Lower School - Greensboro Day School | A Private School in North Carolina

The GDS Lower School is a joyful and exciting learning community! Our program encourages natural childhood curiosity and fosters a lifelong love of learning. Every child is unique, and our wonderful teachers get to know each child’s strengths and challenges and help them grow to reach their full potential.

Get to Know the Lower School

Hear what students and parents have to say about our program

The Lower School serves students in Kindergarten and Grades 1–4. Our program offers an outstanding academic foundation distinguished by boundless opportunities to explore, lead, serve, create, and connect. Our students are supported by a group of expert and caring teachers who are passionate about nurturing each child’s growth and development.

The Academic Program

Students thrive in the Lower School at GDS. The lower school academic program is designed to keep students active and engaged in a supportive learning environment. Homeroom teachers regularly teach language arts, math, social studies, and character & citizenship lessons. Students visit specialist teachers for science, visual art, music, Spanish, coding & maker education, library, and physical education. Our expert teachers, who love children and are passionate about their learning, recognize that each child has their own unique gifts and challenges. Our teachers are dedicated to personalizing the learning journey so that each student can reach their full potential. In addition, our classroom and specialist teachers are part of an entire ecosystem that nurtures and supports every student at GDS.

Our campus learning pond, special projects, visiting authors, and off-campus field trips enhance the academic experience for our students, making learning extra joyful!

The Lower School Community

An important part of education is helping our students see themselves as members of a community larger than themselves. Students engage regularly in student-led assemblies, and our fourth grade Safety Patrol leaders help their younger peers navigate morning arrival. The GDS Community Cornerstones of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, and Integrity are embedded daily in our lessons and actions. We deeply value maintaining a school environment that is socially and emotionally safe for our students. We encourage them to challenge themselves by taking risks that help them grow and learn. Our students are seen, valued, and respected each and every day.

A Partnership with Families

We welcome parents and grandparents to visit our lower school classes to read and/or share special family traditions with our students. Family PE week, Pond Day, field trips, and Grandparents and Special Friends Day offer formal opportunities for families to participate in or volunteer for special programs on and off campus. GDS also offers learning and engagement opportunities for our families through the McLendon Speaker Series, our counselors’ Paws and Connect podcast, and parent workshops led by our talented faculty and staff. Topics in the past have included brain-based learning, cognitive development, parenting tips, and emotion regulation guidance.

Student-to-Teacher Ratios and Maximum Class Sizes

Our class sizes follow best practices for student-to-teacher ratios, ensuring a nurturing and responsive learning environment. Smaller class sizes allow our teachers to provide more individualized attention, build strong relationships with each child, and tailor instruction to support each learner’s growth and development. The student-to-teacher ratio for Kindergarten is 9:1 with a maximum class size of 18 students supported by 2 full-time teachers. The student-to-teacher ratio for first grade is 9:1 with a maximum class size of 18 students supported by 1 full-time teacher and one half-day assistant teacher. The student-to-teacher ratio for second and third grade is 9:1 with a maximum class size of 18 students supported by 1 full-time teacher and 1 full-time assistant who supports a full grade level. The student-to-teacher ratio for fourth grade is 10:1 with a maximum class size of 20 supported by 1 full-time teacher and 1 full-time assistant teacher who supports the grade level.

Specialist Teachers

In addition to the rich academic experience that children encounter in the classroom every day, they meet regularly with specialist teachers who enrich and extend their academic experience in exciting ways.

Students in grades K–4 have classes exploring Science, Art, Music, Computer Science & Maker Ed, PE, Library, and World Language.