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Academics
Lower School
Lower School
Grades 1st - 4th
The Lower School at St. Edmund’s Academy is dedicated to the education and development of children in 1st through 4th Grades. Lower School children’s days are filled with active and engaged learning, hands-on discoveries, attention to global and sustainable goals, laughter, and a community of friendly and caring children that embody our Core Values. Knowing that children thrive in challenging yet supportive environments, teachers in the Lower School build the foundation for children to tackle new concepts, use higher-order thinking skills, and gain academic independence as they learn.
Maintaining our focus on each child as an individual, we continue to place shared emphasis on their social and emotional development in conjunction with their cognitive growth as active learners.
Our class sizes allow teachers to make these learning opportunities authentic and meaningful and enable them to know each child’s learning style and personality. Core Extension teachers further enrich the Lower School curriculum with science, engineering & design, global art, music, physical education, and library classes. The atmosphere is exciting and full of joy and wonder.
1st and 2nd Graders continue the work of learning to read. Our curriculum emphasizes teaching children the relationship between print and sounds ensuring that they can confidently read and spell a wide variety of words. Our language arts curriculum develops curiosity, inquiry, and knowledge, through exploration of rich literature and explicit vocabulary instruction for students to be successful readers, writers, and communicators. Lower School faculty teach enduring strategies for planning, revising, and editing writing that children carry with them into the upper grades. Together these skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and knowledge acquisition, improve reading fluency and comprehension and prepare students to be effective communicators in the world beyond St. Edmund’s Academy.
The Math program at St. Edmund’s Academy, rooted in the Singapore Math approach, emphasizes mastery of computation and deep understanding of math concepts in the service of solving complex, real-world problems. Faculty teach children to use physical objects, draw pictures, and ultimately write equations. As they do so, children learn to monitor their thinking about math, communicate math ideas clearly and persuasively, and persist in solving challenging problems. In support of the Sustainable Developmental Goals, an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about SDGs and The Writing Revolution intersect.
Character development is a critical complement to the work of building children’s intellect. Growth in character is further supported with the addition of weekly commendations of students who have exemplified one or more of our Core Values during our weekly gathering at Chapel. This public acknowledgement of positive behavior in students contributes to our culture where students become increasingly aware and respectful of other people’s feelings, even among differences, and strive toward their very best in every situation. Children combine their academic knowledge and skills and care for the world around them in our Signature Experience for Global Goals Program. This interdisciplinary project-based learning initiative engages children in meaningful learning where they are empowered to think critically, act compassionately, and understand that they can make a difference in the world around them.
1st Grade
1st Grade is designed to establish fundamental skills through an enriched, engaging, and challenging environment. Through consistent and clear expectations, students develop their independence, problem solving skills, and become critical thinkers. A variety of meaningful experiences are provided and students are given the opportunity to be actively involved in their learning through cooperation and collaboration with their peers. 1st Grade is a year full of academic growth, excitement and an opportunity to instill in our students a love of learning.
2nd Grade
2nd Grade is a year of new discoveries. The children develop confidence as learners and view themselves as valued and contributing members of their classroom community. Collaborative work, hands-on experiences, differentiated lessons, and technology are some of the means used to assist the children in applying and extending their acquisition of new skills and concepts. To support these life-long learners, students are guided in a caring environment as they develop a mindset of perseverance and celebrate their journey to success.
3rd Grade
3rd Grade is a year when greater independence in learning is fostered. Children take more ownership of their learning as they begin to explore projects and activities that are long-term. These experiences occur both at home and in the classroom. During this critical developmental stage, fluency is achieved and students are no longer learning to read, but rather reading to learn. In the classroom, social and emotional skills, as well as character development, are taught using the Positive Discipline model. The approach enables students to feel their best, believe in themselves and develop a willingness to take risks in their learning.
4th Grade
4th Grade nurtures independent thinking and behaviors, and gives students an opportunity to assume the role of leaders in the Lower School. Students collaborate and problem-solve in a safe and comfortable classroom climate that encourages academic risk-taking, social awareness, and creative solutions. Organization, time management, and study skills are areas of focus that inspire students to take ownership of their learning and prepare them for the transition to Upper School.
St. Edmund's Academy
Guided by our Core Values and commitment to high standards, St. Edmund’s Academy provides a diverse, inclusive, and nurturing learning community where students are known, valued, and challenged to achieve their potential.
