Join our students on a “typical day”. While each Citizens of the World School has its own schedule and culture, the core components of rigorous academics, project-based learning, learning across lines of difference and an inquiry-based approach remain constant in all schools.
Arrival: Some students walk or bike to school. Other students arrive through the vehicle swift drop-off lane. Once on campus, students have the opportunity to join in on the morning fun–either through running laps, jump roping on the side, or dancing to music. It is a vibrant start to the day! 
Morning Meeting: The class meets in either a cozy space in the classroom or outside, like under the tree in the yard. A student may lead the rest of the class through a mindfulness practice, or brainstorm for a fundraiser for their upcoming overnight camping retreat–first working with a partner to generate ideas and then coming back together as a class to collectively decide on their next steps. 
Math: An energizer may involve geometric shapes and geoboards on the table. Students will have 10 minutes to solve an open-ended problem, either individually or with a table partner. They’ll then have some time to reflect on their thinking–talking about what strategies they used, what was frustrating, or what strengths they used. From there, the teacher will introduce a problem that the students will need to resolve with their math skills. 
Recess: Some have been elected playground buddies, and they support and lead group games with the younger students. Others head into the school garden, and check on the plants that they planted in last week’s garden club. Drama club students utilize recess time to practice their play on the mini outdoor stage. And others rumble around in the GaGa pit in the yard. 
Literacy: Earlier in the week, the class learned about the structure of the US government and they learned about the conditions of Mars in a previous science block. Students will practice persuasive writing in a unit where they will apply their knowledge and recommend the creation of a new government system on Mars. Students will compose a persuasive essay to the rest of the class to argue for which government structure the group should use. 
Lunch: In addition to eating lunch, students also use this time to taste newly grown fruits and veggies or check on the composting bins as part of their Green Seed Leadership Program. Some students use this time to practice music or sports. This is also a time for the Playground Buddies to coach the younger Buddies in the anti-bullying and conflict resolution curriculum, and how to facilitate Peace Talks between two younger kids on the yard. 
Mindfulness Activity: After an active lunch time, students take part in mindful walking or mindful eating practices. This is typically followed by a restorative practice Circle session, where students practice their leadership skills and may discuss a conflict that arose during lunch. 
Readers Workshop: Students may be focusing on perspective taking skills, where they are reading a text and exploring the impact that a character’s positionality had on the events in their life. After discussing, the teacher might meet with a small group of students to explore these concepts more or kids might work on an independent task such as an analysis of the character’s perspective. 
PE: Half of the students are in the indoor hall taking part in a Yoga Ed workshop, as they practice new poses with a partner. The other half of the class are outside, participating in their track and field activities, and working on their team relays in preparation for their upcoming Field Day. 
Art: Students select a landscape from photographs taken on two recent walking field trips within the local area. They continue to deepen their understanding of perspective-taking as they learn how to create a one-point perspective of their chosen photograph. As they do this, they select the materials and media they use, and can choose to work individually, with a partner or small group. 
Reflection: They can reflect back to their goal setting for the day and celebrate what they have accomplished, or they can do a quick check-in on their feelings barometer to get a sense as to how their day was.