The Orchard School Profile | Indianapolis, Indiana (IN)

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5.00 (1 review)

615 W 64th St
Indianapolis, IN 46260

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Tel: (317)251-9253

www.orchard.org

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Orchard students experience their education through hands-on learning. Here, quail chicks are introduced to third graders in science class. The students are there to observe the hatching, and then record the rate of growth and feeding habits in the chicks.

Seventh graders learn the anatomy of a battery by taking one apart and examining its contents. Understanding how chemical reactions can make electricity can be confusing and these students take time to see the components close-up.

Prekindergarten students participate in the Mini City program. The Mini City is the culmination of an integrated learning unit dealing with community, businesses that are service versus product oriented, and commerce. Students come up with their own business for the Mini City and customers come through the city and purchase the goods and services with their 'Mini City Bucks.' Here, a student is operating a barbershop that provides, among other services, 'blade free' shaves.

Orchard is committed to a multicultural education. Here, sixth graders have completed a Geijutsu unit. Geijutsu is Japanese art. Each piece of artwork is made up of more than 1,000 origami cranes. The artwork was delivered to Hiroshima Peace Park where it is now displayed.

At Orchard, students are encouraged to ask, 'Why?' Here a preschooler learns why a piano sounds the way it does. She is able to see the hammers strike the strings as she presses the key on the keyboard.

Orchard students use nature as a teacher as well. Here, students find earthworms in the school's garden and begin to understand how they are valuable worms are to the cultivation of soil and production of our food.

Part of Orchard's 90-year history is the tapping of maple trees and production of syrup. This tradition that started in the 1950s is still alive and beloved today. First graders tap maple trees in the late winter, early spring of the year, collect the sap, boil it down to syrup and when there is enough collected, it's time for the Pancake Breakfast. All the students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni return to the school to experience the sweet result of the Orchard curriculum.

It's not all fun and games, but sometimes it is! Fourth graders learn their states and get creative when they are allowed to develop their own board game. The rules and game play are up to them, they must be able to explain the game and it must involve all 50 US states.

Orchard eighth graders make an annual trek to our nation's capital and Williamsburg, VA to see how government works and get up close and personal with the colonial lifestyle. When they return, they are charged with a project: recreate a piece of colonial history and be able to present it to your classmates and explain its historical significance. Here a student creates his scale replica of a colonial style farmhouse, complete with a Popsicle stick split-rail fence and thatched roof made of shredded newspaper.

When you unlock a child's natural curiosity, learning becomes fun for them and a habit. At Orchard, lessons don't go from textbook to memory, children are encouraged to think for themselves developing problem solving skills that will last a lifetime. Here, fourth graders have been shown the different types of simple machines and are allowed to put them all together by creating Pinewood Derby cars. Once the cars are built, they are allowed to race them to then understand force and motion.

As an independent, non-sectarian school for students in preschool through grade eight, The Orchard School is committed to the following: the Orchard School guides each student to develop the knowledge, confidence and character essential for a life of learning, leadership and positive contribution to society; we provide academic excellence by achieving high standards that extend beyond grade-level benchmarks; and by encouraging independent thought, inquiry, critical thinking, creative expression, construction and application of knowledge, and problem solving; we encourage behavioral excellence by developing character, service, and personal and civic responsibility; respecting self, others and environment; and living Orchard's core values of friendship, fairness, honesty, responsibility, self-discipline, respect, trustworthiness, compassion, integrity (moral courage).

School Overview

School Membership(s)School Assoc.	National Association for the Education of Young Children National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) State or regional independent school association
Grades Offered	Grades Prekindergarten-8

Student Body

Total Students	605 students
Student Body Type	Co-ed
% Students of Color	30% State avg.: 20%
Students by Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers	64 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio	9:1 National avg.: 13:1

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School Reviews

5/17/2016

This school is amazing. Students learn it love learning. Since I am a student I would know what it would be like in a students place, and it is truly one of the best thing ps a student could ask for. As of the 2013-2014 school year I am in the 7th grade and unfourtuntly have to begin to look for a new school, Orchard is so amazing and I''m hoping they build a high school onto the current area (possibly over the track ? ;) I don't like running). I''m a naturally born bad speller by the way for the spelling mistake above.

- Posted by Student/Alumni - horse

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