Elementary School at The Denver Waldorf School
In the elementary school years, children learn best when academics are conveyed through painting, drama, music, storytelling, and other hands-on experiences that stir their emotions. In first through fifth grade, The Denver Waldorf School curriculum weaves a sense of beauty throughout each school day.
A Well-Rounded Elementary Education
From the rocks in the earth to the stars in the sky, Greek mythology to violin, students travel through time, across cultures, and around the globe through our holistic, experiential, and interdisciplinary elementary school curriculum. Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, geography, music, movement, and art aren’t taught as discrete subjects, but integrated in multisensory and multidisciplinary lessons.
Holistic and Balanced
At DWS, childhood is honored, never hurried, and we encourage each child’s unique unfolding through a curriculum that meets their academic, artistic, social, and emotional capacities at every age and stage of development. Music, art, creative writing, and storytelling are emphasized across the curriculum, while healthy movement is a part every school day through twice-daily recess, classroom activities, and cooperative games.
Hands-on Learning
During elementary school, students learn to measure the area of a playing field, plant a tomato seed, and knit a scarf. They develop the discipline to rehearse lines for the annual class play and the patience to write a letter to a friend in cursive. Here, we place tremendous emphasis on project-based learning and hands-on activities, teaching children to observe, experience, and connect academic subjects to the real world.
An Engaging Approach to Literacy
Our approach to literacy encourages students to find joy and meaning in literature and language while fostering strong reading and writing skills in an engaging and age-appropriate way. Here, literacy, language, and stories are woven into every subject in the curriculum, leading students to become capable readers, writers, and communicators across disciplines.
$1M total awarded in tuition adjustments and scholarships
92% of graduates are offered merit-based awards
Average class side of 20 students
Integrated arts, music, and movement throughout the curriculum
About one-half of faculty members have advanced degrees and/or more than 10 years of teaching experience
An Exceptional Faculty
Through multiyear teacher-student relationships and tight-knit class communities, every student at DWS has the opportunity to work closely with their teachers. DWS faculty see, understand, and value every child, encouraging them to meet their potential academically and personally. As the curriculum becomes more complex over the course of elementary school, teachers support and guide their students in meeting challenges, both in and out of the classroom.
Screen-Free and Social Classrooms
We cultivate strong social skills and a cooperative student community through group work and collaborative projects, music ensembles and drama performances, and daily time for socializing and unstructured play. We don’t use educational technology in the classroom, instead fostering an engaging and collaborative learning environment that stimulates the senses and builds community among students.
An Education Built for Joy
You’ll feel it as soon as you step onto campus: Our school is a warm, welcoming, and creative place. There is art on the walls and the sound of music in the hallways. Classrooms are active learning environments where students are encouraged to listen and to share. There’s a sense of warmth and camaraderie between students, and a palpable sense of joy in learning!