From Our Lower School Head

I am pleased to welcome you to Episcopal’s Lower School, a nurturing, safe, and joyful community where students in PreK 3 through Grade 5 spend each day learning and growing.  Our experienced, highly trained faculty understand the academic, social, and emotional needs of young children.  Low student-teacher ratios enable us to personalize instruction and facilitate student progress and development.   

When you step foot in Lower School, you are sure to feel the energy and excitement.  It permeates the hallways and spills into the classroom and outdoors.  It all begins at Morning Meeting—our daily, dynamic Lower School celebration with music, lessons, birthdays, recognition, leadership and community building.  

Project-based learning—even as early as preschool—inspires students throughout Lower School to draw on personal experiences to investigate real-world issues and embrace a challenge.   There is depth here with curriculum enhancements such as embodied learning, Osmos, Beebots, Smart Tables, hydroponics, daily physical education, the arts, and world language.  You’ll see children interpreting songs on drums and Orff instruments, programming robots and coding, or hosting a celebration of reading near the bird sanctuary.  And PK3 is donning rain boots and gloves in the garden examining chrysalises with a magnifying glass.  Everywhere you look, students are actively engaged and loving it.

We see every moment as a possibility for learning and hope that you will take the time to visit us and have a Campus Tour and see what sets us apart from other learning options in the Baton Rouge area.  

Sincerely,

​Beth Gardner
Lower School Division Head

‘‘Episcopal prepared me well for college and a life of leadership and service.” 
Brad Hebert '12, 
University of Pennsylvania class of '16

“Episcopal is a part of us wherever we go, and we must remember the place where we began in order to be successful in life.”–Blake Delacroix '15, 
Episcopal Valedictory Address

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Faculty and Staff

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Lower School Events

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Ideas to discover

Every moment of the day brings new ideas and possibilities. 

• Students in Lower School have the opportunity to explore science with our very own "Science Instigator," delving deep into the basics of coding and learning all about the natural world around them.

• Students can work with their teachers in SmalLab, Episcopal's embodied learning center, and interact physically with computer programs in almost every subject.
• On the reading and writing front, Episcopal Lower School students are immersed in the reading and writing workshop, allowing for personalized instruction tailored to your child's reading interests. 
• Episcopal uses the Singapore math method in lower school, a developmentally friendly approach that accelerates students ahead of traditional math curriculum taught in other schools.
• We tie it all together with project-based approaches to learning, incorporating all of our subjects into exciting units based on topics such as "Traveling Theatre Troupe" in 3rd grade and "Frogtarium" in 1st grade.

We see every moment as a possibility for learning and hope that you will take the time to visit us and see what sets us apart from other educational options in the Baton Rouge area.  

Time to play

We take playtime seriously. 

 In Lower School students benefit from our developmentally appropriate Physical Education program every single day, working with our talented PE teachers, who also coach our middle school and upper school athletic teams.  Students learn healthy habits for lifetime fitness while developing the skills that will carry them in competitive sports down the line.

With our expansive outdoor facilities and dedicated playgrounds, students at Episcopal have lots of room for free play in a safe, nurturing environment.  You won't find another school in town with our balance of structured Physical Education and free play time to just be a kid.

freedom to create

Visual and Performing Arts in the Lower School aren't an afterthought.  They are a cornerstone of the Episcopal experience.

Students in Episcopal's Lower School are taught by professional teacher/artists who love their subjects.  It's infectious.  Our students sing, dance, paint, draw, and act with confidence, grounded in a sound foundation of knowledge. You'll see wonderful works of art and hear amazing music coming from our dedicated music and art rooms.  What's more, ask a student about their work and you'll discover there's more to the story than just a great performance.  Our students understand that art is a powerful means to communicate their feelings and express their dreams.  

Visual Art and Music are taught in every grade level from Pre-K3 through grade 5, with the added excitement of drama in 5th grade. Students have the opportunity to participate in either the Lower School Musical or All-School Musical, and perform on the Mainstage in the VPAC--one of the best facilities in town.

You won't find a Lower School program anywhere with as much dedication to the arts. We believe in it so much it's a part of our mission!

We invite you to a see the difference a strong artistic foundation can make in the life of your child.

Seeds to plant

A Seed to PlantEpiscopal offers inclusive religious and moral education to all its students, grounded in the Christian faith and traditions of the Episcopal Church.  The seeds we plant in our daily Lower School Morning Meetings and Chapel services help our students grow into young women and men of character.

With a dedicated Lower School Chaplain, our Morning Meeting is a developmentally appropriate introduction to spiritual education, complete with uplifting music and prayers.  There's no better way to start the day.

Moral education continues in the classroom with our dedication to the Responsive Classroom approach to student discipline.  Our teachers and administrators are compassionate and dedicated to providing appropriate guidance to all the students in our care.  The Lower School Counselor, in coordination with the Lower School Division Head and Chaplain, provide resources and advice to students and parents.

Our approach to spiritual and moral education is responsive to the needs of different families and beliefs.  We invite you to feel the difference in our approach.

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