At Harrisburg Academy we know that early childhood education is so much more than learning the ABC’s. It’s about creating a community of active learners who think for themselves and learn from others.

Our guiding philosophy throughout the Lower School is The Responsive Classroom. Through morning meetings, we teach our students how to listen and respond to questions and statements from their peers and their teachers. This culture of respect allows students the safety to express themselves and to reach their full potential.

At Harrisburg Academy we believe that each of our students has the potential to be a star.

In our HATS (Harrisburg Academy Threes),Junior Kindergarten (JK), and Kindergarten classes, our teachers provide materials and activities that are open-ended and adaptable to a wide variety of uses. By doing this, your child will explore and discover the joy of learning new things. In each grade, you can expect a curriculum appropriate to your child’s growth and development. Plus, you can expect something more and different.

Learning Links: Every Lower School grade is linked to a different continent through our Learning Links global education program in partnership with Dickinson College and others. Teachers develop curriculum based on cross-cultural comparisons and often communicate with contacts in other countries via email.

Suzuki Violin: We teach a modified Suzuki violin program to all students in JK and Kindergarten as part of the regular curriculum. The Suzuki method fits well in our school because it supports our philosophy that every child has an innate ability to learn.

LabLearner: LabLearner is an inquiry-based science program for students in Kindergarten through fourth grade. LabLearner integrates 30 Core Experience Learning Labs on physical, earth, and life science topics with a fully equipped teaching lab. Students become “real” scientists seeking answers to problems.

The early childhood education program is further enhanced with physical education, library, music, computer and fine arts. Spanish instruction begins in JK and continues in Kindergarten.

HATS is offered on both a part-time and full-time basis. JK and Kindergarten are five full-day programs. An after-school program is also available.