Lower School

Building Skills, Confidence, and a Love of Learning

Where Young Learners Discover, Grow, and Thrive

At Charlotte Latin, Lower School students build the skills to become joyful, capable learners. Throughout the day, students learn through a balance of movement, play, exploration, and purposeful instruction. Talented, caring teachers guide each child as they build strong academic foundations, developing literacy and mathematical skills while growing into confident, enthusiastic learners. Our youngest learners develop the intellectual and social-emotional skills to approach each lesson and collaboration with true excitement for discovery, and in time, live empathetic, purposeful lives.

Every content area is thoughtfully aligned to ignite curiosity, deepen understanding, and nurture well-rounded growth. Our foundational structured literacy, writing, and math programs are supported by both whole-group and differentiated learning.

As our young scientists explore inquiry-based investigations and our historians discover the story of our country and world from varied perspectives, they don't just build knowledge, they build confidence, flexible thinking, and a lifelong love of learning. Across all classrooms, our instructional approach provides the ideal balance between foundational skills and joyful discovery.

It is an honor to join this extraordinary community and partner with you during one of the most magical and formative seasons of your child's life. The lower school years are the foundation for a lifetime of learning, where curiosity is nurtured, passions are ignited, skills are honed, and children grow into thoughtful observers, critical thinkers, confident learners, compassionate collaborators, and future leaders.

Our passion for these developmental years shapes everything we do. Together with families, we foster a joyful community where every child is known, challenged, and encouraged to take risks, embrace discovery, and develop the confidence, character, and skills to flourish—not only in school, but in the world they will one day help shape.

Casey Martin
Head of Lower School

Grade Level Highlights

TK

KG

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

On Campus Learning Experience:

Culture Museum
Immigration Interviews
Market Day
Poetry Celebration
1 week swim unit
Grandparent’s Day

Field Trips:

The Pearl Innovation and Problem-Solving Lab to explore product development in preparation of Market Day
Children’s Theater at Imaginon
Knights Baseball Game

Community Partnership:

Special Olympics

Grade 4

Grade 5

Special Area Classes

physical education

Each Lower School physical education class promotes lifelong wellness through exposure to team and individual sports, health education, and collaborative challenges. It’s not only about getting stronger — it’s about honing skills, bonding with teammates, and enjoying movement.

The Arts

Every student participates in music and art courses beginning in TK. Our youngest learners explore painting, singing, rhythm, and papier mâché. They are introduced to the elements of color, harmony, shape, music composition, and principles of design, all rooted in history, culture, and cutting-edge technology. Our Grade 5 students are able to choose and instrument and participate in Band or Strings. They also participate in Choir.

s p A ni s h

All students in TK through fifth grade participate in the Lower School Spanish program. In our program, students build their interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication skills. Through the use of comprehensible stories, songs, games, movement, and other meaningful activities, teachers enhance understanding, provide cultural insight, and engage students in active communication. The use of authentic resources also fosters a better understanding of cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the Spanish-speaking world. At the novice level, students are expected to be able to recognize, identify, copy, and speak in simple words and memorized phrases, and much focus is placed on the importance of putting forth their best effort versus seeking grammatical perfection.

STEAM

Our TK–2 STEAM program gives young learners the chance to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math through hands-on, creative projects. Students practice curiosity and problem-solving while following the Engineering Design Process—ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve. In this program, children learn to think like scientists, engineers, and artists as they work together to explore ideas, test solutions, and share their discoveries in fun and engaging ways.

Library

Our Lower School Library program brings stories to life with interactive read-alouds, a calendar full of themed events, thoughtful instruction, creative projects, and vibrant displays that spark a lifelong love of reading. The Library is more than books - it’s a hub for imagination, discovery, and joyful learning!

Beyond our 16,000-volume print collection, students have access to age-appropriate digital resources that allow them to explore their curiosity. We highlight voices from around the world, connect stories to classroom learning, engage in early research, and create opportunities for students to share their own ideas. Students discover that the library isn’t just about books - it is about building a lifelong love of learning!

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