Watch our Learning Spaces film and get a true picture of the BSS Junior School experience.

The architectural environment is a fundamental element of the Reggio Emilia approach. It’s often referred to as the “third teacher.” And the BSS Junior School has been designed with precisely this in mind. Glass walls invite interaction between classrooms. A neutral décor means that students can really focus on what they’re working on. And learning is displayed on the walls so that the students’ thinking is made visible to them at all times.

Housed in a brand new building that’s adjoined to the Senior School, the Junior School is the perfect place for young girls to thrive. With its own separate entrance, bright and airy foyer, and glass and wooden windows and walls, the Junior School is an inviting, comforting space that welcomes the impossible. Consider it a canvas that your daughter can make her own unique mark on.

The Environment (as 3rd Teacher)

The work of the educators in Reggio Emilia has provoked a new consideration of the space in which learning takes place, an alternate understanding of an environment rich in materials, rich in resources, rich in relationships and rich in potential.  This Environment is a participant in the learning experience and offers a competent provocation to the community of learners within.  It supports the central tenets of transparency, relationality and reciprocity, reflecting these elements through a dynamic setting that emerges and evolves with the ongoing investigations and daily life of the children.

Specialist Teachers and Environments

In the Junior School, the students’ education is enriched by their experiences with disciplinary experts in different environments.  The girls’ inquiries take them to specialized spaces, including the music studio, art studio and the design technology lab.  Daily physical activity is important for the healthy development of our students.  The girls build their skills in athletics and active play in the gymnasium and the pool, and on the playground and playing field.  French language instruction begins in the Junior School at the Junior Kindergarten level and grows in complexity through the sixth grade. Teachers work together in grade-level teams to build a program which integrates the use of specialized resources and creates a holistic experience for the students.