Our ELA courses engage students in critical thought, deeply develop and hone writing skills, and offer ample opportunity for students to read, discuss, disseminate, integrate, and model the moves of academic and creative writers, as well as to practice skills for academic, professional, and personal communications. We offer reading and writing support classes to bolster struggling students.

Students read widely in a variety of genres, including novels, short stories, essays, plays, poetry, speeches, and memoirs. Texts selected will reflect a broad range of chronology and cultural diversity—including noted Tucson/Sonoran Desert writers.

Additionally, texts are explored from social, political, cultural, philosophical, and sustainability lenses, enhancing students’ understanding of the integral role literature plays in our understanding of the past and present, as well as illuminating the human story. Students write, revise and resubmit expository and persuasive essays that reflect the continuing development of their understanding of a given particular text or assignment. Ample opportunities for peer editing is regularly offered. Finally, the curriculum includes creative writing coursework—giving voice, purpose and audience to the student’s own writing.

Mathematics is the study of quantity, structure, space and change. It has been called the “queen of the sciences” owing to its central importance in every field of science.

Our mathematics curriculum engages students in the problem-solving skills that are necessary to prepare students for higher education and adult life. The subjects taught include Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, pre-calculus, and practical mathematics. Math support course are also available.

Our math curriculum includes material essential for citizen engagement, including statistics, numerical and computer modeling, algorithm development, and error and uncertainty analysis.

Our science curriculum develops the capacities and thinking processes that lead to the discovery and validation of new facts. All four sciences—chemistry, physics, biology, and Earth and space science—are taught at every grade level, and are built up simultaneously. This unusual, integrated structure allows students not only to make more connections and conceptual “crosscuts” between the disciplines of science, but also to revisit each field of science as their capacity for higher-level thinking develops. Science is studied in the morning Main Lesson Block at each grade level. 

Science classes focus on the application of science concepts, the design of experiments, and the proper use of variables and controls. Due to the “hands-on” nature of the Waldorf curriculum, the number of hours students spend in the lab is typically high, creating increased opportunities to address inquiry standards.

The understanding of social science—economics, history, geography, political science, and sociology—helps emerging adults to understand their own inner workings; to see how they are influenced by and connected to other individuals and groups, past and present; and to develop a cultural literacy that will lead to responsible global citizenship. Social studies classes encompass U.S./AZ History, World History, American Government and Civics, and Economics.

The curriculum exposes students to diverse interpretations of history. The students learn to distinguish between sound generalizations and misleading oversimplifications and to distinguish valid historical interpretations from fallacious arguments. Students construct and test hypotheses; collect, evaluate and employ information from multiple primary and secondary sources; and apply it in oral and written presentations. Students gain interpretative skills, enabling them to identify causal connections between historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends. Students learn to interpret the meaning, implication and impact of events within a historical context rather than solely in terms of present-day norms and values. Finally, students consider individual human agency as a historical force and to what extent human actions can cause events to occur differently.

Our offerings include fine arts, practical arts, performing arts, and music. Practicing art is a key component of education, as it promotes flexibility of thinking and cultivates the imagination and creativity necessary to solve problems. Arts education has been shown to improve cognition, promote a growth mindset, and improve communication skills. Our fine arts program includes instruction in painting, drawing, sculpture and ceramics. Practical arts engage students' imaginations while connecting them with local cultures.

We will offer specific practical arts subjects taught by local Tucson artisans, such as weaving and mural painting. The performing arts meet the emotional, social and physical needs of adolescents in profound ways and are also a vehicle for understanding other core subjects such as English, history and science. Drama education has been shown to strengthen verbal skills, self-confidence, and empathy. All 10th and 12th graders participate in a dramatic production. We offer plays and dance performances to the community annually.

Facility with a second language boosts achievement and heightens a student’s engagement with the world, while also building valuable job market skills.

Music is an important element of the Waldorf curriculum. Central to Waldorf education, the human being is a musical being, and the making of music is essential in experiencing what it is to be fully human. Music awakens and nurtures the deep inner life of students.

All students participate in Creative Movement (PE) and Health classes. The outdoor adventure learning experiences at DSS happen in many classes, including Advisory, and consist of: outdoor adventure day trips; high ropes courses; monthly hiking excursions to the boundless hiking trails in and around Tucson; overnight camping trips; and an annual elective backpacking trip.

We believe students must feel safe, valuable, successful, involved, cared for, and enabled to be successful. Our advisory program places all students in small (1:15) grade-level groups with a single teacher, with whom they will remain for all four years of high school.