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About Us

students playing clarinets

Mariposa is an amazing K-8 alternative developmental program whose goal is to teach the whole child, encompassing their heart, head, and hands. Social Emotional learning is valued as much as academic learning and students are taught explicit lessons in this area.

Mariposa follows the Waldorf curriculum through the grades. This pedagogy emphasizes the role of imagination in learning, striving to integrate holistically the intellectual, practical, and artistic development of the students. Math is taught in a conceptual way through adopted curriculum. Language arts, social studies, and science are taught during a two-hour block of time called the Main Lesson. This time starts with the students doing movement to build important movement pathways (crossing the midline, proprioceptive/tactile, balance, sensory input, auditory processing) as well as navigating how to work with others and navigate space. The Main Lesson curriculum is brought to the students through stories told by the teacher, leaving the students space to create pictures in their mind. The story content through the grades ranges from fairy tales in kindergarten and first grade to revolutions in eighth grade, creating rich curricular experiences for the students. Students create beautiful Main Lesson books filled with art and written expression that become a record of the academic subjects taught in each grade.

A student’s journey at Mariposa includes:

  • A deep connection to nature.
  • Experiences and lessons in our school garden.
  • Hands on experiences and project based learning to supplement the different blocks of learning.
  • Music through the grades including recorder, singing, ukulele, and woodwind instruments in middle school.
  • Handwork that includes knitting, crocheting, sewing, and cross stitch.
  • Art and movement integration.
  • Teachers looping with their classes for multiple grades to develop meaningful relationships.
  • Total Enrollment: 400