Our Kids Say it Best

If you haven’t seen it, here’s the video we created for yesterday’s Spring Open House. This video features our students (from all three divisions), Mrs. McColloch and Mrs. Dye talking about what they like most about Grace School. The message was so powerful that we decided to use it as a promotional tool! I hope you enjoy!

Winter Wonderland Event

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As part of their science unit, fourth grade students invited the Grace community to join them for our annual Winter Wonderland Event. Students were asked to construct a light-weight electric building containing at least one series of circuits consisting of Christmas lights, a switch powered by a nine-volt battery, floor plan rendering and circuit drawings, and of course, snow! Each team comprised of two students was assigned a building type (house, bank, school, etc.) and put their new knowledge to the test by creating a city. The intention of the project was to teach the students how to build a functioning series of parallel and combined circuits and build a basic understanding of electricity. I’m so proud of our fourth graders!

Primary School receives NAEYC Accreditation

 As you may have heard, the Primary School just received notification of their accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)! To earn NAEYC Accreditation is no simple task.

 Our Primary School faculty and staff went through an extensive self-study process, measuring the program, teachers, processes and services against the 10 NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and more than 400 related Accreditation criteria. Along with all the paperwork, NAEYC also sent a visiting committee to inspect every nook and cranny of our Primary School’s program. The 10 standards our program was measured against were: relationships, curriculum, teaching, assessment of child progress, health, teachers, families, community relationships, physical environment, leadership and management.

I’m proud to say that Primary School achieved 90 percent or better in all ten of the Program Standards and scored 100 percent or better in eight of the ten program standards! One of the commendations regarded our program for “employing and supporting a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and development” and “supporting families’ diverse needs and interests.”

I’m sure you’re as thrilled as I am to hear the committee’s warm praises for our Primary School. Go Gators!