We help students uncover the connections between subjects, ideas, and the world around them. Children build the confidence to think across every discipline, not just within one.
Our Elementary School offers a rich education for students as they begin to fully embrace a variety of subjects and their interconnections. Two things differentiate this program: the connections we draw between subjects, and the teaching partnerships we provide. Students have a different Subject Expert Teacher (SET) for every core class, as well as a Learning Expert Teacher (LET) who stays with them throughout the day.
Our Elementary School curriculum is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, with a strong emphasis on connections between content areas. In grades 1–3, math and science are taught together, and a humanities block covers history, culture, civics, reading comprehension, and writing. Students also have a full schedule in the arts, with weekly 50- or 85-minute classes in fine arts, music, and performing arts. Courses like engineering and Mandarin help students discover new ways of thinking about the world around them.
Grades 4 and 5, the Bridge Years, mark a transition. Instead of one combined math and science course, students take separate classes for each discipline. English and history also become distinct subjects, alongside other courses. It’s a shift from making connections in class to building the skills to make those connections on their own.
Major concepts and skills are spiraled throughout every grade level. Each school year, we introduce them with more complexity, reinforcing what students already learned.
Read more about the BASIS Curriculum.
Connections, a weekly 50- or 85- minute class, presents students with creative challenges that test their mental agility, creativity, and content knowledge as they establish links across subjects and gain a deeper understanding of the material they are learning.
Aside from solving the problem at hand, students learn invaluable skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity.
Example of Connections in action:
For a humanities-themed unit, our Grade 1 students study Ancient Egypt, including the development of agriculture and early societal structure, mythology, mummification and beliefs in the afterlife, pyramids, temples, and art and hieroglyphics. Their Connections scenario asks them to imagine they’re living in ancient Egypt and need to acquire goods by trading with merchants from other cities. Using the materials provided, students create items to trade, then exchange goods through a barter system, just as the ancient Egyptians did… and learn about economics in the process!
At the beginning of each school year, teachers issue a syllabus outlining the course and topics covered in their class. Beyond subject-specific goals centered on academic readiness for the next level, our Elementary program prepares students to move on to Middle School with confidence.
Our students:
- Learn to be comfortable asking questions, utilizing their creativity, engaging with others, sharing opinions and expanding their problem-solving skills.
- Forge an understanding that concepts outside of the classroom do not exist in silos, and bridge content-rich coursework with critical inquiry and curiosity.
- Build important social and communication skills, and develop the ability to approach problems or challenges from multiple perspectives.
- Retain and improve knowledge as they progress through every grade level.
Our Subject Expert Teachers and Learning Expert Teachers work together to determine the best ways to deliver material, promote student engagement, and create an environment where students will best understand and retain knowledge.
Students don’t just memorize facts in isolation, they see how history explains science, how math shows up in art, and how every subject connects.
Instead of moving on once a topic is taught, students revisit core ideas year after year, building real mastery and understanding.
By Grade 5, students navigate their own schedule and classes with the independence they’ve built since Grade 1, arriving at Middle School prepared and confident.
Frequently Asked Questions
In grades 1– 3, math and science are taught together, and humanities covers history, culture, civics, reading, and writing as one connected block. In the Bridge Years (grades 4 and 5), these subjects split into separate classes as students build the skills to make connections between subjects on their own.
Our Elementary School is built to lead directly into our advanced Middle School program. By Grade 5, students are already navigating their own schedule and working with discipline-specific Subject Expert Teachers, the same model they’ll use throughout Middle School and High School.
Our Elementary program pairs a Subject Expert Teacher with a Learning Expert Teacher in every classroom, building a culture that supports both academic growth and social-emotional development. We also offer a weekly Connections course, which encourages students to link what they’re learning across subjects instead of studying them in isolation.
Yes. We are fully accredited by Cognia.
