Special Subject Areas
A student's Lower School journey is filled with rich opportunities that create a well-rounded educational experience. Special Subject Areas help reveal the artist and the athlete as well as the academic in each child and provide the arena for students to begin to discover their gifts and talents. These discoveries begin with an enriched curriculum that includes cross grade subjects that spiral through the Lower School years. With eight specialized subject areas, students are exposed to a variety of perspectives that work in concert with the core curriculum.
The Health and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program at Germantown Academy promotes a healthy foundation for Lower School students. We have created a dedicated team staffed by a full-time psychologist and pediatrician to support the development of the whole child: social, emotional, cognitive and physical.
A Math Specialist develops the Lower School math program for grades PreK-5, leads small group math instruction for students, and offers coaching to teachers. Students in K-5 are instructed weekly in the basics of computer programming. Extracurricular opportunities include the Math Market after school program and the Math Olympiad Club.
GA's Physical Education program supports an active, healthy lifestyle for young learners. Lower School students participate in P.E. classes every other day and also participate in a six-week swimming unit. Even our youngest students enjoy the many athletic facilities our campus offers, including two gyms, athletic fields, and an Olympic-size lap pool.
The Visual Arts curriculum is balanced between structured lessons and open-ended "MakerTime." Through art history, literacy, and exploration of materials and techniques, we aim to develop students' talents and enhance their appreciation of beauty in the world. We create digital portfolios with high quality images of artwork for every student.
Two Literacy Specialists lead and coordinate the balanced literacy program for PreK-5th grades. K-2 students take trips to "Alphabetia" for interactive mini-lessons featuring songs and puppet shows. 3rd-5th grade students utilize The Language Network as an additional space to receive differentiated instruction to meet their individual goals.
In the Lower School Performing Arts department, we believe music is a language: written and heard, spoken and felt, appreciated and performed. We believe in play-based learning and the connection between getting physical with music and a child's confidence. Learn more about beginning an instrument and start your child's musical journey!
At Germantown Academy, students learn Science by being scientists. Our program builds on a child's natural sense of wonder, as they explore wetlands, woods, creeks, and gardens across our 126-acre campus. Our experiential and exploratory-based approach to learning provides children time to ask questions and make discoveries about the world around them.
We offer two World Languages: Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. Our programs provide students opportunities to build a multilingual foundation in an increasingly global society. All students in Prekindergarten and Kindergarten are exposed to both languages, while students in first through fifth grades choose to study one of the two languages throughout their Lower School years.