Lower School

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A TIME OF JOYFUL LEARNING AND GROWTH

Students achieve many cognitive, physical and emotional milestones and begin an individual journey of self-discovery. At Walker, we provide unique opportunities for transformative learning at every stage.

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During their time in the Lower School, children grow physically, academically and emotionally. Their growth is guided through purposeful learning activities and emotional opportunities carefully designed to stretch and support their transformative learning.

Teacher standing with two students at table

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OUR COMMITMENT

Walker students leave our Lower School knowing how to be successful students and leaders.

“The Walker Lower School is a place of joyful learning where each child is known and loved. As we encourage our learners to grow and stretch, we support them to try new things and to be free from the fear of failure. Our children learn from their social and academic experiences and gain the critical thinking skills, confidence, and resilience they need to be successful for the rest of their lives.”

– Dr. Kathy Meskell, Head of Lower School

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CURIOSITY IS CULTIVATED

The Walker Lower School uses the evidence-based Responsive Classroom approach to create a fun and safe classroom where students can do their best learning.

In addition to the core academic areas of reading, writing, spelling, math, science and social studies, students attend co-curricular classes including art, music, technology, library, Spanish and physical education. Students are encouraged to learn through their missteps and peer collaboration, helping them to develop the confidence and social and emotional skills they will use throughout their lives.

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WHY WE ARE UNIQUE

Our close-knit community and small class sizes enable us to focus on individual student needs, providing one-on-one and small-group academic support.

Additionally, all Lower School teachers and assistants are Orton-Gillingham trained and able to reinforce students’ reading skills, spelling and vocabulary development. Through collaborative learning, public speaking and performing, community service, leadership opportunities and character education, Walker Lower School students transition to middle school well-prepared to confidently serve and lead.

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Student hugging parent goodbye at beginning of school day

A WELL-rounded education

DISCOVER YOUR PASSIONS

Use the sections to the right to learn more about athletics, arts and academics at Walker.

ATHLETICS

Fifth-grade Lower School students are allowed to try out for Middle School athletic teams as space permits.

In addition to physical education classes, Lower School students have the opportunity to participate in the Junior Wolverine Club. Junior Wolverines support and interact with Middle and Upper School student-athletes and participate in practices, attend games and form relationships with athletes during at least one special event each season.

ARTS

In Walker’s Lower School, musical instruction and visual arts are integral parts of our students’ education as they develop collaboration skills and an aesthetic sense of culture.

In music classes, each grade practices developmentally appropriate musical skills, and students learn to play an instrument culminating with the ukelele in fifth grade. Student art is on display throughout the building and showcases students’ age-appropriate artistic skills and knowledge of artists and culture.

ACADEMICS

Students in grades 1-5 hone their phonic awareness to improve reading, writing and vocabulary.

They tackle fundamentals of math, building number sense and preparing for more complex abstract thought. Students learn the intricacies of the scientific method to begin making sense of the world around them, and they start to look at history and the social sciences as more than just facts, dates, people and places but as forces that shape their world. Our program not only focuses on building the fundamental academic skills for success in school but also on developing skills to help students adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world.

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