Daily Rhythm & Learning Environments

A Day at the Albany Free School

Rooted in Justice. Guided by Joy. Built for Childhood.

Our mixed-age environment encourages mentorship, leadership, and connection. Whether students are exploring letters in sand or debating current events, their questions help shape the day. We honor each child’s pace and purpose, offering space to think, play, and practice new ways of being together in the world.

At the Albany Free School, each day is designed to nurture curiosity, confidence, and community. Students are seen, supported, and given room to grow into themselves. From Pre-K through eighth grade, our learning rhythm balances structure with flexibility, academic challenge with emotional care, and voice with accountability.

PreK-2: Roots of Belonging and Wonder

Morning begins gently in calming classrooms filled with light, music, and sensory tools. Children settle in with puzzles, picture books, or quiet play. Daily morning circles bring students together through song, movement, and affirmations that ground them in safety and joy.

Throughout the day, learning unfolds through stories, art, and nature. Read-alouds spark empathy and imagination. Writing is introduced through drawing, storytelling, and playful phonics. Math emerges in cooking, block play, and neighborhood walks. Thematic projects like “Homes and Habitats” integrate science and social studies. Time outdoors and sensory supports help children feel at ease, expressive, and engaged.

Grades 3-5: Branches of Inquiry and Voice

As students grow, so does their sense of identity and agency. The day often starts with journaling or classroom circles where students share thoughts or reflect on questions tied to fairness, belonging, or community.

Academic blocks are grounded in exploration. Students read folktales, biographies, and oral histories, then write zines, speeches, or stories that connect to their own experiences. Math becomes a problem-solving tool, used to plan events or analyze patterns in the world around them. Project-based learning encourages teamwork and research. Creative time and restorative circles help students build emotional skills, celebrate progress, and care for one another.

Grades 6-8: Canopies of Leadership and Liberation

Middle school students are invited to lead. Mornings begin with forums that might include peer presentations, dialogue on current issues, or guided mindfulness. Students explore their values and develop the tools to express them clearly and responsibly.

Literacy focuses on writing with purpose. Students analyze songs, essays, news, and fiction, then create op-eds, personal narratives, and campaign materials. Math is applied to real-world challenges and design thinking. Thematic units explore justice and community, often leading to fieldwork or civic projects. Electives support deeper inquiry in media, movement, or organizing. Advisory groups meet daily to reflect, recalibrate, and prepare for what’s next.

General Daily Rhythm (K–8)

Rooted in Justice. Structured in Love. Flexible for Development.

  • 8:00-8:30 AM

    Segment

    Arrival, Breakfast & Grounding

    Purpose

    Soft start: students ease in with self-directed activities (journaling, puzzles, music, sensory stations). Morning meeting with affirmations and calendar follows.

    Root Values

    Community Care, Joy is Justice, Identity & Belonging

  • 8:30-9:30 AM

    Segment

    Literacy Block

    Purpose

    Reading, writing, discussion—using culturally relevant texts and student voice as a central text.

    Root Values

    Liberation through Education, Cultural Memory, Memory & Storytelling

  • 9:30-10:15 AM

    Segment

    Math in Action

    Purpose

    Conceptual math, real-world applications, peer dialogue, visual and physical tools.

    Root Values

    Scholarship is for the People, Interdependence, Power & Justice

  • 10:15–10:30 AM

    Segment

    Snack & Free Play / Movement Break

    Purpose

    Indoor or outdoor reset time. Encourages body awareness and social skills.

    Root Values

    Joy is Justice, Every Child is a Seed of Change

  • 10:30–11:30 AM

    Segment

    Integrated Theme-Based Learning (Social Studies / Science / Project Work)

    Purpose

    Interdisciplinary work rooted in quarterly themes. Research, experimentation, community learning, fieldwork.

    Root Values

    Cultural Memory, Resistance & Resilience, Place & Land

  • 11:30 AM–12:15 PM

    Segment

    Lunch & Community Time

    Purpose

    Shared meals in mixed-grade “families” or classrooms. Sometimes includes music or storytelling.

    Root Values

    Community Care, Interdependence, Joy

  • 12:15–1:00 PM

    Segment

    Art, Music, or Movement

    Purpose

    Rotating creative expression blocks: music, dance, visual arts, or physical education.

    Root Values

    Joy is Justice, Memory & Storytelling, Identity & Belonging

  • 1:00–1:45 PM

    Segment

    Restorative Circles / Advisory

    Purpose

    Dialogue-based space for reflection, connection, conflict resolution, and affirming students’ experiences.

    Root Values

    Community Care Over Control, Power & Justice, Belonging

  • 1:45–2:30 PM

    Segment

    Afternoon Workshop / Applied Learning

    Purpose

    Labs, hands-on projects, or choice-based enrichment (gardening, tech, theater, student-led clubs).

    Root Values

    Every Child is a Seed of Change, Resistance, Joy

  • 2:30–3:00 PM

    Segment

    Closing Reflection & Dismissal

    Purpose

    Exit ticket, group share-out, mindfulness, or appreciation circle.

    Root Values

    Liberation Through Education, Legacy & Solidarity

Notes for PreK:

PreK follows a similar rhythm with more emphasis on sensory play, flexible timing, longer rest/quiet time, and daily family-style story circles. Core segments remain: grounding, literacy, exploration, creative expression, and community care.

Learning Environment Model

Designed for Justice-Rooted, Student-Centered Practice

  • Mixed-Age Pods:

    For classes, electives and lunch (e.g. 1–2, 3–5, 6–8) to build mentorship and community.

  • Flexible Seating:

    Cushions, floor spots, standing desks, sensory spaces.

  • Student Voice Walls:

    Where student questions, dreams, and declarations are posted.

  • Community Corner:

    Featuring local elders, oral histories, news clippings, and neighborhood maps.

  • Healing & Quiet Zones:

    Nooks for regulation and self-directed calming.

  • Outdoor Learning:

    Daily access to nature, even brief “sky breaks” or sidewalk walks.

  • Culturally Reflective Materials:

    Books, art, manipulatives representing Black, Indigenous, and diasporic cultures.

  • Student-Created Visuals:

    Anchor charts, murals, and documentation displays made with student input.

Daily Rhythm & Learning Environment Comparison: PreK–8

[Practice of Learning]

  • Arrival & Grounding

    PreK-2

    Soft start with sensory play, music, storybook zones

    Grades 3-5

    Journaling, social check-ins, affirmations

    Grades 6-8

    Current events dialogue, mindfulness, or student-led warm-ups

  • Literacy Block

    PreK-2

    Phonics, read-alouds, story retelling with art/play

    Grades 3-5

    Culturally relevant novels, writing workshops

    Grades 6-8

    Critical literacy, debates, genre studies

  • Math Block

    PreK-2

    Manipulatives, songs, stories with numbers

    Grades 3-5

    Games, group problem-solving, real-world math

    Grades 6-8

    Project-based math, budgeting, data analysis

  • Snack / Movement

    PreK-2

    Extended outdoor time, dancing, rest mats

    Grades 3-5

    Active break: playground or indoor circuits

    Grades 6-8

    Self-directed break with regulation tools or music

  • Theme-Based Learning

    PreK-2

    Exploration via nature walks, block play, classroom experiments

    Grades 3-5

    Research-based projects with group work

    Grades 6-8

    Independent and collaborative anchor projects connected to social issues

  • Lunch & Community

    PreK-2

    Family-style eating, storytelling with staff

    Grades 3-5

    Table prompts, peer discussion, music

    Grades 6-8

    Mixed-grade tables, journaling, music, quiet time option

  • Creative Time

    PreK-2

    Art, dramatic play, music circles

    Grades 3-5

    Theater, painting, drumming, coding intro

    Grades 6-8

    Media arts, spoken word, film, movement electives

  • Circle Time / Advisory

    PreK-2

    Story circles, feelings chart, shared rituals

    Grades 3-5

    Restorative circles, role-play, identity mapping

    Grades 6-8

    Peer mediation, organizing forums, reflective journaling

  • Applied Learning

    PreK-2

    Messy play, exploration centers

    Grades 3-5

    Labs, gardening, tool use, mapping

    Grades 6-8

    Studio time, peer critique, civic engagement projects

  • Closing & Reflection

    PreK-2

    Song, affirmations, story, gratitude

    Grades 3-5

    Group share-out, appreciations, visual journaling

    Grades 6-8

    Exit surveys, student-led announcements, journaling

Learning Environment Snapsot

[Evidence of Learning]

  • Seating

    PreK-2

    Cushions, floor mats, cozy corners

    Grades 3-5

    Group tables, flexible desk zones

    Grades 6-8

    Modular desks, standing + lounge options

  • Sensory Zones

    PreK-2

    Water tables, soft lighting

    Grades 3-5

    Regulation corners with posters

    Grades 6-8

    Calm-down stations with journaling options

  • Student Voice

    PreK-2

    Visuals of class rules made together

    Grades 3-5

    “I wonder…” wall, co-created charts

    Grades 6-8

    Planning boards, public idea spaces

  • Community Displays

    PreK-2

    Family photos, name murals

    Grades 3-5

    Classroom vision boards

    Grades 6-8

    Timeline of activism, student exhibits

  • Outdoor Learning

    PreK-2

    Daily exploration, garden visits

    Grades 3-5

    Weekly field-based inquiry

    Gradese 6-8

    Project fieldwork, “independent” site visits

  • Tech Use

    PreK-2

    Minimal, story-based apps

    Grades 3-5

    Research stations, creative tools

    Grades 6-8

    Media production, research and editing

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