Lower School

Dr. Alyssa Johns

Lower School Director

Dr. Johns has enjoyed a range of work experiences, from prestigious medical centers such as the NYU Child Study Center (since renamed to The Child Mind Institute), to the Youth Anxiety and Depression Clinic and the Psychological Services Clinic, both at Rutgers University, to school settings, such as Watchung Hills Regional High School. She earned her master's degree in Psychology from NYU and her doctorate in School Psychology from Rutgers' Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Dr. Johns is interested in areas of child development and the dissemination of evidence-based practice in schools so that kids can thrive in high performance settings.

"The energy that radiates from our student body makes it exciting to come to work every day, and I am constantly challenged and inspired by all members of our community."

Important Information

Philosophy

We believe that the first years of a child’s life are critical in establishing a lifelong love of learning. We encourage a child’s innate curiosity about the world and desire to learn through exploration, play, and creation. We instill in our Lower School students a spirit of collaboration through dynamic experiences that are built on caring relationships between students and teachers. The result? A strong, balanced foundation in core academic skills and the possibility for limitless intellectual growth.

Curriculum

Lifelong curiosity is nurtured by making learning an exciting and engaging process. For our Lower School students, that’s precisely our goal.

We offer traditional coursework in language arts, mathematics, science, Spanish, and social studies, supplemented by activities—both inside and outside the classroom—that emphasize experiential learning. Every minute of the day is looked upon as an opportunity for new understanding and growth. Art, music, and performing arts classes provide outlets for student creativity and self-expression. Technology and Library classes impart foundations in research and literary skills. And newly modernized STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) classrooms offer valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary study, furthering creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving among students.

Regular PE classes, combined with ample outdoor time on our recently redesigned playground, allow students to stay active, collaborate with peers, and build essential skills in teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership.

Year after year, our Lower School students experience a seamless transition to the Middle School on the Basking Ridge Campus. Why? Our fourth- and fifth-grade curriculum is thoughtfully designed to prepare them for the structure, expectations, and intellectual challenges ahead. Two cornerstone experiences—Decisions and Study Skills—introduce essential strategies for problem-solving, organization, note-taking, and reflective learning, laying the groundwork for success in middle school. The principles behind our Decisions framework are deeply embedded in our daily community life through Responsive Classroom, an evidence-based approach to teaching and learning that creates safe, joyful, and engaging learning environments. By blending social-emotional learning with academic growth, we ensure students build the full spectrum of skills they need to thrive. By the time they move on, our fifth-graders are equipped with both the confidence and the capabilities to flourish, carrying happy memories and a strong sense of belonging into a familiar, supportive next chapter.

For a closer look at the Lower School Curriculum see the Curriculum Overview and Curriculum Guide below.

Enrichment and Before/Aftercare

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We encourage a child’s innate curiosity about the world and desire to learn through exploration, play, and creation.

Curriculum Overview

Reading, Writing, and Language Arts

The goal of our comprehensive literacy program is to develop engaged, independent readers and writers who can acquire and evaluate information and express ideas with clarity and eloquence. Our approach to literacy emphasizes the application of student learning to rigorous, authentic experiences as students grow independence and develop their identities as readers and writers. Starting in kindergarten, our students build phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, writing, and oral language skills through whole-class instruction, small group work, inquiry, purposeful play, discussions, independent practice, and collaborative projects. Our program leans on the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing and the developmental nature of each. Reading and writing are also woven through the content areas, providing many opportunities for students to make interdisciplinary connections and to practice writing in different genres and for different audiences.