Follow your interests 
Lower School: Grades 1 - 4
At ULS, our Lower School students lead the way to learning. Whether it's an interest in bugs or plants, cooking or building, our own backyard or international culture, our students always have something to say — and our teachers are listening.
Compose a song 
Follow a recipe 
Lead the class 
Throw some pottery 
Experiment with plants 
ULS students investigate. They get their hands dirty. They discover a path that is interesting and engaging to them. Our highly insightful teachers guide students through the necessary skills at each grade level, while being mindful of the students’ interests. This is how we learn.
Small class sizes make a big difference.
ULS offers an 8-to-1 student-teacher ratio, creating an average class size of 12.
Meaningful Academics
Academics in the Lower School are part of a dynamic elementary school curriculum guided by a detailed scope and sequence plan. Teachers help students develop and master fact- and process-based standards within the context of student-led projects and intellectual curiosity. When students delve into something that has sparked their interest, there is a much greater depth and quality to the study. As a result of this approach, our teachers can craft learning experiences that challenge and motivate our students, promoting engagement, perseverance, and academic excellence.
Independent Thinking
The pattern of researching, creating and presenting is repeated throughout each grade in the Lower School. In 1st through 3rd grade, independent study projects progress in complexity and sophistication, culminating in 4th grade with a “Magnum Opus” or “Great Work” project where they create a final presentation to give to teachers, students and peers. Lower School students advance to the Middle School with strong skills in original thinking, creating the foundation for higher level applications in the classroom.
Leadership Skills
Classes begin each day with a morning meeting in which students take turns with a variety of responsibilities, including leading the meeting. Students are encouraged to exhibit leadership skills and personal integrity in support of the greater community, such as fundraising bake sales; toy, hat and mitten drives; and used book collections; just to name a few. This is how we build character through service. ULS students are empowered to take the lead and make things happen.
Hands-On Learning
A myriad of hands-on learning activities are woven into students’ daily experiences. These hands-on activities can be as simple as an SK class collecting sticks and leaves from the ULS woods and organizing them in a fashion that teaches differentiation, categorization and labeling. As students progress the hands-on activities become more elaborate, such as the 4th grade geometric box project. Each year the division hosts a showcase of learning that celebrates each grade and their amazing accomplishments. Students quickly become accustomed to being active participants in their own learning. The content the students learn is relevant and meaningful to them because of the depth of their participation.
Technology
At ULS, we believe that the purpose of technology in education is to enhance the learning experience rather than be the experience. Students and teachers are active participants in their own learning, choosing the best tools to accomplish their goals. Technology is used to develop strategies that allow learners to reflect on the process and make choices that will lead to improved learning outcomes. Preprimary students use iPads as research tools in a variety of investigative research studies. Our 1st through 4th graders have individually assigned Chromebooks as research work and academic projects become more sophisticated.
