Lower School

Empowering Bright Futures

Successful Start to New Fifth-Grade Internship Program

This year, Rowland Hall fifth graders made a major difference across the school, thanks to the introduction of a new in-school leadership opportunity: the 5-I Fifth-Grade Internship Program. Rolled out in fall 2023, 5-I connects fifth graders with staff, administrative, and leadership teams for a yearlong authentic learning experience. In the program’s first year, 34 interns (more than half the fifth-grade class) supported 19 departments and teams across campus, making a real impact. Students planned, executed, and led events; tutored younger students; welcomed prospective families to campus; and provided behind-the-scenes support, among other tasks. Benefits for the fifth graders were as numerous as the projects. 5-I helped them stretch their leadership skills, explore their interests in a real-world environment, use their talents and knowledge, and learn the value of their voices.

Open Lab Hours Benefit Early STEM Learners

Since its opening in fall 2022, the McCarthey Campus’s TREC Lab (short for Technology, Robotics, Engineering, and Coding Lab) has been an exciting place for students to explore a variety of STEM projects in their specialty classes. This year, the lab expanded its offerings with Open Lab, free time set aside each week for students and classes who want to use the space to work on projects, access its tools and technology, or just enjoy free play with lab materials such as micro:bits, Scratch coding software, and 3D printers. This low-stakes, high-choice exploration time provides a new avenue for students to use the STEM-focused space, which helps our youngest tinkerers build familiarity with tech tools and their own capabilities, growing their confidence.