Foothill allows for childhood to unfold safety from the time the 2-year olds arrive at our Seedling School, to when they graduate as confident, curious 8th graders, prepared for success and fulfillment in high school and beyond. The Preschool to 8th grade model provides students with opportunities to develop a foundation of academic and social emotional skills at an age-appropriate pace. Many of our students are with us for the full 13 year journey! Our teaching and learning experience is rooted in long-term relationships, so each child is valued, understood and guided toward a lifetime of learning. 

The preschool years at Seedling School are spent fostering a love of learning through a balance of developmentally appropriate curriculum and creative play.  We develop characterr through the teaching of social skills and citizenship, and we introduce academic concepts through experiential, hands-on learning. 

In grades Kindergarten - 5, children strengthen academic skills and concepts that become progressively more challenging in anticipation of the middle school years. As children in these grades move toward pre-adolescence greater emphasis is placed on the development of critical social emotional skills such as cooperation, self-direction, and empathy.

Students in grades 6 - 8 have space and support as they continue to strengthen themselves academically and develop self-confidence along with skills of leadership, self-regulation, and communication, without the pressures and behavioral risks often associated with junior high environments. Starting in these grades, students may also choose the environment for learning that best suits them -- Foothill Digital offers a completely online version of a Foothill education.   

Once they reach 8^th grade, Foothill students are true community leaders, strengthened and motivated by the knowledge that they have a responsibility to the children in the younger grades as they strive to be models of academic excellence and strong character.