Transformational
Learning
With neighbors including Washington University and Forest Park, many of St. Louis’ best cultural institutions are walkable resources for Forsyth students. Science classes take walking field trips to Forest Park to study the seasons and track biodiversity. Art classes frequently visit the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, and PE hosts the annual Mile Run at Francis Olympic Field, both at Washington University. Even Forsyth’s youngest students in Eyas and Pre-Kindergarten walk down the street to the Elizabeth Gray Danforth Butterfly Garden.
Memory Mapping
Smaller mapping projects in the younger grades, such as creating a compass rose and mapping the Forsyth School campus, prepare students for memory mapping in the upper division. In a collaboration between art and social studies, Grade 3 students create Missouri state maps on sheets of aluminum, highlighting specific rivers and trails with color and texture. In Grade 4, students map the United States from memory, and in Grade 5, the Western Hemisphere. Grade 6 students map the entire world from memory and participate in Model UN, which encourages them to explore global issues, conduct age-appropriate research, recognize diverse perspectives, communicate ideas effectively, and take action.
Challenge Days
Starting in Senior-Kindergarten, each grade experiences a unique, annual Challenge Day, featuring a mix of on- and off-campus activities, including the Forsyth Adventure Center. The progression starts with the “flying squirrel” in Senior-Kindergarten, continues with an introduction to the high ropes course in Grade 1 (followed by increasingly complex challenges in Grades 2–5), and culminates with the Shelton Span high beam in Grade 6.
Young Naturalist Program
The Junior-Kindergarten Young Naturalist Program consists of three seasonal walking field trips to the Kennedy Memorial Forest Savanna in Forest Park. The students connect with nature, hone their senses, strengthen their observational skills, and learn to respect all living things.
Electrical Engineering
In Innovation & Design classes, Grade 6 students work in teams to design and build electric-powered miniature golf holes, complete with interactive features such as coded micro: bits, servomechanisms, motors, lights, and sensors, as part of a local competition hosted by Project Make-It St. Louis. They also employ electrical engineering, 3D printing, and the engineering design process to create functional lanterns for their spring camping trip.
St. Louis Neighborhood Study
Grade 2 students visit seven distinct, historical St. Louis neighborhoods (Cherokee Street, Downtown, Forest Park, The Hill, Soulard, South Grand, and The Ville) as part of a yearlong, cross-disciplinary unit encompassing language arts, math, social studies, and photography.
Canoe Building
Experienced instructors from the Urban Wilderness Program spend a week on campus teaching and guiding our Grade 5 students in the building of a 15-foot skin-on-frame canoe. The students apply science and mathematics concepts using hand tools such as block planes, spoke shaves, and combination squares. They learn why and how heat and water can persuade wood to take on different shapes. Upon completion, the class launches the canoe on its maiden voyage, and every student gets the opportunity to take a quick paddle around the lake.
Physical Education
Forsyth’s PE curriculum features a variety of two-week-long intensive units during the school year, including West African Dance, climbing and the high ropes course, pickleball, and archery.
Camping Overnights
Forsyth’s three-year camping progression starts with a one-night campout on campus in Grade 4 and continues with an overnight off campus in Grade 5. New this year, Grade 6 will take a one-night camping trip to an area campground in the fall, followed by a three-night camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont in the spring.
Artist-In-Residence Program
Established in 2010, this annual residency provides a unique visual arts opportunity for Grade 5 students to collaborate with a visiting artist to create an art installation or exhibition for the entire school community to enjoy.
Science of Learning Instrument Design (SOLID) Project
Grade 3 students participate in the SOLID Project, a joint program presented by The Sheldon and the Saint Louis Science Center that challenges students to design and create a unique musical instrument from recycled materials. Following live demonstrations about instrument design, world music, and the “science of sound” by educators from The Sheldon and the Science Center, the students further explore different components of the project in Science, Innovation & Design, Art, and Music classes.
Electives for Grades 5 & 6
Held weekly for ten weeks, electives enable students in Grades 5 to explore particular areas of interest and allow teachers to expand on topics beyond the traditional curriculum. Some electives offer field trips and/or performance opportunities. Past offerings include Choir, Coding, Crochet, Impact Challenge, Knitting, Line Dancing, Mindfulness, Socratic Circle, Spanish Games, STEM in Action, and Watercolors.
Drama & Music Performances
Senior-Kindergarten and Grades 1–3 present a short assembly performance for the entire school community during the regular school day. Grades 4–6 present two performances of a longer play. Grade 6 participates in an annual residency with a St. Louis Shakespeare Festival teaching artist through the Shakespeare In Schools program, which serves as the foundation for their capstone drama performance. Students in all grades participate in song and dance performances for Grand Friends Day in the fall and May Celebration in the spring.
Innovation & Design Pumpkin Patch
Every October, the Next House Patio is transformed into a miniature pumpkin patch! All grades visit the pumpkin patch throughout the month to pick out a pumpkin to take home. Students in Senior-Kindergarten and above practice using a variety of hand tools on their pumpkins in Innovation & Design classes. Younger grades use pom-poms and hot-glue guns or golf tees and hammers, while older grades use screws and drills.
Pianos, Portraits & Poetry on the Patio
Held outdoors on the Gerdine House patio and in the Williams Walled Garden, the Senior-Kindergarten end-of-year portfolio presentation is a celebration of spring! The students perform short songs on the xylophone and miniature piano, present their painted self-portraits, recite memorized poems, and sing a Spanish song about spring.