In Mrs. Fairhurst's 3rd-grade class, WCDS students continue their study of Ancient Civilizations. Students begin the school year studying Ancient Greece, including the beginning of Democracy, the great philosophers, and the conflicts of Athens and Sparta (later in the year, everyone in the class will be assigned to team Spartan or team Athenian for Field Day)!

A consistent highlight every year is the study of Greek Mythology. The students study The Olympians and then are assigned a God or Goddess to research in more detail. For a few weeks, students learn about their God or Goddess in great detail, as well as their classmates as they compare and contrast superpowers. Then they create a costume and a short introduction to share with others about their assigned deity. Some years they present their Gods and Goddesses to the whole school at Assembly. This year (2021) 3rd-grade students were able to share their knowledge outdoors, with a beautiful mural of the Acropolis behind them, to an audience of students, teachers, and parents! This tradition is an excellent example of classical education in action in the lower school. Learning is fun, creative, experiential, and memorable. Through this type of learning model, students will remember their God/Goddess as well as their friend's characters for the rest of their lives!