Knightly News

As Episcopal focuses on building community this school year, we take a look at how small class sizes foster a sense of belonging and encourage academic success.

Lower School Buddies

In Lower School, small class sizes build community through meaningful experiences like the Lower School buddies initiative. While the kindergarten/senior buddy partnership is well known for creating cross-divisional relationships, students throughout Lower School have a buddy. “For example, PreK-4 children have fifth grade buddies,” says PreK-4 teacher Stephanie Ezell. “Our classes are small enough that we can easily do DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) with our fifth grade buddies, sit with them during Lower School Morning Meeting and participate in other celebrations during the school year.”

Lower School small class sizes also permit curiosity and exploration. When students express interest in a topic, there is flexibility to dive deeper. For example, when early childhood students discovered a hummingbird in the PreK garden, a student-led experience occurred, including a QUEST Center field trip, research and treats. A similar experience happened when students noticed a hum on campus. That hum was cicadas, and the student excitement inspired a new QUEST Center station. Small class sizes and nurturing teachers make these lessons a reality.

“Children have more opportunity to ask the teacher questions and to do small and large group activities in every subject,” says PreK-4 teacher Stephanie Ezell. “Teachers can also easily do activities outside of the classroom with a smaller class size, such as cooking a recipe in the Quest kitchen or doing a science experiment where everyone can participate together.”

Learning Together

A recent article in the National Association of Independent Schools’ “Independent” Magazine points out that while parents of independent school students want their child to “get a high-quality education, and everything that comes with it, at the heart of their desire is a place where their children feel valued. A strong sense of community is essential to create a culture of mattering.”

Whether students are reading with a buddy, examining jumping legs or discussing a challenging topic, community is built when people know and care about each other. Episcopal’s small class sizes create a sense of belonging that makes learning more engaging and lessons more meaningful.

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