Across these vital years, our early elementary students use every part of themselves to learn: their hands and hearts, their questions and discoveries, their kindness and courage. We build meaning together as we build villages in community while strengthening communication and conflict resolution skills, problem-solve together as we dive into a science experiment or see how far the puddle water we jump into will splash, or grow as friends and stewards as we participate in an all-school service project or dance hand-in-hand with a middle school meeting partner. We know what it feels like to be part of a community, to challenge ourselves, to embrace mistakes and try again. And when the time comes to soar a little higher, we’ll be ready—grounded in all we’ve learned, and carried forward by the delight of learning itself. |
“PFS raised me and built a foundation of morals and kindness that became my spine, which I carry to this day.”
Laura Shinn, alum
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First & Second Grade Academic Highlights:
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Third Grade Academic Highlights:
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