Bertschi School specializes in pre-K through 5th grade. Our faculty and staff are particularly skilled at identifying and supporting the unique strengths and opportunities present at each developmental stage during the elementary years. In addition, our head and assistant head of school each have over 30 years of experience working specifically with elementary students; this allows them to make programmatic choices that are steeped with knowledge of this wonderful age group.
While we keep up with current research, we are also deeply aware and protective of what is timeless in childhood. Trying to catch falling leaves, inventing games of tag and working out the rules, celebrating a lost tooth or a double digit birthday, and sitting with a friend in a window well to share stories are all essential moments in a child’s day.
While it’s common to see our fifth graders singing the latest pop song, it’s also common to see them engaging in imaginative play with younger children in our extended day program or enjoying a favorite picture book while eating lunch. There can be a lot of pressure on children to grow up quickly. But, when fifth graders are the oldest students in the school, some of that pressure is removed.