Beginning & Lower School (Grades PS-5)

two fifth grade students examining powder substance during chemistry experiment
four preschoolers seated and placing hands above head during circle time
4th grade class at Ekone Ranch petting three brown horses during spring 2023
4th grade students cheering in front of The Barn during traditional oat cake roll
2nd graders doing basketball drills in mini-gym

In our Beginning and Lower School, we honor childhood. Students are given the time and space to be young and provided the framework to develop confidence in who they are. Our teachers are masterful experts at attending to every child’s cognitive, emotional, and physical development while harnessing the power of curiosity.

As a private elementary school for students in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1-5, we offer an experiential, inquiry-based curriculum. This means students can explore the power of their questions and develop the skills and confidence to uncover the answers, sparking a joyful relationship to learning. Students learn to listen to others, appreciate different perspectives, and work together to solve problems. We place an emphasis on understanding the lived experiences of others and acting with kindness. While becoming strong community members, students establish an appreciation for the diversity and complexity of the world.

The curriculum includes not only reading, writing, math, and social studies, but also modern languages, the arts, technology, and sciences, which are taught by specialty teachers. Classes are taught both as single-subject areas and in combination with each other, as they are in the real-world. This means students have classes that integrate social studies and sciences with music, the visual arts, and woodshop.

Curriculum Overview

Experiential Learning

The Outdoors

Community Engagement