What We Learn

 

Everything We Do at Heronfield is a Learning Experience.

Teachers Guide Students to Build Scholarly Habits.

At Heronfield, we believe that true learning occurs as students learn to think, write, share their ideas, and listen to those of others. Our core academic classes aim to build these skills through a variety of experiences. Students discover nuances in a short story, articulate their approaches to an intriguing math problem, and connect an idea from the past to a current issue. Familiar skills become the foundation for new abilities as students progress from sixth to seventh to eighth grade, gaining confidence and finding new ways to ask questions and gather solutions.

Teachers and students are partners in the learning process at Heronfield.  The curriculum in each subject meets students at just the right developmental stage and broadens their perspectives,  and our independent school model means that teachers can respond to student interests, tailoring lessons and activities to maximize learning and personal growth.

Students are challenged at Heronfield, and yet they respond to those challenges because they feel connected to their experience and they feel the support of their teachers. Learning at Heronfield takes many forms, with Humanities students involved in a robust discussion around our Harkness table, while others collaborate as they take careful measurements and draw conclusions in the science lab. Shouts of laughter and camaraderie come from the PE playing fields, and songs and skits reinforce the learning of a new verb form in Spanish. Through all of the activity, though, teachers guide students in thinking more deeply, extending their ideas, and in building the discipline and scholarly habits of mind that serve them well at Heronfield and beyond.

English

The Love of Reading & Writing

Students learn to love to read and learn to write in any mode. Through the guided exploration of classic and contemporary texts across many genres, students find meaning in stories – their stories and the stories of others.

Humanities

The Rise & Fall of Societies

From the ancient world to modern societies, students focus on ideas and build foundational knowledge of philosophy, geography, civics and world religion through discussion-based learning, collaborative activities, and independent projects.

Mathematics

Seeking New Solutions 

Seeking to both challenge students and build their confidence, our program engages learners in a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes logical reasoning and problem-solving while discovering patterns, relationships, and connections.

Music

Creating a Life-Long Love

Music has deep importance at Heronfield, building students’ sense of collaboration, precision, and creativity. All students learn to play one or more instruments, performing and even creating their own music – and sharing all they can do at our twice-yearly community concerts.

Physical Education

Let’s Get Outside!

Physical Education at Heronfield is a mixture of learning skills for team sports and lifetime activities as well as developing individual skills for healthy living. Classes meet outside often and take full advantage of the school’s 20,000 square-foot Field House for all sorts of activities.

Science

Lab-Based Curriculum

Students dive into inquiry and experimentation with a lab skills-based curriculum emphasizing collaborative problem-solving. This curriculum explores life, earth, chemical, and physical sciences through hands-on activities that are fueled by curiosity and inspired by current scientific research.

Spanish

It’s Our Second Language

Spanish is a core subject, with most students progressing well into high school level 2 by the end of eighth grade. The three-year program enables students to become foreign language learners through a blend of language acquisition methodologies and multicultural practices

TEA

Discover & Design, Play & Invent

Our Technology, Engineering and Art (TEA) Program takes full advantage of student curiosity and expression with a wonderful blend of 2-D and 3-D art as well as digital design.  Classes are held in the vibrant iStudio, with an array of resources and countless ideas within easy reach.