"Great schools strive to develop in their students four fundamental qualities: intellectual curiosity, academic discipline, ethical responsibility, and individual growth. Intellectual curiosity is developed by placing children at the center of the learning activity, and the role of the teacher is to construct a rich learning environment that does just that. Academic discipline comes through clarity and consistency in the classroom and through the building of essential skills: students need to learn to read, write, compute, and think critically and creatively, as these are the foundations of lifelong learning. Ethical responsibility stems from instruction in the 4th and 5th "R's" - relationships and responsibilities - and the child's awareness of his or her connection to a larger community. And individual growth is achieved by allowing children to make and learn from their mistakes in a nurturing environment that promotes productive risk taking and the development of a strong sense of self.

These are the qualities we seek to develop in students in Claremont's Lower School."