SEED School

At Lipscomb Academy, we believe early childhood education is the cornerstone of child development and sets the foundation for future school success.

Young children learn rapidly in the first five years of life, and how they learn and develop is critical. Between birth and six years old, a child’s brain develops more than at any other stage of life. At Lipscomb Academy, we take full advantage of this period to ensure educational success in the future. The SEED School encourages students to Seek, Explore, Experiment, and Discover (SEED) the world around them.

We provide our students with a rigorous academic experience through developmental play and discovery. We teach our students of God’s never-ending love and ignite their innate curiosity as we explore the wonders of His kingdom. We believe that early childhood education is much more than readiness for elementary school. It is the holistic approach to the development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. It is the foundation necessary to produce lifelong learners. We understand that our students are changing daily and strive to provide a rich, engaging experience that nurtures and challenges their young hearts and minds.

In This Section

Letter from Associate Head of SEED School

Welcome to Lipscomb Academy SEED School. Our school is based on a progressive vision for early childhood education. We pride ourselves in providing rich, authentic experiences to inspire children to want to learn. This approach encourages students to be active participants in learning by offering space and time for them to Seek, Explore, Experiment and Discover (SEED) God’s Kingdom. Creating an environment that invites continuous exploration and engagement nurtures innate curiosity. Early childhood education impacts everything from future school performance to lifelong social skills. Our goal is to foster a love for learning that lasts well past the early years.

Building strong relationships within our school community is at the heart of my personal practice. I want all students and families to have a true sense of belonging. Your child will grow not only as an academic learner but also as a child of God. Sharing in the growth and development of our precious students is a profound privilege. I look forward to listening to your vision for our school and collaborating with each of you to support our community. I am thankful to be joining you on this journey. YOU BELONG HERE!

Michele Young Associate Head of SEED School

SEED School Resources

Available Class Options

The SEED School is not only a stellar kindergarten preparatory program but also a visionary, faith-based community committed to serving your child’s spiritual, emotional and academic needs. Our school is designed with each child in mind, giving attention to individual talents and learning styles to better prepare every young learner for a successful school experience.

We begin our pathway with younger students in order to provide a consistent and natural flow of instruction. All grades in the SEED School follow a rigorous set of guidelines and developmentally appropriate standards to produce students who internalize a growth mindset specific to readiness for kindergarten and beyond. Our student: teacher ratios are intentionally below state program requirements enabling us to provide this individualized and differentiated approach to instruction.

The class levels are pre-K2, pre-K3, pre-K4, JrK and Kindergarten.

Classes pre-K2 serve any student who has turned two on or before August 15 of the upcoming school year.

Classes pre-K3 serve any student who has turned three on or before August 15 of the upcoming school year.

Classes pre-K4 serve students who have turned four on or before August 15 of the upcoming school year.

Classes for JrK serve students who may need a bridge between pre-K4 and kindergarten. These children may need a year for emotional or social maturity, time for developmental growth, additional academic support, or have a birthday close to the August 15 state requirement

Kindergarten will serve students who have turned five or older before August 15 of the upcoming school year.

Faith

Life at Lipscomb Academy is a daily, personal process of growing more aware of God’s presence and becoming more like Christ, through the Spirit. Members of the Lipscomb community strive to live in the right relationship with God, ourselves and others, in every dimension of life.

Spiritual Life is woven into everything we do, including academics. Science experiments become an opportunity to recognize the power and activity of God on earth. Historical events become a chance to discuss relevant issues and topics in society today. Journaling on literature becomes your child’s doorway to see how their life is a part of God’s bigger story. Faith is integrated into Lipscomb’s curriculum through foundational standards that start with the spiritual formation of our faculty and staff so that they can guide students in how to engage the world with a kingdom vision, how to encounter God’s presence, and how to see all people as created in God’s image.

SEED School SESL (Social-Emotional-Spiritual Learning)

Morning Meeting sets the tone for joyful and respectful learning and creates community within the classroom where students discover the nature of God, how they fit within his story, and live in relationship with others. Social-Emotional-Spiritual learning also includes our Heart & Mind programming, chapel, and daily morning meetings in each classroom, every day.

Academic & Event Calendar

Courses Offered

Thinking Club

Lipscomb Academy is one of the only early childhood schools in Nashville to offer services for gifted and talented students. Our SEED Thinking Club is led by a licensed early childhood gifted specialist and meets each Tuesday and Thursday. All SEED school grade levels have unique criteria that is used for the selection of students. We reassess as the year progresses to ensure the intellectual needs of each student are being met as they grow developmentally and academically. Students entering Lipscomb Academy with an intellectually gifted psychoeducational report are automatically eligible for Thinking Club.

Chapel

SEED School students attend a chapel that is designed for their age and developmental understanding.

pre-K2 and pre-K3 students attend Little Lights chapel twice a week.
pre-K students attend SEED chapel twice a week and participate in Memory Verse Mondays.
Kindergarten students attend SEED chapel twice a week, full school chapel once a week and participate in Memory Verse Mondays.

The primary goal of chapel and daily Bible instruction is to help our students recognize their value as children of God. Students will be taught to appreciate God as creator of the universe and will learn to value the Bible as His inspired word. They will enjoy Bible stories, children’s songs of worship and prayer time. They will learn of the fruits of the spirit and how that relates to daily living.

Heart and Mind

Each SEED grade will participate in heart and mind classes that focus on the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of life. These lessons relate to the fruits of the spirit and relate back to weekly chapels. They empower our young students to form a healthy self-concept, learn to make good personal choices and have empathy for others.

Language Arts

Students experience new growth in spoken and receptive vocabulary each year in the SEED School. Such growth is a critical component for future reading achievement. Teachers read aloud to students multiple times each day. Students are encouraged to develop more precise vocabulary and speech patterns to express information, needs, interests and concerns.

Language skills are taught through a balanced literacy program utilizing the Tennessee Learning standards and Lucy Calkins Reading, Writing and Phonics. Students develop phonemic awareness, expressive, language, receptive language and listening comprehension. Guided reading, shared reading and small group literacy centers give our students multiple opportunities to build reading and language skills appropriate to their specific age and needs.

Writing

SEED School students begin to write at age two. As fine motor skills develop naturally, they progress into printing their names, writing words, crafting sentences and creating personal stories. We believe reading and writing are directly related which is why all SEED classes write every day.

Math

Math instruction in the SEED School is implemented using a hands-on approach. Concepts are taught by allowing children to manipulate objects to fully understand ideas. Varied types of instruction are utilized to expose students to multiple problem-solving strategies. Exposure to real-life experiences and practical use of math allows our students to apply learning to their world. These powerful connections secure mastery of specific grade-level mathematical standards.

Science

Students will be exposed to the scientific method as they explore the world around them. They will develop an understanding of science by describing, classifying, comparing and predicting. Homeroom teachers will partner with the SEED Science teacher to meet their grade level’s specific developmental needs. All students will attend a weekly hands-on science lab to bring concepts to life. Our outdoor classroom provides numerous hands-on opportunities to extend in-class learning as well.

Social Studies

SEED students are fascinated with the nature of their cultural and environmental world. They will learn about their community and their personal responsibilities as members of that community. They will be exposed to other cultures and taught to recognize and respect the differences. As they progressively begin to relate to concepts of past, present and future, they will gain an appreciation for their heritage and learn of the many cultures and customs around the world.

Art

All SEED School students participate in weekly art classes specific to their age and developmental readiness. They are encouraged to create drawings, paintings, models and other art creations that are detailed, creative or realistic. Students use a variety of materials to intuitively design original artworks. They are taught to recognize the beauty and respect for personal work and the creative work of others. This instruction culminates in an annual art show which exhibits creative projects from all SEED grades.

Music

All SEED students engage in weekly music instruction that helps find their singing voice, learn to play instruments and classify different sounds and timbres. Students develop listening skills, enjoy movement activities and learn an appreciation of multiple genres of music. They are taught the behaviors to perform for an audience and also how to be a respectful member of an audience. The musical talent of all SEED School students is showcased annually.

Spanish

All SEED children participate in weekly Spanish classes. They begin by learning simple greetings, colors and numbers. They progress to learning animal names, sounds, foods and body parts. This instruction is primarily through games, songs and hands-on activities. As the learning progresses, they will learn to follow simple directions spoken in Spanish as their teacher speaks exclusively in the language during class times.

Library

All SEED students have the opportunity to explore the wonderful world of books in weekly library classes. Our school library houses books for all levels of readers beginning with ones appropriate for our youngest students. Classes begin by learning the purpose of a library, the proper care of books and personal responsibility. They then progress to learning of genres, organization and how to select books of interest. Our librarian shares stories that are culturally relevant and engaging to young readers. Each visit exposes students to a variety of books available to them. Library classes play a huge role in fostering a love for reading in our students.

Physical Education

Our physical education curriculum is based on teaching students large motor skills such as running, jumping, hopping, galloping, sliding and skipping. As skills develop, they are taught manipulative skills such as throwing, catching and kicking. Students learn how to work cooperatively with others using various games and exercise activities. The goal for the physical education program is to lead students into activities that promote lifelong healthy habits.