The Agnes Irwin School Core Values
Our Core Values are the guiding principles that shape our decisions and define the character of The Agnes Irwin School community.
LEAD WITH CHARACTER
We are courageous leaders who model empathy and compassion. We embody honesty, kindness, and personal integrity in all that we say and do.
FOSTER TRUST AND COMMUNITY
We build trust through openness and understanding fostering supportive relationships, deep connections, safe risk-taking, and the space to be our best selves.
STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE
We encourage and support each other to tenaciously reach our fullest potential as we demonstrate resilience and champion greatness in all our pursuits.
NURTURE PASSIONS AND WELLBEING
We nurture a love of learning and academic success by cultivating individual passions and the pursuit of our own unique path, supporting the whole person in wellness and wellbeing.
RESPECT AND CELEBRATE ALL
We treat all with dignity and respect, welcoming differences in backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. We foster an inclusive environment where everyone is valued, contributions are celebrated, and community is cherished.
GET TO KNOW
Director of Lower School
MELANIE SLEZAK has shaped the Lower School both inside and beyond the classroom for thirty-seven years. She is a key contributor to Agnes Irwin’s Leadership Toolkit. Before stepping into her current tole, Melanie served as a dedicated Kindergarten teacher and then as Lower School Dean. “Agnes Irwin Lower School is an incredibly joyful place. We are not about marching through content. We’re cultivating a mindset of curiosity, resilience, and purpose,” she shared. Melanie holds both her B.S. in Early Childhood Education and M.Ed. from the University of Delaware. A proud mom of two (including an AIS alumna, Class of 2011), Melanie is also a devoted animal lover, enthusiastic gardener, avid reader, and enjoys long walks. She finds reasons for gratitude every day.
Lower School 2025-2026
At Agnes Irwin, we know Lower School girls.
And they ENERGIZE us.
At Agnes Irwin, the very youngest among us gain a sense of belonging from day one, surrounded by a nurturing community and engaged in a balanced curriculum that adapts to each girl and her unique traits, skills, and personality. In our Lower School, students’ academic, social and emotional identities begin to take shape, and girls emerge joyful, curious, and fearless.
| Be Known
Nurturing Leadership From An Early Age
The Agnes Irwin Leadership Toolkit
Our proprietary Leadership Toolkit is a physical toolbox that focuses on nine key attributes of a modern leader, making abstract concepts more tangible for young learners:
Responsibility
Honesty
Communication/Listening
Reflective Thinking
Problem Solving
Collaboration/Cooperation
Kindness
Independent Mindedness
Resilience
“I know what to do and I do it.”
“I am truthful to myself and others.”
“I listen and speak to others thoughtfully.”
“I think about what I’ve done and learn a lesson from it. I think about what I’m going to do and make a good choice.”
“When don’t know what to do, I figure it out.”
“I work well with others to get something done.”
“I care about others.”
“I think and act for myself. I’m not afraid to be different.”
“When things don’t go my way, I bounce back.”
Lower School Programs
CORE PROGRAM
Math, Literacy, Social Studies, Science, Cocurricular (Art, Music, PE, Spanish, Library, iWonder STEAM Lab, Social Emotional Learning/Core Values/Leadership)
iWONDER STEAM LAB
In our iWonder Lab, girls explore design thinking, engineering, and hands-on problem-solving through activities with robotics, circuitry kits, and creative materials. From an early age, students build critical thinking, collaboration skills, and a lifelong enthusiasm for STEM.
SIGNATURE PROGRAMS BY GRADE LEVEL
• PreK: Animal Research
• Kindergarten: Invention Convention
• First Grade: Author’s Tea
• Second Grade: Thanksgiving Balloon Parade
• Third Grade: Maker’s Fair
• Fourth Grade: Notable Women Changemaker Project
BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Early morning drop-off for Lower School starts at 7:30 a.m. After Session runs from 3:00-6:00 p.m. on all school days, including parent conference days.
Led by a faculty member, the program includes homework time, supervised activities, free play, and a snack. Financial assistance is available for families receiving tuition assistance.
The First Annual Leadership Fair
Learning from the “big girls” is a cherished tradition at Agnes Irwin and an important part of how leadership is learned, passed down, and lived out across campus. During this year’s first annual Leadership Fair, Lower School students explored the nine foundational traits from our Leadership Toolkit through hands-on, engaging activities. These were led by Upper School role models from the Council for the Advancement of Girls and the Service Council, who brought each leadership quality to life. The fair highlighted our deep commitment to nurturing confident, compassionate leaders beginning in the earliest grades.
COGNITIVE GROWTH THROUGH PLAY: EARLY CHILDHOOD AT THE AGNES IRWIN SCHOOL
At The Agnes Irwin School, play is a vital part of PreK and Kindergarten, especially in our all-girls environment where confidence, curiosity, and collaboration are nurtured from the start. Research shows that sustained, interactive play supports cognitive development, social-emotional growth, and long-term academic achievement. At AIS, students engage in a balanced approach that combines teacher-guided academics with meaningful structured and unstructured play.
Teachers actively observe and interact, asking thoughtful questions, offering guidance, and encouraging collaboration, to deepen learning and promote leadership and problem-solving. This intentional engagement helps educators uncover each child’s interests and developmental needs, informing personalized instruction in the classroom. Whether constructing elaborate block towers, painting, examining nature, or reading one-on-one, our students are building critical thinking skills, expanding vocabulary, and forming strong social connections, all through the joy of play.
