Our students love learning, and that’s by design. The curriculum for students in grades K – 4 is flexibly scaffolded so teachers can meet students where they are and stretch them to the next level. As a result, our students grow into deep thinkers and creative problem-solvers, clear communicators and collaborative teammates, bold upstanders and humble Christ-followers. Our students grow to be the example of lifelong learning.
Whole-class, interactive meetings first thing every day—setting the tone for deeper learning and stronger social connection. Research-informed and kid approved.
Because time to rest, play, imagine, think, move, and socialize is fundamental to holistic learning.
Evidence-based practices that build joyful classroom communities and deepen learning – a proven foundation for student success.
Improves cognitive function, teamwork, physical health, emotional regulation, and academic performance.
Where we sing, reflect, pray, and study God’s word to know who He is and how much He loves us. Parents welcome.
CORE SUBJECTS
Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
SPECIAL AREA SUBJECTS
Art
Bible
Digital Lab
Library
Makerspace
Music
Spanish Theatre
Print-rich learning spaces set the stage for phonological and phonemic awareness and direct reading instruction throughout the day. The workshop approach includes whole group teaching, peer-to-peer discussions, differentiated small groups, 1-on-1 conferencing, and dedicated time for students to practice their skills. This approach yields strong and, more importantly, delighted readers.
Students write copiously and often, first by sound-spelling and gradually with the composure of skilled authors. Frequent practice and revision buoy lessons in punctuation, grammar, idea synthesis, and creativity.
Hands-on is brains-on. Using the innovative Everyday Math curriculum, teachers turn abstract concepts into intuitive problem-solving strategies. Math lessons include card games, building of “ten frames,” estimation jars, baseball multiplication, and other activities.
Next Generation Science Standards serve as a foundation for the curriculum, which embraces science literacy as a life skill. Science lessons are part of the core curriculum, with additional lab time each week in grades 1-3. In fourth grade, all science lessons occur in the science lab on a twice weekly schedule.
Social studies is an interdisciplinary exploration of cultures, customs, geography, history, and economics. Reflections on family traditions, cultural heritage, and personal identity are layered into reading and writing assignments for ageappropriate lessons that promote empathy and appreciation for other cultures.
The art curriculum melds the study of great artists with art lessons that mimic their process. When studying Henri Matisse’s revolutionary ‘cut-out,’ for example, students make collages using nothing but scissors and colored paper to create Matisse-inspired works of art. All Lower School students attend class in the dedicated art studio.
The music curriculum incorporates the Kodaly Method, an introduction to musical concepts in a group setting through circle games, round singing, use of Orff instruments, and lots of movement. Units on master composers complement technique studies. All students attend music class twice in a six-day rotation, and every Lower School grade has a performance once during the year.
Research shows that to achieve the fluency level of a native speaker, children must start to learn a new language by the age of 10. Lower School Spanish lessons occur three times during the six-day rotation, giving students a foundation in greetings, key phrases, and vocabulary units that build on themselves each year.
Using the National Core Arts Standards as a foundation, the theatre curriculum prepares students for life on the big stage. The open-ended nature of drama makes it a unique learning space for communication, imagination, empathy, cooperation, and even problem-solving. All Lower School students attend theatre class as part of their special area rotation.
ROBS students learn about God and Jesus in weekly Bible class and Chapel. They study the major people, places, and events in the Old and New Testaments, and they gain a perspective on how God wants us to live by listening to daily devotionals extrapolated from scripture. Character lessons based on the biblical “fruit of the Spirit” infuse classroom lessons throughout the day.
All Lower School grades attend Makerspace class, where students are given the tools and freedom to dream up new solutions to problems with real-world applications. The problem-based learning curriculum reinforces skills in critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration, to name a few.
Home to more than 25,000 books specially curated for children younger than 12, the Huffington Library Media Center welcomes Lower School classes on a weekly basis. Educators with master’s degrees in library science lead lessons on information literacy. That is, navigating credible sources both in the library and the digital lab.
Growing brains crave nutritious food and lots of movement. Our students get both. Daily recess and P.E., supplemented by lots of active learning throughout the day, keeps minds alert. And nutrient-dense, locally sourced meals keep them fed. The best part? You don’t have to make it. All Lower School students enjoy lunch made on campus, every day.
One size does NOT fit all when it comes to learning. That’s why we have a team of learning and reading specialists, instructional coaches, and a licensed psychologist dedicated to the Lower School. Whether it’s helping classroom teachers differentiate lessons for neurodiverse learners, meeting with students individually or in small groups to address social-emotional needs, or conducting regular character lessons, we pour into the academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of each child.
Loving God means serving others. Our service learning curriculum connects service projects to lessons on deeper social issues. The three-fold approach means students 1) learn about an issue; 2) participate in a hands-on project to address the issue; and 3) reflect on their experience in a structured way, like journaling.
Alight with playful color, the watercolor tree represents the beautiful potential and possibility-filled expanse of a child’s life.
Deliberately engineered, research-based, and comprehensive, the School’s thoughtful academic curriculum builds upon itself from grade-to-grade, laying a self-reinforcing foundation for students to be ambitious, courageous, resourceful thinkers.
Fastening together the academic path and the fruit buds, the stylized tree presents a child’s journey through ROBS—the way ROBS guides students toward shaping life direction, forming connections, and preparing them for all that comes next.
Growing naturally from the academic path, the fruit buds represent the practice-based, immersive character curriculum that permeates every lesson and action at ROBS. The nine fruit buds known as the Fruit of the Spirit nourish children’s lives well beyond their time at ROBS.
Layering the artistry of the watercolor tree with the technological imagery of the stylized tree signifies the School’s commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math—each a priority in our ongoing curricular enhancements and our new master campus plan.