From the first moments they enter the 鶹ý community, students step into a place where curiosity is cool, deep thinking is encouraged, and unique gifts are nurtured.
From a young age, 鶹ý students are nurtured to become citizens of the world through the lens of historical inquiry. It is only from knowing where we’ve been that we can dream about the possibilities ahead.
Our goal is to wholly support our students by providing an environment where they can explore their deep interests, take intellectual risks, and develop the confidence to push boundaries. Just as they are beginning their educational journey, each Lower School student’s potential isn’t just recognized — it’s celebrated, cultivated, and given the space to flourish.
The Lower School academic program is steeped in the study of Humanities while focusing on the foundations that balance in-depth literacy skills and rigorous instruction in mathematics. Additionally, all Lower School students engage in Debate and Chess as core areas of study, along with Science, Physical Education, Art, Music, and Spanish.
As our youngest Dragons progress through the Lower School and then move onto Middle School, they grow into their gifts and develop their voice and agency. The foundation they begin building in Lower School helps them step into that moment with confidence and purpose.
Each Lower School grade (Kindergarten through Fourth Grade) consists of two classes, each having 13-22 students, led by two experienced and dynamic co-head teachers. The two head teacher model not only supports 鶹ý’s unique differentiated curriculum, it also allows the students to see the importance of vital social and emotional skills such as collaboration, compromise, and listening. Our students receive more individualized attention due to this teaching model and our small class sizes.
With a curriculum built around in-depth and long-term project work, 鶹ý students are able to showcase their learning through presentations to the greater 鶹ý community called “culminating events,” termed as such since they are the culmination of weeks of study. These events may take the artistic form of plays, films, science demonstrations, art displays, singing, or dancing — or a combination thereof. 鶹ý students “live” the curriculum by immersing themselves in it through as many cross-curricular pathways as possible.
Learning at 鶹ý is interdisciplinary in the truest sense, holistically integrating art, culture, history, science, and everyday life. Students explore relationships across subjects and develop an understanding of the contextual influences on each of the disciplines. Whatever the children are learning in Humanities is carried over to other subjects where applicable and as much as possible, allowing students to see practical application to what they are learning in the curriculum.
We specifically use the language “Extended Assignments (or EAs)” for what many schools would call homework. EAs extend the students’ explorations, stretching their learning through assignments that may span several days and embracing an intentionally balanced approach. We plan the time spent on EAs to build with each grade in developmentally appropriate ways while maintaining the hallmark 鶹ý rigor.
