Education based on the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education is grounded on a profound understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. The teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head.

OCS’ curriculum is an artful blend of education based on the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education and the Common Core Standards. In the grades, academic subjects are presented in a pictorial and dynamic manner that uses storytelling and images that motivate the child intrinsically. This motivation helps engender the capacity for joyful lifelong learning. The curriculum includes Language Arts, Math, Science, Ecology, Social Science, Foreign Language, Singing, Music, Dance, Movement, Handwork and Performing Arts.

Grades 1–8 commence each school morning with the “Main Lesson,” a two-hour period of intensive and focused thematic learning in which the core curriculum is presented when the students are most receptive and alert. The main lesson subjects (such as Greek history, Botany or American Geography) are taught in three- to four-week blocks. The teaching units are integrated and cross-curricular, and include activities to awaken and focus attention. This approach allows for freshness and enthusiasm, a concentrated in-depth experience, and gives the children time to integrate learning. Being taught in the morning Main Lesson enhances the knowledge acquisition of academic subjects, such as language arts, math, science and history. Daily math practice periods also occur in the morning when the students are most alert. The afternoons are often used for arts and crafts, outdoor activities, sport and practical work. Skill-building subjects that benefit from regular practice, such as music, movement, and world languages, are evenly scheduled throughout the middle of the day to the extent possible.

Like all public school students, our students take the standardized tests required by the California Department of Education. While we understand the importance of standardized testing in this era of No Child Left Behind, we do not explicitly teach to the tests. In addition to our general curriculum, our students are taught basic test-taking skills. As of 2014, our students in grades 3-8 participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment System, an online testing system required in all California public schools.

OCS’ language-rich curriculum supports English language learners as they become proficient in English. The use of rich vocabulary and imagery, as well as the social-emotional conversations, help students become proficient in a supportive environment. OCS conducts annual CELDT testing for English language learners and supports students at whatever level of English acquisition they are.

Teachers and parents collaborate to assist students who are falling behind. In addition, an Intervention Teacher is assigned at each campus to work with students to provide additional support as deemed necessary during the school day.

In 1st grade, a class community of students is formed with a main lesson teacher. These students stay together as a class throughout their OCS experience and graduate together as 8th graders. Their teacher stays with them, “looping” for multiple grades with the class. Typically, a teacher stays with a class for 3-5 years, such as from 1st-5th grade. When appropriate for teacher and his/her class, a teacher may loop all the way from 1st to 8th grade with a class.

OCS asks that all students read together with their parents for 20 minutes per school night. In addition to reading together, additional homework assignments may begin sometime in 2nd grade. Initially, homework is a simple task-oriented assignment that helps the students practice basic responsibility for materials and the routine of carrying them home and returning with them the next day. As students move through the grades, homework assignments grow to match the student’s developmental stage, with roughly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. For example, a typical 5th grade student may have 50 minutes of homework, a 6th grade student may have 60 minutes, and so on.

In the earlier grades, the main lesson teachers assess student achievement using multiple measures several times throughout the school year. The results of these assessments are shared with parents at the Fall parent/teacher conferences, the Spring parent/teacher conferences as needed, and in narrative End of Year Reports. This End of Year Report is a comprehensive overview of the curriculum covered by the teacher throughout the year as well as specific comments about a student’s achievements and areas of growth within the subject matter presented. End of year reports become part of the student’s cumulative records. In the upper grades (6th-8th), students receive traditional letter grades at three times in the year in addition to the conferences and End of Year Reports. OCS knows that the integration of a traditional grading system in our upper grades, combined with the continued use of narrative reports, prepares our students well for their eventual transition to high school.

OCS offers all students a general education curriculum, and supports students with IEPs or 504 plans by providing the services and accommodations in their plans.

OCS’ 3 Year Average API is 838.