The students at Brookside Lower School learn all the basics—reading and writing, math and science, geography and spelling. But Brookside days are also spent investigating life beyond the blackboard. Students are encouraged to explore the creative outlets of painting and printmaking, weaving and pottery, poetry and language.
In addition to the creative arts, Brookside incorporates nature into each child’s daily experience so they can learn to appreciate and feel a part of their environment. Student field trips range from visiting Cranbrook’s Institute of Science to discover how bees make honey, to fifth graders digging for fossils in Canada.
Brookside emphasizes a community where each student's unique contribution adds to the greater community as well. Students learn through experience and observation how respect for others, for the community and for the world are all hallmarks of the Brookside family.
Field Trips
Students leave Brookside for field trips to the Cranbrook grounds, Institute of Science, Art Academy, and off-campus destinations. The fourth grade students take an overnight trip to Mackinac Island. These trips are planned by teachers and grade level teams to enrich and extend the curriculum and to provide connections to life beyond school.
"The Tower"
The Mothers' Council, with the support of the faculty, publishes the Brookside Tower, a collection of writing selections from every Brookside student. Illustrations and faculty/class photographs are also included.
Lunch Program
Lunch is served family style in the Brookside dining room at tables of seven to nine. Faculty members serve as table heads, and students assist with clearing the table. In addition to getting to know students in another setting, faculty members take advantage of the opportunity to reinforce social graces and monitor food choices. An entrée and side dish are served at the table, and students may also select from a wide variety of options at the salad bar. The menu meets or exceeds USDA and state mandates for school lunch programs.
Learn More about Lower School Admissions
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|  | | Lower :: Brookside School | | Lower :: Special Programs | |
| Brookside After School The focus of Brookside’s after school programs is to provide expanded academic enrichment, as well as creative and athletic opportunities for children who remain past the scheduled school day. Parents who work longer hours have the option of enrolling their children in our After Care program where children are supervised by Brookside staff members, treated to snacks, and partake in organized activities. Brookside’s young mathematicians practice for the challenging Math Pentathlon after school, while musically inclined youngsters take private instrument lessons and practice with the Choir. Outside clubs such as the Daisies and Boy Scouts hold meetings in our facilities after school hours as well. In general, Brookside programs that take place after the bell has rung are not separate from the school day, but an extension of the day and the values that are emphasized in our classrooms.
Destination ImagiNation
The Destination ImagiNation program builds problem solving skills, teamwork and divergent thinking. Teams of five to seven students, led by parent coaches, meet after school to practice spontaneous problem solving, develop a solution to a problem, and present their ideas in a team-created performance. The solutions are presented at a school assembly and the regional tournament.
Math Pentathlon
A national math enrichment program, Math Pentathlon provides the opportunity for students of varying abilities and learning styles to have fun while playing games that develop mathematical concepts and strategic thinking. The program is run by parent volunteer coaches.
Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts
Cub Scout, Brownie, and Girl Scout groups, organized and led by parent volunteers, meet at Brookside after school hours.
Music Lessons
Private instruction is offered on campus to all interested students at a mutually convenient time for the student and instructor. The lessons focus on scales, arpeggios, etudes, and solo and chamber music literature that is generally not offered in the ensemble class.
Choir
Brookside Choir, directed by Miriam Moore, provides an opportunity for students who love to sing to expand on skills developed in music class using a variety of quality children’s choir literature. Concert performances culminate each session.
Brookside Choir is an opportunity for students who love to sing to concentrate on their singing voice as an instrument. Students will expand on skills currently developed in music class. Pure vowels, clear diction, improved tone quality and resonance will be explored using a variety of quality children’s choir literature. As group skills allow, we also will touch on two- and three-part rounds and part-singing. Our study will culminate with concert performances by the groups. |
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| Q. | What is special about your school? | | A. | George Booth started our school in 1922 with the mission of having an equal emphasis on the arts and the academics, a mission that continues to make us unique today. Therefore, we not only have a strong, well-articulated academic curriculum, but we also provide students with broad exposure to and experiences with the arts. |
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| Q. | What is the average class size? | | A. | Class size is limited to eighteen students in grades 1-5. Because some classrooms in our lovely historic building are small, each grade level has one class of fourteen students or two classes of sixteen students. |
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| Q. | Will my child be challenged? Will my child receive extra help? | | A. | Teachers continually assess students’ strengths and skill mastery and use this information to plan instruction. Individual needs are addressed within the context of the curriculum and the classroom. A full time reading enrichment teacher provides diagnostic testing and remedial assistance for students in senior kindergarten through third grade. |
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| Q. | How do you teach reading? | | A. | Homeroom teachers use a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction. Ongoing assessment informs teaching decisions to ensure a match between students’ developmental levels and instruction. Using quality children’s literature, teachers in grades one through five incorporate the following components: reading aloud; shared reading, in which teacher and student read texts together; guided reading, in which meaningful contexts are used to teach reading strategies; and independent reading. Writing instruction is an integral part of the literacy program as reading and writing are viewed as mutually supportive. Teachers focus on content, organization, style, and writing mechanics as they develop students’ ability to write for different audiences and purposes. |
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| Q. | What math program do you use? | | A. | Everyday Mathematics, an enriched elementary curriculum developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project, is used in grades 1-5. In addition to mastering concepts and computational skills, students are encouraged to employ strategies to solve problems, link past experiences to new concepts, work cooperatively, and apply mathematics to their everyday lives. |
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| Q. | Are you a laptop school? | | A. | Rather than requiring families to buy laptop computers, Cranbrook Schools are in the process of locating SmartBoard technology in as many classrooms as possible. SmartBoards are touch-sensitive white boards than can be programmed and managed through a connected computer. They enhance the teaching/learning process by supporting students to actively construct understanding in a wide variety of educational disciplines. |
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