Lower School Overview & Schedule

Our Lower School program strikes a meaningful balance between building strong academic foundations and nurturing lifelong social-emotional skills. We cultivate curiosity, a passion for learning, and a deep sense of belonging—both within the Lower School and the broader school community. Students feel safe, seen, and supported, allowing them to attend school with confidence while developing academic independence and growth.

We emphasize strong classroom rhythms and routines, guiding students as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn, and from learning to write to writing with purpose. Academically, these years lay the groundwork for future success by fostering essential habits, skills, and knowledge. Recognizing the broad range of learning levels and readiness in early education, we meet each child where they are, providing individualized support while ensuring they reach key academic benchmarks. Our small-school environment allows us to take a student-centered approach rather than a rigid, standards-based model, offering the right level of challenge and encouragement for every learner.

With a unique blend of inquiry driven, nature based experiential learning, our curriculum empowers students to explore complex questions, investigate problems, and engage in meaningful challenges. Across all grades, students pursue personal passion projects, researching and presenting their findings to peers.

The excitement for learning in our Lower School extends far beyond the classroom walls. Students are encouraged to question, hypothesize, problem-solve, and collaborate with teachers and classmates to explore new ideas, discover creative solutions, and continue asking deeper questions. Learning is fluid and continuous, fueled by curiosity and innovation.