Lower School
Not only do we introduce children to the 3 R's – we also build a close-knit community of peers who become collaborators and friends. Lower School students in grades pre-K to 5 see themselves as part of a peer-learning community, connecting on classroom and cross-grade-level projects.
Building Communities
From pre-kindergarten on, our students think of themselves as members of communities – in and out of the classroom. Classrooms are intimate peer-learning communities. Instruction incorporates numerous collaborative projects and emphasizes shared values:
- Citizenship
- Respect for others
- Empathy
- Working together to solve problems.
Social responsibility and global citizenship are emphasized throughout our curriculum and in co-curricular activities. Students come to recognize that they belong to local, regional, national and international communities. Through service learning and other related activities, students form connections that expand their world. See our Community Engagement page for details.
Learn about Blake's Early Learning Center, for grades pre-K to first.
A Challenging & Supportive Environment
The Lower School combines academic rigor with a nurturing, homelike and supportive environment. Our curriculum provides a solid foundation in:
- Traditional core subject areas: English language arts, mathematics, social studies and science;
- Engineering and programming use MIT's Scratch language and Lego Robotics to teach coding fundamentals and engineering principles in our Maker's Labs;
- Spanish language instruction to build skills in one language
- physical education; and
- multiple branches of the arts: visual arts, theatre and music
(For details about the curriculum, see our Lower School Curriculum Guide and pages for Areas of Study.)
Students learn to set – and meet – high goals in every area. Meanwhile, teachers, learning specialists and counselors are committed to helping children tackle any special challenges they encounter. See our Student Support page for details.
Staying Connected
Lower School students in the Early Learning Center and Upper Elementary connect with Middle School "buddies" through a program that pairs each Lower School student with a mentor student in an older Lower School or Middle School grade. Lower School students also connect with Upper School students through classroom projects and periodic visits to the Upper School campus.