Lower School

The Pre-Kindergarten program is designed for children who are four years of age before September first of the entry year. Under the guidance of early childhood professionals, children are actively engaged in a variety of learning experiences throughout the day. The classroom environment is designed to be nurturing and sensitive to the needs of the individual child, while at the same time, fostering a sense of classroom community. 

Some of the themes covered throughout the year include: “All About Me,” Dr. Seuss and additional author studies, and fairy tales. In conjunction with the science curriculum, the teachers expand on topics that include: the properties of matter, the five senses, the parts of a plant, the life cycle of butterflies, and the pond environment. To bring the curriculum to life, students make periodic visits over the course of the year to the Rye Nature Center.

Read the Pre-Kindergarten curriculum guide

The Kindergarten program addresses the developmental needs and interests of five- and six-year-old learners. The spacious classrooms are filled with educational materials such as building blocks, math manipulatives, SmartBoards, cozy book corners, as well as an area for classroom meetings, dramatic play, painting, writing, and drawing. Responsive Classroom’s philosophy plays an important role in providing students with the tools to effectively interact with each other and develop respect for the learning process.

Students engage in classroom activities that support their growth as communicators, readers, mathematical thinkers, and productive community members. They are provided with time to problem-solve, question, and understand. Children are also given the opportunity to cultivate their own interests through play. Learning extends to include special area classes, field trips, and outdoor play. Physical education, music, science, library, art, and computer classes are integral parts a kindergartner’s life at school. In all of the disciplines, teachers guide students in developing behaviors that foster independent work as well as cooperative learning.

Read the Kindergarten curriculum guide

Grade 1 provides developmentally appropriate experiences with particular attention to process rather than product. The primary focus is to develop students’ skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. The program incorporates multi-sensory teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. Some of the highlights of the year include the Rye community study, child-directed interviews during the RCDS community study, and a study of communities around the world. First graders are active participants in hands-on activities, which foster creativity and excitement for learning. In a nurturing environment, children become self-motivated, independent learners. With high expectations for attainable goals, students demonstrate academic, social, and emotional growth. Through Responsive Classroom, the social curriculum is deemed as crucial as the academic program, and both social and academic growth are fostered simultaneously and harmoniously.

Read the Grade 1 curriculum guide

Second grade students experience becoming more responsible, independent problem solvers, and demonstrate increasing engagement in their work and skill development across the curriculum. Addressing the social and emotional needs of each child is an essential aspect of the day, which complements our strong academic program. In order to be successful both academically and socially, second graders do their best when equipped with a set of social skills. With teacher guidance, students explicitly learn social skills through a combination of lessons and activities revolving around the Responsive Classroom philosophy. Second graders continue to practice the Lower School acronym C.A.R.E.S: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control. They become increasingly aware of others around them and are able to learn from one another. Interest and empathy for others are fostered not only in the classroom, but also through related service projects.

Read the Grade 2 curriculum guide

Grade 3 is a year of tremendous growth. Throughout the year, teachers guide our students to develop increased accountability, responsibility, and independence in all aspects of the third grade curriculum. We look at the students’ potential, both academic and social, as we build on their strengths, emphasizing critical thinking and cooperative learning as tools for discovery. As students’ abilities increase, so does their confidence. They are challenged to be reflective and conscientious thinkers, and they are empowered to become partners in their own learning. Throughout this growth, students continue to be nurtured and guided as they come to understand their unique learning styles.

Woven throughout our curriculum are the tenets of the Responsive Classroom model. We strive to give each third grader the tools and skills necessary to model the fundamental principles of C.A.R.E.S. (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control). With the use of common language and regular class meetings, along with academic choice, students gain a greater sense of their role in our third grade community during the year.

Read the Grade 3 curriculum guide

In fourth grade, learning comes to life through hands-on application of skills, collaborative exploration, and independent research. As students mature academically and socially, the fourth grade program allows them to practice and apply skills that will enable them to embrace the increasing responsibilities of future academic years. Children develop and solidify strategies to further develop their critical thinking skills and enable them to become increasingly independent learners. The program is designed to help students become capable, creative thinkers, while fostering concern and commitment to the group as a whole.

Addressing the social and emotional needs of each student is an important component of the fourth grade program. The use of the Responsive Classroom approach helps to create a supportive environment where students can succeed socially and academically. The program’s key social skills, CARES (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control) are part of the fabric of the fourth grade curriculum. Being the “seniors” of the Lower School, the fourth graders assume the special responsibility of being positive role models for the younger students in our community as they assume leadership roles in Lower School Meetings and serve as buddies to the younger students.

As children at this developmental stage are more curious and aware of the larger world, the curriculum seeks to build a greater understanding of social issues and diversity and how they impact our perceptions of others, the world, and ourselves. Through small group discussions, social studies curriculum content, public purpose initiatives, and developmentally appropriate literature, students uncover issues of diversity, learn to respect individual cultures, and develop skills for handling issues related to peers, families, their communities, and the world.

Read the Grade 4 curriculum guide