Community School’s Lower Elementary program, serving students in the kindergarten and first grade age range, is designed to allow children the time and space to engage actively with their environment and experience the joy of discovery. Students develop a love of learning through our flexible curriculum that offers an abundance of outdoor, unstructured free play. Our program features enrichment classes including drama, music, Spanish, and art. Curiosity is a significant part of cognitive growth, and our students enjoy the opportunity to grow at their own developmentally-appropriate pace.
- Multi-age groupings of 10 to 12 students
- Multiple-year looping of students with the same teachers
- Recognition of learning modalities, levels of ability, and rates of development that allows students to progress at their own pace
- Active, hands-on, project-oriented learning
- A non-graded curriculum with assessment based on observation, class work, and projects.
- Triannual family/student/teacher conferences to review work, set individual goals, and assess progress
- Thematic learning, including the integration of art, music, and drama, into the core curriculum
- Spanish language and culture studies
- Two to four daily outdoor recess periods
- Service projects and lessons that reflect our guiding rule, The Big One
- Daily interactions with preschool and middle school students, plus regular opportunities for buddy/mentor time
- A curriculum that emphasizes creative problem-solving, analytical thinking, and communication skills over rote memorization and testing.
