Lower School

Our Lower School students are joyful, actively engaged learners who thrive working with experienced teachers.

The curriculum is challenging, flexible, and designed to keep bodies and minds active as students build their skills and broaden their understanding and appreciation of the world, the community, and themselves. Our students understand that learning happens when they go beyond what is comfortable and take risks, and they are fortunate to be able to take those risks in a community built on kindness.

Our Philosophy

Guided by their sense of wonder, children establish the framework for a lifetime of learning with the support of nurturing and experienced educators. 

Find Out More

Lower School Traditions 

Our grade-level and full Lower School traditions provide endless opportunities to create connections and apply classwork in creative, collaborative ways.

Find Out More

Social & Emotional Learning

Our GSB Core Values of courage, integrity, respect, compassion, and excellence are purposefully modeled and explored.

Find Out More

PE Every Day

The role that PE plays as part of the broader academic curriculum is profound. It actively fosters the physical, social and emotional, and cognitive development of students.

Find Out More

After School

Our after-school programs extend the school day with academic, enrichment, and interest-based activities.

Find Out More

Upper School Student working with Lower School Student

FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the Lower School.

Find Out More

Teacher Spotlight: Lynn Prosen

At GSB, Lynn loves exploring our beautiful campus and sharing its wonders with her inquisitive pupils. She loves the “Aha” moment, when something clicks and connects, like the thrill of a chemical reaction and the excitement of a bug, bird, or worm discovery.

Meet Lynn

Lower School Director Kyle Armstrong

Kyle Armstrong serves as the Director of Lower & Middle Schools. He holds more than 20 years of experience working in independent schools.

Prior to joining GSB, he was Associate Head for Academics for a K-8 independent school. He also has experience as a history teacher, baseball and basketball coach, and eighth-grade team leader.

Mr. Armstrong holds an M.A. from Lesley College in Massachusetts, and a B.A. in History from Trinity College in Connecticut. Kyle’s wife, Kristen, is GSB’s Upper School Librarian. They have two children at Gill.

Recent Lower School News

Explore Our Lower School Curriculum

Filter By Subject

Biome Museum

This marks the culmination of weeks of cross-curricular research, place-based learning, and exploration focused on a specific campus ecological system, such as pond, stream, wetland, forest, or farm.

Read More about Biome Museum
Grade 1 Visual Art

Building on the introduction of art elements in kindergarten, first-grade students continue to identify and describe concepts through various lessons.

Read More about Grade 1 Visual Art
Grade 2 Language Arts

Second-grade students continue to become more independent as readers, exploring their interests through reading, building reading stamina, and applying reading strategies to maintain reading fluency.

Read More about Grade 2 Language Arts
Grade 2 Mathematics

Students gain increasing mastery with addition and subtraction skills, working with numbers up to 1,000, using mental math strategies, and solving word problems.

Read More about Grade 2 Mathematics
Grade 2 Visual Art

Students continue to incorporate elements of art and principles of design into each project, allowing them to develop more purpose within their artwork.

Read More about Grade 2 Visual Art
Grade 3 Language Arts

Students continue exploring fiction and nonfiction genres, including narratives, informational texts, fairy tales, and poetry, as they become increasingly more independent as readers.

Read More about Grade 3 Language Arts
Grade 3 Science

Beginning with observations of the sky and weather, third graders become meteorologists using weather measurement tools to predict the weather.

Read More about Grade 3 Science
Grade 3 Social Studies

The course of study begins with a unit on Native Americans and continues to European explorers and the British colonization of North America.

Read More about Grade 3 Social Studies
Grade 4 Language Arts

Students begin the Accelerated Reader program, which encourages independent reading and the further development of comprehension skills.

Read More about Grade 4 Language Arts
Grade 4 Mathematics

More advanced work is introduced with decimals, fractions, algebraic reasoning, and basic geometry, while also stressing mastery of skills that will enable students to thrive in later math courses: proficiency with the four operations; quick recall of math facts; and facility with estimating, rounding and judging the reasonableness of an answer.

Read More about Grade 4 Mathematics
Grade 4 Music

Students have already explored note and rhythm reading, form, pitch, dynamics, and tempo, and they are ready for an exploration of timbre and texture.

Read More about Grade 4 Music
Grade 4 Social Studies

The curriculum includes an in-depth study of the American Revolution, the United States government, westward expansion, and immigration.

Read More about Grade 4 Social Studies
Health and Wellness

As part of physical education, students in grades three and four have health and wellness instruction on a variety of topics, including healthy eating, the importance of physical fitness, healthy strategies for working through differences with friends, hygiene, and other developmentally appropriate topics.

Read More about Health and Wellness
Kindergarten Science

The curriculum encourages the natural curiosity of young learners while introducing them to the science skills and tools to investigate the world around them.

Read More about Kindergarten Science
Kindergarten Visual Art

Students are introduced to the elements of art (line, shape, space, value, color, texture, and form) and learn about well-known artists and the unique styles they use to emphasize elements.

Read More about Kindergarten Visual Art
Preschool Mathematics

Hands-on activities introduce young learners to numbers and foundational mathematical concepts, including less versus more, part versus whole, and same versus different.

Read More about Preschool Mathematics
Related Arts

Specialized teachers in art, library, music, science, technology, and Spanish comprise the Related Arts faculty.

Read More about Related Arts
Singapore Math

Our math curriculum, based on the Singapore Math approach, begins in early childhood, and extends through the second year of Middle School.

Read More about Singapore Math

Apply

GSB welcomes applications from students who demonstrate academic potential and who are deemed likely to benefit from and contribute to the GSB community.

Learn more

Tuition

We are committed to building a community of talented, passionate, creative, and thoughtful students from a diverse range of backgrounds independent of financial circumstances.

Learn more

Visit Us

Schedule a campus or join us for an upcoming admission event.

Learn more