THE MEHER SCHOOL
Preparing students to be compassionate leaders
Our elementary program encourages children to strive for high standards of academic excellence while learning the enduring values of cooperation, community, and service to the world. Opportunities for small-group and individual work are varied and plentiful with two teachers per classroom. Teaching teams model cooperation and share instruction. Our teachers are experienced, caring, and well-qualified.
CORE EXPERIENCES
Children learn to always try their best and to be open to new learning.
ARTS INTEGRATION
Children learn to express and value themselves through the arts.
VALUES-BASED
Children learn to practice kindness, tolerance, respect, and cooperation.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The Meher School’s first-through-fifth grade curriculum sparks students’ curiosity about the world and provides a strong academic foundation for further studies. Graduates are well-prepared for middle school and beyond.
LANGUAGE ARTS
We use a unique blend of Units of Study (Columbia Teachers College) and Reach for Reading (National Geographic). In Units of Study, children work at their own level to apply strategies to grow as readers and writers. Reach for Reading offers a full program in phonics, grammar, and vocabulary, and includes diverse, international stories and images.
MATH
Eureka Math emphasizes development of strong number sense, fluency with math operations, and flexibility in problem solving. Hands-on materials help students grasp concepts, and skills are sequenced so that each year’s learning builds on the previous year’s.
SCIENCE
FOSS is an inquiry-based science program. Through hands-on guided investigations into the world around them, students discover the answers to questions about the natural world (e.g., What does wind do?). Units include life science, physical science, and earth science.
AND MORE
In social studies students learn about communities they are part of, beginning in kindergarten with the school community, and expanding to California and the U.S. in upper grades. The arts are woven into classroom life. Throughout the day, we emphasize organizational skills that prepare students for future academic success.
ENRICHMENT CLASSES
Elementary students attend weekly Enrichment Classes that support and broaden the classroom curriculum. Classes include theater arts, art, gardening in our organic garden, P.E., and library.
Theater arts is an integral part of the curriculum for elementary children. Students learn about scripts, rehearsals, sets, props, and other elements of producing a play. They learn how actors, directors, and designers work together collaboratively. Inhabiting the experiences of others through improvisation, character study, and scene work helps strengthen students’ communication and collaboration skills in other academic areas. It instills confidence in themselves and empathy for others.
THE FIFTH GRADE PLAY
A time-honored tradition at our school, the fifth-grade play is a culminating experience in our elementary school. While performances run during the last week of school, students work as an ensemble over several months to bring to life a play that relates to their studies.
Original plays have portrayed the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the passage of the 19th Amendment, and immigration through Ellis Island, among many topics.
"Our Turn"
Presented by the Class of 2019
A play about women's suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment.
The subject of Our Turn is the long and courageous struggle to secure a woman’s right to vote. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the fruits of that labor – the passage of the 19th Amendment – which gave women the constitutional right to vote in the United States.
In 2019, one century later, a record 121 women were sworn in as members of congress! Yet, this still represents less than a quarter of congressional seats. There is still work to be done!