Lower School

Increasing Independence + Embracing Community

St. Andrew's invigorating Lower School meets your child where they are and gives them the tools to reach higher academically and personally. Our students see themselves as successful learners and responsible citizens, each with unique gifts to offer the world.

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rooted in essentials + ready to stretch

The Lower Schools challenging, developmentally calibrated curriculum ensures mastery in fundamental subject areas, while collaborative projects and individual attention spark your child's enthusiasm and curiosity. Discovering more about the world and their own capabilities, your child builds confidence in themselves and their classmates. They ask big questions, seek meaningful solutions, and embrace opportunities to learn and do more.
rooted in empathy + ready to engage

In our Christian tradition, we uphold service as a vital element of every child's education. Our intentional service-learning curriculum helps your child understand local and global challenges and gives them countless chances to make a genuine difference. When service is a natural and indispensable part of your child's early learning, they grow as insightful leaders and effective problem solvers. Equally important, they emerge with a strong moral compass that guides them all their lives.
rooted in resilience + ready to try

Our Episcopal values call us to pay careful attention to every child's emotional and physical well-being. And studies prove that when students feel safe, loved, and strong, they persevere through difficulty and attain greater academic success. Comfortable with themselves and others, undaunted by occasional setbacks, your child develops intellectual and personal courage. They pursue challenges that others shy away from, knowing our entire community is behind them.

Program Overview

St. Andrew's Lower School fosters persistent inquiry, lasting expertise, joyful faith, and exemplary character. Combining traditional instruction with hands-on exploration, we help your child discover how they learn best, so they grow as independent thinkers and community leaders.

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Language Arts

Our deeply engaging curriculum instills foundational skills and knowledge, while celebrating your child's individuality and creativity. Through a variety of approaches, calibrated to each child's strengths and interests, we build mastery in reading, spelling, the writing process, handwriting, grammar, and vocabulary, plus a lifelong love of reading, writing, and critical thinking.
Math

St. Andrew's program intentionally shapes mathematical thinkings, as students discover and practice a variety of methods to solve increasingly complex problems. By 4th grade, your child confidently employs fundamental math skills while moving from concrete to more abstract concepts, preparing them for algebra and higher mathematics.
Social Studies

Throughout Lower School, we build a multi-dimensional understanding of "community" to promote compassionate engagement in a diverse world. Students read novels and news articles and present their discoveries to the class; they also share their individual cultural experiences. In 3rd and 4th grade, students delve deeply into the history of Mississippi and the United States, discovering what it means to be a citizen of this state and country.
Co-curriculars

At every grade level, your child participates in co-curricular classes taught by dedicated professionals in art, music, science, library, technology and innovation, fitness, Little Chapel, and Spanish. Our Discovery Center provides state-of-the-art laboratories, maker spaces, and digital resources to help prepare your child for an increasingly interconnected global society.
Spiritual Growth

In Lower School, your child participates in Little Chapel as well as weekly Big Chapel services. Through the Catechesis of the Good Shepard curriculum, we illuminate the connection between our Episcopal tradition and serving our community.
Support Services

The Student Support Services Department is here for every child and every family. We take a holistic approach to address our community's diverse academic, physical, social/emotional, and spiritual needs.