Private Episcopal Lower School Programs in Baton Rouge, LA

Welcome to Lower School

As the Head of Lower School, I value being highly present and engaged in all aspects of the school and want you to know a bit about me. My background includes many years in the classroom, teaching nearly every grade from Prek-4 to grade 5, but I’ve always loved spending time with children. As a little girl, some of my favorite moments were “helping” Mommy in her first grade classroom. I enjoyed creating learning games for her students, putting stickers on their papers, and thought her classroom was the best place on earth. As I grew, I’d pick babysitting over nearly anything else and nannied for two young girls throughout my early college years, which solidified that working with children was my calling. In time, I had my own family, including four children and many four-legged friends, earned my masters and a National Board teaching certification, and jumped into the world of administration.

In the Lower School, we see every moment as a possibility for learning, and we hope that you will take the time to read more about our program, visit us for a campus tour, and discover what sets us apart from other learning options in the Baton Rouge area.

Beth Gardner: Head of Episcopal Lower School

Beth Gardner
Lower School Division Head

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Episcopal’s Lower School is a warm and welcoming school family, where Prek-4 - grade 5 students thrive on personalized instruction, in small classes, and in a safe, nurturing and joyful environment. Our teachers integrate indoor and outdoor learning experiences with both traditional and innovative teaching and learning methods throughout our play-based, project-based, and inquiry-based curriculum which includes the arts, science, math, religion, language and daily physical education. Lower School students participate in experiences designed to develop the whole child — growing confidence, skills and gifts that prepare students for Middle School success and a lifetime of learning.

Project-based learning inspires students throughout Lower School to draw on personal experiences to investigate real-world issues and embrace a challenge. There is depth within our curriculum. You’ll see children interpreting songs on drums and Orff instruments, programming Beebots and coding, hosting a celebration of reading, writing, or a project-based learning unit, and donning rain boots in the PreK garden examining chrysalises with a magnifying glass. Everywhere you look, students are motivated to learn and actively engaged.

When you step foot in Lower School, you are sure to feel the energy and excitement. It permeates the hallways and spills into the classroom and outdoors. It all begins at Morning Meeting — our daily and dynamic Lower School celebration with music, inspiration, birthdays, recognition, leadership and community building — and continues throughout each day.

Morning Meeting

Lower School is traditionally a student’s first introduction to what it means to be part of a community, and to support a strong sense of belonging, teachers practice Responsive Classroom routines. Each day in the Lower School begins with a PreK-4 - grade 5 Morning Meeting in the Greer Center, where students sing and pray together, announcements and birthdays are shared, and our time together is wrapped up with “Make it a great day!” In Lower School classrooms, students are encouraged to contribute to the class and support one another. The lessons and the academic knowledge developed in Lower School prepare students well for their transition to the Middle School years ahead.

Social-Emotional Learning

A child's social and emotional development will benefit the student for the rest of his/her life. Social-emotional learning (SEL) in the Lower School is based on five key competencies of cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. For Lower School students, social-emotional learning occurs both organically, through play, developing friendships, and group work, as well as strategically through three primary ways. First, monthly classroom lessons are a dedicated time for the Lower School Counselor to teach students developmentally targeted skills, such as flexible thinking, empathy, and conflict resolution skills. Secondly, Toolbox Tuesday is a part of Morning Meeting once a week in which students can learn calming strategies and “tools” for coping and developing flexible thinking. The third way the key competencies are developed in the Lower School is through individual and group sessions with the Lower School Counselor as needed to discuss student-specific needs. Lower School students learn common language through social-emotional learning which is used by the counselor, teachers, and the Head of Lower School. The consistency reinforces skills learned to all students.

Grades 1-5 Learning

A varied and comprehensive approach to early childhood learning sets the stage for a lifetime of learning and development. As grade 1-5 students progress through Lower School, they are provided developmentally appropriate opportunities to participate in engaging lessons and boost their confidence. Project-based learning units provide students the opportunity to investigate, research and explore a particular topic. The lessons bridge all subjects and highlight the collaboration of the teaching team. Students begin to develop critical public speaking skills early as they present what they have learned to classmates and special guests. In addition to project-based lessons, educators also use proven programs such as guided reading, Writing Workshop, Fundations, and Singapore Math, and teacher-developed science and social studies units to foster a lifetime love of learning and exploration. Students in grade 4 and 5 learn in a departmentalized environment, with one grade level teacher focusing on one content area for all students. Traveling to different teachers for these classes supports a smooth transition to a Middle School routine.

Core Curriculum

Guided Reading

Growing strong literacy skills is essential for Lower School students, and developing a love of reading is one of our most important goals in the Lower School. Classroom time is dedicated to teacher read alouds and students reading daily, independently, with partners, or in book clubs. Students engage in a variety of reading activities to work their reading muscles and get lost in great stories. Teachers carefully match texts to students, at just the right reading levels, to meet their individual needs. They also plan reading routines for high levels of reading engagement while they meet with students in small and flexible reading groups. Throughout the school year, students read from a range of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, and develop a strong sense of who they are and what they enjoy most as readers.

Writing Workshop

Writing Workshop begins in kindergarten and progresses through grade 5. Students engage in several units of study throughout the school year, including variations of narrative writing, informational writing, and opinion writing. Closely following the Units of Study for Writing Workshop, students develop their writing skills not only in content but also in organization, craft, grammar, spelling, and conventions. Students also become comfortable with the writing process: draft, revise, edit, and publish. At the end of each writing unit, students celebrate their publications in unique and special ways.

Fundations

Students in grades 1 and 2 continue their study of literacy through daily Fundations lessons -- a multisensory, structured language program that provides systematic and explicit word study instruction. These lessons provide students with foundational skills and strategies essential to developing strong phonics, high frequency word study, handwriting, and spelling skills. Fundations lessons are lively, engaging, and fun!

Mathematics

Students learn, practice, connect, and grow their math knowledge daily in the Lower School. Teachers are well-versed in the Singapore Math methodology and their lessons are supported through the Think Mathematics curriculum. Math understandings develop over time through a key philosophy within the Singapore Math methodology, a learning progression of concrete to pictorial to abstract concepts. Most math lessons begin with an exploration of a specific math concept through an anchor task and practice math skills through games or assignments. Lower School students become confident mathematicians and problem solvers.

Beyond the Core Curriculum

As a complement to our core academic curriculum, PreK-3 - grade 5 students participate in a range of special area classes. At Episcopal, physical education and special area classes are an essential piece to our dedication to supporting the growth and development of the whole child. All Lower School students participate in daily, developmentally appropriate physical education. Students also participate in music, art, religion, and two world languages: French and Spanish. Students visit the library weekly, participate in monthly social-emotional lessons with our counselor, and participate in hands-on, inquiry-based learning in our QUEST Center.

Enrichments

Physical Education

In Lower School, students benefit from our developmentally appropriate physical education program every day, working with our talented PE teachers, who also coach our Middle and Upper School athletic teams. Students learn healthy habits for lifetime fitness while developing the skills that will carry them in competitive sports down the line. With our expansive outdoor facilities, gymnasiums, Field House, and dedicated playgrounds, students at Episcopal have lots of room for organized PE activities and free play in a safe, nurturing environment.

Spiritual Development

Episcopal offers inclusive religious and moral education to all its students, grounded in the Christian faith and traditions of the Episcopal Church. The seeds we plant in our daily Lower School Morning Meetings, Chapel services, and weekly religion classes help our students grow into young women and men of character. Our approach to spiritual and moral education is responsive to the needs of different families and beliefs. We invite you to feel the difference in our approach.

Visual and Performing Arts

Visual and Performing Arts are a cornerstone of the Episcopal experience. Students in Episcopal's Lower School are taught by professional teachers and artists who love their subjects. It's infectious. Our students sing, dance, paint, draw and act with confidence, grounded in a sound foundation of knowledge. You'll see personalized works of art and hear both traditional and student-created music coming from our dedicated music and art rooms. Ask a student about their work and you'll discover there's more to the story than just a great performance. Our students understand that art is a powerful means to communicate their feelings and express their dreams.

Visual art and music are taught in every grade level from PreK-3 through grade 5, with the added excitement of theatre in 5th grade. Students have the opportunity to participate in either the Lower School musical or all-school musical performed on the main stage. We invite you to see the difference a strong artistic foundation can make in the life of your child.

World Languages

Through business, in travel, or in daily life, a second language is quickly becoming a necessity. Three times a week, Episcopal provides all Lower School students with a language program focused on activities which develop world language skills, giving students the opportunity to learn and practice French and Spanish. Starting in PreK-3, students build a foundation for continuing their language of choice in Middle School. Through games, songs, projects, and cultural activities, students acquire the vocabulary and skills they need to be successful in further study. Episcopal students learn from teachers who are passionate about teaching the language, as well as creating cultural awareness, in order for students to become thoughtful global citizens.