Elementary School (1st - 5th)

Building on the Foundation

Students in grades one through four continue to develop academic and social skills. During these years, they begin more formal and rigorous academic instruction with a concentrated study of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. Faculty continually reinforces critical thinking skills and independent learning. Query, exploration, discovery and hands-on learning continue to be a key part of the academic atmosphere. Students are encouraged to become more independent critical thinkers so that they are ready to transition out of elementary school and into the middle school years. Certain themes and focus areas are present in each year within the lower school.

In first and second grade, the focus is placed on developing our children's sense of confidence as they begin to express themselves more clearly both verbally and in written formats. Throughout the year, our children have multiple opportunities to present their creative written work to their classmates to increase their confidence in speaking publicly.

During the third grade, our children accept more responsibility. They establish greater independence in organizing and producing strong academic work. A third grader’s inquisitive nature coupled with heightened inquiry abilities makes this year a perfect one for learning about their environment, and we emphasize an exciting science curriculum. They also become more aware of their role in contributing to and maintaining a positive, social learning community.

Fourth grade is a time of tremendous growth in the life of a child. Students enter this class emerging into independent thinkers. Our role is to encourage this thinking to develop, guide them towards making the right choices and enable them to take responsibility for their learning. We work across the year to give them the tools they need to be able to fully develop their critical thinking and express their opinions in a confident and coherent manner so that they are ready to be successful in Middle School.