Lower School

Students in the primary grades at Deerfield-Windsor are learning through all five senses.  We carefully design a curriculum that aligns with every stage of childhood development in order to teach children the foundational skills and habits they need to become lifelong learners.  Our mission is to provide the learning rich environment necessary to nurture every student's curiosity and innovation.

Would you like your child to have regular enrichment classes in Art, STEAM, Multi-Media, Library/Research, PE, Guidance, Spanish and Music?  Deerfield offers these classes to students!  Each grade has a schedule to attend these enrichment classes starting as young as Pre-K all the way through 5th grade.  All students have Art displayed in a yearly showcase.  Many students are recognized in the community for work done in our Art classes.  The STEAM curriculum includes a rocket launch for 4th graders and all the grades attend.  STEAM class is where students ask why and how and gain an understanding of the scientific process.  Coding, typing, word-processing and graphic design are some of the skills students build in Multi-Media.  Our 4th and 5th graders help with morning announcements and even a weekly news show planned and anchored by students!  The primary grades attend a library class to explore reading interests and basic research skills.  Everyone loves PE!  Our PE classes are focused on the mind/body connection.  The fundamentals of our sports programs are taught with a focus on sportsmanship and teamwork.  Our Guidance classes are a student favorite because it's a time to reflect on those crucial interpersonal skills.  Empathy and forethought are learned through engaging lessons and discussion with our school counselor, so much so that it's hard for the counselor to leave the room to go to another class.  The Spanish class brings students into different cultures.  Students become aware of the importance of language and communication while building a foundation to take to our middle and upper school Spanish courses.  The music program is engaging and fun for students.  Every grade performs on stage for the entire school and parents/family guests.  Students are involved in the process of performing a musical, and they leave the stage bursting with excitement and enthusiasm for musical artistry.   These are just some small parts of our enrichment classes and programs at Deerfield-Windsor.  Our students are busy learning!

The primary grades at Deerfield-Windsor are using all 5 senses to explore, discover and learn.  We use the age appropriate and teacher acclaimed Orton-Gillingham methods for reading and writing literacy.  This method is working well to set students up with strong decoding, writing and reading abilities.  Teachers and parents have regular communication to keep the student focused and on track.  We know the importance of a healthy home and school connection when it pertains to early literacy in reading, language and math.  Students in our primary grades are building a foundation that will determine their success with the curriculum in the upper elementary grades on up to the middle and high school.  All of what we do is with the whole student in mind and giving them the tools to meet the goals and objectives of every grade.

The upper elementary grades are about growth.  Students are completing more complex assignments.  Teachers demonstrate and provide students with ways to build stamina in reading and concentration. Reading levels are monitored to ensure that students are able to read grade-level material.  Parents and teachers communicate regularly to keep students on track and find ways to learn good study habits as well as intrinsic motivation for the work and grades to reflect a student's true ability.  We encourage the upper elementary students to become their own learning advocates and to set learning goals for themselves.  In 4th and 5th grades, Deerfield-Windsor integrates technology into all academic subjects.  Students are issued Chromebooks to be used in class to complete work.  This provides the opportunity for teachers to assign engaging, cross-curricular work.  The main goal is for students in upper elementary grades to gain awareness of learning styles and know what ways work best for them.  That main goal means students naturally see the areas in which they must work harder, and we provide a good space for that for all students.  

Visiting the lower school campus is the only way to truly know what the students are experiencing.  Teachers are welcoming and students are bright-eyed and eager.  We are all working to educate young children and foster a love of learning.