The Lower School Director works in a highly collaborative environment, particularly with the Associate Lower School Director, Lower School Counselor, grade-level team leaders, Director of Multicultural Education, Diversity and Equity Initiatives, and the Director of Teaching and Learning, to support division-wide work on co-curricular and curricular programming, student wellness, faculty and staff hiring, and faculty growth and development. Recent areas of focus include design thinking (by students and faculty), technology integration (we are 1:1 in grades 2-5), enhancing mathematics instruction (through the adoption of Singapore Math- Math in Focus and other means), the introduction of a new phonics program, and integrating the teaching of non-cognitive skills (flexibility, empathy, optimism, perseverance) into the curriculum.