Transformative
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 its Annual Mile Run at Francis Olympic Field, both on the Washington University campus. Even Forsyth’s youngest students in Eyas and Pre-Kindergarten walk down the street to the Elizabeth Gray Danforth Butterfly Garden.
St. Louis Neighborhood Study
Grade 2 students visit seven distinct, historical St. Louis Neighborhoods (Cherokee Street, Downtown, Forest Park, The Hill, Soulard, University City, and The Ville) as part of a year-long, cross-disciplinary unit encompassing language arts, math, social studies, and photography.
Young Naturalist Program
The Junior-Kindergarten Young Naturalist Program consists of three seasonal walking field trips to the Kennedy Woods Savanna habitat in Forest Park. The students connect with nature, hone their senses, strengthen their observation skills, and learn respect for all living things.
Pianos, Poetry & Portraits 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! Organized by class, the students perform short songs on the xylophone and miniature piano, present their painted self-portraits, recite memorized poems, and sing together in Spanish.
Innovation & Design Pumpkin Patch
Every October, the Next House Patio is transformed into a miniature pumpkin patch! All grades visit the pumpkin patch over the course of 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 hot-glue guns and pom-poms or golf tees and hammers, while older grades use screws and drills.
Challenge Days
Every school year, each grade from Senior-Kindergarten through Grade 6 experiences a unique Challenge Day featuring a mix of on- and off-campus activities including the Forsyth Adventure Center, starting with the flying squirrel in Senior-Kindergarten, continuing with the high ropes course in Grade 1, and culminating in the Shelton Span high beam in Grade 6 (with plenty of other milestones along the way!).
Grades 5 & 6 Electives
Held weekly during seasonal sessions, electives enable students in Grades 5 and 6 to explore and delve deeper into a particular area of interest, allowing teachers to expand on topics beyond the traditional curriculum. Some electives provide an opportunity to take a field trip or present a performance. Past offerings include Choir, Coding, Crochet, Legos, Impact Challenge, Knitting, Script Writing, Spanish Games, and STEM in Action.
Artist-In-Residence Program
This annual residency provides a unique visual arts opportunity for Grade 5 students to collaborate with a visiting artist to create an installation or exhibition for the entire school community.
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 as a springboard for their capstone drama performance. Students in all grades participate in performances for Grand Friends Day in the fall and May Celebration in the spring.
Model UN
Perfectly aligned with our Grade 6 theme of ‘Becoming Global Citizens,’ Model UN encourages our students to explore global issues, conduct age-appropriate research, recognize diverse perspectives, communicate ideas effectively, and take action.
Electrical Engineering
In Innovation & Design classes, Grade 6 students employ electrical engineering, 3D printing, and the engineering design process to create functional lanterns for their fall camping trip. Later in the trimester, the students study, build, and learn to fly their own quadcopter drones.
Service-Learning Project
Every spring, Grade 5 students learn about clean water access and usage at home and around the world in Sustainability discussions and Innovation & Design classes, where they engineer their own water filtration systems. The unit culminates in a community service project and fundraiser to benefit a global H2O for Life education project.
Greek Museum
The annual Greek Museum is the creative culmination of Grade 5’s study of ancient civilizations. Dressed in traditional chitons (tunic garments), the students serve as docent tour guides for the pop-up museum featuring unique artifacts created for their research projects. The exhibition is an opportunity for students to showcase their individual work and practice collaboration with their classmates.
Memory Mapping
Smaller mapping projects in the younger grades (creating a compass rose, mapping the Forsyth campus) prepare students for memory mapping in Grades 4–6. First, Grade 4 students map the United States from memory. Then, they map the Western Hemisphere in Grade 5. Finally, Grade 6 students map the entire world from memory. Each world map is individualized based on the student’s interests and goals.
Eyas Thanksgiving Feast
Every November, the Eyas Program prepares and enjoys a Thanksgiving feast! Under the guidance of their teachers, the students participate in meal preparation for the side dishes, including mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, zoodles, and pumpkin pie. They also decorate the classroom and create and deliver invitations to Forsyth administrators. Everyone is encouraged to try a bite of everything on their plate!
Camping Overnights
Forsyth’s three-year camping progression starts with a one-night campout on campus in our Big Backyard in Grade 4 and continues with an off-campus overnight at Camp Manitowa in Grade 5. Grade 6 students experience two-night camping trips at different area campgrounds off-campus in the fall and spring.
Physical Education Units
Forsyth’s PE curriculum features a variety of two-week-long intensive units during the school year, including West African Dance, climbing, pickleball, and archery.