Educational Philosophy Lower School (K-3) Message from the Director Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Upper School (4-8) Academic Enrichment Creative & Performing Arts Athletics Support Services Libraries

Joyful, curious engagement marks each day at Schechter's Lower School.

Students in kindergarten through grade three come to school “wired for wonder.” Our teaching respects their natural curiosity and their excitement about learning. As we lay the foundation for both a lifetime love of learning and a lifetime commitment to Jewish tradition, we balance the developmental issues presented by young children with a clear vision of the skills our students will need to explore their world. We also take seriously our responsibility to help our students become menschen. We want our students to know they are cared for by us, and we want to give them the opportunity to care for others. We know we share these tasks with our students’ families, and that strong communication with parents lies at the heart of a partnership that enables each child to achieve his or her potential.

The curriculum overviews on this website for kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 present goals for each of the major curriculum areas and an explanation of how we approach learning in each area. We describe some of the developmental issues typically presented by students in a grade as well as ways in which our program is shaped by these issues. Each child’s experience at the Lower School is firmly grounded in our beliefs about what is developmentally appropriate, although we realize that each child may not fit the exact grade-level profile.

Most importantly, we want our students to love school and learning.

B’Shalom,
Paula Rosen Lower School Director	Learn about our Balanced Literacy Program Click here.