Lower School

Our Approach

We prioritize giving our students a durable foundation in the primary domains of literacy, math, and social-emotional learning. Lower School students spend at least 90 minutes per day on reading comprehension and writing and a minimum of 60 minutes on math. They also learn the social skills that allow them to treat other people well, face adversity, and exist in public spaces as good citizens. Our small class sizes, no more than 15 students to a class, mean that all courses are designed to offer small group instruction and one-on-one support.

At the core of our instructional program, 1st through 4th grades, our fundamental belief is that children benefit from exposure to opportunities to make decisions about their learning, learn through “real life” experiences, and engage with and learn from peers. Students also are exposed to a variety of athletics and dance/performing/creative arts activities to help them not only learn early where their skills may lie, but also which pursuits they are passionate about.

This is reflective of our mission to teach students how to be problem solvers, design thinkers, and agents of change. Intentional play is the foundation of our Lower School program, establishing the conditions in which young children can think in imaginative ways, use sophisticated mental functions, and develop foundational literacy and quantitative skills.

Kiera Couch

Interim Lower School Dean

Phone: 609-643-0379
Email: kcouch@christinaseixacademy.org

“Our program provides all students with opportunities to engage in academic and extracurricular activities that promote positive cognitive, creative, and physical development.”

Foundations of Learning: Reading, Science & Mathematics

Lower School Literacy & Daily Schedule

Beginning with a balanced breakfast and morning exercise, our extended school day starts at 8:30 a.m. Our program provides all students with opportunities to engage in academic and co-curricular activities that promote positive cognitive, creative, and physical development. In the Lower School, we have implemented the Success for All Literacy Curriculums. For emergent readers, the Reading Roots program provides a structured approach to teaching foundational reading skills. As they progress through the program, students eventually graduate into the Reading Wings program, which provides engaging text appropriate for a student's reading level. This helps them further develop their fluency, comprehension, and writing skills.

Science Curriculum & Inquiry-Based Learning

Science begins as early as pre-K 3 and is embedded into the Tools of the Mind curriculum in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. As students advance into the Lower School program, so does their science curriculum. First through 4th graders have units that cover Physical Science, Earth Science, and Life Science. The curriculum is hands-on and inquiry based, focusing on making observations, developing hypotheses, conducting fair tests, recording accurate results, and forming conclusions. These foundational science skills prepare students for the Middle School Science programs, through Activate Learning (5th grade), and IQWST (6th through 8th grades).

Lower & Middle School Mathematics Curriculum

The Open Up Math curriculum is used in our Lower and Middle Schools. It is a research-based, standards-aligned mathematics program designed to deepen student understanding through problem-solving, discourse, and real-world application. It emphasizes coherence, conceptual thinking, and equitable access to high-quality math instruction for all learners. Open Up Math supports teachers with rich instructional materials, ongoing assessment tools, and professional learning resources to strengthen student achievement and confidence in mathematics.

Middle School Preparation

Preparing for What's Next

The Boarding Experience & Life Skills

Essential to this process is our strong recommendation that Middle School students board on campus Monday-Thursday, which fosters independence within a supportive community, discipline, and cross-cultural and peer connections essential for long-term success. Living in a structured, collaborative environment enables students to develop life skills such as time management, adaptability, and resilience. It also makes it easier for students to pursue athletics, dance, and other co-curricular program opportunities.

Parental Partnership in School Placement

Academic Excellence & Critical Thinking

CSA’s Middle School program prepares students for the challenges of independent high schools by strengthening the academic foundation, scholastic independence, and social confidence they began developing at our Lower School. Through discovery-based learning, the Socratic method, which emphasizes collaborative discussion to develop critical thinking, and hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) labs, our students develop and refine their sense of agency -- the ability to control one’s actions -- and self-understanding and worth.

Mentorship, Executive Functioning, & Interview Prep

We supplement academics by ensuring all our students are supported by positive mentors and exposed to collegiate and civic experiences that expand their horizons and social awareness. We emphasize executive functioning training so students can practice drills on skills they need to get into and succeed at a high-ranking independent high school. This entails a mix of power tools or techniques like making eye contact, proper greetings, how to talk about and present yourself, and coping mechanisms. These efforts culminate for 8th grade students with mock interviews and run-throughs for their interviews with independent high school evaluators.

Tracy Hyatt

Elementary Co-Lead Teacher

Khrista White

Music Lead Teacher

Kiera Couch

Interim Lower School Dean

Tracey Ames

3rd Grade Lead Teacher

Tavante Brittingham

2nd Grade Lead Teacher

LaVonia Brown

1st Grade Lead Teacher

Erin Griffiths

4th Grade Lead Teacher

Ashley Ingram