CREATIVE LEARNING

African Dance & Drumming

Students in Junior-Kindergarten and above experience an African dance unit during PE classes. Older students concurrently study African drumming in Music classes. This annual multidisciplinary unit includes lessons on rhythm, syncopation, and African culture.

Author Visits

During the 2022/23 school year, Forsyth welcomed Christina Soontornvat (The Tryout) and A.F. Steadman (Skandar and the Unicorn Thief) to campus for in-person visits with older students and connected with Baptiste Paul (I Am Farmer, Peace) for virtual visits with the entire school. 

Camping Overnights

Forsyth’s three-year camping progression starts with a one-night campout on campus in Grade 4 and continues with an off-campus overnight in Grade 5. Grade 6 students experience two-night camping trips to different campgrounds off campus in the fall and spring.

Innovation & Design

Students in Grade 4 apply materials science and mechanical engineering to build solar ovens for baking s’mores during their campout on campus. Grade 6 students employ electrical engineering to construct their own camping lanterns before the fall camping trip.

Junior-Kindergarten Naturalists

The Junior-Kindergarten Naturalist Program consists of three seasonal walking field trips to the Kennedy Woods Savanna habitat in Forest Park, where the students connect with nature, hone their senses, strengthen their observation skills, and learn respect for all living things.

Grade 2 St. Louis Neighborhood Study

Grade 2 students visit seven distinct, historical St. Louis neighborhoods as part of a year-long, cross-disciplinary unit encompassing language arts, math, social studies, and photography.

Grade 5 Artist-In-Residence Program

Established in 2010 in honor of Nicholas Aaron Aitken, FS ’04, this annual residency provides a unique visual arts opportunity for Grade 5 students to collaborate with a visiting artist to create an exhibition for the school community.

Musical Instruments

Students in Senior-Kindergarten receive an introduction to playing the piano and xylophone as part of their spring arts experience. In Music classes, Upper Division students learn the recorder, ukulele, and xylophone.