Oozing slime and erupting volcanoes. Dissecting worms and designing machines. Our hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum immediately engages children’s natural curiosity about the world around them. Science teachers foster the love of “how” and “why” and encourage children to observe and investigate. The spacious and child-friendly science lab, the pond, the woods, and the fields make up the almost boundless arena for science exploration.

Science formally begins in first grade. Classes in grades 1-2 study ecology and geology, observe life cycles of tadpoles and butterflies, do systematic observations on growing plants, and learn about several species of animals and their native habitats. The emphasis is on discovery through observation, prediction, process learning, journaling, and analysis. In grade two, students also begin conducting controlled experiments.

Specific subjects covered in grades 3-6 include: raising Painted Lady caterpillars, adopting and observing a campus tree for a year, tackling the problem of solid waste disposal, basic chemistry, biotechnology, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, food chains and webs, famous scientists, matter, sound, simple machines, energy sources, spiders and insects, and the human body and how it functions.

Students in all grades are encouraged to share current science events, and art and music are also incorporated into the curriculum.