Welcome to the Lower/Middle School
From their first days at GDS, students take delight in their achievements. Learning to read, moving beyond simple addition to more complex mathematical operations, or trying to capture what they know in a drawing or a song can be as demanding a task as any they will pursue in their lives. Our teachers seek to ensure that these efforts and accomplishments are imbued with deep pleasure and joy. Teachers at the Lower School strive to see the child as both a member of a community and a unique and developing personality. Middle School teachers recognize the unique educational needs of emerging adolescents. As academic demands expand and the intellectual challenges increase in complexity, teachers and advisors take care to meet the special emotional needs of this age group
Lower School teachers stimulate, challenge, and inspire students to explore the world around them and discover their place in it. The regular study of science, which begins in pre-kindergarten, and the acquisition of a foreign language, which starts in third grade, make concrete that discovery. The ease with which the children ask questions and the assurance with which they move through their day show how well our Lower School teachers achieve their goals.
 While encouraging independent thought and individual expression, Middle School teachers do so within a framework of consideration for others and respect for community rules. Learning takes place in a comfortable, orderly atmosphere where students develop productive relationships with their teachers and peers. Projects such as the consumer science fair, on-site studies of the Chesapeake Bay, and a two-month study of constitutional issues that includes personal interviews with national experts make ample use of students’ developing intellectual and physical vigor. Challenges in studio and performing arts, physical education, modern and classical languages, and more advanced math and science studies stretch them as well.
Middle School activities such as community service, student council, intramural and interscholastic sports, and theater productions play an important role in helping students develop a sense of responsibility and teamwork and in generating a strong community identity.
 Teachers at the Lower School strive to see the child as both a member of a community and a unique and developing personality. In doing so they stimulate, challenge, and inspire students to explore the world around them and discover their place in it. The regular study of science, which begins in pre-kindergarten, and the acquisition of a foreign language, which starts in third grade, make concrete that discovery. The ease with which the children ask questions and the assurance with which they move through their day show how well our Lower School teachers achieve their goals.
The Lower/Middle School Curriculum
The Arts
Dance
 Beginning in the lower grades, students are introduced to dance in a variety of ways, especially in their P.E. classes. Formal dance instruction begins in Middle School. Students learn both social and performance dance forms ranging from the Charleston to swing dance and Hip Hop to break dancing. In seventh and eighth grades, particular attention is paid to modern dance technique, improvisation, and choreography.
Drama
Through drama, students develop a sense of themselves as creative and self-aware individuals. Students learn skills applicable to life on and off stage, such as the ability to think on their feet, to work in ensemble, and to communicate effectively. Eighth graders may take advanced drama classes during the second semester to perform student-scripted and choreographed works.
Studio Arts
 The studio arts program helps students develop the ability to observe the world closely and represent their observations in multiple media. Concepts and techniques are taught with an eye to helping students become more sensitive to the aesthetic qualities of their environment and to providing a rich source of experience upon which they can draw. Students learn the rudiments of color theory and composition and progressively more advanced techniques in drawing, painting, and sculpture.
Music
Music is an important part of life at GDS. In classes, informal get-togethers, and assemblies children experience the joy and beauty of musical expression. Through a curriculum that includes singing, listening, movement, and playing Orff instruments and recorders, students learn the elements of music and become musically literate. Students in grades four through eight may learn to play an instrument as a member of the school band. Students in grades five through eight may sing in the chorus. Our goal at GDS is to create a foundation for a lifelong love of music and to develop knowledgeable and appreciative audiences as well as performers.
English/Language Arts
 The program uses an integrated approach in which listening, speaking, reading, and writing are seen as mutually supportive processes. Children learn to read independently and confidently, at a rate that matches their skill and developmental levels. As reading proficiency increases, the curriculum incorporates books that are selected for their literary value and which enhance our students’ awareness of the range of authors’ points of view.
By the time students leave the Lower and Middle Schools, they have a solid frame of literary reference on which to build, as well as an ability to discuss articulately ideas of varying complexity. Using a collaborative model, writing instruction emphasizes the stages of pre-writing through publishing. This approach enhances both enjoyment and proficiency in writing. Teachers focus on the mechanics and grammar of the English language within the framework of the writing program and separately as additional work and instruction are needed.
Mathematics
 A cornerstone of success in fields from art to zoology, mathematics helps students think problems through in a clear, logical manner and use problem-solving techniques successfully. Our students engage in experiences which capture their imagination and reinforce the idea that math is fun to learn and interesting to apply.
Manipulatives are an integral part of the entire Lower School math program. In the early grades, the program emphasizes the use of concrete manipulative materials in order to develop the underlying mathematical concepts and skills needed to master new problems. In the upper elementary grades, manipulatives build, reinforce, and strengthen math concepts.
Lower School teachers make regular use of group activities which enliven the process of learning and help reduce math anxiety. The program gives students the opportunity to progress at a pace appropriate to their age and mathematical maturity.
In the Middle School, students build on the concepts and skills introduced in the elementary grades. They explore topics of geometry, data analysis, ratio, proportion, percent, and probability. Students master topics of the pre-algebra curriculum and are introduced to the algebraic process for solving equations. The most advanced students may take algebra in the seventh grade and geometry in the eighth grade.
Modern and Classical Languages
At GDS we believe that learning additional languages is an essential part of an education and a preparation for the 21st century. To that end, students begin studying Spanish or French on a daily basis in the third grade. The program stresses the development of conversational skills and cross-cultural understanding. In grades seven and eight the formal study of grammar, reading, and writing follows the acquisition of natural language patterns in speaking. Students in grade six also study Latin in conjunction with their unit on Rome. Arabic, French, Latin, and Spanish are available as language courses of study in grades seven and eight.
Physical Education & Athletics
 Georgetown Day School regards physical education as crucial to the development of the whole child.
In the Lower School, physical education teachers rely on problem solving to help the children develop motor skills, spatial awareness, body control, sports skills and team play. The primary grades foster basic movement techniques, manipulative and ball handling skills, and body and spatial awareness. The third through fifth grades place greater emphasis on specific sports skills and strategies of various games.
 In sixth grade, students enjoy a variety of experiences which include conditioning, health, and intramural competition in team sports.
In addition to building on skills learned in physical education classes, the seventh and eighth grade athletic program provides a strong foundation for the High School athletic program. Students compete inter-scholastically in most of the sports offered at the High School level, including baseball, basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Non-interscholastic activities offer opportunities for students to develop skills and knowledge of game strategies and rules and improve their fitness and enjoyment of physical activity in a noncompetitive environment. Whether competitive or noncompetitive, GDS teams and activities place particular emphasis on self-esteem, teamwork, and sports citizenship.
Science
 Science studies at the Lower and Middle Schools center on doing, examining, exploring, and discovering. Through hands-on experiments, studies of life cycles, and earth science, the Lower School program seeks to arouse the curiosity and interest of children and focus their attention on the natural world. From first grade on, science is taught by specialists in dedicated science labs. Beginning in the fourth grade, GDS students have science five times a week. In fourth grade, the human body is a central theme, incorporating the study of animal classification, human physiology, nutrition, and fossils. Fifth grade students study physical science and the structure of DNA.
Sixth graders study biology and physics through a variety of hands-on activities designed to develop conceptual understanding. The focus is interdisciplinary, and students work with materials in small groups to form questions and solve problems. The seventh grade science program offers experiences in a combination of earth, physical, environmental, and life sciences. The year begins with a study of the ecology and geology of the metropolitan area. Subsequent topics examine in greater depth specific environmental features and investigate their interaction. Labs and activities are designed to incorporate the scientific method and to establish a basis for further study.
In the eighth grade, students gain a fundamental knowledge of physical science. Extensive experimentation sparks student interest and builds lab and analytical skills. Throughout the year, students gather data and observations which they will use to develop a model for the atomic structure of matter.
Social Studies / History
 From pre-kindergarten on, students begin to gain a knowledge of the world and its peoples as they explore the common bonds shared by human beings. This multi-cultural approach continues to be emphasized as second, third, and fourth graders pursue in-depth studies of American Indians, the colonial experience, and life in ancient Greece. With a focus on freedom and justice, fifth grade students study U.S. history, examining change and revolution in America from the Revolution to the Civil War with a unit on the Civil Rights movement. Lower School students are also introduced to the tools for understanding the fundamentals of social science, including mapping, geography, and research.
In sixth grade, students explore the origins of civilization and take an in-depth look at the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Nubia, China, India, and Rome. Seventh graders examine the history, culture, and geography of the Middle East, West Africa, and Europe through the study of four great empires in the millennia between 500 and 1500 C.E. The eighth grade curriculum centers on four aspects of American history: the colonial experience, the Constitution and United States government, social issues, particularly race and gender, of the 19th century, and America’s place in the modern world.
By the time students finish the Lower and Middle School program, they should be able to read maps and charts, collect and evaluate evidence, know the difference between primary and secondary sources, recognize the inherent complexity of historical issues, and formulate and substantiate a thesis.
Technology Education
In the Lower and Middle Schools, students and faculty recognize the computer as a useful tool for pursuing their studies in many academic disciplines. Beginning in kindergarten, classes and small groups visit one of four computer labs for instruction and to work on assignments. Networked computers in classrooms at each grade level permit activities to be integrated into the curriculum to support educational goals. Students work on word processing, database and spreadsheet activities, play educational games, and participate in special simulation activities. They also share knowledge and experiences with the world outside GDS as they take part in carefully selected telecommunication projects using the Internet and other educational networks.
The Library
 Literally and figuratively, the library, with its inviting atmosphere for reading, study, and research, sits squarely in the center of the Lower and Middle Schools. A comprehensive and up-to-date collection of 13,000 volumes includes the best in children’s literature as well as research and reference tools for all aspects of the curriculum. Three professional librarians are always available to help Lower School students choose a book and learn basic research skills. Middle School students use the library for reading, independent study, and research. As children progress through the grades, they become more and more familiar with the most modern research tools. An online catalog is in place for older students. Microfiche documents, periodicals, and audiovisual equipment are available in the library, and all students have access to the Internet through a number of search engines.
Community Service
 Helping students develop a genuine sense of caring, not only about the School and each other but about the community at large, has been a continuing goal at GDS. In the Lower/Middle School, older students tutor younger ones. Classes also recycle paper and aluminum, raise money to “adopt an acre” of endangered rain forest, tutor younger students in a local public school, send cards to children in long-term health facilities, and make sandwiches and soup for the homeless. The sixth grade runs a year-long program to feed the hungry. Activities include gleaning, working in soup kitchens and the Capital Area Food Bank, and preparing meals for the Luther Place Women’s Shelter. Our seventh and eighth graders perform service outside the school twice monthly at a number of different sites in the community.
To view the GDS community service web page, click here.
Diversity and Multicultural Education
 A commitment to exploring issues of social justice is woven throughout the curriculum in age-appropriate ways. Teachers develop creative and academic ways to support identity development, giving families an opportunity to share their backgrounds and histories within the larger school community. Annual celebrations and assemblies highlight issues of equity and respect, reenforcing classroom activities. Middle School students participate in diversity seminars as well as Safe Place Theater, a student performance group that focuses each year on a social group identity or situation to increase understanding and challenge oppression. The Students of Color Mentoring Program for fifth to eighth grade students meets regularly after school for math workshops, cultural field trips, group visits with High School students, and critical thinking exercises.
To view the GDS diversity web page, click here.
Outdoor Education
 As part of the School’s goal of fostering lifelong learning, Lower and Middle School teachers extend their students’ learning out into the world. Special projects away from school call upon the cooperation of parents, staff, and students alike.
Camp Pecometh provides the setting for the second graders’ extended experience in the woods as they put to practice woodland skills learned in their study of American Indian life.
 Living in linen tents, cooking in cauldrons over open fire pits, and wearing period clothes, third graders experience the life of American colonists for three days and two nights at Claude Moore Colonial Farm. Fourth graders participate in a wilderness study at Prince William Forest State Park where they orienteer in the woods, engage in field and stream study, and canoe in the lake. In the fall, fifth graders take part in a one-day “innerquest” at Madeira’s outdoor campus, which reinforces the students’ ability to work closely with others. Each spring, they enjoy a three-day trip to South Mountain and Gettysburg, MD.
Seventh graders visit and explore life on the Chesapeake Bay to aid their study of marine life and ecology. Eighth graders end their Middle School years with a three-day camping trip that allows them to remember what has made their Middle School years so special, even as they eagerly anticipate life at the High School.
Learning Services
 Central to the School’s goal of helping all students become effective learners, the learning resources team serves as the diagnostic and prescriptive arm of the Lower School academic program. In addition to offering support to children, learning specialists help homeroom teachers create and implement strategies for remediating learning difficulties or gaps in student skill areas.
At the Middle School level, the learning specialist coordinates academic support services and outside tutoring. The learning specialist also observes in classes, works closely with faculty regarding reasonable accommodations within the classroom, and coordinates the implementation of organizational and time management strategies within each subject’s curriculum.
After-School
 An after-school program on the Lower/Middle School campus is available to GDS students in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade until 6:00 p.m. The program operates every school day and on days preceding vacations when school is dismissed at noon. The program does not operate on scheduled school closings or when inclement weather forces the cancellation of school.
The After-School Program provides many opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities. Older students may also work in a supervised study hall. The schedule and activities are planned and supervised by the After-School Program director. Popular mainstays of the program include art, cooking, drama, dance, and production of an After-School newspaper. Mixed-age groupings encourage social interaction and cooperation on projects as well as play.
For more information about the GDS After-School Program, click here.
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