Lower School

Lower school begins in senior kindergarten and continues through the fourth grade. The faculty places a high value on academic achievement while recognizing the developmental needs of each individual child. Basic concepts and skills are taught that promote growth and development in each area of the curriculum while encouraging creativity and higher level thinking skills. Faculty members encourage inquiring minds and divergent thinking while helping students develop tolerance and acceptance of others' ideas. Teachers, through a variety of instructional methods, offer students numerous ways to learn and develop concepts and skills.

Literacy development that began in the preschool is continued throughout the lower school in classroom activities centered on the Open Court Reading series. In addition, teachers make use of trade books and other resources to teach reading and language arts skills. Handwriting is taught following the Handwriting Without Tears method.  With a focus on real-life application, math instruction is based on the Everyday Mathematics curriculum published by the University of Chicago.  This curriculum is complemented by numerous hands-on activities. The FOSS Science curriculum (Full Option Science System) breaks the mold of traditional science instruction, offering a discovery-based approach to learning about science by doing science.  Our social studies curriculum is enhanced by special projects that focus around current, as well as historical, events.

In senior kindergarten through fourth grades, the children attend co-curricular subjects taught by trained teachers in the disciplines of art, music, science, computer, library, Spanish, and physical education. In addition, the students attend classes in the specially equipped lower school science and computer labs.

Field trips and guest speakers are an integral part of the lower school program.