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Madison Metropolitan School District

About Us

Our curriculum is both rigorous and challenging and will continue to be so with the alignment of the Common Core State Standards. Through these standards, we are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that each child is prepared for college, career, and the community by the time he/she completes high school. The process begins in elementary school where our goal is to teach students to read and think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively (both orally and in print), and to utilize technology in relevant ways.

Lapham is a partner school with Marquette Elementary, a unique arrangement in that children from two school attendance areas join for pre-kindergarten through second grades at Lapham and third through fifth grades at Marquette. Both of our schools are supported by the Lapham-Marquette Parent Teacher Group (PTG). This group of committed families meets monthly to provide leadership and community support to help make our schools successful. We have many parent volunteers who work with staff and students in our schools as well as students from UW and Edgewood College who work with our students and learn from our staff.

Lapham Elementary also shares building space with Capital High, an alternative high school program.  While our school schedules are different, students from Capital High do both volunteer work and service learning for our school. We have a meaningful partnership with both staff and students. We refer to ourselves as Two Schools, One Community and are committed to our partnership with Capital High.

In addition to strong academics, we have fun events that involve our students and families: The Lapham Outdoor Classroom and Community Garden with annual School-wide Harvest, Fine Arts Night, and the annual Holiday Bruncheon. These are just some of many events held at our school that you are encouraged to attend! We also have a strong partnership with Breathe for Change which supports our use of mindfulness practices that support social emotional skill development.

School mission statement

Lapham Elementary is a deeply committed and child-centered learning community with a diverse population. We are striving to maintain a safe environment that encourages and supports learning, safety, respect, being a good friend and having fun.

School Vision

At Lapham we affirm the identities and cultures of all to cultivate a deep sense of belonging. We are committed to promoting anti-racist practices in order to empower students.