Lower School – Grades K-4
We cultivate a learning environment where inquiry is celebrated and exploration is encouraged. Our kindergarten through fourth grade program offers an engaging academic curriculum through hands-on experiences and project-based learning. Students develop not just knowledge, but deep understanding, while honing essential skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and innovative problem-solving.
As students engage with literature, mathematics, science, language, and the arts, they are given time to question, experiment, and reflect. Our child-centered environments are filled with lively discussion, collaboration, social interaction, and play. We encourage students to make connections across diverse fields of knowledge using an interdisciplinary curriculum, where projects reach across traditional subject boundaries.
Thematic learning is a key component of our K–4 program. Connecting an interdisciplinary curriculum around a single theme for the year helps support relevant and comprehensive learning.
Low student-teacher ratios ensure more personalized attention, so each student feels known and valued, and can be appropriately supported in their learning and growth. Through meaningful and caring relationships with teachers, students are given the tools, experiences, and purposeful instruction that challenges and engages them at just the right level, ensuring all students learn and progress.
Lower school grades are named for an element or part of nature, which serves as common language throughout our community and upholds a long-standing tradition at Berkwood Hedge School.
Kindergarten: SPIRIT Class
The theme of the SPIRIT class is Roots. The youngest members of our school community enter school curious and eager to learn about the world around them. During their first year, kindergarteners grow as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, artists and friends. They become comfortable in the classroom setting and learn to take risks and speak their minds.
First Grade: WOOD Class
The theme of the WOOD class is Community. First graders see themselves as learners acquiring important new skills, and are newly interested in making connections and discussing ideas. Academic skills continue to develop, and first graders begin to be more aware of their progress and the strategies they are using for learning. The first grade classroom motto is "We learn to do by doing." Students are encouraged to be engaged, reflective, capable, and flexible learners and friends.
Second Grade: EARTH Class
The theme of the EARTH class is Change. Second graders have a heightened sense of responsibility and independence in work and actions. Students develop as readers, creative writers, and mathematicians. The classroom is a place where the children gain independence and take risks, as well as a safe place to draw, build relationships, listen to stories, get to know themselves and the world around them.
Third Grade: AIR Class
The theme of the AIR class is Values. Third graders are eager for independence and are beginning to move from concrete to more abstract thinking. The ease with which they move among younger and older students helps them develop leadership skills as they take responsibility for their place as older student role models. Third graders are active learners; cooperative group work, large collaborative projects, classroom discussions, and role-playing activities engage students.
Fourth Grade: WATER Class
The theme of the WATER class is Home. Fourth grade students are enthusiastic, curious, opinionated, and eager for more independence. Fourth graders are carefully guided as they begin to take on more responsibility as community members and scholars, developing time management and organizational skills. With a growing sense of self, they develop an understanding of where they come from, where they are, and think about how to prepare for where they're going.
Specialist Classes
Specialist classes are part of the daily schedule for all students, including art, music, dance, physical education, and Latin. At Berwood Hedge School, specialist classes are core to the curriculum and, with our interdisciplinary approach, often serve as dynamic extensions of the academic program. Our rich specialist program ensures a well-rounded daily experience for all students.
Technology
Our goal is to ensure that each student develops the skills and understanding needed to use technology as an effective learning tool. We encourage our students to use technology in ways that enhance our interdisciplinary curriculum, spark creativity, and support independent thinking. At every grade level, we model the safe, legal, and responsible use of technology.
Lower grade children begin to learn the basics of keyboarding, are guided in online research for their science projects, and enhance math skills through individualized online lessons linked to the classroom math curriculum. Fourth graders gather, evaluate, and apply online information for a variety of in-class research lessons. Digital photography, animation, video creation, and computer graphics also enhance student projects.