Elementary

A Strong Academic Foundation

Early mastery of fundamental skills like reading, writing, and math are the critical building blocks to academic success. A strong foundation aids in understanding more complex concepts and builds student confidence in their ability to work through not just academic challenges, but the complex issues of the future.

Experiential Learning

Inspiring, experiential units motivate students to be resourceful and give them opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through hands-on learning. As students create work that showcases their effort, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration skills, they build confidence in their potential to make a positive impact and, perhaps, even change the world.

Building Confidence

Elementary students participate in musical performances, plays, and assemblies on a regular basis during our all school assembly hour. Each student can expect to be on stage performing several times during the year. These performance opportunities help build confidence by allowing students to practice public speaking, teamwork, and self-expression in a supportive environment, all real-world skills essential for future success.

Enthusiasm for the Future 

Our curriculum sparks a passion for innovation from the earliest years, with students progressing from foundational keyboarding in Transitional Kindergarten to mastering complex block-based coding and robotics by fifth grade. Alongside this, our robust science program nurtures a deep understanding of the natural world, starting with explorations of the human body and habitats in TK, and advancing to designing experiments and participating in a juried Science Fair by fifth grade. These distinct yet complementary programs cultivate vital innovation and critical thinking skills, ensuring our students are not just prepared for, but excited to shape, the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow's world.

Providing the Right Support

Every child is unique, and so are the ways in which they learn. Small class sizes allow teachers to build strong, collaborative relationships with families in focusing on each child’s individual strengths and challenges. Our highly trained Learning Center faculty provide additional support that is integral to differentiating instruction, tailoring strategies, and creating goals to maximize each child’s academic potential. 

Seeing the Whole Child

The social-emotional health of a child is just as important as their scholastic achievements—in fact, they are deeply intertwined. Studies show that when students feel safe they are able to be more present and create the neural-connections that process and retain information. As such, evidence-based programs such as Responsive Classroom, Kid Power, and the Learning for Justice standards are woven into our educational experience to ensure all students are seen and valued and to support the development of important life skills. 

Partnering with Parents

Parental involvement is essential to student growth, as it strengthens the connection between home and school, reinforcing the importance of education and providing a consistent support system. We partner with families to support their child's learning journey by offering ongoing assistance and hosting regular Parent Education Series events that encourage families to take an active part in their child's learning journey. 

Being Part of Something Bigger

Our state-of-the-art PS-8 campus offers a beautiful, safe, and secure place to grow up while benefiting from being part of a broader school community. Our size also enables us to provide instruction in World Language (French and Spanish), Physical Education, Music, Library, Art, and STEM. Choir, band, and athletics are offered in the upper grades. Multi-age activities provide students with the opportunity to interact with and serve as positive role models, helping them develop important social and collaborative skills that are essential in real-world environments. As students explore different interests, they are better able to understand their strengths and preferences, which is crucial in finding their place in the world.

BCD's Curriculum by Subject