Upper

In the Upper Elementary environment, students of nine to twelve years of age are transitioning into adolescence. While children in this age group show striking variance in their physical development, they are actually quite similar to one another. They are adamant about their desire for independence, but they require organizational and emotional guidance. A key difference between Upper and Lower Elementary students is the power of abstraction.

Children in Upper Elementary are still inquisitive, community oriented and universally aware.  They continue to question all aspects of the world in which they live and use their minds to reason and to conduct research; however, their reasoning may also become more abstract and their research more specific.  In accordance, the curriculum allows for an exploration of a range of topics with opportunities for depth of study. Students may participate in lessons that include the history of mathematics or languages, chemical reactions, algebra, geometry and literature, just to name a few. Lessons on note taking and opportunities for choosing various ways to demonstrate learning are an integral part of the curriculum in preparation for Middle School.