Lower School Grades 1-5

"Reading this report card really brings to life Doane’s mission statement of knowing, loving, and strongly encouraging all children/students to discover their unique potential.

All of the narratives written by each teacher made me FEEL how much time and attention you all invested (and continue to) into KNOWING and loving my child, and making sure she is nurtured towards her brightest potential."

 - Buda, LS parent

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LOWER SCHOOL HANDBOOK

Doane Academy’s Lower School provides a warm and supportive learning environment for children during their most formative school years, from first through fifth grade.

Our small class sizes and low student-faculty ratio allow our gifted and dedicated teachers to form close, trusting relationships with students and parents. Lower school teachers communicate with parents on a regular basis (formally and informally) to form a working relationship in the education of the student. Student-teacher relationships are special, as small class sizes allow teachers to recognize each student’s unique learning style and personality.

Teachers take advantage of every opportunity for their students to experience success through a curriculum that encourages creativity, builds academic, social and physical skills, nurtures character development and enhances self-esteem. In Doane’s safe and supportive environment, children feel secure and become more willing to discover new ideas and take risks to explore them.

Lower School students in grades 1 through 3 concentrate on the acquisition and mastery of the basic skills in the core subject areas. In traditional self-contained classrooms, teachers lead their students through explorations and studies in mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies. In addition, students study Spanish each day, building a foundation that will help them develop language fluency as they continue their studies in later years.

In addition to a strong academic program, our teachers nurture the development of the whole child and work to build esteem by valuing each child’s unique qualities. It is the goal of every teacher that each child leaves their classroom a confident, responsible and successful person ready to accept the challenges ahead.

Doane offers 4th and 5th grade students a dynamic and academically challenging program. Building upon the skills and strong foundation established in the lower grades, the 4th and 5th grade curriculum stresses the development of oral and written expression, critical thinking, and organizational skills. While computers are present in all Lower School classrooms, it is in 4th and 5th grades that students start to integrate the use of technology into the different subject areas.

Throughout the Lower School, Doane provides students with a safe, diverse, innovative, academically inspiring environment that encourages a lifetime love of learning in its students. We look forward to sharing more details about our program when you visit.