The Primary School at Evansville Day School (grades K through 4) is focused on educating the whole child and forming strong critical thinking skills. While recognizing the developmental distinctions within each particular grade, it is the intention of the Primary School educators to foster and balance academic growth, respect for self and others, and activities that encourage each student to share their uniqueness.
Meeting the Needs of Learners
Students learn and process information uniquely, and our educators strive to meet each student where they are to optimize learning and growth for each child. Our Primary School currently averages a class size around 20 students and spends part of each day in half groups, allowing even greater student-teacher interaction.
Our Primary School educators bring years of teaching experience to the classroom and are committed to the formation of core academic skills. Additionally, opportunities are provided to expand learning through a variety of specialty classes including:
- global language
- science lab
- technology
- physical education
- visual arts
- music
- creative dramatics
Learn more about the DISTINGUISHING FEATURES of our academic program.
Educating the Whole Child
Equally important to a child’s broad academic development, our focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) helps guide students in the ongoing quest for learning how to better understand themselves, create relationships with others, make responsible and caring decisions, and work together to achieve goals. These concepts are reinforced day to day in a variety of ways by each educator in our Primary School. Play and movement are critical components of SEL success, and we build three recess periods and daily PE into our schedule to allow ample time for these. Additionally, Evansville Day School supports the development of the whole child through:
- SEL programming
- community service initiatives
- outdoor education opportunities on our 40 acre wooded campus
- access to an on-campus Youth First social worker
- extra-curricular and athletic offerings
Learn more about Day School’s commitment to SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING.
Distinguishing Features
Mathematics
- Emphasis on the discovery and understanding of mathematical concepts.
- Focus on problem solving, critical thinking and numbers sense to develop an understanding of the roles numbers play in our everyday world.
Science Lab
- Students experience science instruction in the PS Science Lab with our designated science specialist.
- Science is taught using hands-on experiences and our 40 acre campus for outdoor exploration of science in the natural world.
- Students develop a passion for questioning the world around them.
Global Language
- Language instruction is done primarily through the use of games, songs, rhymes, role-playing, puppets, and various other interactive techniques.
- Faculty commit to develop an appreciation for various cultures and traditions from around the world.
The Arts
- Visual Arts program engages students directly in the artistic process, thereby encouraging students to visually communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Classes promote artistic exploration and a sense of discovery by invoking our local environment, our global society, and each individual student’s personal identity.
- Music program develops and enhances student skills and music appreciation. Hands-on approach allows Primary School students to experience and master basic musical concepts.
- Creative Dramatics program nurtures each child’s creative and expressive potential. In the spring, students in Grades One through Four stage mini-productions featuring movement, costumes, memorized lines and music before a live audience of family and friends.
Signature Projects
- Students build confidence in their abilities to learn and share new information through grade level specific signature projects with both research and presentation components.
