Lower School (Grades 1-4)

From the Director, Lisa Kennedy

Throughout the Lower School, children at Bennett Day School will attend school in a safe environment and within an academically challenging, innovative, and creative learning space. Our curriculum will awaken and guide students' natural curiosity as they embark on a profound journey of exploration through culture, language, mathematics, science and engineering, and literature. Curiosity is a powerful motivator for learning, especially among our elementary-aged students. It represents their enthusiasm to investigate, inquire, and gain insights into the world. By encouraging this natural curiosity, we unlock a world of opportunities for their personal growth and educational development.

At Bennett, we believe in the capacity of Project-Based Learning (PBL) to capture and direct this curiosity. PBL is an approach that places students at the center of their learning experience, allowing them to investigate real-world problems and challenges that pique their interest. Through PBL, our students learn by actively exploring, experimenting, and solving problems. This process fosters a deep understanding of academic concepts and nurtures essential life skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) breaks free from the constraints of textbooks and rote memorization. It offers a vibrant, interactive, and tactile method that encourages students to take ownership of their learning. By facilitating connections between classroom content and real-world applications, PBL cultivates a deep sense of significance and direction in students' educational journeys. Our teachers guide students toward important academic and intellectual milestones that foster curiosity, innovation, and mastery.

The Lower School schedule is designed to accommodate the essential space and time required for in-depth study. Similar to our Early Childhood program, the Lower School at Bennett is built around the idea of a responsive curriculum. As nurturers of curiosity and interests, our master teachers use their expertise, along with student interests, to guide projects utilizing Possible Lines of Development (PLOD). Our inquiry-based program allows for the ideas and wonderings of each and every student to influence and shape the curriculum throughout the year.

Departmental classes in the Lower School will include Spanish, Science, Art, Tinkering and Engineering Sciences, Music, and Physical Education. These subjects are designed to provide a well-rounded education and foster a diverse set of skills and interests in our students. At Bennett, we know Lower School students have rich and profound emotional lives. They are learning to make friends and maintain those relationships. They are exploring the world and becoming more aware of their place in and impact on it. To do these extraordinary things, they need time, support, space, and independence. They flourish in work that provides just the right balance of encouragement, security, and challenge. We will provide that balance, making Bennett the ideal place to learn, explore, build, and dream.