The lower school is where learning foundations are built.

We work together to make sure each student feels safe, is understood, has friends, and knows how to be a friend. Then it’s possible for the imagination to take flight….to wonder about the world and all the possibilities that lie ahead. Students learn to work hard, to play well and to collaborate, because two or three heads are often better than one. Children develop skills in literacy, scientific inquiry, quantitative reasoning, the arts, physical education, and social-emotional learning. Students in the lower school consolidate skills and concepts to help them develop as students and as the people they are becoming.

Connecting joy to learning
Our students engage in active, hands-on learning in the classroom and out in the field. Through their experiences and discoveries they integrate many ways of knowing the world. Students’ hearts and minds are opened as they discover how glass is blown, see what connects them to the people and places of their community, and come to understand the ecosystem of the Hudson River. They enjoy the process of learning and come away with a sense of accomplishment. These habits of mind encourage our students to be lifelong learners.

Every child is known and valued
In the lower school, students gain a greater understanding of themselves and their surroundings. Our small class sizes allow teachers to get to know and appreciate each child. They foster students’ interests and encourage their growing independence. We seek to offer windows and mirrors for every student within the curriculum. We provide opportunities and use resources that allow students to see themselves reflected in our learning and to gain insight into experiences that are different from their own.

Community in the Lower School
Each day begins and ends with a group meeting where important routines are established, issues are addressed and celebrations are acknowledged. Our teachers provide opportunities for students to participate in decision making and solving problems that affect the entire group. Both formal and informal activities are regularly structured for cross-age interaction in and out of the classroom. All-school activities, lower school assemblies and buddy groups enable students of various ages to connect, share and enrich each other’s views of the world.

The lower school classes partner with many different organizations within our community and beyond in order to provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning experiences and widen global connections. Our partnerships include Wilklow Farm, Market Street, Clearwater, National Parks Service, Take One Picture (Vassar College), and more!