Lower School

Educational Philosophy

A Welcoming Community With Strong Values

At Adelson, students are known by their teachers…and even teachers who have not taught them directly! Our hallways are a place where students are greeted by name and feel a deep sense of belonging. This personal attention carries over into our classrooms through daily differentiated instruction. We understand that students learn in unique ways — and we think that’s a beautiful thing! Through a mix of whole group, small group, and one-on-one instruction, teachers tailor their lessons to help every child reach their potential.

While building their academic foundation, students develop strong values, such as:

• Respect for all
• Understanding differences
• Academic excellence
• Connection through community
• Honoring Judaism

Adelson Distinctives

Experiential Learning That Builds a Solid Academic Foundation

Attitudes about learning are developed early on, which is why there is significant emphasis on enriching, hands-on learning experiences in the Lower School. As students learn by doing, they develop evergreen skills such as creativity, communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Core subject areas include:

• Language Arts
• Writing
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Hebrew Language  

Cultivating Skills for Lifelong Learning

Adelson students learn how to learn. Hands-on projects, discussion-based learning, inquiry, and real-world application help Lower School students feel a sense of ownership in their learning and develop skills they’ll use for a lifetime, such as:

• Independence: taking initiative and moving forward unprompted
• Self-advocacy: recognizing when they need help and asking for it
• Executive functioning: caring for themselves, managing their time, and staying organized
• Positive reinforcement: encouraging others and themselves
• Teamwork: collaborating with others to complete a task together
• Problem-solving: identifying a problem and developing and evaluating creative solutions

Enrichment Opportunities

Lower school students are eager to learn new skills and pursue their unique interests. We provide after-school enrichment opportunities that allow children to explore a variety of hobbies, sports, and artistic pursuits from a young age. A few favorites include:

• Swim lessons and swim team Tennis classes
• Chess
• Cross country running
• Art
• Drama (acting and technical production)
• Spanish
• Cirque-style acrobatics
• Dance
• Coding
• Robotics
• Volleyball