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MCDS Lower School
Nurturing Young Minds
Our Lower School focuses on the whole child and fosters growth through a student-centered, integrated curriculum that is personalized, strength-based and intentional. Our aligned PK3 through 5th-grade program provides joyful learning experiences that build on knowledge from year to year.
We understand that children thrive in a nurturing environment that encourages curiosity, questioning, exploration and innovation.
The rising scholars learn through active discovery, student choice and collaboration to discover their passions and acquire the skills to pursue them.
We understand that children thrive in a nurturing environment that encourages curiosity, questioning, exploration and innovation.
The rising scholars learn through active discovery, student choice and collaboration to discover their passions and acquire the skills to pursue them.
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Nurturing Young Minds
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Discover
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Director of Lower School
MCDS Lower School Spartans Are…
Compassionate Leaders
We have numerous leadership opportunities for our students, like the Leader in Me program and Kinder to College Buddies, to promote confidence and autonomy. We also empower and encourage our students to create strong interpersonal skills.
Through Morning Meetings and mindfulness practices, we encourage and support social-emotional wellness, inclusive communities and caring relationships. Children spend each day with friends playing, listening and creating a strong sense of community and collaboration.
We have numerous leadership opportunities for our students, like the Leader in Me program and Kinder to College Buddies, to promote confidence and autonomy. We also empower and encourage our students to create strong interpersonal skills.
Through Morning Meetings and mindfulness practices, we encourage and support social-emotional wellness, inclusive communities and caring relationships. Children spend each day with friends playing, listening and creating a strong sense of community and collaboration.
Intellectually Curious Scholars
The balanced approach we take to teaching literacy accelerates the growth of each individual student, while contributing to the collective understandings of the community. Classroom activities promote critical thinking about important social, cultural and content-area topics. Students apply their skills to question, research, defend, form opinions and paint a picture with their words.
Students develop an understanding of the power and beauty of mathematics. They construct their conceptual understandings of math, develop the patience and persistence to problem solve and apply their learning
with ease and precision.
with ease and precision.
Our interdisciplinary units require students to apply both fundamental skills and 21st-century skills to solve complex problems.
Through exploration, students acquire the knowledge, values and commitment needed to protect and improve the environment and become passionate stewards of the planet.
Our Abess Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) program connects students to the wonders of our world, with our varied animal collection and our garden program. Fifth grade students improve environmental literacy through our Comprehensive Outdoor Education Program (COEP) by exploring Florida’s wildlife.
These hands-on experiences provide relevance to children’s environmental learning and advocacy.
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Env stew
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Global Citizens
Our children know they are part of the interconnected global community. They explore local cultural connections and widen their horizons through active participation in multi-lingual and multi-cultural opportunities.
Our classroom, enrichment and language teachers facilitate cultural experiences that broaden our students’ exposure to diverse people, ideas and traditions.
Students experience daily Spanish language immersion in PK3 through SK5 and differentiated Spanish language and culture classes. Excursions to Little Haiti and participation in the World Peace Game, among other activities, help children foster mutual respect and value diversity.
Our classroom, enrichment and language teachers facilitate cultural experiences that broaden our students’ exposure to diverse people, ideas and traditions.
Students experience daily Spanish language immersion in PK3 through SK5 and differentiated Spanish language and culture classes. Excursions to Little Haiti and participation in the World Peace Game, among other activities, help children foster mutual respect and value diversity.
We provide opportunities for physical activity through daily outdoor recess, movement activities and physical education classes to create strong, energetic and confident children.
Through physical activity, children learn to connect concepts to action and their confidence grows.
They learn to balance the importance of individual leadership with teamwork as they assume roles as captains, scorekeepers, managers and more.
Artists and Innovators
Our Arts and Innovation programs cultivate children’s creativity and build a foundation for self-expression and love for learning to gain a deep understanding of the aesthetic world.
In our award-winning Center for the Arts, our faculty encourages children’s ownership over space and experiences. In music and art classes, children make their own decisions about their work and are not afraid to take risks, make mistakes and embrace failure.
Our Arts and Innovation programs cultivate children’s creativity and build a foundation for self-expression and love for learning to gain a deep understanding of the aesthetic world.
In our award-winning Center for the Arts, our faculty encourages children’s ownership over space and experiences. In music and art classes, children make their own decisions about their work and are not afraid to take risks, make mistakes and embrace failure.
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Young artists
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Our young innovators use the Innovation Lab to learn and apply process-oriented practices that are open-ended, child-directed and focus on developing design thinking practices. They connect concepts to action and learn through trial and error. From using 3D printers to Lego Education Mindstorm robotics, children participate in integrated STEAM activities.
After School Clubs
We offer several clubs for Lower School students after school from 3:15p.m. to 4:15p.m. Monday-Friday. The clubs are:
We encourage parents to read our brochure to find out how to register, review program policies and more.
- Taught by subject matter experts
- Convenient for parents who can’t pick their children up right away
- Educational, yet fun
- An enhancement to the child’s experience at the school
We encourage parents to read our brochure to find out how to register, review program policies and more.
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After School
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MCDS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, or local laws.
