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PROGRAMS:
GRADES 1-5
Berkshire Waldorf School Grades 1-5
Where Wonder Meets Foundation

A Warm, Skill-Building Start

In Grades 1–5, students are greeted each morning with a handshake and a personal welcome from their Class Teacher—fostering connection, respect, and confidence. Learning is experiential and imaginative, deeply aligned with the child’s natural development.

Students explore academics, arts, movement, and practical work in a way that integrates head, heart, and hands every day.

THE ROLE OF THE CLASS TEACHER

In Waldorf education, a Class Teacher ideally leads their class for multiple years—often from first through eighth grade. This long-term relationship allows teachers to:

  • Learn each child’s gifts, challenges, and growth journey
  • Unify the curriculum across subjects and years
  • Stretch and grow alongside their students, creating a living, dynamic learning environment

Each September brings new material—and students who are one year older and ready for new challenges.

Main Lesson: Deep, Immersive Learning

Each morning begins with a two-hour Main Lesson, focusing on one major subject (math, science, literature, geography, history, or the arts) for three- to four-week blocks.
 Students bring subjects to life through storytelling, drama, painting and drawing, poetry and song, hands-on projects and exploration.

Main Lesson Books: A Living Record of Learning

Instead of relying on mass-produced textbooks, students create their own Main Lesson Books—beautiful, hand-illustrated journals that condense and amplify their studies. These personalized books deepen comprehension, spark creativity, and become treasured records of their academic journey.

Curriculum by Grade

Grades 1–5: Building Foundations Through Story and Imagination

GRADE ONE

  • Introduction to the alphabet, spelling, early reading
  • Fundamental math: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Fairy tales, nature stories, form drawing, painting

GRADE TWO

  • Spelling, reading, early grammar
  • Arithmetic (times tables)
  • Fables, legends, composition, painting

GRADE THREE

  • Grammar, cursive writing
  • Arithmetic, measurement
  • Housing, farming, Old Testament stories

GRADE FOUR

  • Fractions, local geography, Norse myths
  • Composition and reading development
  • Study of humans and animals; farm trip

GRADE FIVE

  • Decimals, North American geography
  • Ancient civilizations (Egypt, Greece)
  • Botany, Greek history, form drawing

SUBJECTS ACROSS GRADES 1–5

  • German
  • Eurythmy
  • Handwork (knitting, sewing, embroidery)
  • Woodworking
  • Music
  • Movement & Games
  • Gardening

From outdoor exploration to integrated academics

Where Curriculum Meets Life

Festivals, Field Trips & Outdoor Learning

Festivals, Field Trips & 
Outdoor Learning

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

Students explore the world around them through seasonal festivals, class trips, and nature-based learning.

Whether tapping trees for maple syrup, performing a play in the school meadow, or skiing on the fields in winter, students learn by living it.

FESTIVALS like Michaelmas, May Day, and Winter Spiral mark seasonal shifts and bring the community together.

FIELD TRIPS deepen curriculum themes and expand students’ awareness of the world.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION is integrated year-round, from garden planting to snowshoeing.

Subjects That Shape the 
Whole Child

Academics, Arts, Movement, & Nature—Every Day

Waldorf education is built on the belief that learning should engage head, heart, and hands. At BWS, students enjoy a full spectrum of subjects that round out their education and enrich their everyday experience.

HANDWORK: Knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, felting, and weaving develop fine motor skills, focus, and artistry.

WOODWORK: Students work with hand tools to create functional and beautiful projects, building skill and confidence.

GAMES & MOVEMENT: Cooperative games and physical education nurture balance, coordination, and social development.

MUSIC: From choral singing to instrumental ensembles, students make music every day.

WORLD LANGUAGES: Taught through storytelling, conversation, and song to deepen cultural appreciation.

GARDENING & NATURE STUDY: Through biodynamic gardening and outdoor learning, students connect with the earth and seasonal rhythms.

Meet Our Grade Teachers

Joanne Bockemuehl, 1st Grade Class Teacher

Eleana Peterson, 1st grade assistant

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Anna Taiga, 2nd Grade Class Teacher

Victoria Palazzo, 3rd grade teacher

Dr. Even Christine Gardiner 4th Grade Teacher

Katie Bovard, 4th Grade Class Advisor

WindRose Morris-Keating

WindRose Morris-Keating, 5th grade teacher

explore our education programs