Second & Third Grade: September 7-11, 2026
Dear Second and Third Grade Families,
Thank you for attending Curriculum Night and sharing your smile, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Coming together as a class community to invest in the year ahead is a meaningful gesture that helps shape the school we are growing together with intention, trust, and shared values.
The class has shifted from ELA to math during the Main Lesson, specifically focusing on place value. The basic cornerstone of our math lessons is the process of moving from the concrete to the pictorial and finally to the abstract. When learning about place value, students begin by building numbers with their hands. Using craft sticks, the children first experience individual ones and then gather them into bundles of 10, which can then be gathered into a group of 100.
This concrete experience makes an important feature of our number system visible: quantities can be grouped to create new units. Children can count 10 individual sticks, bind them together, and then count that bundle as one 10; bundles of 10 can then become a group of 100. By physically creating and handling these units, students have an opportunity to develop the underlying concept of place value before representing it with written numerals. Research on mathematics learning supports this progression from concrete quantities to abstract symbols, with particularly strong evidence for the use of concrete manipulatives in developing place value understanding. This progression is deeply rooted in Waldorf education, which recognizes that young children learn most meaningfully when concepts are first experienced through movement, touch, and direct engagement with the world.
Our highly anticipated Day of Courage is coming this Friday! As we approach the autumn equinox and the associated increase in hours of darkness and colder weather, Grade students are invited to meet challenges bravely and steadily. Third Graders step into the role of knights, supported by the entire grades program to venture into a dark “cave” constructed as if by magic, that asks them to face the unknown and draw from within to find their courage. The class has been discussing and seeking to embody knightly virtues: bravery, fairness, respect, and honor. As they enter their first break of the school year, they should be proud of the ways in which they have grown personally in these areas. We wish them a wonderful fall break and look forward to seeing them again later this month!
Class Reminders and Announcements:
Roots & Rhythms: We are excited to welcome Mari Cooper to our community! Throughout this school year, she will be leading an eight-session parent education series. With extensive experience in Waldorf education, Mari will invite participants to explore the “why” behind what we do through music, movement, and meaningful discussion. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the roots of our curriculum while connecting with other parents in our community.
Participation is expected for all new parents, and all parents are encouraged to join! as part of our commitment to building a shared understanding of the philosophy and practices that guide our school. We look forward to supporting you on this beautiful journey of parenting!
Parent Conferences are October 8 and 9! Please sign up here to schedule a time to meet.
September 18: Day of Courage (half-day) Wear Red!
September 21 - 25: Fall Break
September 28: Teacher In-Service (No School)
October 3: Roots & Rhythm with Ki Mari from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (On campus, in-person)
October 8: Half day and Parent Conferences
October 9: No school and Parent Conferences
Warmly,
Ki Michelle
