Early School pre-kindergarten
At Seven Hills, whether they're just starting out or about to finish, students are celebrated for what makes them stand out. Through an open, high-trust environment — with teachers to guide them through every chapter of their story — students become well-rounded people with emotional and intellectual depth.
From the moment their feet step into their classrooms, children’s worlds get smaller and their imaginations bigger. They think, they build, they conquer.
Curious and Exploring
Our PhilosophyIn Early School, we believe learning begins with wonder. Early childhood is a time of extraordinary growth, discovery, and joy as children begin to understand themselves and the world around them. Through play-based learning, outdoor experiences, and project-based exploration, we nurture each child’s unique strengths, natural curiosity, and love of learning. Our dedicated teachers are more than educators. They serve as guides, collaborators, and co-learners alongside their students. Teachers design meaningful projects inspired by children’s questions, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. They create classrooms filled with warmth, imagination, and hands-on learning, where children build resilience, confidence, and the academic skills to prepare them for their journey at Seven Hills.
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Our ApproachAt the heart of our work is a commitment to creating a community where children feel a deep sense of belonging. We partner closely with families and recognize that learning flourishes when home and school work together. Every day, children are encouraged to ask questions, take risks, solve problems, collaborate with others, and discover the excitement of learning. Our goal is simple: to cultivate confident, compassionate, curious learners who are discovering through play, growing through curiosity, and thriving in nature. The success of every child is our greatest reward, and we feel privileged to share this journey with our children and families. Best Regards, Tracy Murch, Head of Early School and Head of Doherty Lower School
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Our Early SCHOOL Domains
During the years of early childhood, the following domains are the areas of development that are most important to the growth and success of a healthy, well-rounded child. Our curriculum is built around these five domains and supported by our Seven Hills values to help ensure the successful development of every child.
Social/Emotional
The Social/Emotional Domain is the foundation that provides self-awareness and self-regulation. Woven throughout our curriculum, this domain comes to life in daily exercises and interactions that give students the opportunity to grow as individuals and practice being part of a group. This positive growth is the crucial foundation for successful learning throughout each child’s life.
Language
The Language Domain addresses verbal, auditory, and written communication. Each student develops at their own pace and is challenged appropriately. In a learning environment rich in print and language resources, students improve their listening skills, acquire phonetic awareness, and develop skills to write with a purpose.
Cognitive
The Cognitive Domain encompasses a child’s academic skills. Students develop their knowledge in areas like math, science, and social studies everyday through hands-on and meaningful learning opportunities and experiences. They begin to develop problem-solving skills and become more aware of the world around them and their special place in it.
Sensory/Motor
The Sensory/Motor Domain covers sensory integration such as fine motor and gross motor skills as they relate to body awareness. Our indoor and outdoor classrooms are specially designed to offer continuous opportunities for physical activities that promote healthy brain development. Students begin to use their senses to describe and interact with the world around them while also practicing their coordination and establishing hand dominance.
Creative
The Creative Domain allows for learning through curiosity and imagination. Students have the time and space to explore the arts in classrooms where they are encouraged to experiment with self-expression and creativity. By experimenting with a variety of art materials and exploring open-ended projects and plays, students learn to communicate ideas in new and unique ways.
Early School Curriculum
Children develop language in a number of ways, such as journaling, blending sounds, and public speaking. Our language arts curriculum helps students begin to master these skills with engaging activities.
View CurriculumMeasuring and counting, sorting and building—these math lessons foster our students’ curiosity about the numbers, shapes, and patterns they see in the world around them. By touching and manipulating a rich array of objects, children learn all the quantitative concepts they will need for future problem-solving.
View CurriculumWho am I? Where do I belong? How are we alike? How do we differ? Early social studies lessons help students know themselves, their families, and their role in their classroom and our school community. Over time, they glimpse the rich, diverse world we share.
View CurriculumIn science, students explore their natural curiosities and discover a sense of wonder. Both in and outside the classroom, a stimulating environment inspires curiosity, hones the impulse to observe, question, and experiment, and helps children construct a richer understanding of the natural world.
View CurriculumLearning is a lifetime pursuit, and so much depends on a child’s emotional and social readiness to learn. In these critical years, we nurture those emotional dispositions most conducive to effective learning: self-control, responsibility, communication skills, problem-solving, and respect for others.
View CurriculumOur children’s stimulating daily experience is enriched by a rotation of specials classes, taught by subject specialists, that plant seeds for future growth in social, artistic, and physical skills.
View Curriculum