Welcome to Packer

Our commitment to making sure each person is valued and challenged begins with our youngest learners. Our Preschool program employs a student-centered, evidence-based model to create authentic and practical learning experiences in a relationship-centric environment.  Guided by the tenets of the Reggio Emilia early childhood philosophy, the play-based program includes ample daily outdoor time and creates the space for children to explore areas of interest that promote joy and creativity. 

Our PK3 and PK4 classrooms each have three full-time teachers. 

• Social-emotional learning experiences allow children to better understand themselves and others and appreciate different perspectives and ideas
• At this age level, our equity and inclusion work focuses on essential questions like, Who am I? and What makes each of us unique and special?
• Students are immersed in “emergent learning,” working together with peers to explore and deepen their understanding of topics that pique their interest
• Specialty classes include dance, music, studio art, physical education, science, and library.

Note: financial aid is not available for PK3 or PK4.

Daily Schedule

PK3: 9:00am to 1:30pm (classroom opens 8:45am, no early drop off; optional extended day until 2:55 pm) 
PK4: 9:00am to 2:55pm (classroom opens 8:45am; early drop off free of charge begins at 8:00am)

Note: Afterschool options through 6:00pm begin in Kindergarten at Packer.
 

Our Kindergarten program employs a student-centered, evidence-based approach to create authentic and practical learning experiences in a relationship-centric environment. Guided by the tenets of the Reggio Emilia early childhood philosophy, children learn through play as well as being introduced to regular academic routines in literacy, math, social studies, and science to create a strong foundation for learning. The academic program is experiential, exploratory, and integrated. Much of our curriculum work spans multiple disciplines so that students experience an interconnected approach to an interconnected world.

A focus on social-emotional development continues, as students develop strong, healthy bonds with classmates, teachers and other members of the Packer community. We nurture Kindergarteners’ growing independence, resilience, and confidence.

We maintain a two-teacher model throughout Kindergarten and Lower School, allowing for various modes of teaching and learning: individual, small group, half group, and whole class. The division also has designated literacy and math coordinators who support student and teacher growth through coaching and curriculum development. 

• A robust phonics program builds and consolidates decoding (reading), encoding (spelling), and handwriting. We emphasize language as a tool for communication and thinking with a focus on building vocabulary. Classrooms provide a print- and language-rich environment with in-class libraries.
• Beginning in Kindergarten and extending through Lower School, the mathematics curriculum emphasizes developing conceptual understanding through collaboration and discourse, solving problems using visual models and manipulatives, testing and defending conjectures, recording one’s thinking, and developing a growth mindset to persevere, and ‘be comfortable with being uncomfortable’ when determining solutions to problems.
• Social studies reflects students’ expanding sense of the world: self, family, community, neighborhood, city, country, world. 
• Specialty classes include science, dance, music, studio art, physical education, health education, and library.
• Optional Affinity Groups begin in Kindergarten and provide a developmentally appropriate space for our youngest children to foster family pride, self-confidence, and develop empathy and compassion across differences. Meetings consist of age-appropriate, student-generated discussions, games, read-alouds, and art projects. 

Daily Schedule

Kindergarten: 9:00am to 3:00pm (classrooms open 8:45am; free early drop off begins at 8:00 am)

Afterschool options through 6:00pm are available at an additional cost.

Our Lower School program employs a student-centered, evidence-based approach to create authentic and practical learning experiences in a relationship-centric environment. In addition to regular academic routines, social-emotional learning experiences focus on deepening understanding of identity, embracing differences, navigating friendships, and working toward equity in the school community and beyond the walls of Packer.

We maintain a two-teacher model throughout Lower School, allowing for various modes of teaching and learning: individual, small group, half group, and whole class. The division also has designated literacy and math coordinators who support student and teacher growth through coaching and curriculum development. 

• A robust phonics program builds and consolidates decoding (reading), encoding (spelling), and handwriting. Classrooms also provide a print- and language-rich environment, with in-class libraries and immersive reading and writing lessons, complemented by author visits. As they progress through Lower School, students are introduced to reading and writing across genres and purposes.
• The mathematics curriculum emphasizes developing conceptual understanding through collaboration and discourse, solving problems using visual models and manipulatives, testing and defending conjectures, recording your thinking, and developing a growth mindset to persevere, and ‘be comfortable with being uncomfortable’ when determining solutions to problems.
• Social studies curriculum reflects students’ expanding sense of the world: self, family, community, neighborhood, city, country, world. It emphasizes critical thinking, social justice, and tools to become changemakers.
• In our Lower School science lab, students develop critical thinking and inquiry skills, exploring projects that often integrate their work in social studies, literacy, and math.
• Computing and design classes introduce information literacy, creative thinking, digital citizenship, and beginning coding.
• Additional specialty classes include art studio, library, health education, dance, general music, choral and instrumental music, theater, physical education, and daily recess. 
• Optional Affinity Groups provide a developmentally appropriate space for young children to foster family pride, self-confidence, and develop empathy and compassion across differences. Meetings consist of age-appropriate, student-generated discussions, games, read-alouds, and art projects. 

Daily Schedule

1st and 2nd Grade: 8:45am to 3:10 pm
3rd and 4th Grade: 8:30am to 3:15pm 

8:00 am early dropoff is free of charge. Afterschool options through 6:00pm are available at an additional cost.
 

Our Middle School introduces students to more nuanced ways of understanding the world and themselves. As they engage in more intensive study our faculty support them in developing and refining their academic skills so that learning stays joyful and fulfilling. An extensive health education curriculum and robust network of student support personnel supports young adolescents’ social-emotional well-being.

Explore the Middle School Curriculum Guide for more detailed information

• Fifth and Sixth Grade Students are introduced to interdisciplinary study in their humanities core classes, which combine English and history. This approach allows for synthesis of ideas and characteristics from across multiple disciplines.
• The Middle School math curriculum is structured to gradually develop students’ knowledge of basic math operations and algebra and to enhance their critical thinking skills. The Middle School Mathematics Department has developed a sequence of courses that both build on students’ knowledge from Lower School and expand this foundation in preparation for more complex math studies in future courses. 
• The Middle School science program emphasizes the development of critical thinking, collaboration, scientific experimentation, and research and design. Within each grade, concepts involving earth, physical, and life sciences are organized around major themes to enable the application and development of these important and practical skills. 
• Full-time language study begins in 5th Grade, where students can choose from Spanish, French, Chinese, or Latin.
• Our computing and design classes focus on information literacy, creative thinking, and digital citizenship. Students learn coding and get an exposure to a variety of coding languages and techniques.
• In all of our Arts (Dance, Digital Video, Theater, Visual Arts, Choral and Instrumental Music) classes, we foster both the formal studio/class experience, and the co-curricular experience, in which students share their work in a supportive environment. 
• Middle School Athletics introduces students to interschool competition while emphasizing teamwork, mutual support, and fun.
• Student-initiated and student-led Clubs and Affinity Spaces include everything from Model Congress to Dungeons and Dragons to Spectrum (an affinity space for LGBTQ+ students). Options may change according to student interest each year.
• After school academic teams and enrichment courses are available through Packer+ auxiliary programming.

The Upper School academic sequence begins with foundational studies, then expands to meet students’ varied individual interests. The program embodies a healthy balance between academic rigor and personal development. Close relationships between students and teachers build a trust that gives students a supportive foundation from which to thrive. An extensive health education curriculum and robust network of student support personnel supports adolescents’ social-emotional well-being in a “Community of Care.”

Explore the Upper School Curriculum Guide for more detailed information

• The Science department uses a student-centered, inquiry-based approach to teaching science in all grades that includes a “physics-first” curriculum. In the Upper School, teachers utilize an approach known as Modeling Instruction, where students build models of scientific understanding by working collaboratively to draw conclusions based on a variety of observations and experiences. In our optional three-year Independent Science Research Program, students design and conduct research projects under the guidance of mentor professors in working college and university labs across the city.
• A comprehensive range of mathematics courses focuses on developing students’ analytical skills and conceptual understanding.
• The 9th grade humanities program is organized around a study of major literary works and ancient civilizations while the 10th grade courses focus on the American Experience from both a historical and literary perspective. In 11th and 12th grade, students choose from a wide range of humanities electives that span genres, cultures, time periods and interdisciplinary studies.
• In our World Language program students can choose to study Chinese, French, Latin, or Spanish. 
• Our Advanced Topics (AT) program is Packer’s intensive and intentional alternative to Advanced Placement; the wide range of topics includes TransAtlantic Slavery, Chinese conversation and culture, and organic chemistry. Learn more about the Advanced Topics curriculum. 
• An extensive, in-depth computer science program offers a variety of courses that emphasize problem solving, abstract thinking, design, and creativity. Students have the opportunity to learn a variety of coding languages and techniques. 
• Our annual two-week Packer Symposium takes each student on an intellectual journey of their choice (and in Eleventh Grade, on a literal journey, to a range of international destinations, at no additional cost!).
• In our Independent Study and Senior Thesis Programs, students can pursue their individual intellectual passions with guidance from a faculty mentor.
• Our programs in the Arts are a major force on campus, with theater, music, and dance performances, the senior art show, the Dance Concert, and the Packer Film Festival.
• Our extensive Athletics program sees students excel in competition while embodying our core values of scholarship, integrity, and respect. The Packer Pelicans have achieved 32 championships in 15 different sports in recent years.
• Student-initiated and student-led Clubs and Affinity Spaces allow students to connect with others who share their passions—from animal conservation to sports analytics, from screenwriting to chemistry. Options may change according to student interest each year.