Students

Grace students enjoy a full day of learning, playing and exploring together. Our goal is to make sure each day at Grace is spent in an engaging and warm learning environment surrounded by an extended Grace family: a place where students’ contributions are valued, participation is encouraged, and a sense of purpose is developed.

Diversity

Students represent a variety of family structures and racial, ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds. We greatly celebrate this diversity and the vital role it plays in allowing children to learn about and embrace our differences.

School Uniforms

Our strong sense of community and school pride is further displayed through the school uniform. Students come to school each day ready to learn in Grace’s school uniform of red, blue and our signature plaid. Our unified look promotes inclusion and allows children to focus on learning in a positive environment free from distraction. Uniform items with the school crest can be purchased through Lands End, while other uniform clothing may be purchased from the store of parents’ choice. Parents can access detailed information on the school uniform in the Parent and Student Handbook.

Each school year features a number of “Free Dress” days, for students to dress down and display their individuality.

Food & Snack Policy

All Grace students bring their own lunch and enjoy a morning snack. Grace provides nutritious snacks for all preschool, junior kindergarten and kindergarten children mid-morning and in the afternoon for all students enrolled in extended care.

Grace’s first floor classrooms (preschool, jr. kindergarten and kindergarten) are nut free.

Birthday Snack List

Special day, special snack! Parents have the option of bringing in a special snack for their child’s class to celebrate her/his birthday. Birthday snacks must be selected from THIS LIST.

Parents should coordinate with their child’s teacher to determine the birthday snack date and check on any classroom food allergies and/or sensitivities. All birthday snacks in preschool, jr. kindergarten and kindergarten must be nut-free.

Field Trips & Assemblies

Grace students’ daily lives are enriched with an extensive offering of field trips and school assemblies. We take full advantage of our close proximity to Washington D.C. with annual field trips to several of the Smithsonian’s museums, federal government buildings and more. Students also enjoy the rich history of our very own City of Alexandria with field trips to nearby historical buildings in Old Town, and the greater Northern Virginia area. Assemblies held in Merrow Hall bring the opportunity to spend time together as a school community. Assemblies expose the children to culture and exciting extracurricular activities, often featuring musical and theatrical performances, puppet shows, animal exhibits and more.

Profile of a Grace Student

What does a day at Grace look like? It begins with a warm welcome by name in the car line. Then students head off to their classrooms or the outdoor playgrounds to begin a day of learning and fun.

Meet Four-Year-Old Katherine in Jr. Kindergarten

8:30am
Katherine begins her day outside on the playground where she greets her teachers and classmates. She runs around climbing and jumping until it is time to head inside. Katherine and her classmates bring in their school tote bags, water bottles and lunch boxes and put each item away in its place — we like routine! She hangs her coat on the coat rack and then puts her water bottle and lunch box in their designated places.
9:15am
Katherine’s day of learning officially begins at 9:15 a.m. with morning…

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Meet 10-Year-Old Allen in Fourth Grade

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SCHEDULE

Recess – Morning Meeting – Snack – Recess –
Learning Centers – Lunch – Recess – Quiet Time

Meet Four-Year-Old Katherine in Jr. Kindergarten

8:30 a.m.
Katherine is enrolled in our full-day jr. kindergarten program and begins her day outside on the playground where she greets her teachers and classmates. She runs around climbing and jumping until it is time to head inside. Katherine and her classmates bring in their school tote bags, water bottles and lunch boxes and put each item away in its place — we like routine! She hangs her coat on the coat rack and then puts her water bottle and lunch box in their designated places.
9:15 a.m.
Katherine’s day of learning officially begins at 9:15 a.m. with morning meeting. This can be anything from a music and movement exercise to story time that is integrated into the class’s weekly learning theme. The entire class reviews the weather and date each day and talks about how they are feeling — today they are feeling silly!
9:30 a.m.
Time for snack. After the class says a blessing together, they enjoy munching on goldfish crackers and apple slices.
10 a.m.
Katherine heads outside for recess on the early childhood playground, where she practices the monkey bars and plays in the sand box.
10:45 a.m.
Katherine and her classmates come inside for learning centers, which could include a sensory activity, science experiment or an arts and crafts project. Today Katherine is finishing up her painted red paper plate hand drum that the class is making to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
12 p.m.
It’s lunchtime! All Grace students bring a lunch from home. Lunchtime is a wonderful time to practice our table manners, enjoy tasty food, and engage in friendly conversation with friends.
12:50 p.m.
Lunchtime is followed by more outdoor play! Preschool and JK students head out to the early childhood playground where they climb, run, and laugh together under the sunshine.
1:30 p.m.
Following recess, it’s time for rest and quiet activities. The lights dim, and soft music plays while the children relax. Katherine settles onto her very own cot, where she loves this chance to unwind—sometimes she naps, and other times she chooses a book to look at quietly for 30 minutes.
3:10 p.m.
As the day comes to a close, Katherine gathers her belongings and says goodbye to her teachers and friends. With a big smile, she heads out to the afternoon pick up carline, ready to share the highlights of her day with her family.

SCHEDULE

Math Block – Science – Recess – STREAM – Lunch – Language Arts – PE – 2nd Language Arts

Meet 10-Year-Old Allen in Fourth Grade

8:30am
Allen has been at Grace since preschool, making him a Grace “lifer.” He is learning that fourth grade brings a lot of new responsibilities at Grace. He starts off his day diving right into the morning math block. Today they are beginning a unit on improper fractions. Allen finishes his practice sheet early and has 15 minutes of free time to read from his new library book.
9:45am
Science, taught by Fifth Grade Teacher Mrs. Mitlo, comes after math where Allen works in a small group to observe nine different fossils from Grace’s science collection.
10:45am
Time for recess! Allen meets up with friends on the playground to shoot basketball hoops and play a quick game of four square. Recess is a welcome break in the day, giving him the chance to run around, laugh with classmates, and recharge before heading back inside for more learning.
11:20am
After recess, Allen heads to STREAM, where he dives into hands-on projects that combine science, technology, reading, engineering, art, and math. Today, the class is designing and building small bridges out of popsicle sticks and tape, testing how much weight their bridges can hold. Allen carefully measures and adjusts his design, working with his group to solve challenges and see whose bridge is the strongest.
12:15pm
It’s lunchtime! Lunch is in the Grace Cafe upstairs in Merrow Hall with the rest of the Grace “graders” (first-fifth graders).
12:45pm
After lunch, Allen heads to language arts. Today, the class is working on a new unit about personal narratives. Allen drafts a short story about his favorite family tradition, focusing on adding strong details and interesting dialogue. When he finishes, he shares his story with a partner for feedback and ideas to make it even better.
2:00pm
Allen goes outside for an active class with Coach Palacio, full of laps, lunges and an energetic game of gaga ball.
2:35pm:
Allen begins his second language arts block of the day where new vocabulary is introduced. Then he moves into the hallway for a quiet place to start on the next chapter of their current novel, Bud not Buddy. Allen is blown away by the descriptive writing!
3:10pm:
After a full day, Allen packs up and heads outside for dismissal in the afternoon car line.