Lower School

 

From the Principal

Welcome to St. Paul Academy and Summit School! The Lower School serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade at our Goodrich campus. The Lower School provides young children with a nurturing and engaging learning environment that is characterized by strong student-teacher relationships, developmentally appropriate academic excellence, and student ownership of their school community. This environment promotes academic and social-emotional development for students. Our faculty and staff are committed to working collaboratively with parents to help children reach their potential.

Designed to excite and challenge young students and to nurture the joy of learning, the SPA Lower School program focuses on an interdisciplinary homeroom curriculum. In multi-grade classrooms teams of teachers integrate skills and concepts in language arts, social studies, and mathematics. Through active learning experiences the curriculum encourages students to think critically, communicate effectively, develop creatively, understand/apply mathematical concepts, and explore the relationships of people to their environments. Beyond the homeroom experience, students also pursue a rich program* taught by specialists in art, Orff-Schulwerk music, science, physical education, Spanish, technology, and library.

SPA is a learning community where children are celebrated, academic and social/emotional development are nurtured, and home-school collaboration is valued. I invite you to visit the Lower School and experience for yourself our wonderful students, our talented faculty and staff, and the joyful spirit of our school!

The Responsive Classroom

At SPA, we support a developmental curriculum carefully framed on knowledge about children’s physical, social and intellectual growth. It is based on what children need to learn and what we know about how they learn. Teachers adjust the curriculum through their understanding of each child and the group of children.

  • Children have time during the day to be active and explore their environment.
  • The teacher and environment provide opportunities for children to experiment, solve problems, and make fruitful mistakes.
  • Teachers use an inquiry approach, asking thoughtful questions which may have more than one answer and whose purpose is to define and understand children’s thinking.
  • Children make choices about learning each day.
  • Teachers pay careful attention to how children treat each other, and they reinforce respect and caring as the basis for interaction.
  • Children’s ideas, creations, and discoveries are valued and displayed around the workroom.
  • Children’s work is measured and evaluated against developmental milestones.

LS Vision Statement

T he Lower School challenges learners in a safe, joyful and developmentally appropriate academic environment.  Each child is known and celebrated in a community with strong relationships.  Respect, responsibility and support for the needs of the whole child are promoted.

The Campus

Located on its own campus, the Lower School is home to cozy reading corners, an inviting living room, colorful hallways and spacious classrooms. The vibrant school welcomes 290 students who learn, play and grow together in team-taught multi-age and single grade classrooms. The campus includes a gymnasium, dining room, auditorium and play fields. A playground complete with an outdoor classroom, gardens and a winter ice skating area border the building.

The Lower School provides young children with a nurturing and engaging learning environment that is characterized by strong student-teacher relationships, developmentally appropriate academic excellence, and student ownership of their school community.