Formative years
Learn about the many aspects that make a Sequoyah K-8 education unique: from mixed-age classrooms to teaching specialists, from camping to conflict resolution, each student actively experiences their Sequoyah School education in very distinct, personal ways.
Encouraging a student’s motivation to learn is at the heart of Sequoyah’s teaching.
Habits of Mind
Teachers, parents, and students created what we call our Habits of Mind by distilling the broad narrative of a Sequoyah School education into essential practices and characteristics for engaged and meaningful living. Our Habits of Mind inform what and how we teach, the ways in which we frame learning, and how we operate as an institution.
Perspective
To seek, honor and reflect on multiple viewpoints in order to broaden understanding and solve problems
Communication
To engage in constructive dialogue, to value literature and language, and to express oneself effectively through a variety of modalities
Inquiry
To become curious, motivated, self-reflective learners who generate questions to deepen understanding
Application
To integrate and apply acquired knowledge in and out of the classroom
Creativity
To approach challenges with an open mind and a willingness to take imaginative risks while generating ideas and refining solutions
Stewardship
To take care of people, take care of things, take care of the environment, and seek to make the community a better place for all
Collaboration
To know when and how to lead, follow, and work together as an active listener and meaningful contributor
Ownership
To do one’s best work
Involved and joyful learning
Mixed-age classrooms
Our K-8 classrooms are mixed-age to facilitate academic, social and emotional learning. Grouping students in mixed-age classes supports social, emotional and academic growth by increasing social opportunities over the years and encouraging students to share learning with each other.
Students are placed into a class with consideration for their individual experiences, needs and learning goals and the social dynamic of the entire group. Gender diversity and racial diversity are also considered when looking at the balance of the class. A student may spend one or two years in a particular classroom.
Teachers design a challenging academic environment for all students in their classroom. Through small group instruction, teachers assess progress, enabling students to build skills appropriate for their grade level. Students who have the unique opportunity to spend two years in the same classroom benefit in many ways, including developing leadership skills.
Assessment
Reflection is a fundamental aspect of learning, and Sequoyah emphasizes assessments in which students take an active role. Through assessment, students gain the insight to understand themselves as learners. The components of assessment at Sequoyah include:
Exhibitions – Students share learning of concepts and skills through a variety of creative presentations.
Portfolios – Students reflect on personal goals and collect work samples related to central academic concepts and skills.
Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences – Supported by parents and teachers, each student takes a central role in reflecting on their learning.
Narrative Reports – Teachers provide thorough feedback about each student’s social-emotional growth and academic learning in all subject areas.
All of these practices are informed by a variety of shared and classroom-specific assessment tools.
Teaching specialists
Lead and associate teachers are supported by teaching specialists in Spanish, science, library and research, health and wellness, field studies, visual arts, music, theater, and physical education. Each specialist focuses their expertise on experiential learning in their subject area for each grade level.
Social-Emotional Learning
Conflict resolution
Nurturing our students’ social and emotional growth by acknowledging and actively resolving interpersonal conflicts is a fundamental part of our program. Conflict can be an opportunity for students to develop healthy communication skills.
The following strategies are developed to address ordinary conflict. They are not intended to address bullying, which requires adult intervention. These are examples of how we guide students to be more effective communicators.
Conflict Resolution Guidelines
• Stop and think.
• Tell each other how you feel. Give an “I message.”
• Take turns listening without interruption.
• Hear how others feel. “What I heard you say was...”
• Take responsibility for your role in the conflict.
• Discuss how to solve it. Brainstorm ideas.
• Follow up. Does it work? If not, try again or ask for help.
Community-building
Morning meeting and circle practice are community-builders that teach students and adults to listen to the stories and expressions of others with empathy. Through open expression and compassionate listening, these practices facilitate meaningful, heartfelt change in our community. K-8 All-School Meetings (ASMs) are also a showcase of students living the mission.
Sequoyah students find meaning in programs that demonstrate their ownership of campus life and their care for the community. Stewardship is a program whose purpose is to give back to the community in a variety of ways - hot lunch clean-up, composting, reading to younger students, creating and executing events for the school. While we encourage stewardship on a daily basis from all students, we also have a designated time to demonstrate its importance and foster its development.
We have vibrant opt-in student interest groups called Options, a time when students participate in activities that are outside of their traditional classes and classrooms. Teachers and older students offer a wide range of classes that are open to different age groups and audiences, from a student-taught Ballet for Beginners to teacher-led Meditation.
Field Studies and Camping
Sequoyah’s field studies program fosters a deep understanding of our area by incorporating three interlocking trajectories: our neighborhood, our larger community, and the geographical, biological and cultural diversity of the West. Camping trips challenge each student physically, intellectually, and socially. For a single trip, a group of students may calculate the budget, prepare the menus, research history, design science experiments, map routes, assemble equipment, and pack and unload vans. Students may also develop campfire presentations, write songs, hike long distances, and closely observe habitats. Specialists and teachers create assignments that guide students to be attentive to their environment and the seasons. Camping trips inevitably lead students back to explorations of history, culture, technology, and artistic expression.
Sequoyah’s elementary and junior high students have camped in these regions:
• Los Angeles Region: Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, Silverwood State Recreation Area, Palomar Mountain State Park, Black Mountain, Quail Springs Permaculture
• California Coast: Point Mugu State Park, Morro Bay State Park, Santa Cruz Island, Point Reyes National Seashore, Big Sur
• Sierra Nevada Mountains: Montecito Sequoia Lodge, John Muir Wilderness, Devil's Postpile National Monument, Sequoia National Forest
• Pacific Northwest: Lava Beds National Monument, Klamath River, Redwoods National Park
• Southwestern States: Grand Canyon National Park, Aravaipa Wilderness, Sedona, Colorado River, Escalante National Monument, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Zion National Park
• Deserts: Anza Borrego State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, Pinnacles National Park
Extracurricular programs and campus life
Athletics
Students aged 10 years and older may choose to participate in team sports with their schoolmates. The goal of our sports program is to create a learning environment for student athletes that is inclusive and joyful, as well as being challenging enough for students who may wish to pursue sports at the high school level. Having fun and learning are our priorities. Sequoyah 5th through 8th grade students play in the Foothill Sports League, a group of local independent schools that emphasize fair play and skill-building. Team sports offered include Flag Football, Basketball, Volleyball, and Soccer, played in three seasons throughout the year.
Daycare
The Daycare program for elementary and junior high students is designed to be a school-based home-away-from-home – a place for kids to explore their interests, expand their social connections, deepen their creative play, continue their schoolwork, or just have a quiet moment alone after the school day ends. Tasty, healthy snacks are provided twice during the afternoon – a light snack, often a fruit or vegetable, and a warm substantial option for students staying until 5:30 p.m. With a multitalented staff and a rich environment filled with resources, Daycare has always been a program that students request to be a part of, regardless of need. It’s like a big, fun playdate!
DAYCARE HOURS
Mornings: 7:45 a.m. until class time
Afternoons: Monday – Thursday: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Friday: 3:15 to 5:30 p.m.
Enrichment
Sequoyah’s After-School Enrichment program provides students with focused, small-group opportunities to follow their interests and build their skills in areas beyond those studied during the school day. It’s an exciting program with a variety of subjects offered by a variety of instructors – from Sequoyah teachers and parents to local community members – all passionate about working with kids. Classes have included chess, woodworking, music, yoga, movie-making, and debate. Because many of these classes are open to a range of ages, students get the opportunity to engage with students from other classrooms in a directed learning environment, allowing them to lead and collaborate, demonstrate and learn, expand their learning circles, and make new friends. Classes are offered in three 8- to 10-week sessions through the school year.
