In the Basic School, every student is encouraged to become a disciplined, creative, well-motivated learner. The Basic School serves the whole child, acknowledging that a student's physical, social and emotion well-being related to learning. The Climate Committee, part of the Summit Family Association, is composed of parents, who work with the director to assure that a nurturing and supportive learning environment exists for all students. Students are grouped with their age peers in Basecamps, where they pursue integrated studies. Children are allowed to move across Basecamps for math and language instruction to match individual skill levels maximizing growth and learning.
Classes are small and geared toward individual attention as well as group projects.
The Basic School is concerned with the ethical and moral dimensions of a child's life. The school emphasizes seven core virtues through the curriculum, the school climate, and high expectations for student behavior.