Grades (K-5) Core Learning Principles are enveloped with 21st Century global views and focus on team leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking.
English Language Arts
Literature is an important tool we use about the world around us. We can use literature to seek new information and learn from others, expand our views, make connections and tell our own stories. Literacy at VFFS is rooted in a strong understanding of how language works, beginning with a strong foundation in phonemic and phonological awareness and growing into the ability to pull meaning from words (morphology). This strong foundation opens up so many opportunities for our students to connect to each other and the world around them.
Social Studies and Science
Our approach to social studies and science curriculum is a hands-on, thematic approach based on the framework of the Next Generation Science Standards as well as the C3 Social Studies Framework. Our access to outdoor educational areas includes a riverbed, vibrant gardens, a working farm, and more to support engagement in authentic, place-based work as we investigate the story of Vermont and beyond. Attention is given to the documentation of observation and opinion-based writing in science and social studies through writing and artistic expression, and we educate and encourage our students to grow into stewards of the environment and active participants in a democratic society.
Math
Rooted in the Common Core Standards, math at VFFS engages all students to think critically and deeply. Combining and engaging math curriculum along with Singapore framework students receive frequent assessments allow us to monitor students who need support or more challenge in real-time, without waiting for end of unit tests. Through skills learned in the classroom and applied on the land, kids are able to see the purpose of learning math and will know how and when to to use it in their everyday lives.
Arts
Arts are integrated into our daily curriculum. Traditional and now often lost arts such as paint making, nature crafting, whittling, fire building, weaving, knitting, sewing, clay building, cobb making, and more are student lead projects.
Physical Fitness
Your children will go home tired! We weave many types of movement throughout our day. From hiking to fort building, to team building games, students are physically involved with fine motor skills to greater physical developments.
