Recent info on Grace Episcopal Day School (MD)

[Anonymous]

I realize that there are older posts about this school but I was hoping for positives & negatives from current parents. I'm not looking for disgruntled ex-faculty, professional complainers, or silly posts with dumb word play ("disgrace episcopal", for example). We're looking at PK-4 for our DS. We're looking for a reasonably high level of academic rigor but also want him in a place with good arts, music, and drama programs since those seem to be his inclinations. Of course we will visit the school and all that but Info from folks with first hand experiences there would be helpful as well. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My kids went there several years ago. Unfortunately, I don't think our experience is recent enough to help you. Last fall we received a notice that the head will be retiring. This probably means that the disgruntled poster (yes, there was one) won't bother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize that there are older posts about this school but I was hoping for positives & negatives from current parents. I'm not looking for disgruntled ex-faculty, professional complainers, or silly posts with dumb word play ("disgrace episcopal", for example). We're looking at PK-4 for our DS. We're looking for a reasonably high level of academic rigor but also want him in a place with good arts, music, and drama programs since those seem to be his inclinations. Of course we will visit the school and all that but Info from folks with first hand experiences there would be helpful as well. Thanks!

Hi - current Grace PK-4 family here. We are really happy with the school and the 4s teachers. Without starting a long discussion on what "academic rigor" means for a 4 year-old, I would simply say we have been really pleased with the approach the school takes to preparing our DC for K. There is a real emphasis on letting kids be kids. Looking forward to K-8, we have been impressed with the art and music programs throughout the school. I don't think there is much of a drama program. The school has a warm and friendly atmosphere. There is an interim head of school who is under contract through the end of the 2011-2012 school year. She is amazing as is the head of the lower school. Both are top-notch educators who really "get" children and what they need to succeed. We would recommend the school highly. Good luck with your search.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks a lot, that's really helpful. I don't really mean "rigor for a 4 year old, just looking down the line to the other grades. Honestly, I don't really know what rigor means. I thought it had something to do with death. I just want him to be challenged and motivated, Sounds like GEDS is a good place for that. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks a lot, that's really helpful. I don't really mean "rigor for a 4 year old, just looking down the line to the other grades. Honestly, I don't really know what rigor means. I thought it had something to do with death. I just want him to be challenged and motivated, Sounds like GEDS is a good place for that. Thanks again.

I like you already, OP.

We have a child in K at Grace now who also did Pre-K 3s and 4s there. We've had a highly positive experience at the school. Our DC particularly enjoys the music program, and all the pre-K kids have music class twice a week with a very warm but highly expert teacher. I think the children have music three times a week beginning in first grade. In K this year our DC's class of 17 has two teachers and those teachers are very good. As the PP said, the interim head is dynamite and she has a long-term contract. We are deeply impressed by the director of the early childhood program, too. She and the interim head, as well as the faculty, recognize that kindergarten is in fact still early childhood, something the public schools seem to have forgotten. And the children and parents in the community are warm, kind, down-to-earth people. We're really glad we chose Grace.

[Anonymous]

We are long time parents, and the school has been in transition for a couple of years, which has been a bit bumpy at times. However, the school is on an upward trajectory thanks to a great board and a phenomenal admin team. Through this transition the school never lost sight of what children need to thrive and learn. All three of our kids started in the early childhood program, which has remained consistently wonderful. The lower school head is incredible, and the teachers are warm, experienced and well-trained (and all have been there since before we first enrolled). Their is a strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, and the teachers receive support and training so that they are fully meeting the needs of the little ones.

Again, after a couple of bumpy years, the upper school (grades 1-8) has coalesced into a strong, rigorous, engaging program with consistent communication between the admin and the parents. We could not be happier with how our kids are doing, and what they are learning. The emphasis of the school is definitely substance over show (sorry - no climbing walls or pool). The school focuses on what the kids truly need, like talented teacher teams, great curriculum, warmth and support, and high performance expectations. The kids have access to state of the art technology (my middle schooler has her own MacBook, I'm a little jealous , they go on great field trips, and take full advantage of what DC has to offer. Also, the graduates are consistently accepted into the big name schools (Sidwell, Holton, Landon, STa, NCS, Maret), if that is something you are interested in.

So my advice is to give the school a call and take a tour and you should get a good read on the environment, and whether you think your child (and you) would be happy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are long time parents, and the school has been in transition for a couple of years, which has been a bit bumpy at times. However, the school is on an upward trajectory thanks to a great board and a phenomenal admin team. Through this transition the school never lost sight of what children need to thrive and learn. All three of our kids started in the early childhood program, which has remained consistently wonderful. The lower school head is incredible, and the teachers are warm, experienced and well-trained (and all have been there since before we first enrolled). Their is a strong emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices, and the teachers receive support and training so that they are fully meeting the needs of the little ones.

Again, after a couple of bumpy years, the upper school (grades 1-8) has coalesced into a strong, rigorous, engaging program with consistent communication between the admin and the parents. We could not be happier with how our kids are doing, and what they are learning. The emphasis of the school is definitely substance over show (sorry - no climbing walls or pool). The school focuses on what the kids truly need, like talented teacher teams, great curriculum, warmth and support, and high performance expectations. The kids have access to state of the art technology (my middle schooler has her own MacBook, I'm a little jealous , they go on great field trips, and take full advantage of what DC has to offer. Also, the graduates are consistently accepted into the big name schools (Sidwell, Holton, Landon, STa, NCS, Maret), if that is something you are interested in.

So my advice is to give the school a call and take a tour and you should get a good read on the environment, and whether you think your child (and you) would be happy there.

Sorry for the typos - need some more coffee

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

I've seen GEDS mentioned several times on these boards and I've always thought it might be a good fit for our DS down the road (he's not quite 3, the school is in our neighborhood, we're not inclined to get competitive on behalf of our child for a slot in a DC Big Three but our assigned public school may not work out for us). For those who may know, how competitive are admissions? The thought of feeling pressure for my 5 year old to perform well on a test makes me uncomfortable, and I would like to think the prospects for an interested candidate are substantially better than those seeking admission into places like Sidwell and Maret. Also, I glanced at the website and the tuition information wasn't available; it looks like they're gearing up to update the site to reflect next year's tuition . . . . What is the approximate tuition? Any info or insight is appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen GEDS mentioned several times on these boards and I've always thought it might be a good fit for our DS down the road (he's not quite 3, the school is in our neighborhood, we're not inclined to get competitive on behalf of our child for a slot in a DC Big Three but our assigned public school may not work out for us). For those who may know, how competitive are admissions? The thought of feeling pressure for my 5 year old to perform well on a test makes me uncomfortable, and I would like to think the prospects for an interested candidate are substantially better than those seeking admission into places like Sidwell and Maret. Also, I glanced at the website and the tuition information wasn't available; it looks like they're gearing up to update the site to reflect next year's tuition . . . . What is the approximate tuition? Any info or insight is appreciated.

I would call the AD's office for that info. I know that Grace is selective, and the work in the upper grades is rigorous. But I guarantee your child won't be placed in a high-pressure situation to perform a certain way for entry into the early childhood program (which includes K). The school wants to ensure a good fit for all, which is really what all schools should be concerned with. They do require the WIPSII (sp?) for entrance into kindergarten, and they have a list of experienced testers. But call the AD office and they will be more than happy to answer your questions. My kids are in the upper grades now, so I'm not sure what the tuition is for K, but I believe it is in the 17K range.

[Anonymous]

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