Lower
School

At its core, the Lower School is a place where childhood thrives—where students climb trees, explore the woods, and build forts, robots, and imaginative inventions. They create original music, write and perform their own plays, and bring big ideas to life.

In the Lower School, students engage in hands-on academics that build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our classrooms spark creativity, and a love of learning. Curiosity is celebrated here, and students are encouraged to ask questions, explore freely, and follow their sense of wonder.

In this nurturing environment, students are not only known and trusted—they are empowered to shape their own learning. With a strong sense of belonging, they grow as both independent thinkers and collaborative learners, supported every step of the way by a thoughtful, integrated social-emotional curriculum.

Sample Schedules

Class Descriptions

Students are taken seriously as learners and contributors. They are recognized as intellectual explorers and meaning-makers. They know their ideas matter, because peers, teachers, and administrators listen to them. When students’ conjectures and collective questions are essential to the curriculum, they are empowered as co-creators of their learning.

— Megan Terra, Lower School Division Head

Distinctive Elements of the Nueva Lower School

The Nueva Way at the Lower School

The excitement of discovery and exploration comes to life within the classroom and across the sprawling Hillsborough campus. With teachers as their guides, Lower School students are offered intellectual challenges that ignite their passion for learning.

In Lower School, learning takes place through thematic studies, and faculty shape the student-centered curriculum aligned with The Nueva Way philosophy. Teachers and students choose these themes collaboratively. Students have an important voice in the classroom and school community, and teachers have the freedom to craft curriculum that captivates their students’ interests. Invited to think critically and to ask why, students become truly excited about learning.

Students apply high-level thinking skills, forming the foundation for lifelong learning. Our faculty are thoughtful and collaborative planners, weaving together humanities, math, sciences, and the arts into intricate, thematic curricula, all the while ensuring that students acquire essential academic skills at each grade.

Why Choose a Gifted Program?

We believe young gifted children thrive in learning environments that not only celebrate their gifts but also understand their unique needs. Naturally curious and passionate, these learners crave intellectual engagement and meaningful connection.

Because they often possess abilities beyond their years, gifted children tend to experience asynchronous development and can be especially vulnerable. Without proper support, they may feel misunderstood, hide their abilities, and fall short of their potential.

Nueva is a place where gifted students are free to love learning openly. Our teachers recognize that giftedness extends beyond intellect, and they offer students both academic challenge and support for students’ social-emotional and physical growth. The Lower School program is intentionally designed to meet students where they are, with a level of differentiation rarely found in traditional settings.

Learn About Gifted Education at Nueva

Social-Emotional Learning: The Foundation of Our Culture

Gifted students often exhibit strong intuition, deep focus, and a heightened sensitivity to the world around them. Our educators are deeply responsive to these qualities, nurturing students’ emotional and social growth alongside their intellectual development. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a core element of our approach, seamlessly woven into daily life. Faculty and SEL specialists model and teach strategies that help students build self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills.

From the moment students step onto campus, SEL is part of their experience—in classrooms, on the playground, and in the broader school community. In the Lower School, SEL is delivered through dedicated lessons, integrated into academic subjects, supported through close collaboration with families, and reinforced with ongoing, responsive guidance. SEL specialists and teachers work together to help students navigate the social and emotional challenges that naturally arise at each stage of their development.

Design Thinking and Engineering Are Built on a Foundation of Empathy

At Nueva, design thinking begins with empathy, encouraging students to understand others’ perspectives and needs before creating thoughtful solutions. This human-centered approach equips students with the tools, mindset, and confidence to tackle challenges creatively and with purpose, always starting by considering the experiences of others.

Because empathy is also a cornerstone of our Social-Emotional Learning program, the two disciplines naturally reinforce one another, deepening students’ ability to connect with others and think beyond themselves.

Teachers weave design thinking into the curriculum in age-appropriate ways, beginning in preK and evolving in complexity as students grow. They explore the design cycle through hands-on projects, sometimes focusing on a single phase like ideation or prototyping to strengthen specific skills. By fourth grade, students take on an extended, 16-week design challenge to build an LED lamp for someone in their life who needs light—an exercise in empathy, creativity, and problem-solving.

Julia C. ’28

“Being encouraged to explore and having access to a garden from a young age sparked my passion for protecting the earth.”

Global Citizenship Starts in Lower School

Equipping our students with the tools, empathy, and confidence to become responsible global stewards begins in PreK, where students launch inquiries into their environment and community.

From their first days on campus, we foster good citizenship, community awareness, and democracy. Our Lower School students are introduced to these concepts by first thinking locally, beginning with their classroom, classmates, and their families. In ever-increasing boundaries as they grow, this initial orientation of incorporating the external world into their lives expands.

Students in preK through fourth grade are active community members, attending meetings where they initiate campus improvements and support the needs of their classmates. They are encouraged to help steward our spaces, to be mindful about our handling of food and waste, and to partner in reducing our environmental footprint. They frequently draw upon their SEL skills as they develop awareness of their needs and their impacts on others.

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Parents as Partners in Learning

At Nueva, we view parents as vital collaborators in their children’s educational journey. The early elementary years are a formative time—not only for students but also for parents who are learning how best to support their gifted child. To guide families through this process, we offer a wealth of resources, robust parent education, and a warm, inclusive community that fosters connection and shared support.