The Lower School program carefully considers all aspects of a child's development: emotional, social, physical, and cognitive. We believe that children can best acquire a rich body of knowledge and the skills needed for future learning through a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and that builds upon itself year by year. It is our hope that our curriculum is an expression of NVIS' mission, which is to inspire a love of learning, to build self-confidence, and to foster in our students the ability and desire to contribute to their community.

We realize that the first years of a child's academic life are crucial ones in establishing positive attitudes and dispositions toward learning. We value a young child's natural desire to learn through creation and self-expression. We strive to build upon our students' curiosity, while instilling in them a spirit of cooperation, a respect for others and for their ideas, and a satisfaction in personal intellectual growth.