Lower School lessons are integrated around central themes that touch on all the major disciplines, including math, social studies, science, language arts, and health—as well as many specialty topics. World language is taught several times a week, beginning with Spanish and French instruction in kindergarten; music and art classes occur on alternating days; physical education classes occur several times per week; and technology and library classes are taught once per week. 

As students master skills and grow in intellectual sophistication, the curriculum becomes more complex. For example, kindergarteners explore a myriad of topics as they learn the alphabet and embark on the first steps of a long journey of public speaking as they share this information at the Lower School Monday Morning Meeting. Building on these skills, the second grade “Traveling Teddies” program teaches students about world geography and cultures as the students’ small stuffed animals are mailed around the world to acquaintances who return postcards from each stop. By fourth grade, students are combining writing, history, art and debate into the study of current and historic civil rights issues.