LOWER SCHOOL BOYS’ L ATIN LOWER SCHOOL
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WHERE
JOY and
LEARNING G O
H A N D
I N
H A N D
Welcome to Lower School Our boys are inquisitive, active, creative, compassionate, and, most of all, they are joyful! Lower school boys love coming to school every day.
LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMICS
WHERE JOY
feeds
CURIOSITY
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LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMICS
As experts in all-boys education, we know how boys think and learn. Boys thrive in an environment where they feel known, cared for and valued. That’s why building meaningful relationships is at the core of our mission. Our teachers know each boy, from what brings him joy and motivates him to the sports teams he roots for and his favorite books.
NEARLY TWO CENTURIES OF INNOVATION in all-boys education has
taught us what it takes to build a foundation of confidence, of compassion and of curiosity.
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BOYS LEARN
K
KINDERGARTNERS
PRE-FIRST CLASS
1 2 FIRST GRADERS
SECOND GRADERS
practice writing
celebrates every
begin a cross-curricular
research, design
letters and numbers
writing unit with a
project in science,
and build their own
on windows, go on
publishing party.
reading and language
versions of the
scavenger hunts to
For their poetry unit
arts with a visit to the
Q’eswachaka Rope
look for words that
the boys decorated
Maryland Zoo. Based
Bridge, an inca
begin with certain
crowns and read their
on their observations
engineering feat
sounds and measure
favorite acrostics,
of the animals’ habitats,
that for 600 years
objects outdoors.
cinquains, haiku, color
the boys research and
has been rebuilt
And that’s just on
or shape poems to
design an improved
every year.
a Monday.
each other.
habitat that meets their
PRE 1 ST
ST
animal’s needs.
ND
STUDENTS MEET IN DIFFERENTIATED GROUPS for reading/language arts and math so they are challenged and supported.
BEST BY DOING
3 4 5 RD
TH
TH
THIRD GRADERS
FOURTH GRADERS
FIFTH GRADERS
research a historical
participate in The Stock
participate in a film
figure exemplifying
Market Game. Working
study of the movie
the core value of
in teams, they develop
“Hidden Figures.”
courage, such as
a portfolio based on an
They then design
Albert Einstein
initial investment and
and build lunar
or Martin Luther
learn how the market
landing modules and
King Jr. They then
functions, how to initiate
test their shock-
dress up as their
trades and what affects
absorbing systems
characters, bringing
stock prices.
by conducting
them to life in an
“test-landings.”
engaging “Living History Museum.”
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LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMICS
LESSONS ARE FILLED WITH HANDS- ON LEARNING that
involves action, movement and experiences that connect boys to the real world.
HANDS-ON LEARNING
EVERY WEEK BOYS TAKE NATURE WALKS on our western
campus fostering an appreciation for the environment. They explore the wonders of nature, such as identifying trees and plant life, monitoring bird nests and planting native black-eyed Susans.
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LOWER SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y
WHERE
COMMUNITY
COUNTS
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LOWER SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y
MAKING EVERY DAY A JOYFUL ONE Morning Meeting is how we start each day, creating connections and ensuring boys have a strong sense of belonging. The boys exchange a special greeting with each classmate, share a story, event, or experience and participate in a group activity that fosters teamwork.
FAMILIES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE LARGER LAKER FAMILY. In the lower school, families
join the boys for Friday night BINGO, participate in parent dodgeball, carve pumpkins on our western campus and the list goes on and on.
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LOWER SCHOOL COMMUNIT Y
“IT REALLY IS MORE OF A FAMILY FOR US THAN A SCHOOL. My boys started in kindergarten and felt like they belonged at Boys’ Latin immediately. The kids know that their teachers love them, and that helps with their self-esteem and their growth. It really is more of a family for us than a school.” — Lower School Parent
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LOWER SC HOOL VALUES
WHERE
VALUES come to
LIFE
In the lower school, boys learn our core values – courage, compassion and integrity – and how to live them. Each grade focuses on a value throughout the year that is integrated into their lessons and reflected in how boys treat each other—teamwork, responsibility, citizenship, courage, compassion and integrity.
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LOWER SC HOOL VALUES
IN OUR LAKER BUDDY PROGRAM,
boys build strong connections across grades and divisions. Older boys take on the role of mentors, acting as ‘big brothers’ while learning from and spending time with their younger friends. Kindergartners and pre-first boys are paired with a fifth-grade Laker Buddy, and lower schoolers spend time with upper school boys.
FIFTH GRADERS WELCOME STUDENTS each
morning and help with carpool as members of the Safety Patrol.
THE LOWER SCHOOL partnered with the
non-profit Love and Lunches. Boys collected and assembled lunches, hygiene packs and winter hats and scarves that were delivered to families experiencing food insecurity.
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LOWER SC HOOL VALUES
THE FIFTH GRADE TIE CEREMONY is a significant milestone
when the boys receive their first School tie. Headmaster Chris Post explains how the School tie is a symbol of our mission and values. The three stripes represent the three words of our motto, Esse Quam Videri, and our three core values: courage, compassion and integrity.
COURAGE. CO
AT THE END OF THE YEAR,
fifth graders participate in an “EQV” video project centered around our School motto, Esse Quam Videri, To Be Rather Than To Seem. Each boy produces a video that captures a personal experience embodying the School motto.
MPASSION. INTEGRITY. WATC H
BOYS IN GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE can serve on the Lower School
Student Council, which leads many lower school service projects. Student Council recently ran a diaper drive that filled an entire BL bus with diapers that were delivered to the non-profit ShareBaby.
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LOWER SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULARS
WHERE LEARNING
goes
BEYOND T H E
C L A S S R O O M
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LOWER SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULARS
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
12
CHALLENGING YOUNG MINDS ONE DAY AT A TIME Beginning in fourth grade, boys can join our after-school Robotics Club, where they build and code robots.
LOWER SCHOOL BOYS
have at least two enrichment classes a day: art, music, technology, library, science lab and Spanish.
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LOWER SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULARS
OUR DEDICATED TEACHERS
share their passions during club time, as boys participate in everything from golf to ceramics to riding scooters and driving remote control cars.
OUR YOUNG MUSICIANS AND ARTISTS showcase
their talents in the lower school concert and art show. It’s a great way to celebrate creativity.
BOYS HAVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION EVERY DAY AND ENJOY RECESS ONCE, IF NOT TWICE A DAY. We embrace the
energy our boys bring to school each day and understand the importance of providing time and space for physical activity. When this is coupled with active and engaging classroom lessons, our boys are energized, focused and ready to learn.
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“BOYS’ LATIN HAS OPENED OUR EYES TO WHAT A CHILD’S EDUCATION SHOULD BE. When our third-grader was bored at school, but still getting straight A’s, we knew that he was not in the right place. He would come home most days and say that he didn’t learn anything new. This changed when he started at Boys’ Latin. We often now talk on the drive home about science experiments, novels and other daily happenings. Boys’ Latin has opened his and our eyes to what a child’s education should be.” — Lower School Parent
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