Primary Grades 1-3 Pictorial introduction to the alphabet, writing, reading, spelling, poetry, and drama begins in First Grade. Folk and fairy tales, fables, legends, Ancient Stories. Numbers, basic mathematical processes of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Nature stories, house building, and gardening.
Middle Grades 4-6 Writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama. Norse myths, history and stories of ancient civilizations (Roman, Greece, India). Review of the four mathematical processes, fractions, percentage, and geometry. Local and world geography, comparative zoology, botany, and elementary physics.
Upper Grades 7-8 Creative writing, reading, spelling, grammar, poetry, and drama. Medieval history, Renaissance, world exploration, American history, and biography. Mathematics, geography, physics, basic chemistry, astronomy, and physiology.
Grades children are expected to be at school 5 days a week from 8:20am to 3:30pm. Our First-Grade program requires children should have turned 6 years old by September 1st. We enroll children for our 1-6 (7th starting 2025-2026; 8th 2026-2027), grades program throughout the year based on space and acceptance into our program through an interview and observation. Applications submitted should be accompanied by a teacher recommendation form.
Unique Aspects of our Grades Program
Class teachers accompany a class from Grade 1 through Grade 8. The close relationship that develops between the class teacher and students benefit the child's growing confidence and self-esteem.
Academic work each day in the grades begins with a 2-hour Main Lesson that addresses core subjects in great depth. Blocks last three to four weeks to provide time for students to fully digest the material. Students are homework free until Grade 4. Grade 4 is the time the students will be assigned projects such as building a model of a shelter during their shelter block, creating a map and key of their surrounding area for the geography block, making a diorama of a habitat during the animal block, etc... "I've never seen a child so happy about homework"-4th Grade Parent.
We do not participate in standardized testing. Children are rather assessed by their teachers and parents through a series of observations and conferences throughout the year. Each child's personal growth and development is looked at, while considering the whole child - emotionally, cognitively, creatively, physically, mentally, instead of just academically.
Rather than standardized textbooks, students create written and illustrated Lesson Books from their teachers' presentations and blackboard drawings. This creative process enables them to "own" their learning and allows the children to experience not only a creative experience but to allow the student to really absorb the lesson opposed to simply reading a textbook. "A recent study in Frontiers in Psychology monitored brain activity in students taking notes and found that those writing by hand had higher levels of electrical activity across a wide range of interconnected brain regions responsible for movement, vision, sensory processing and memory. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that has many experts speaking up about the importance of teaching children to handwrite words and draw pictures."
At Bayou Village School we aim to create an environment that respects the natural stages of childhood, generates a joy for learning that lasts a lifetime, that is creative, experiential and artistic. Our teachers strive to educate the whole child-the heart, the hands as well as the head. We are committed to developing capacities as well as skills so that our students will become self-aware and compassionate world citizens.
Journey to Literacy: Writing to Reading
"Not too soon, not too late. The lesson content and its method of presentation are linked to the children’s emotional, social, physical and intellectual development. The education is provided in a way and at a pace that respects the child’s developmental journey."
While it seems backwards, this method of writing before reading, allows children to put together the knowledge they’re given to ‘discover’ reading on their own. According to a study by Tahzeem Ryan, a master’s student for Science in Education, he observed that teaching writing before reading is beneficial to children for three main reasons:
Efficiency – teaching writing simultaneously teaches children to read. As your student learns to write, they are, at the same time, learning to read.
Effectiveness – this methodology works better than teaching children to read first because instead of memorizing letters, they are truly understanding them.
Engagement – a child is more motivated, their self-esteem and confidence build up faster and they’re very excited when they begin to write, recognize, and understand written words from the building blocks they are given.
"First graders are not well positioned for reading: They can read only the words they have learned to read or sound out—a fairly small lexicon. But they are beautifully positioned for writing: They can write all the words they can say. Even younger children who don't know the alphabet can write if they have seen other people write: They just scribble, scribble, scribble—but with meaning, and they can “read” their writing back to you. The process of writing helps children comprehend written language and control letters and texts, an understanding that they need for reading. Children no longer think of books as something impersonal—"
Writing is a brainpower workout! At a time when a child's brainpower is growing extremely rapidly, writing may be the single best brain workout they can get: it requires all the skills of reading, some of the logical skills of math and science, small motor coordination, and even some emotional intelligence as well when they begin to consider writing for an audience.
Specialty Subjects
Handwork Knitting, crochet, sewing, cross-stitch, basic weaving, toy making, and woodworking
Music First and Second Grade: Singing, pentatonic flute, and recorder. Third and Fifth Grade: Singing and violin.
Foreign language Our Grades students are currently studying Spanish. In the future we will introduce a second foreign language.
Art Watercolor painting, form drawing, beeswax and clay modeling, perspective drawing.
Movement Group games; team sports for the older grades.
Meet The Teachers
Emily Townley Grade 1 I started my college journey knowing I wanted to teach children so I pursued an Education degree. As I made my way into my Bachelors I learned that mainstream education did not align with my personal values. I learned about Bayou Village and Waldorf education when my youngest daughter was about one. Unfortunately, our location wasn’t ideal at the time and we admired BVS from afar. Since then I learned more about Waldorf education & continued to incorporate the philosophy in our home life while continuing my education. I graduated from UHCL with a Bachelors degree in Behavioral Science. I then began my work as a Youth Mental Health Specialist. After the birth of my youngest daughter, I kept finding myself thinking about Bayou Village School. So, we felt the timing was perfect and I began my journey at BVS as the Tulips, Pre-k Lead. As much as I love the magic of Early Childhood, I learned more about Grades and became interested and excited about all of the wonder & discoveries that come with the Grades. I am excited to start my grades journey as the First Grade teacher at Bayou Village School! I look forward to continuing my education & starting my Waldorf Certification program this year. Outside of school I enjoy being outside attempting to garden, crafting of all sorts, and spending time with family and friends.
Alexandra Jones Grade 2 Alex Jones first joined the BVS community as a volunteer in the garden. After getting the opportunity to meet teachers and students, her interest in alternative education grew. Alex joined the BVS faculty as the First Grade teacher in 2023. Alex graduated from the University of Houston Honors College with a B.S. in Environmental Science and will be continuing her education through Great Lakes Waldorf Institute. Before joining us, she coached volleyball, basketball, and softball for middle and high school at St. John's School. In her free time, Alex enjoys gardening, baking, and playing with her dogs, Zoe and Dolly.
Karina Hall Grade 3 Karina has a master’s degree in Music Therapy from Sam Houston State University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of St. Thomas and is currently working on her Waldorf Teacher certification. She is also a board-certified Neurologic Music Therapist. She has a love for music and helping others which have grown to want to facilitate learning in more subjects. Karina specializes in Special Education and has worked in a school setting for 10 years. She has also worked with adults with special needs in the Best Buddies program and Easter Seals of Greater Houston. She has presented on evidence-based ways to use music in the classroom for two exhibits at the Health Museum of Houston. Karina believes in multi-sensory, hands-on, creative, and practical learning, which is what drew her to Waldorf Education for her son, and soon after, herself! She recently attended a training on “Dynamic Movement Across the Grades” through Sunbridge Institute and is excited to work on her Waldorf Teacher certification. Outside of work, Karina enjoys playing piano, art, calligraphy, cooking, languages, travel, dancing, movies, and spending time with her family.
Kimberly "Kimi" Bowman Grade 4 Kimi Bowman was born in El Paso, Texas and developed a passion for learning through nature and the arts at a very young age. Kimi joined Bayou Village School in 2021. She has been an Art teacher since 2012 in Cy-Fair and Tomball ISD, teaching kids how to find and listen to their inner voice, and express it creatively through their heads, hands and heart. Balancing and cherishing those 3 together is what she believes education can and should do. The importance that the Waldorf philosophy of education places on this, along with the priority it places on social and emotional learning has made her so excited to begin her journey here at Bayou Village. Kimi has her bachelors degree from U of H in Liberal Studies, with a focus in Art, Art History, and Literature, and then went on to get a Masters in Art and Design Education from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Kimi will be continuing her education through Great Lakes Waldorf Institute. In her spare time, she loves doing yoga, making art, and playing with her animals and family.
Emily Hughes Grade 5 "In my 14 years as an educator, I spent my last 7 years teaching through the Reggio Emilia approach at St.Francis Episcopal School as well serving as a Mentor teacher for Rice University's School Literacy & Culture's Advanced Leadership Seminar. Last year, St. Francis sent me to Reggio Emilia, Italy to study at the Loris Malaguzzi International Center for Education and that was a special highlight in my career. I earned my B.A of Elementary Education and French from University of Wisconsin and graduated SLC's Early Literacy Leadership Academy cohort 1. I’ve taught at Creative Writing Camps for years and have opened my classroom for SLC resident visitors and presented at education conferences on topics such as literacy and the importance of play. I was also a literacy specialist in Aldine ISD for 7 years. I’m a big believer in the power of playful active learning and the great potential within every child. Alongside teaching, I love gardening with my husband and our son, Clark, reading, trying new foods, and making art. This summer, we spent some time on Minnesota lakes with my family who lives there."
Bharathi Gunasekaran Grade 6 Bharathi started her journey at Bayou Village School as a Nursery Assistant in the Sunflower Garden Classroom in 2015. Growing up in different countries, she developed a passion for travel and values the learning that comes from connecting with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Her career in education started in 2008 as she sought for opportunities in social work in India, her home country, which resulted in a year of teaching life-skills training and English to marginalized youth. This experience informed the decisions she made since. She believes that the most important social change starts within and in how we educate our children. This led her to Waldorf Education and in finding our school when she moved back to Houston. Bharathi has served as a volunteer with Americorps and has taken on roles in various non-profits in Texas, Chicago, and India, working with inner-city children as an educator as well as with the most marginalized population in the community as a Community Organizer. Bharathi has completed her Grades Waldorf Education program and continues to expand and share her knowledge of the grades program with attending intensive courses during the school year and summer. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, cooking, learning new languages, and exploring the city, and the world with her family. Bharathi is also a certified yoga instructor.
Tracey García Español, Art and Games Tracey has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Loyola University New Orleans. She has over 14 years working and volunteering with children, 11 of those as a teacher. She started at Bayou Village School in 2017 as a mixed kinder assistant and is currently on her Fifth year as our Español, Games and art teacher. Tracey is a World Language Certified Teacher, completing her certification the summer of 2024 at the Sunbridge Institute in NY. She loves being silly with her students, traveling and anything/everything related to arts & culture.
Karina Vasquez Grades Assistant
Joanna Becker Violin Instructor Joanna brings a wealth of experience in the Suzuki Method, having studied Suzuki violin herself as a child. She furthered her expertise by completing a graduate-level teacher training certification at the renowned School for Strings in New York City, known for its exceptional Suzuki program. Joanna's teaching approach combines the principles of the Suzuki Method with the various pedagogical methods she learned during her college and graduate school training. Additionally, her experiences performing in both classical and non-classical settings add a unique element to her teaching style.