A Day in the Life
What does it mean to be a scholar at HLCS?
At HLCS, we believe that school should serve the needs of the whole child, not the other way around. Our scholars' experiences are curated specifically around our mission and vision for what school could be, if we focused on learner needs and agency.
It is our vision that students will spend time each day outside, will eat nutritious and nourishing meals, will engage in rigorous academic content and service learning that supports their development as good people in a changing world from Kindergarten through middle school.
Daily Schedule
Schedules will vary by grade level, and fluctuate depending on what the crew is up to that day.
8:20-8:40
8:40-9:00
9:00-9:30
9:30-10:30
10:30-11:15
11:15-11:45
11:45-12:45
12:50-1:30
1:30-2:15
2:15-2:30
2:30-2:45
2:45
Arrival and Breakfast
Opening Circle/Crew Meeting
K-5 Literacy Block/6-8 Humanities
Specialist
Expedition Time/Forest School
Special
Lunch and Recess
Math
Science/Expedition Time
Solitude and Reflection
Closing Circle
Departure
What specials will be offered?
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HLCS plans to offer (at a minimum) physical education, music, art, and forest school. Often the content of these classes will contibute to the expedition theme students are studying, and will also support grade level benchmark expectations from the department of education. Other courses may be added over time.
What is forest school?
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Forest school is exactly what it sounds like- school outside! Forest school at HLCS will at times be planned to coincide with the expedition topic that students are exploring, but will also cover science topics such as phenology, social study topics such as the history of the land, and social-emotional learning topics, such as self-regulation techniques.
What is a crew meeting?
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Crew is the backbone of our educational programming. This is how we learn to be in community with each other and with ourselves. Scholars will be assigned a crew of their grade level peers that they will meet with each and every day- sometimes more than once! At different points in the HLCS experience, students may also interact with a mentor crew (or become a mentor crew!) and will also be a part of Community Crew, which will involve the entire school community.
What is solitude and reflection?
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HLCS leans heavily on EL Educations 10 Design Principles. Solitude and Reflection is an opportunity for students to participate in a variety of activities that will help increase their capacity as learners. This might involve goal setting, classroom or community "chores" (such as organizing their materials and work space), and preparing for upcoming events and presentations.