Program Highlights

Our Community 

It takes a village to care for each of our students. Early Childhood and Lower School teachers are caring, thoughtful and passionate about their work and students. They take the time to connect and understand their students - what their interests, strengths and growing edges are. We also strongly believe that parents are our partners.   

Robust Specialty Classes  

To stay true to our commitment to educate the whole child, we have a robust offering of enrichment classes beginning in Pre-K 3 with teachers who specialize in different disciplines. Children continue to learn different skills and concepts when attending their specials. Their creativity, imagination and self-expression are nurtured in Art and Music. They experience the joy of movement while developing their motor skills and sportsmanship in Physical Education. A visit to the Library ignites one’s sense of wonder and love for reading. Children gain a stronger sense of self, understanding of their emotions and importance of social interactions in SEL (Emotions A-Z) class. They learn American Sign Language (ASL) which opens the door to world languages along with empowering children to celebrate and embrace differences. Children explore the wonders of nature throughout the different seasons in Science. Technology is introduced and incorporated to enhance curricula and help children understand what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. 

The Learning Process  

Our program incorporates the core elements of teacher instruction, independent student work and class discussions. Teachers start with instruction in large or small group settings by modeling a skill or strategy. Students then work independently or collaboratively on a lesson that allows them to ask questions, develop a particular skill or strategy, allowing them to have those “aha” moments. Afterward, students can share their work with the class and engage in a class-wide discussion.  

Creating Challenges 

It is the goal of the Early Childhood and Lower School programs to challenge all children. We create open-ended assignments that meet each student taking into consideration where they are developmentally. Classroom dialogue encourages an openness to listen to alternative ideas, to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, stretching students beyond their original capabilities.