THE CHS APPROACH

Beginning in the Lower School, students pose research questions such as ‘Who are Change Makers?,’ ‘How do Humans Impact the Environment?,’ and ‘How are Different Societies Structured?,’ and create projects to seek out the answers.  Research projects then increase in complexity in the higher grades. Students are given opportunities to share their research and projects with a broader audience as they practice presentation and public speaking skills. In addition, older students participate in weekly assemblies, plays and seasonal concerts involving vocal as well as instrumental preparation. In these and other venues, CHS students develop poise and confidence as performers and public speakers.  

In addition to a purposefully multicultural curriculum that both exposes students to a broad range of historical and cultural experiences and emphasizes the importance of multiple perspectives, our program includes a thoughtful focus on social identity, social bias, and social justice. In developmentally appropriate ways from the earliest age, students are engaged in activities, conversation, and reflection on concepts such as same and different, bias, stereotypes, prejudice, personal responsibility, and social action. Integral to supporting the growth of the whole child and to nurturing their social/emotional development, we believe that equipping students with the skills to understand themselves and others and to develop the capacity for empathy is of the utmost importance. Learn more

Beginning in Grade Four, students serve as Learning Partners to the Beginners class, mentoring the younger students and building relationships that are often sustained through graduation and beyond.  This partnership fosters leadership skills and empathy in the older students, and a sense of belonging and confidence in the younger ones. 

CHS embraces a structured SEL curriculum that is designed to enhance opportunities for positive interaction among children, and thoughtful, reflective growth for every community member.  The Open Circle curriculum, developed at Wellesley College,  provides a common vocabulary and common experiences across the grades. The Open Circle curriculum fosters community by promoting a broad range of social and cultural competencies: lessons center on social interaction, problem-solving, self-awareness, and communication skills. 

From Beginners through Grade 1, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) is a combined class through which children engage in problem solving, creative thinking, collaborative thinking, and leadership.  They learn the skills of a scientist and acquire artistic behavior by exploring a range of art materials and techniques. From Grade 2 on, the STEAM curriculum branches out to delve more deeply into Science, as well as Engineering & Technology. In Science, students plan and carry out investigations, question results, look for controls, and discuss correlation vs. causation. In Engineering & Technology, students have a chance to program robots, collaborate with partners, analyze and adjust code, design real-time solutions to challenges, and build tangible products with increasing complexity and independence. They often draw upon cross-curricular connections with other homeroom units of study. Learn more