In the Lower School, each child is known and valued by professional and caring adults who take time to connect with their students each and every day. Teachers and students together create a supportive, caring classroom environment where all students are celebrated and encouraged to take risks that are necessary for true learning.
Daily morning meetings and activities throughout the day promote community through the Responsive Classroom Approach. Our program emphasizes developmentally appropriate challenges and a structure that allows for each child’s individual academic, artistic, and athletic growth. Using inquiry-driven, hands-on, project-based learning, children build foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Play is the work of childhood and is intentionally integrated into each child’s day in the Lower School. We celebrate curiosity, collaboration, and the joy of discovery. It is through play that children experiment, investigate, and negotiate, and is necessary for their social and emotional growth and well-being. The York Country Day Lower School curriculum is designed to ignite our students’ excitement and enthusiasm for learning.