Elementary — Grades 1–6
Lower School
Where children move from learning to read to reading to learn — core academics, growing independence, and character formation for every elementary Cougar.
Building On A Strong Start
Core academics, growing independence
Lower School is where Columbia Academy's foundations become fluency. Students move from learning to read to reading to learn, building the study habits, work ethic, and growing independence that carry them into Upper School.
The same three commitments guide every lesson: Truth, taught through Scripture and honest instruction; Learning, deepened through rigorous, age-appropriate coursework; and Engagement, a classroom culture where every Cougar is known, challenged, and encouraged.
Core Curriculum
What Lower School Cougars study
Reading & Language Arts
Reading fluency, grammar, and the first real essays a student ever writes.
Mathematics
From arithmetic fluency toward the problem-solving skills that anchor every grade ahead.
Science
Hands-on discovery in life, earth, and physical science.
Social Studies & History
Geography, civics, and the stories of our state, nation, and world.
Bible
Scripture, character, and a Christ-centered view of every other subject.
Specials — Art, Music, PE & Library
A weekly rotation that rounds out the school day beyond the core classroom.
Character Formation
Growing in faith and character
Academics never stand alone at Columbia Academy. Lower School students are part of a Christ-centered community from their earliest days — faith lived daily in chapel, in class, and on the playground — so that character formation grows alongside every lesson, and every Cougar learns what it means to lead with integrity.
A Typical Week
What a week at CA looks like
A representative weekly rhythm — the exact schedule varies by grade and class.
- Daily core-subject blocks in reading, math, science & social studies
- A weekly whole-school or grade-level chapel
- Rotating "specials" — art, music, PE & library
- Daily recess & outdoor time
- Independent reading & homework practice
The Lower School Difference
A foundation built to last
11:1 Student–Teacher Ratio
Individual attention that carries across the whole school, from the earliest grades.
Teachers Who Know Every Name
A close-knit classroom culture where every student is seen, not just taught.
A Foundation Built To Last
The study habits and academic groundwork every Cougar needs for Upper School.
Growing Independence & Leadership
Age-appropriate responsibility that builds confidence year over year.
Around Lower School
A glimpse of the day
In The Classroom
One Cougar Family
Recess & Play
See our Lower School classrooms
Schedule a visit to meet our teachers and see a day in the life of a Lower School Cougar.