Grace Episcopal Day School

[Anonymous]

We are strongly considering GEDS and have a couple questions. First, ones anyone live in Bethesda or Chevy Chase and send kids there? Second, is the departure of the Head concerning current parents (enough to consider leaving)? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Current GEDS parent here. We dont live in BCC but there are several familioes we know who do.

The head leaving isnt causing much if any consternation - first, it was never rerally unexpected. He is young and has been in demand from day one, and the fact that he has succeeded and is moving up is a good sign. Second, the board has been very open with the search and ther school is going to attract a strong talent pool.

We love Grace and think the world of the community. Goiod luck OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current GEDS parent here. We dont live in BCC but there are several familioes we know who do.

The head leaving isnt causing much if any consternation - first, it was never rerally unexpected. He is young and has been in demand from day one, and the fact that he has succeeded and is moving up is a good sign. Second, the board has been very open with the search and ther school is going to attract a strong talent pool.

We love Grace and think the world of the community. Goiod luck OP.

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear . Now, if we can figure out a carpool...

[Anonymous]

Another Grace parent here. I live in NW DC, and there are plenty of families from BCC, as well as Kensington, SS, NWDC, PG, TKPK. The parent community is wonderful, and there are plenty of carpooling opportunities. I carpool from NWDC and it's no big deal.

I've been a Grace parent for several years, and I can tell you that the school is a wonderful place. As another poster said, the search committee for the new head is fabulous, and there is no question that they will attract top talent.

[Anonymous]

We have a Grace student and we live in Chevy Chase, MD and we're coming back next school year. I haven't heard anyone leaving. I think Grace is located in such a desirable area (3.5 miles from NWDC) and is such a nice community that it will replace Malcolm and the school will continue to thrive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a Grace student and we live in Chevy Chase, MD and we're coming back next school year. I haven't heard anyone leaving. I think Grace is located in such a desirable area (3.5 miles from NWDC) and is such a nice community that it will replace Malcolm and the school will continue to thrive!

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I hoped the HOS would stay at least 5 years but can't blame him for leaving to take this opportunity. When he arrived enrollment was quite low and it's over 100 students now. New admissions director is wonderful.

[Anonymous]

Another Grave parent here and I know that if you send your child to Grace that you will love it. We're moving this year and I've literally cried that we won't find another school like this one. They're truly a family. As someone stated before the Head of school is very much in demand so him leaving isn't unexpected but will be very sad because he's amazing. Really all of the teachers and staff are amazing period. Do a school tour and I'm sure if you asked any old or new parent/student they would agree that this school is definitely a great option compared to many of the other private schools that seem to busy all around.

[Anonymous]

This is the one school where I feel like, after searching past posts, I've not seen a single negative post. Is everyone there this happy with their child's experience?

The deadline is Feb 1st and we are a little on the fence about applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the one school where I feel like, after searching past posts, I've not seen a single negative post. Is everyone there this happy with their child's experience?

The deadline is Feb 1st and we are a little on the fence about applying.

It went through a few rough years so there are some older negative posts. Why are you on the fence? It costs little to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the one school where I feel like, after searching past posts, I've not seen a single negative post. Is everyone there this happy with their child's experience?

The deadline is Feb 1st and we are a little on the fence about applying.

Of course not every parent is happy with their child's experience - at any school. And Grace is no exception. No school is perfect.

BUT, as a long time parent (over 10 years), I can tell you that Grace is very special. And I know every school says that, but it truly is. My older kids are now in other schools, and while I'm very happy with the schools, they aren't Grace. At the annual auction, there is a huge turnout of alum parents and retired faculty, which is a testimony of how loyal people are to the school. And it's not a self-serving loyalty either (networking opp, etc), it's really because we love the school. My kids learned to love learning, be good citizens, and work hard. There is a warmth at Grace which is hard to quantify, but is immediately felt, and permeates the school culture.

You should apply.

[Anonymous]

I think I am one of the pps...we love grace. I would strongly suggest applying and asking the admissions director to give you some names of current parents to speak with.

[Anonymous]

Grace is indeed warm and nurturing, a place that lets kids stay kids. I've appreciated their emphasis on kindness, and find that my kid is happy to go every day. No-one gets lost in a crowd there, unlike a child might at some of the really, really large public schools in this area - the small community has been a real plus for us. Sometimes I wish Grace pushed kids a little harder academically, but I should say that they are good at encouraging a love of reading, and that the art, music, P.E., and science classes are ones my child always looks forward to. Thumbs up!

[Anonymous]

We were also impressed with Grace's warmth and caring environment. We've applied for our DC, but there's one niggling question that perhaps current parents of minority children at the school can answer...

We noticed that the school's introductory video and photos of the student body reflect a diverse group of kids. However, looking at the staff page, with the exception of the aftercare staff and the departing HOS, all of the teachers seem to be white. Is that correct?
If so, has the school worked on attracting and retaining a diverse pool of lead teachers moving forward?
If not, how does the school work to ensure that students see diverse role models in the classroom? Are there any concerns about disparate discipline--especially as meted out to AA boys?

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were also impressed with Grace's warmth and caring environment. We've applied for our DC, but there's one niggling question that perhaps current parents of minority children at the school can answer...

We noticed that the school's introductory video and photos of the student body reflect a diverse group of kids. However, looking at the staff page, with the exception of the aftercare staff and the departing HOS, all of the teachers seem to be white. Is that correct?
If so, has the school worked on attracting and retaining a diverse pool of lead teachers moving forward?
If not, how does the school work to ensure that students see diverse role models in the classroom? Are there any concerns about disparate discipline--especially as meted out to AA boys?

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses!

There is only one AA assistant teacher - in preschool, I believe. There are several other teachers from different racial backgrounds - so not all white - and, there are a few male teachers. I can't speak to what specifically is done in the recruitment of teachers, but the school certainly doesn't pay lip service to diversity - racial and economic. The school appears fully committed (see also makeup of the Board) to diversity, so a lack of racial diversity among teachers would not seem to be from a lack of attention to the issue.

In terms of discipline, from a parent perspective, I don't see disparate treatment toward any group, including AA boys. The only time (in 4 years at Grace) I can recall a concern over discipline involved a white family (there was a difference of opinion between the parents and school over one particular incident and to my knowledge, the issue was resolved amicably).

As others have noted above, Grace is a warm and caring environment where the teachers "get" kids. It is a wonderful school and one worth strongly considering. We're very happy there.