Catlin Gabel School Lower School

Catlin Gabel has been at the vanguard of teaching what matters since the school's earliest days. What we do comes down to small class sizes and the relationships students have with their teachers. No one gets lost in the crowd. As we like to say, there is no back row. Our teachers make a point of knowing about each student’s learning style, homework assignments, classroom projects, volunteer activities, achievements, and disappointments. Nobody sits alone, works in a vacuum, or goes unrecognized.

It is not unusual for teacher-student relationships to last a lifetime. There is nothing more gratifying to us than seeing our graduates and teachers reunite at Homecoming or catch up at reunions. Alumni are always excited to tell their former teachers about their post-Catlin Gabel lives. The relationships deepen this way because every child is known.

Our curriculum builds competence in our students, but even more, it builds a capacity for them to ask their own questions. Catlin Gabel graduates know how to think deeply and work effectively. By integrating disciplines such as math and science, history and English, we prepare students for the real world, where scientists must communicate persuasively and policy makers need to understand cultural differences. All this is accomplished through intellectual pursuit and hard work.

We look for students who are eager to learn, who will contribute to our community, and who will take advantage of all we have to offer. We offer placement to young people who want to be part of a creative and vibrant academic, social, and athletic community. We also seek diversity among our students. Every class is made up of a mix of introverts, extroverts, talkers, listeners, boys, girls, scientists, artists, athletes, and mathematicians. We honor ethnic, racial, and economic diversity as well as different learning and social styles.