The King Lower School engages students as active, joyful learners in a thoughtfully designed program that challenges young students to reach their personal best while nurturing a love of learning and collaboration. Students are equipped with a crucial, solid foundation for future academic and personal success.
"We believe that curiosity is a natural ability that children bring to their learning – we encourage students to ask questions, make discoveries, think critically, analyze and solve problems, be good listeners, and have fun being involved in the dynamic process of learning. We value every child and build strong, safe classroom communities where exploration and discovery leads to mastery."
Amy Vorenberg, Head of Lower School
We invite you to learn more about one of Stamford's top-rated private elementary schools, explore the benefits of our program, and browse our rigorousLS curriculum, and check out the Lower School in Action Stories and Events. We look forward to welcoming you at our upcoming events!
Commitment to Academic Excellence
You will experience an enriching and interesting academic curriculum. Our experiential and interactive program nurtures a love of learning and working with others. We want you to ask questions, make discoveries, think critically, analyze and solve problems, and have fun being involved in the dynamic process of learning. We value every child and build strong, safe classroom communities where exploration and discovery leads to mastery. LEARN MORE.
STEM
You will immerse yourself in the study and hands-on experience of science, technology, engineering, and math. You learn about environmental stewardship by working in the Lower School garden and tinkering in the Makerspace. You will use iCreate to develop short films. You'll build and program robots. Imagine in PreK, you’ll read “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” and then plan and create a bridge that is high enough for the troll to fit under and strong enough to hold all three goats! The Singapore Math Program will teach you solid skills in numeracy, pattern recognition, and geometric relationships. LEARN MORE.
Reading and Writing
You will fall in love with reading by developing skills to connect, comprehend, and respond to your reading. Your writing will blossom as you transform letters into words, sentences, and then complex paragraphs. Your thinking and speaking skills will also evolve as you learn to interpret and share information in more complex ways. LEARN MORE.
Enriching Opportunities
You will have so many opportunities to discover and pursue areas of interest and strength, including: Leadership Council, Math Olympiad, Engineering Club, Lego Robotics, King Children’s Choir, King Children’s Orchestra, after-school art, Service Learning Club and Zumba. You will also enjoy grade level activities, events, and trips, including: Invention Convention, State Fair, Science Fair, Poetry Tea, Grade 5 Musical, LS Variety Show, Grandparents’/Special Friends’ Day, Kindergarten Flapjack Breakfast, Moving Up Ceremony, Connecticut Science Museum visit, and Philadelphia visit.
Exceptional Faculty
You will develop very close relationships with highly knowledgeable and dedicated teachers who are passionate about the work of teaching and learning. They will champion your strengths and talents and challenge you while setting personal goals. MEET OUR FACULTY.
King's Approach to Teaching and Learning
King's approach to teaching and learning helps students advance, develop and mature. Teachers know you as an individual and have an intentionally collaborative approach, meeting weekly to discuss students’ progress. Teachers and parents develop productive partnerships assisting students in reaching their personal best. LEARN MORE.A safe, nurturing, multicultural community fosters the King Virtues -- Integrity, Kindness, Perseverance, and Respect -- enabling you to develop a strong sense of yourself and appreciate the broad range of similarities and differences among people. You will regularly join class meetings where you’ll get to know your classmates well, you’ll encourage and support one another, and have fun learning and playing together. You’ll be a member of the larger Lower School community that meets regularly to sing, share, and support one another. Our Lower School is a place where we are comfortable taking risks, collaborating, and problem-solving. Students participate each month in service projects in class as part of the King Cares Service Program. LEARN MORE.
In October, Grade 2 students and their parents celebrated the "publication" of their small moment stories, inspired by the work of authors Jack Ezra Keats and Nina Laden, with an Author's Toast and Book Signing. Parents had a chance to read their child's story as well as the work of other students.
Earlier this week, the PA King Inclusion and Diversity Committee (KInD) sponsored a breakfast meeting with Head of School Karen Eshoo, who offered insight about the definitions of diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Estimation was central to the lesson - making estimates and then determining the accuracy of their estimations. Students made guesses on whether the pumpkin was buoyant or would sink; what its weight would be; and how many grooves it had going around its body. This is a perfect example of hands-on joyful learning in our Lower School classrooms.
Literacy, as defined by Webster, means the state of being literate; to be educated, cultured, having knowledge or competency. At King School, the definition of literacy goes even farther as the School looks to empower students as fully literate in the Age of Information. Many educators today, including Sir Ken Robinson, argue for the value of cross-disciplinary learning through projects, inquiry, and collaboration. Amy Vorenberg, King's Head of Lower School, agrees that "we must redefine how we build literacy skills at this time, taking seriously the responsibility to give children knowledge and competency in every area of schooling."
To round out Homecoming weekend, student-athletes from the fall sports teams welcomed over 125 runners, volunteers, alumni, family members, and friends to the 6th Annual King Cares 5K. The event benefits two non-profit organizations, the Orphaned Starfish Foundation (OSF) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stamford and Greenwich.
The King campus was busting with excitement last weekend as alumni, parents, students, staffulty, and visiting athletes enjoyed three days of activities, athletics, and reconnecting during Homecoming 2018.
Grade 5 students stepped into their leadership role on campus and kicked off this week's first LS Assembly. Every A-Day, our LS community gathers for an assembly and three Grade 5 students help coordinate and guide the program as they sing together, share stories of learning, ask great questions, explore interesting answers, and strengthen our connections as a learning community.
In addition to welcoming our new Head of School, Dr. Karen Eshoo, King is pleased to announce that we have 17 new Staffulty (Staff and Faculty) members for 2018-2019 school year. The expertise and interests of these deeply experienced professionals will greatly enrich our community.
Dr. Karen E. Eshoo was escorted into the US gymnasium by our PreK and Kindergarten students on Thursday, September 6, and officially kicked off the 218-2019 school year with the traditional Ringing of the Bells. In addition to Dr. Eshoo's first year at King, she was joined by 141 new students and 17 new Staffulty members this year.
Head of School Dr. Karen E. Eshoo may be new to King and just settled into her office but her years of experience and profound knowledge took her to Atlanta in July to serve for her third year as Faculty at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Institute for New Heads (INH). As a member of the esteemed faculty, Karen collaborated with other Heads to help prepare new heads of school for successful leadership transitions.
