Elementary School

Here's what makes our K-5 lab school special:

• Highly-qualified Head Teachers and dedicated student teachers
• Small classes with a target size of 20 or less
• Multi-age classrooms: K/1, 2/3, and 4/5
• Integrated curriculum with math, language arts, visual art, science, music and movement, and physical education, all with a social-emotional component
• Strong parent involvement
• Spanish, art, music, and PE once a week 
• Annual dramatic or musical production
• iPads utilized as teaching tools in 2nd-5th grade
• After school care until 5:45 pm daily, including a variety of enrichment options, such as cooking, chess, dance, or drama

NEW FOR 2012-13: We've opened a new Kindergarten class, featuring all the components listed above, but with a smaller class size of just 12-14.

Committed to the highest standards while avoiding standardization, our strong academic curriculum is aligned with the frameworks of the State of California. A variety of assessment methods are infused into the teaching program and parents receive regular progress reports.

Why K-5?

In our Elementary School, we focus on the crucial primary years of Kindergarten through 5th grade. Here, children are still children: Imaginative play and read-aloud haven't disappeared, students get individual attention and time to develop a love of learning, and recess is full of fun and games for all ages to enjoy together. Without middle school students around, our 4th and 5th graders have the opportunity to be the "big kids on campus," to take on leadership roles and mentor younger students, without feeling the need to act like teenagers before their time. Our graduates leave prepared for the academic and social challenges of the best middle schools in the Bay Area.

Why multi-age classrooms?

In multi-age classrooms, children learn to appreciate their own increasing competencies and they develop a strong sense of community. As described in Vgotsky's "zone of proximal development," children working in collaboration with more capable peers are able to learn at a higher level. Students have ex­panded opportunities to be both leaders and followers, to learn from and to teach one another. During their two years in the same classroom (K/1, 2/3 and 4/5), children get more time with the same head teacher and they also experience a variety of student teachers.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Elementary School

Elementary School Application Process