Our Program

Bible: Students are learning Bible stories and memorizing scripture to better understand God’s holy Word and the loving, grace-filled character of God. Faculty focus on teaching what it means to be an image bearer of God and Godly servanthood.

 

Math: Building confidence as mathematicians continues in Lower school as students focus on number sense (rounding, estimating, comparing numbers), conceptual understanding of fractions, multiplication fluency, long division, measurement, probability and statistics, and patterns, functions, and algebra.

 

Science: Exploring God’s creation of the natural world underpins the science program. Learning what it means to be a scientist through experimentation, observation and critical thinking is stressed. Students study life science, earth and space science, physical science, science and engineering practices and aspects of the human body using experiential, hands-on learning based on scientific-inquiry investigations and engineering-design-process activities.

 

Language Arts: Creating a literature rich environment where students love to read is a key goal in Lower School.  Students become independent, fluent readers through novel studies, guided reading, and comprehension instruction tailored to the individual student. Students take time every day to read independently as well as enjoy a read aloud at the end of the day.  Students work to be creative and engaging writers by building a robust vocabulary and strengthening fundamental grammar skills.

 

History:  The formation of the United States is studied through important people and events in American history, Virginia history, the economy, geography (maps, states, capitals), and the study of the U.S. Government and American Presidents. 

 

Physical Education:  The lifelong importance of physical activity every day is stressed as students learn a variety of skills related to balance, agility, throwing, catching, dribbling, and running. Students experience how these basic building block skills are used in many different fun and engaging games.  A key aspect of the physical education program is honoring Christ through sportsmanship.

 

Art: As the continuum of art skills builds students in Lower School focus on the elements of art concentrating on value scale, highlights, low lights, shape, form, and color. Learning  about painting, exploring color theory and how to mix colors along with brush techniques are a highlight for Lower School students.  Students also use oil pastels, watercolors, clay, and printmaking. Native American art, abstract art, and various artists including Roy Lichtenstein, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso are studied.

 

Music: Students engage in immersive, intermediate vocal education where they build on sight singing and ear training skills as they learn to harmonize, blend, and perform with expression and vocal excellence in choral settings. Lower School  is the time when students are introduced to playing the baritone ukulele and recorder, as they develop fine motor and music reading skills. Additionally, students learn the foundations of music composition and write music individually and in groups. Impactful sacred and secular composers and their role in history are explored along with a variety of genres of music from various time periods and cultures around the world. 

 

Spanish: The Lower School Spanish program lays a foundation for learning a language as students are exposed to the Spanish language, introduced to the foundational grammar concepts, and learn about the different cultures in the world around us.  The Spanish classroom is alive with  music, rhymes, stories, games, and other activities that engage students and create a love for the Spanish language.