Learning
With our Reggio Emilia-inspired foundation, children at Grace Episcopal Day School generate questions through wonder, intentionally observed and captured by teachers who collaborate closely to reflect and design deeper learning experiences. While immersed in a rich environment of diverse viewpoints, lived experiences, and means for expression, we center children as co-creators of learning while nurturing ethical care necessary to empower each child to live and lead in solidarity with others.
From age 2-11, we:
EMPOWER.
We believe every child who walks through our doors is capable and possesses inherent rights to access voice, participation, and dialogue. This student-centered view is at the heart of learning at Grace, and its core tenets serve as the backbone through Grade 5. Adults at Grace listen to and observe students with curiosity, then engage in reflection and analysis of students' meaning-making to then design deeper learning.
CONNECT.
With just over 100 students, 25 staff, and a maximum class size of 16, teachers develop deep, authentic relationships with children and families. These relationships inform uniquely personalized instruction, facilitating each students' path to understanding new content, alternative ways of thinking, and overall development of confident learners.
AFFIRM DIVERSITY.
Rooted in our Episcopal tradition—which calls us to honor the dignity of every person—we intentionally build a community where many stories, cultures, and viewpoints belong. In every classroom, students learn with and from peers whose lived experiences differ from their own. Research shows that diverse groups think more critically and creatively; this is our students' daily experience. They broaden their perspectives, practice empathy and respectful dialogue, and learn to collaborate across differences. The result is deeper learning and a growing confidence to engage the world with curiosity, courage, and care.
INTEGRATE AND CREATE.
Grounded in research, our faculty weave together Reggio Emilia–inspired education with Harvard’s Project Zero to design deep, authentic learning experiences from age 2-11. Using practices like thinking routines that make thinking visible and nurture cultures of thinking, students learn to engage in civil discourse, advocate for a more just society, and strengthen critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving in the years that matter most.
PLAY.
At Grace, play is not an “extra”—it is essential to learning and growing. Every child, from age 2 through Grade 5, enjoys two recess periods each day, ensuring time for movement, creativity, and joyful interaction. Research shows that unstructured and age-appropriate play helps children build problem-solving skills, strengthen relationships, and develop resilience. Just as importantly, play supports emotional regulation and cognitive growth, setting the stage for deeper academic learning. By protecting time for play, we nurture well-balanced, productive individuals who know how to collaborate, take risks, and thrive in community.
