K-4 Academics at Sayre | Elementary School in Lexington, KY Lower School The early years of childhood are filled with wonder and exploration. We understand that children learn best by doing and strive to cultivate an environment where children are active participants, decision makers, collaborators, and problem solvers.  Life in the Lower School is full of opportunities! Our philosophy of active learning and project work is woven through all of our programs. Students are encouraged to try something new, to take a risk without fear of failure, to build new friendships, and to gain a solid foundation in the academic skills that are the building blocks for success in our global world. We believe all domains of development (social, emotional, physical, and cognitive) are intrinsically linked with academic achievement. Our strong relationships with students and their families facilitate communication, discussion, and safe exploration. We urge you to come and visit so that you can experience firsthand the strength of our academic program, the warmth of our nurturing environment, the enthusiasm of our students and the dedication of our faculty. Academics Specialty Classes Interventionists on Faculty Class Size and Ratio School Hours Parent Resources At Sayre, we believe that Lower School curriculum should be rigorous, engaging, and taught in a way that introduces new information in a context that is relevant to children’s lives. Our goal is for our students to develop both concrete academic skills as well as the competence to apply these skills in meaningful ways. Our experienced and talented teachers work collaboratively to weave rich, integrated curriculum which cultivates our students’ interests and engagement with the world around them. Our core academic areas for Kindergarten through 4 th grade include the following subject areas: Project Work • Collaboration   • Communicate clearly • Inquiry     • Data collection  • Integrate information • Decision making     • Taking initiative   • Research • Presentation skills    • Testing hypotheses • Various representations of learning (plays, museums, art, writing, audio/visual) Math Reveal Math Reveal Math® develops students' conceptual understanding and habits, making them problem solvers inside and outside the classroom. Manipulatives Problem Solving Science Based upon Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Life, physical, earth, space, and social science Hands-on investigations, group and partner discussions, written reflection Teamwork skills through cooperative science labs and engineering projects Language Arts Guided reading Writers Workshop Literature circles Phonics work Research Phonemic awareness Handwriting Social Studies Culture Time, continuity, and change People, places, and environment Individual development and Identity Civic mindedness Geographic reasoning Economic decision making Historical thinking Citizenship and government Specific curricular information available in Parent Resources Physical Education Spanish Art Music Community Matters Technology/Computer Teaching lifetime fitness Sportsmanship and respect Confidence and leadership while learning skills and games Fun activities that challenge and push students outside their comfort zone Proficiency-based class Language and culture in context through short storybooks and songs Project and content integration The Lower School art program provides students the opportunity to explore, communicate, and build confidence through art making.  The process-based atmosphere cultivates fearlessness and encourages children to take full ownership in their creations.  Our urban environment creates opportunities for students to explore galleries, go on architectural treasure hunts, build huts in our garden, and become active participants in Lexington’s community engagement through the arts. Creative play Survey of artistic mediums and skills Development of visual literacy Following the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education, the Lower School music program serves students grade Pk-2 through 4th grade. Preschool and kindergarten music class includes songs and activities such as call and response, echo songs, vocal exploration, creative movement, folk dances, finger plays, puppetry and storytelling. Instruments are used to keep the beat, imitate rhythm, or to provide a creative sound carpet or sound effects. In 1st through 4th grade, students experience a wide variety of music activities including singing, playing instruments, use of body percussion, storytelling, improvisation, creative movement and traditional folk dance. We sing, move, play, and use every square inch of the music classroom! Confident and joyful performing Musical literacy Freedom in improvisation and composition Connecting music to the body and movement Experiential learning class that focuses on team-building and problem solving. Hands-on group activities that allow students to see how to best fit their strengths into the group while working towards a common goal. A character development focus allows students to grow individually. Reinforcing respect for self, others, and our community. Sayre students use technology to acquire information, create, produce, and communicate. In the Lower School, students use a variety of hardware and software to share materials creatively. With guidance, students use the internet to evaluate and acquire information, develop research skills, and experience virtual environments. They learn to format and graphically design a document using word-processing software. Within spreadsheets, students organize data and illustrate mathematical relationships. Students organize information using visual mapping software and create multimedia presentations, manipulating layouts, graphics, audio, and video. Programming and robotics serve to develop creative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration. This curriculum is closely integrated with classroom subject areas, units of study, and project-based learning. Keyboarding is also an integral component of the curriculum, preparing students for increased 1-to- 1 use of devices within the educational setting. Block-based programing 3D design and printing Digital Citizenship Robotics and engineering Digital presentation skills Specific curricular information available in Parent Resources Reading Specialist Math Enrichment Specialist Learning Specialist Learning Support Paraprofessional Teacher-to-Student Ratio Kindergarten 1:8 (maximum 16 children, 2 adults per room) 1st – 4th (maximum 18 children, 1 adult per room) Arrival: 7:30-8:00am Official Start: 8:00am Dismissal: 3:00pm Early Dismissal Day: every Tuesday 2:10pm Extended Day: Dismissal – 5:45pm Learn More About Extended Day Academics Project-Based Learning Responsive Classroom LS Forms and Information Lower School Notes 2025-2026 Lower School Handbook Dress Code Bullying and Harassment Policy