First through Fifth Grades

Holistic education for the Head, Hands, and Heart.

Elementary School children are inspired deeply by their feelings and by the beauty of the world around them. They respond powerfully to the tools and methods used at Pine Forest School, which engages their feelings through music, art, movement, and drama, and enlivens learning through in-depth study of a topic using an experiential, hands-on approach.

Imagination plays an important role in the early grades, helping the child to develop an inner experience of the subject matter. Social, emotional, and practical skills are emphasized, as well as academic skills.

Each day in the PFS Lower School begins with a Main Lesson of 2 hours, during which the class teacher presents the day's lesson artistically, descriptively, and dramatically and leads the children in activities relating to the subject.  After a brief snack time and recess, the Special Subject classes begin: Handwork, Music, Spanish, Physical Education, and in the Middle School, Language Arts, Math, Chorus, and Practical Arts. The children create their own “textbooks”, or Main Lesson books, which are beautiful, artistic, academic representations of what they have learned.