Lower School (Grades 1-5)

Guiding students to become confident, academically skilled learners and kind, empathetic humans.

Every Carroll student is an individual with a unique personality, unique opportunities, and unique abilities that deserve the chance to shine. With that in mind, the interventions, approaches, and programs we develop are designed to be holistic and flexible enough to provide every learner with the skills, techniques, and academic content they need to realize the incredible potential they possess.

The Lower School community is built on a foundation developmentally tailored to children ages 6 to 11 years. We rally around the principles of Empathy, Respect, Inclusion, and Kindness (ERIK) which shines through in the classroom, on the playground, in the Bounders woods, and on the playing fields.

At each grade level, there are distinct identities and curriculum traditions - the 3rd grade Whaling Town project, the 4th grade States and City Planning projects, the 5th grade Gatehouse Birdhouse project - that create a sense of flow to the Lower School experience. Whole community events such as Activity Day, Fall Festival, and Today’s Hoorays create a warm, welcoming way for students and staff to connect and celebrate with each other.
 

The Lower School is a warm and welcoming community that truly cares about and believes in each person who is a part of it. It is small enough where you feel that tight knit sense of community yet big enough across three campuses that you feel part of something significant.

-Ryan Walker, 5th Grade Math Teacher

Carroll School Curriculum

The driving emphasis in the Carroll School curriculum is delivering what each child most needs. This means that the classroom experiences are tailored specifically to meet the needs of each student. Given our small classes, tutorials and individual focus areas, achieving this lofty goal is actually possible. Unlike traditional schools where a prescribed curriculum defines what happens in the classroom, Carroll’s curriculum emphasizes the skill development and learning strategies that each student needs to acquire and pays close attention to the grade-level content delivered in public and other independent schools. Learn about our Curriculum Guiding Principles

Curricula Areas

Click on the specific curricula areas below to discover how this guiding philosophy works in Lower School classrooms:


Whole Child

We believe that a commitment to a child’s healthy social and emotional well-being goes hand-in-hand with academic success.

At the Lower School, teachers employ Responsive Classroom activities to create positive, healthy, and emotionally-secure learning environments - and happy, confident kids. We also help students make inclusive and positive connections through community service, talent showcases, recess, spirit days, our annual Fall Festival, and so much more.

Student Life at the Lower School

Scroll through the slideshow below to get a glimpse of a day in grades 1-5. Learn more about Student Life at Carroll


Learn more about our programs: