Academics
Academic Divisions

Lower School

Welcome to the Lower School!

Students and Families First

At Eton, our highly trained teachers in the Lower School, assess and individually teach your child, both academically and socially. Our goal is to make the most academic progress for your child through individual learning and the establishment of strong parent-teacher partnerships.
 
With a ratio of 10:1, our teachers truly know your child, including how they learn best and how to move them forward at the right pace, without causing stress or anxiety. If a student doesn't master a concept, we re-teach it until they do.
 
Every Student Can Learn
 
At Eton Academy, we know every child can learn. We do not assume your child will “grow out of it” or eventually “pick it up”. We explicitly instruct students through brain-based and multi-sensory approaches finding what works for each student, and have the flexibility to adjust when one strategy may not be the best in the moment.
 
Our explicit instruction doesn’t stop at the classroom, it goes beyond: in the lunchroom, at recess, and throughout each and every moment of their day.
 
Our Lower School students are taught directly and explicitly, through structure, clear expectations, organizational skills and school management. This instruction lowers anxiety and builds your child’s academic confidence.

Student Placement Based on Individual Needs
 
The Lower School at Eton Academy is made up of students in grades 1-6. The division is subdivided into two programs: Elementary and Upper Elementary. Students are placed in classrooms and subject area groups based on their strengths, challenges and specific learning needs.



 

Lower School Director

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Jamie Gannon

    Jamie Gannon 

    Lower School Director
    248-642-1150 x201

Program Highlights:

  • Serving students in grades 1-6
  • Intensive focus on literacy - 3 hours of instruction per day
  • Physical education 3x/week
  • Daily routine to address the organizational and emotional developmental needs of students
  • Instruction in mathematics, social studies, science and social skills
  • Weekly library, art and music classes
 
 

Homework

At Eton, our teachers do the teaching, so parents aren't spending their parenting time on homework. In partnership, we ask parents to set up a routine and structure that allows for good homework time, such as a quiet place to study and support from the family. 

On our end, Eton teachers ensure that students are prepared--in school--to handle the appropriate homework assignments. Homework is used to reinforce concepts that the student understands in class. Students do their homework, close the books, and enjoy being a child. 

And, we really try to stick to no more than 30 minutes of homework a night.

Breaking the Reading Code

For many students the key in learning to read lies in the code--the specific rules and technical aspects of reading.
 
In the Lower School at Eton, we teach literacy using an explicit, systematic, research-based curriculum, which explains the code and how reading happens, while they are actually learning to read.
 
In turn, this balances what students are ready for cognitively with what they need to learn to develop and grow as readers.

Equipped Classrooms

Tailored to meet the needs of students, Eton's Lower School classrooms are equipped to encourage and provide the best learning environment possible, including:
  • Microphones used by teachers to amplify their voices through speakers positioned in each corner of the room
  • A SmartBoard™ touch screen whiteboard that's connected to a computer
  • A "fidget" basket filled with items to help those students who need it, to focus and pay attention to what's being taught
  • Chair balls, resembling exercise balls with legs, allow for more movement, helping some students pay better attention to instruction and the task at hand
  • Many more "small" things that add up to an enhanced environment that's built for learning