School Levels

The Primary Program is dedicated to preparing four year olds to successfully enter the Elementary Program. Primary classes provide young children direct instruction in reading, writing, and math within the context of a day filled with guided choice and exploration. Class-wide projects in the school garden and the Makers' Space allow children to learn more about the social and natural world.

Through extended experience with open-ended materials, the children’s work develops in complex and creative ways. Students move fluidly between materials and activities, finding opportunities to work independently or with peers. Children experience the satisfaction of making their own choices and following their own ideas.

The Elementary Program operates on two levels: Lower Elementary ages 5, 6 and 7 and Upper Elementary, ages 8, 9 and 10. Elementary students address more complex problems than in Primary. They are no longer content to simply ask “what,” but curious about the “how” and “why” of problems. This environment is the launching point for interactive, interdisciplinary group work. With an emphasis on social responsibility and courtesy, project work is a natural outgrowth of the classroom. These years offer projects that solve problems and come up with inventions in the areas of language development, mathematics/geometry, history, world geography, botany, zoology and the arts.

The Intermediate Program serves 11-13 year olds utilizing human centered design projects executed with online resources, the community, our facilities and our world, access to network of artists, entrepreneurs, social justice/equity leaders, politicians, designers, academics, investors, etc. In Intermediate the students start to feel courageous to learn and become their most authentic selves, not one put on due to peer pressure. The Intermediate program takes the school learning targets and uses them to make hands-on learning projects incorporating Human Centered Design. Students tackle real world problems with critical thinking and creativity.

The Upper School will accept motivated students in a lab school where teachers learn alongside the students. Students will conduct in-depth, real world project work in two cohorts; 9/10th grade and 11th/12th grade. Our program will result in a fully certified traditional high school transcript and our students will be able to excel in college and life. Not only will our students be prepared for college success, we ensure they will be sought after by colleges and employers as prepared, responsible, curious and excited to learn.

Our upper school will not have traditional, discrete subject matter learning. Instead, all necessary course work will be implemented into a unique project grid and accomplished with teaching coaches. The school will be organized around a culture of inquiry rather than constrained by traditional schedules, lockers, bells and busy work. Students will learn from experts in the real fields that their projects address. Projects will attempt to solve real world problems using the Stanford Design Process. To facilitate this, The Delta School has developed a unique project requirement grid not found anywhere else, as well as a unique scheduling model that is flexible and adaptable for each project.

Our students will receive in-depth, personalized college counseling that begins the first year of the upper school and advances until the right match happens or students decide to find success outside of the academic environment. For more information or to work as a partner in our development contact info@thedeltaschool.org.