Educational approaches are constantly evolving. Lectures and rote learning are becoming ways of the past—and Community School is at the forefront of the latest techniques. Located in Ladue, the independent preschool and elementary school serves ages 3 through grade six. For more than 100 years, it has been teaching students through hands-on experiences.

A shining example of the school’s approach is the woodshop and art programs. “Our mission is to nurture the gifts of students’ minds, bodies and spirits,” woodshop teacher Joe Mohr says. “We are one of the few schools that still offer woodshop as a subject. Through the class, our kids are able to work slowly and deliberately with their hands while engaging their minds.” Art teacher Ashley Carr adds, “Art goes hand in hand with Community School’s mission. We challenge students to create unique projects using a variety of techniques and mediums.”

The projects in both art and woodshop encourage students to develop important skills like creativity and problem solving. The subjects also allow them to set long-term goals and focus on the process of creation. “We’re not trying to turn kids into master woodworkers, but we do encourage them to think independently to figure out their projects,” woodshop teacher Dave Lang notes. “After giving directions, we instruct them not to ask questions for a few minutes. This way they can sit with the problem and use their critical thinking skills. In many cases, they’re able to work it out on their own and don’t need a teacher to intervene.”

Art and woodshop also engage students with hands-on lessons. “My curriculum is art history focused,” Carr says. “Students learn about different artists and their styles and then use that as inspiration. There is an excitement that comes with each creation.” For woodshop, the lessons students learn with each project build to assist with the next one. “Our fifth graders build Viking ships, which take more than 20 different tools to complete,” Mohr explains. “It’s a project that Community School has done for years. We often hear from alumni who have kept their ships and reflect positively on what the project taught them.”

The visual arts program at Community School demonstrates how each facet of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) lessons can come together to benefit students and their creativity. “It’s great to be in a school where the ‘arts’ in STEAM is foregrounded,” Lang says. “Woodshop incorporates all aspects of STEAM in each project, whether it’s using math to measure or weigh wood, engineering a design or learning about conservation.” To ensure students can make the most of these subjects, Community School has dedicated, state-of-the-art spaces for both, including the new woodshop facilities in its Broughton STEAM Center.

“Woodshop and art provide Community students with opportunities for long-term thinking and problem solving,” head of school Bob Cooke says. “In this day of instant gratification, where you can Google an answer in seconds, it is valuable for students to learn great lifelong skills like persistence, grit, determination and seeing projects through to completion. These are skills that will serve them well for years to come.”

Community School is an independent preschool and elementary school for ages 3 through grade six. It believes in fostering the intellectual, emotional and creative growth of students to encourage their development as leaders of the next generation. Pictured on the cover: Senior kindergarteners learn the fundamentals of shaping wood with woodshop teacher Joe Mohr. For more information, call 314.991.0005, or visit communityschool.com.

Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography

Pictured at top: Inspired by Henri Matisse, first graders “paint with scissors” alongside art teacher Ashley Carr.
Photo: Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography