OUR MAGIC

THE CORNERSTONE MAGIC

The heart of any great school is its teachers, and ours bring an extraordinary passion and dedication to everything they do. Each one offers their own unique gifts—whether it's a talent for cooking, a love of science, a flair for the arts, sports, music, or a deep understanding of how children learn—and they generously share those gifts with their students every day. Beyond academics, our teachers lead with love, offering guidance, encouragement, and care in ways that help students grow not just intellectually, but emotionally and socially. Their commitment creates a nurturing environment where every child feels seen, supported, and inspired. That is the Cornerstone Magic.

Children and adults chopping celery in a kitchen classroom environment.

CORNERSTONE IN THE COMMUNITY

Junior students volunteer at Common Table, a Portsmouth area soup kitchen, once a week. Some Thursdays, they even go in early and help make the meal, but on most Thursdays, we take the vans over, and serve lunch, eat lunch with the community, and then help clean up.

Upper Elementary students collect funds and host a pizza lunch from Nik & Charlie’s Pizzeria in Greenland, NH.

Upper Elementary students collect thousands of pounds of food and hundreds of dollars every Thanksgiving to help those in need through Gather, our local food pantry.

Primary Children help collect and wrap gifts for Seacoast Family Promise each year before our holiday break.

Three skiers in winter gear and helmets standing on snow, smiling at the camera with snowy mountains and blue sky in the background.

SKI CLUB

We are fortunate to collaborate with Gunstock Mountain Resort to offer an unforgettable Ski Club opportunity during February and March. On Fridays, we pack up the school vans and take many of the Upper Elementary students to Gunstock for a full day of skiing and snowboarding. We arrive by 9, separate into groups based on ability, then ski and ride together until lunch. After lunch, students take their one-hour lesson with trained Gunstock ski and snowboard instructors, followed by more skiing and riding in the afternoon. We return to school by 5 with happy and tired students and faculty! From beginners to advanced, this is a very fun and memorable program.

A man with glasses, a beard, and a baseball cap smiling with two young boys on an outdoor track field. The man is wearing a gray sweatshirt with blue and white text and logos for a cross country championship event. One boy is wearing a red sports jersey, and the other is partially visible.

ATHLETICS

Our fall cross-country and spring track & field teams are a wonderful example of the power of teamwork and community spirit. With the support of dedicated parents and faculty volunteers who coach and cheer from the sidelines, our runners learn not only the value of perseverance and fitness, but also what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. The friendships, encouragement, and shared goals make each practice and race a fun, meaningful experience for every student involved. Practices are twice a week, and meets against other Seacoast elementary schools are once a week in the fall. In the spring, we compete in 6-8 large meets at area high schools with a 4th-6th grade group and a 7th and 8th grade group.

Two young boys sit side by side on black chairs, facing away at a crowded indoor event with tables, glasses of drinks, and a volleyball net in the background.

FEAST

Just before the Thanksgiving break, the Junior Class stays overnight at school to transform our gym into a huge dining room where the whole school will come together to share a meal. They get up really early in the morning to prepare the turkeys for the whole school. Each program level is responsible for a portion of the menu that we all enjoy together. Our Upper Elementary mentors guide their primary mentees to a table where they will sit together. Juniors will sit with their Lower Elementary reading buddies. All staff and faculty are in attendance. The toddlers even have their own small table! It is a truly a beautiful and delicious day for all.

A young boy with blond hair wearing a tie-dye T-shirt in red, yellow, and orange, using a red cookie cutter to cut dough on a floured kitchen counter.

AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT

Cornerstone has an incredible staff who come to school with many gifts and talents. Through the enrichment program, staff members get to share their passions with Cornerstone students after school. These offerings vary each year. In the past, there have been volleyball and pickleball classes, sewing and beading, book clubs, cooking classes, LEGO club, songwriting, and more! These classes are offered from 2:45-4:00 in six-week sessions throughout the year. Sign-ups happen a few weeks before each session. Enrichment Classes are offered at an additional fee.

A boy in a green shirt sitting on a tree branch with a guitar on his back, overlooking a grassy park where children are playing.

ALL-SCHOOL EVENTS

Cornerstone also has an incredible group of parent volunteers that we lovingly call the PVG (Parent Volunteer Group). Each year, they host multiple community events, including the Back-to-School and End-of-Year Cookouts, a Fall Festival with a Chili Cook-off, Movie Nights, and more. These events create strong community bonds and life-long memories for our students. We also have all school performances in the winter and sometimes another one in the spring. These are moments for students to use our stage, sound, and lighting to perform in front of a large community audience.