Lower School

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• Lower School Program Highlights

  Stages I & II Outdoor Education
  Inquiry-based and experiential outdoor education encourages and engages a child’s innate curiosity and wonder. This curriculum comes naturally from the children’s questions and curiosities. While outdoors, they journal, tell stories, and hold math, drama, science, and literacy classes. Learners are encouraged to develop a relationship with the land they are using. Students honor those to whom the land belongs, respect wildlife, and keep their outdoor spaces tidy. Overcoming challenges with support from adults leads to increased self-confidence and independence. 
  

  
  Stages I & II Light “R” Night 

  This is a special night for our preschool children and families in the fall when they meet in the evening to celebrate community. It is a culmination of learning about stars, lights, and things that glow. Families have the opportunity to experience the wonderful things students have been learning and see their creations. They enjoy a potluck dinner together and then, with luminaria to light the way, they walk through our woods with glow sticks and excited fluorescent-painted faces. 
  
  

  Stage II Thanksgiving Feast 

  To celebrate Thanksgiving, Stage II students learn about the historical backdrop of the holiday and plan a lunchtime feast brought in by families. The finale of the celebration is a festive parade around the gym led with great fanfare by our Head of School. 
  
  

  Stage III Family Night 

  This is a family gathering where students share their learning about a particular area and time in history, such as the Industrial Revolution or Ancient Greece and Rome. The format changes year to year. During recent family night events, homerooms have turned their classrooms into living museums, hosted chariot races, and performed skits from the 1800s.  
  
  

  Stage III Rethought Things Store 

  This long-term project challenges students to create an operational store selling items they create out of recycled and upcycled items. Proceeds go to a charity chosen by the students after learning about the election process. In a simulated election, they vote for the charity of their choice. They then design and create the items to sell, price them, and market them. When the store opens to the Roeper community, students set up their store with fun decorations and learn how to assist customers with their purchases, cash out sales, and wrap gifts. This is an example of project-based learning at its best.
   

  Stage IV Camp Tamarack

  Camp Tamarack is an overnight trip experience. Students stay for one night at Camp Tamarack and participate in a variety of outdoor activities. These activities include outdoor games, kayaking, archery, tie dying, and group challenges. For Stage IV students, this trip builds community, outdoor education skills, and independence.
  
  

  Stage IV Special Classes 

  Stage IV students choose two elective classes during each signup throughout the academic year. Each signup is three weeks long. Classes meet every day for 40 minutes. Students may choose areas of passion or areas they wish to strengthen. Stage IV electives may include Fiber Arts Studio; Scratch Animation (computer); Code, Math, Minecraft; Don’t read this, don’t dance that! (exploring texts and social issues through improvisation and choreography); Roeper Report (journalism); Jump Roepers (PE); Engineering Challenge—Skimmer; and Atoms, Molecules & Chemical Compounds.