Lower school music teacher Rachel Salem leads Prekindergarten students in the “Goodbye Song" at the end of their music lesson. The song highlights how different cultures say goodbye. Prekindergarten classes enjoy weekly lessons with teachers in music, art, science, and Spanish that build on their classroom lessons and activities.

 

In science, Kindergarten classes are learning about forces and motion. In a recent lesson, students explored what motion is and where they see it in the world. Following the discussion, they investigated different ways of creating motion by pushing and pulling on cars. The lesson served as an introduction to concepts in physics. It also allowed the students to experience collaborative brainstorming as they tried to maintain control of the vehicles.

 

Teacher Librarian Leigh Roberts shows first grade students how to scan books for checkout. All lower school classes, from Prekindergarten through Grade 5, visit the library weekly to select books and engage in lessons that foster literacy in information, media, and technology.

 

After learning Spanish names for family members, students in Grade 2 Spanish class illustrate and label their unique family tree, including mamá, papá, hermano, hermana, and beloved stuffed animals.

 

Students in Grade 3 defend a plastic bowling pin while attempting to knock over their peers’ pins during a game of “Pin Sliders” in the lower school gym. Successfully downed pins are reset after the defending student performs a physical challenge to strengthen their bodies, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, or sit-ups. In addition to building gross motor skills, the game provides a physical outlet for the student’s energy mid-day.

 

A student in Grade 4 pauses in the lower school hallway to contribute to a collaborative mural. Based on The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, the project invites members of the King community to transform the dots into something of their own.

 

During their introduction to their study of ancient civilizations, Grade 5 students cut, sand, glue, and paint various materials to create replicas of ancient tools and technology in social studies. The project helps the students develop deeper connections and better understand where we came from. 

 

Lower school faculty, students, and families enjoy food and games during a communal picnic at the end of the week in the Lower School Courtyard on a beautiful fall day. At King, community is a central part of the school experience.