The front entrance of the Goodrich campus is often referred to as "the castle" by Lower School students. The facade is a lovely blend of brick, stone, and a two-story bay window.
Goodrich Campus
The Goodrich campus is the home of SPA's Lower School, for students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The Goodrich building is a beautiful and historic structure: built in 1923, it was the home of the Summit School before the merge with St. Paul Academy, and reflects the architecture of the time with original wood paneling; large and airy classrooms filled with natural sunlight; and inviting spaces such as the Living Room—the front entrance to the school—with stained glass windows and a cozy fireplace. The building's classical architecture houses a thoroughly modern infrastructure and a number of contemporary additions, including a gymnasium, a cafeteria, and an auditorium. The Goodrich campus also includes nearly five acres of outdoor space, including a new playground completed in 2016.
Explore the Goodrich Campus slideshow to see our spaces and learn more about the Lower School.
The outdoor space in the back of the building is dedicated to play. The brand-new playground, completed in 2016, is the centerpiece of the space, which also includes a basketball court, skating rink and sledding hill in the winter, and nearly five acres of green space for open play.
The Living Room is just inside the front entrance to the building and is a welcoming space for kids and adults. With its marble fireplace--often in use during the winter--and comfortable furniture, the Living Room is used by teachers, students, and parents as an informal gathering spot.
Homeroom classrooms, a child's academic "homebase" during the school day, are large and bright with plenty of space for academics and play. All classrooms have multiple learning areas, flexible classroom seating, and oversized windows to let in natural light.
The Sarah Converse Auditorium is named for the Summit School's first Head of School, and is used for performances, all-school gatherings, and the Lower School's twice-weekly assemblies, which are emceed by students in Grade 5.
The art room on the ground floor of the Goodrich building is a dedicated studio filled with supplies and plenty of space to spread out. The Lower School's two art teachers use the space to work with students on drawing, painting, ceramics, and three-dimensional art, much of which is displayed throughout the building on walls and in common spaces.
The three Lower School science classrooms support quantitative learning, experimentation, and creativity. One classroom is for science students in grades K-2, the second is for students in grades 3-5, and the third is the "Makerspace" (see next photo in slideshow).
The Makerspace is a dedicated classroom for science, technology, and engineering projects. Filled with supplies for building, inventing, and experimenting, the Makerspace is used by Lower School science classes for a wide range of hands-on projects.
The large music room on the first floor is central to the Lower School's music curriculum, which is based on the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education. A second music room is on the second floor; both spaces are used for singing, instrumental work, and movement.
The gymnasium provides a large, bright, indoor space for physical education classes, games, and school events.