Did you find this picture? It's on the back of the viewbook.

This is a small picture of a large mural that hangs in our Admission Office. We love looking at this picture every day. It was made by students in the second grade, and it represents their research, discovery, teamwork, and expression at its best. Our second graders study the history, ecology, and geography of the Charles River as a thematic study.

Did you find this picture? It's on page three of the viewbook.

In most classrooms, the day begins with a morning meeting. This picture shows a Beginners class—one of our pre-Kindergarten classes. At circle time, our youngest students track the weather, count the days in the school year (we do a big celebration for the 100th day!), take attendance, and share. In addition to small classroom meetings, we have weekly assemblies where students from many different grades get together for singing and celebration.

Did you find this picture? It's in the center of our viewbook.

May Day is a favorite, longstanding tradition at Shady Hill. On the second Wednesday in May, students, teachers, and parents all gather on the Green where each grade performs a dance to mark the beginning of spring and to celebrate the approaching end of a school year. At the end of the May Day assembly, members of the graduating class wind ribbons around the May Pole.

Did you find this picture? It's on page five in our viewbook (and there's another lacrosse player on the front cover).

All students participate in movement & physical education. Beginning in Grade 7, students join interscholastic teams. In the fall we offer boys' and girls' soccer teams, cross country, and field hockey; in the winter we offer boys' and girtls' basketball teams, ice hockey, volleyball, and Superfitness; and in the spring we offer boys' and girls' lacrosse teams, boys' and girls' tennis teams, track and field, Ultimate Frisbee, and Superfitness.

Visit www.shs.org/athletics to learn more about the dynamic physical education program at SHS.

Did you find this picture? It's on the second page of the viewbook.

The Central Subject in Grade 4 is Ancient Greece, and fourth graders have studied this subject at Shady Hill since the 1920s. This study of mythology, heroes, journeys, archaeology, and art is perfectly tuned to a fourth grader's interests.

At the end of the school year, the fourth grade celebrates its own Olympic Games, complete with a torch run. During the spring, students design and paint their own shields in woodshop, and create their own chitons in Studio. (Don't know what a chiton is? Ask us when you come for your visit!)

At the Games, students compete in high jump, long jump, discus, javelin, and in boys' and girls' foot races. In addition to these athletic activities, students' poetry writing work is also celebrated at the Games. At the end of the Olympic ceremony, each student is presented a laurel wreath made by the faculty.

Did you find this picture? This picture of a teacher and student is on on page six of the viewbook (and there are more students using computers on page three).

The use of technology is integrated into many aspects of teaching and learning at Shady Hill. Students learn to use programs such as Comic Life, Garage Band, Google SketchUp, and PowerPoint, in working together and presenting what they’ve learned. There are laptop carts throughout the campus, as well as centrally located computer labs.

Did you find this picture? It's on page four of the viewbook.

The girl on the right side of the photo has designed and built a gigantic toothbrush in woodshop. Students in grades 1 through 8 spend time in the Shop, and younger students have woodworking areas in their classrooms.

There are several grade-specific projects that take place every year: second graders construct useable chairs, third graders make wooden sea creatures and construct sea chests, and fourth graders make boxes. After students finish their assigned projects, they are free to spend time on projects of their own design.

Each year, students learn about design and problem solving as well as woodworking skills. As students get older, they experience more freedom and creativity in the projects that they choose. Recent student-initiated projects have included a sea-worthy boat and a gigantic Adirondack chair (when you come to visit, look for it on the porch of one of our seventh grade classrooms)!

Did you find this picture? It's on the front of the viewbook.

In sixth grade, students spend the year studying Africa as a Central Subject. Their work in woodshop includes studying the art and meaning of African masks, after which each student carves a masks that tells a story about himself/herself.

At the sixth grade Rites of Passage celebration at the end of the year, the student masks are all on display.

Did you find this picture? It's on the second page of the viewbook.

This dragon hangs in one of our fifth grade classrooms where our students study Ancient China as a Central Subject. Hands-on projects in fifth grade include mapping, calligraphy, use of an abacus, and kite making. Field trips to local museums, Chinatown, and visits from Chinese scholars and artists enhance our work.

A weekly Mandarin class exposes students to the language in its spoken and written forms. Studying the philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism allows students to consider how belief systems within a culture emerge over time, as well as the importance of ritual and tradition.

Did you find this picture? It's in the center of the viewbook.

When you come to visit our campus, you will notice how much open space we have. We sit on 11 acres in Cambridge, surrounded by trees and wetlands.

Our sixth gradeers study the natural history of the area around Shady Hill School throughout the year. The sixth grade science program begins with a survey of trees as examples of living things on campus. Students study the rocks, soil and water cycle of the area to connect how the non-living parts of the natural community affect the living parts. They create topographic maps to learn about the landscape, and study the reasons for large-scale geographic change, both natural and man made. Students study astronomy to learn about the seasons and how changes in celestial objects affect us on Earth.