The Lower School Experience

Our kindergarten curriculum engages children’s natural curiosity and energy. From scientific explorations of water, wood and paper to social studies lessons about personal identity, communities and families, our youngest learners are guided to ask questions, observe closely, and share ideas.

Children spend ample time outdoors as part of our outdoor education program. Letters, sounds and words come alive in our reading program. Math concepts become real as children use numbers in useful ways. The sounds of a new language, the skills of new games in physical education, and the notes of new songs add texture to the children’s days. Art projects—whether constructed in the woods or painted in our sunlit studios—focus on technique, appreciation and joy.

Kindergarten Curriculum

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Literacy and developing foundational skills are at the core of first grade. In language arts, children build confidence and competence in reading, writing and comprehension. They continue to consolidate early literacy skills through the Fundations Program. Through visual literacy activities, children’s vocabulary and expressive language expand as they learn to “read” works from the Yale Center for British Art.

Their social literacy expands through explorations of identity, stereotypes and culture. Social studies units expand the children’s ideas about communities within Foote and contemporary New Haven.

In math, first graders master basic facts, identify patterns and sequences, and “find” math in everyday experiences. Spanish classes, fun challenges in physical education and an expanded repertoire in music, drama and art extend learning beyond the classroom every day.

Second graders at Foote School engage in hands-on experiences that build meaning—from wigwams to 3-D maps. Supporting students’ social emotional growth is a core aspect to the curriculum. Students expand their vocabulary and develop skills to identify and manage their feelings. They continue to explore their own identity and develop an understanding of stereotypes and how to avoid them.

Students learn about life in the past in the New Haven area and hone their scientific observational skills while  building on the foundational skills introduced in 1st grade. Finally, the hallmark of 2nd grade is their heightened autonomy and self determination. They close their second-grade year with confidence to employ their acquired skills and with a thirst for learning.

In third grade, the past comes alive through a study of 19th-century New England, with a focus on Connecticut through different perspectives. Students visit Old Sturbridge Village, construct art projects, read primary source documents, and learn songs and stories from this historical time as they explore the question, “What does it mean to be a leader?” This question frames the school year as they research leaders from an array of backgrounds and experiences and develop an understanding of how to effect change.

Language arts classes explore novels and literature from a variety of historical and cultural sources and the children read biographies of leaders through history. Third grade is also the first year for homework—a milestone for many students. Science, math, and STEM classes introduce students to  design thinking, new mathematical expressions, inventions, and animal habitats. After their introduction to Spanish and Mandarin in grades K–2, third graders choose one of these languages to study for the remainder of their Foote years, embarking on an exciting cultural and linguistic journey.

Creative curriculum-based projects and long-term investigations are at the heart of the fourth grade experience.  We use a variety of media throughout the school year to examine our overarching essential question: Why do people migrate? From the waves of Chinese, African American, Eastern European and contemporary Latin American groups into the United States, students study the push-pull of migration and the contributions immigrants make to shaping the United States. 

As a culminating interdisciplinary project, students write an extensive biography of an influential American immigrant. Students then share their work with an audience through our Living Wax Museum. In art class, fourth graders  sculpt exquisite clay candle houses which they share along with original, winter-themed poetry at the annual candlehouse ceremony in the black box theater.  In all of these endeavors, the focus is on learning by doing. 

Fourth graders take an active role in reflecting on their own work and setting meaningful goals for themselves. They lead conferences with their teacher and parents twice a year, giving them greater independence and ownership of their learning.

A highlight of fifth grade is an overnight trip to an outdoor education center, which reinforces core curricular themes of community and ecology. Fifth graders practice stewardship by managing the campus-wide recycling program—a leadership role for our oldest Lower School students. Science classes focus on environmental responsibility; the year culminates with students designing and building one-of-a-kind solar-powered ovens using primarily recycled materials.

Social studies classes delve into the early civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and the Maya. Students identify cultural values through myths, writing and play performances, and prepare artistic projects based on ancient themes and characters. They explore questions about gender, race and socioeconomic status as factors that inform whose story is told over time as they investigate what the lives of women and people with lower socioeconomic status were like in ancient Egypt and Greece.