Lower School

Building upon concepts they learned in Preschool and PreK, Kindergarten math classes focus acquiring a deeper understanding of addition and subtraction through the Singapore Math approach. Working with numbers one to one-hundred, students practice number bonds, extend their work with number comparisons, and count by twos, fives, and tens. Students also learn about coins and their value, practice telling time to the hour and the half-hour, and explore the passage of time through calendar activities. As they learn new number concepts, they begin with concrete hands-on materials, move to pictorial representations, and then to the abstract use of numbers and symbols.

Kindergarten is a special time when emergent readers can make tremendous progress. In addition to classroom activities, each kindergarten student meets one-on-one with our reading specialist once a week for personalized reading instruction. The reading specialist communicates weekly with parents to share a more comprehensive picture of their child’s reading journey. In both the classroom and the Reading Room, each student is appropriately challenged and supported to develop as a beginning reader.

As a favorite Lower School winter performance, Kindergarteners lead The Nutcracker play alongside Preschool and PreK students to the delight of audience members. In preparation for the show, students read and hear different versions of The Nutcracker in class, learn the music, and travel to see the ballet. After examining different interpretations of the tale, students create a book of their own, which stands nearly two feet high and is used during the performance. A rite of passage for our kindergarten students, each year’s class brings its unique personality and flair to the time-honored tradition.

Friends and Feelings is an age-specific social and emotional curriculum taught by our Lower School Counselor. During the lessons, students practice problem-solving strategies, understand the importance of celebrating differences and similarities, and learn the value of cooperation, empathy, and respect.

Established more than 20 years ago, Reading Rodeo is a beloved first grade tradition combining literary, history, and math skills. While learning about the American West in a month-long history unit, students are challenged to read twenty-minutes at home while recording their progress along the way. At the end of the unit, students host a rodeo-themed family celebration to commemorate the total minutes read, reflect on the reading challenge, and take part in line dancing, a barbecue picnic, and outdoor games.

Each spring, 1st Graders get an im-peck-able look at nature by setting up bluebird boxes throughout GSB campus. Students regularly check on their boxes to track bluebird life cycle progress, from eggs, fledglings, and adult birds that leave the nest. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring the classroom into nature!

In the annual project, First Graders lead the entire Lower School in a canned food collection during the winter holiday season. Students are responsible for sorting, counting, and stacking cans in pyramids of 10 to line the Cox hallway. As they practice their arithmetic skills, students are introduced to graphic concepts to show how numbers can be visually represented and how to write those numbers out as words. At the completion of the project, First Graders take a field trip to the Chester Mendham Food Pantry to donate the cans and see first hand how their work can help local communities.

In this annual Unit, 1st Graders conduct research to discover the origin of their name and celebrate what makes it unique. At the conclusion of the project, students invite families to the classroom to present their work and share their name facts.

Second graders expand their reading and creative writing skills each year by studying different forms of poetry. At the end of the unit, the class invites parents to an in-person poetry tea party, where students share their favorite original poem from the Unit.

Second graders truly embody our school motto, "The World Is Our Classroom," in their annual Passport to the World Program. With the help of parent volunteers who serve as tour guides, students learn about cultures and traditions from around the world. Each destination represents a country that a parent or guardian is native to, has lived in, or has traveled to and allow families to share their personal history and passions with the class. The program serves as wonderful inspiration for students as they stamp their passports to travel the global village!

Second Graders learn about the life cycle of butterflies as they raise live butterflies in the classroom before releasing them onto the GSB campus. This unit, which integrates our Science and Spanish classes, comes to life with butterfly activities that combine science, reading, and writing with hands-on activities. Students learn the stages of the butterfly life cycle, explore pollination, migration, metamorphosis, adaptations, and lessons humans can learn from butterflies.

Through various activities in their Biography Unit, 2nd Graders learn about the lives of some remarkable people. After selecting a person to study, students work diligently to create a biography project and present their research to the class. As a fun twist, students will dress up as their individual to bring history to life.

GSB 3rd Graders un-earth Early American History as part of their annual Colonial Unit. After studying geographical facts, colonial life, and historical perspectives, students wrap up the Unit by choosing a colonial trade to research and create a poster presentation. Families are invited to tour the Colonial Fair to explore the projects and learn about the different trades.

3rd grade students spend time throughout October and November studying several Indigenous Peoples, including the Inuit, Navajo, Seminole, Tlingit, Pueblo, and Haudenosaunee. During the Unit, students not only learn about indigenous peoples’ traditions and cultures, but put together their own project displays to deepen their understanding while building on essential classroom skills.

Over the course of the year, 3rd grade students participate in numerous novel studies. During these studies, students dive deep into the book to explore narrative elements, build vocabulary, and strengthen higher-level comprehension skills.

3rd Graders kick off the beginning of each school year with a class trip to Fairview Lakes! Students spend the day in nature participating in multiple team building exercises that emphasize the benefits of working together. Each exercise succeeds only if the students work together to help each other through.

Starting in 4th Grade, GSB students begin STREAMS, a three-year-long program that brings together work in sustainability, technology, research, engineering, agriculture, math, and science. Using our 208-acre campus as a living laboratory, 4th Graders work with teachers to design solutions to achieve greater sustainability on our campus and in the larger world.

Students identify and research a real-world problem that affects humans, animals, or the environment. Students then create a product that will improve or support those affected by the topic they chose. Learning about entrepreneurship and collaborating with classmates, students create a plan to market and sell their product or provide awareness and support toward their goals. 

All 4th Grade students take part in our Band Explorer program. Students will learn each of the five most prominent beginning band instruments: flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and baritone. At the end of fourth grade, students can make an informed decision about which instrument to continue with in Middle School based on their interest and passion.

4th Graders are welcomed into the Kindness Crew on the first day of school as the oldest students in the division. Over the year, students work to develop their leadership skills as recess helpers, sharing the kindness quote at weekly Town Halls, and being a positive role model to the younger Lower School students.