Why Choose Pre-K to Grade 5?
Elementary School Specialists
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.
Celebrating Childhood
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. 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.
Building Leadership
The age range of our school allows for students to grow as leaders and take on leadership roles as they move through the grades. Beginning in grade 3, classrooms are paired with younger grade level “buddies.” Buddies provide opportunities for students to learn how to build relationships, find peers across the school, and for older students to coach younger students in strategies for playing and learning together in community. Leadership opportunities increase as kids grow, and the fifth grade class truly embraces the responsibility as the oldest students in the school.
Visitors to our school often comment about the spontaneous kindness and collaboration they see in our classrooms and on our playground between students in different grades.
Ready For What's Next
We never cease to be amazed at the development of children. We understand that who a child is today may not be who they are tomorrow, and it is our job as educators to keep open many different pathways for children. Today's athlete may be tomorrow’s artist or mathematician. Bertschi works tirelessly to ensure that by the end of fifth grade students are ready to choose their next academic environment, ready to expand their friendships, and ready to find their next school that matches their developing selves.
We fully support our students and families as they approach middle school. Learn more about middle school placement.
In the Words of Our Families
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