Lower School (Pre-K to Gr. 4)
In Derby Academy’s Pre-K to Grade 4 Lower School, we embrace the lively minds and imaginative spirits of 4 through 9 year olds.
Children at these ages are eager to explore, inventive in their thinking, and motivated by a strong desire to understand how things work. Our classrooms harness this natural drive by creating experiences that spark curiosity, encourage creativity, and challenge students to make meaningful connections across subjects.
Foundations for Lifelong Learning
The Lower School years are a time of discovery, creativity, and connection.
![A group of children and an adult dressed as superheroes pose in a classroom with colorful decorations and a whiteboard in the background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1769806184/derbyacademyorg/h9zqx0zm66807xla6a6a/20260115_PK_Spanish_Superheroes_17.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1769806184/derbyacademyorg/h9zqx0zm66807xla6a6a/20260115_PK_Spanish_Superheroes_17.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1769806184/derbyacademyorg/h9zqx0zm66807xla6a6a/20260115_PK_Spanish_Superheroes_17.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1769806184/derbyacademyorg/h9zqx0zm66807xla6a6a/20260115_PK_Spanish_Superheroes_17.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1769806184/derbyacademyorg/h9zqx0zm66807xla6a6a/20260115_PK_Spanish_Superheroes_17.jpg","width":1500}])
Play-Based Learning
Children at this age learn best through play—it’s at the heart of everything we do. Our curriculum is intentionally playful and hands-on, inviting students to learn through movement, exploration, building, and creative expression.
![A young girl presents a human body model to an audience of children in a gymnasium with colorful artwork on the blue walls.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1769797379/derbyacademyorg/dr87oaskvvoczzs2f9op/20251210_G3_Health_Human_Body_Fair_32.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1769797379/derbyacademyorg/dr87oaskvvoczzs2f9op/20251210_G3_Health_Human_Body_Fair_32.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1769797379/derbyacademyorg/dr87oaskvvoczzs2f9op/20251210_G3_Health_Human_Body_Fair_32.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1769797379/derbyacademyorg/dr87oaskvvoczzs2f9op/20251210_G3_Health_Human_Body_Fair_32.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1769797379/derbyacademyorg/dr87oaskvvoczzs2f9op/20251210_G3_Health_Human_Body_Fair_32.jpg","width":1500}])
Projects Curriculum
Our Projects Curriculum integrates science, social studies, the arts, and physical education into rich, hands-on investigations. Students dive into topics that engage both their intellect and their imagination.
![Two young girls stand at a podium in front of a colorful, steampunk-themed backdrop with other children visible in the background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1769797376/derbyacademyorg/fmrosjzrqgq5bivxudp0/20251125_Grandfriends_Day_151.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1769797376/derbyacademyorg/fmrosjzrqgq5bivxudp0/20251125_Grandfriends_Day_151.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1769797376/derbyacademyorg/fmrosjzrqgq5bivxudp0/20251125_Grandfriends_Day_151.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1769797376/derbyacademyorg/fmrosjzrqgq5bivxudp0/20251125_Grandfriends_Day_151.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1769797376/derbyacademyorg/fmrosjzrqgq5bivxudp0/20251125_Grandfriends_Day_151.jpg","width":1500}])
Public Speaking
Students develop public speaking skills in a developmentally appropriate way at every grade level. At the end of major units of study, we invite families into the classroom so students can share their discoveries, creations, and skills, making learning visible and building confidence in sharing their voices.
![A teacher helps two young students with their work at a table in a classroom filled with colorful supplies and educational posters.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1778161398/derbyacademyorg/mjumx4xq8ibpx7v72srx/20250903_First_Chapel_14.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1778161398/derbyacademyorg/mjumx4xq8ibpx7v72srx/20250903_First_Chapel_14.png","width":500}])
Relationships
Our experienced educators are not only experts in the classroom—they are caring partners who know how to connect with young children and their families. Small class sizes mean every child receives individual attention, with teachers, instructional assistants, and specialists working in close-knit small groups.
![A teacher writes on a whiteboard in the foreground while a class of young students sits attentively in the background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1776976561/derbyacademyorg/ipszr3dipcqam8xzz7hg/20260302_G2_SEL_Kindness_Buckets_08.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1776976561/derbyacademyorg/ipszr3dipcqam8xzz7hg/20260302_G2_SEL_Kindness_Buckets_08.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1776976561/derbyacademyorg/ipszr3dipcqam8xzz7hg/20260302_G2_SEL_Kindness_Buckets_08.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1776976561/derbyacademyorg/ipszr3dipcqam8xzz7hg/20260302_G2_SEL_Kindness_Buckets_08.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1776976561/derbyacademyorg/ipszr3dipcqam8xzz7hg/20260302_G2_SEL_Kindness_Buckets_08.jpg","width":1600}])
Social Emotional Learning
Our Social Emotional Curriculum is as important as reading, writing, and math, teaching students the skills to collaborate, show empathy, solve problems together, and be thoughtful, responsible members of our school community.
![A young boy in the foreground paints at a table, while other children work on art projects in the blurred background of a classroom.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1776976562/derbyacademyorg/gaesuyme1xzcb7ke0n3y/20260303_LS_Art_03.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1776976562/derbyacademyorg/gaesuyme1xzcb7ke0n3y/20260303_LS_Art_03.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1776976562/derbyacademyorg/gaesuyme1xzcb7ke0n3y/20260303_LS_Art_03.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1776976562/derbyacademyorg/gaesuyme1xzcb7ke0n3y/20260303_LS_Art_03.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1776976562/derbyacademyorg/gaesuyme1xzcb7ke0n3y/20260303_LS_Art_03.jpg","width":1600}])
Specials
Lower School life is rounded out with Spanish, music, visual arts, physical education, and library and digital learning specials—all designed to inspire joyful learning and personal growth.
![Two young children, a girl in a pink hoodie and a boy in a blue shirt, are focused on their work at a classroom table in the foreground, while other students are visible at desks in the blurred background.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1778155981/derbyacademyorg/reih0syss9tenuuigzyn/20251001_Grade_1_Math_21.jpg","width":2200}])
Workshop Model
Our workshop model for reading, writing, and mathematics allows the majority of learning to happen in small, targeted groups led by classroom teachers, instructional assistants, and learning specialists. Students benefit from individualized attention, targeted skill-building, and the confidence that comes from being known and supported.
Lower School Highlights
- Weekly Community Meeting
- Celebrations of Learning with families
- Targeted workshop model instruction for reading, writing, and math
- Students as authors—narrative, informational, opinion, and poetry writing each year—with author celebrations after each
- Weekly Specials: Spanish, Music, Art, Physical Education, and Library/Digital Literacy
- Cross-Grade Pals Program
- Mixed-grade lunch tables
- Two+ recess periods per day
Lower School Library
A welcoming gathering area, our Lower School library features an expansive and dynamic collection of diverse books, iPads that students use for digital research and creative projects, and multisensory activities, games, and puzzles. In weekly library classes, our certified librarian connects to classroom learning, helps develop our students' personal interests and love of reading, and builds digital literacy skills.
A Day in the Life
8:00 AM
Arrival and Greeting
Students are welcomed to campus by faculty and settle into their classrooms for Morning Meeting and group discussions.
8:15 AM
Class Time
In the Lower School, children are learning to be independent problem-solvers and positive members of their school community. Project-based learning inspires students to push their thinking and make deep connections across subject areas.
9:00 AM
Art, Music, & Movement
Art classes delve deeper into art mediums and tools as students expand their understanding of colors, shapes, artists, and materials. Our theater and music programs allow students to take to the stage, explore instruments and music genres, and learn to sing and move in an exciting and meaningful way!
9:45 AM
Snack & Recess
Play supports our curriculum with learning and fun, providing an opportunity for students to engage both their minds and hearts. Students enjoy going outside for recess on our playgrounds or exploring the classroom during choice time.
10:00 AM
Class Time
An advanced academic program, motivated peer groups, and a supportive network of faculty create classrooms that are full of exploration and discovery.
10:45 AM
Specialists
Our literacy, math, and curriculum specialists work with students within the classroom by actively engaging a student’s curiosity in the subject and allowing them to connect, access, and build upon their strengths independently.
11:30 AM
Lunch & Recess
Our mixed-grade level lunches feature students at assigned tables with a faculty member, bringing our community together to enjoy a healthy meal over meaningful conversation.
12:15 PM
Class Time
Our unique curriculum guides our youngest students in their journey toward healthy social growth and positive peer relationships with its focus on improving both mind and heart. Our thematic curriculum teaches self-confidence, critical thinking, and inclusion of diverse cultures.
1:00 PM
Physical Education
Lower School students enjoy fun athletic activities, skill-building games, and team challenges as they learn the value of sportsmanship.
1:45 PM
Social Emotional Learning
Each grade level at Derby receives weekly, or bi-weekly, SEL lessons ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. Lesson topics include: problem solving, including others, leadership, cooperating, respecting differences, getting calm, coping with worries, positive self-talk, and more. We also incorporate supplemental lessons teaching kindness, resilience, confidence, identity, integrity, and empathy.
2:15 PM
Spanish
Beginning in Pre-Kindergarten, Spanish builds conversational skills as students learn to better express themselves, improve their vocabulary, and write in another language.
3:00 PM
Dismissal
Pre-K through Grade 4 students enjoy a full day of learning and are dismissed at 3:00 PM, or they can extend their day through our After School program. Pre-K to Grade 4 dismissal is at 12:30 PM on Fridays.