Why Choose a K-8 School?

  • A small community allows every student to be well known as an individual by their teachers and peers.
  • Older students serve as positive role models and buddies for younger students in meaningful contexts, such as serving as lunch buddies or presenting a Chapel Talk, demonstrating a commitment to their younger counterparts and their community.
  • Teachers focus their energy on the goals and challenges of a particular developmental level in an intimate intellectual environment.
  • Early adolescent students rise to the challenge of genuine leadership opportunities.
  • Fifth through eighth grade students comprise the Upper School, with high academic expectations and opportunities, allowing their unique voices to be heard, rather than being caught in between an elementary school and a high school as in some middle school environments.
  • Kindergarten students have the opportunity to work with older students starting in the very first weeks of school, becoming full participants in the school community.
  • The positive achievements of early adolescents are recognized in culminating events and traditions, such as the fifth grade Medieval fair or the eighth grade Shakespeare play, earning participating students the admiration of the whole community, especially the younger students who anticipate their future opportunities.
  • The high school placement process serves as an opportunity for early adolescent scholars to consider the best next educational setting for them as individuals. Our strong record in high school placement and the wide variety of schools our students choose illustrate that Powhatan graduates are confident, capable individuals with a strong sense of self.