A Message From Dr. Margaret Secoda, Head of Lower School

Welcome to the Lower School of Gerstell Academy!

I hope you enjoy your visit. It is with pleasure that I share with you an overview of this positive and nurturing learning environment steeped in leadership development. We are most proud of our hardworking students, and invite you to see for yourself what makes Gerstell Academy such a special place.

We strive to produce student- leaders who will be ready to accept the challenges of Middle School with success, confidence, and resourcefulness.

The Leadership curriculum is taught in every class and integrated in all curriculum areas.  Leadership Circle provides the Lower School students with opportunities to model, practice, and learn about the Gerstell Motto, Principles, Leadership Attributes, and our Portrait Leaders so essential to our mission of leadership education.  Our Lower School students role play, perform skits, and lead by example. They recognize and honor many of our portrait leaders, like Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Jacques Cousteau, and the Heroes of Flight 93. This leadership education will be built upon and put into further practice in the Middle School.

Our students are well prepared to delve deeper into the Five Areas of Academic Leadership (Traditional, History, Environmental Science, Adolescent Psychology, and Comparative Religions), as well as ethics, public speaking, manners, and social skills.

The Language Arts Program in the Lower School includes reading, writing, grammar, spelling, handwriting, and literature. Social Studies include geography, history, world cultures and religions. The Everyday Mathematics program is designed to stimulate creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. It is scoped, sequenced, and spiraled throughout the grades. The leadership curriculum is integrated into all subject areas.

In addition, our Lower School students study Spanish, Music, Art, Library, and Science. The Physical Training program promotes health, motivation, and feelings of self-confidence through play, physical education, and intramural sports. All of our special area teachers are experts in their particular subject. Likewise, special area teachers incorporate the Leadership Principles and Attributes into the students’ learning.

At Gerstell, education should meet the needs of young students at their developmental stages. We provide many experiential learning opportunities for them to grow and develop suitably. Early education is important for continued success in learning throughout the Lower School. At the Primary Level, students use “Think Bags”, “All About Me”, and “Leader of the Week” projects to gain self-awareness and confidence in public speaking.

As the students move into the primary grades and beyond, they are challenged to demonstrate mastery of the Gerstell Principles and leadership skills, and learn to accept responsibility for their actions. Students are given the tools necessary to reach their full potential academically. Our gifted faculty help students to master the language arts including basic Spanish communication, and to develop mathematical prowess while encouraging individual creative expression.

Through our leadership instruction we are confident that these students will become independent thinkers who are well prepared to excel in the middle school and beyond.