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.
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 “signs in” by writing her name on the whiteboard.
8:45am: Katherine’s day of learning officially begins at 8:45 a.m. with group time. This can be anything from a music and movement exercise to story time that is integrated into the class’s weekly learning theme….
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 by heading straight outside for a 30-minute recess where he plays with his classmates before academic learning begins.
9am: After recess, Allen heads inside and gets settled at his desk for the morning meeting. Allen rocks from side-to-side on his wobble stool while Mrs. Brittingham discusses today’s plans.
9:15am: Time to dive into the morning math block. Today they are beginning a unit on improper fractions….
SCHEDULE
Group time – Snack – Recess
Learning centers – Recess
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 “signs in” by writing her name on the whiteboard.
8:45am
Katherine’s day of learning officially begins at 8:45 a.m. with group time. 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 happy!
9:30am
Time for snack. After the class says a blessing together, they enjoy munching on goldfish crackers and apple slices.
10am
Katherine heads outside for the first 30-minute recess of the day on the early childhood playground, where she practices the monkey bars and plays in the sand box.
10:30am
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.
11:30am
The morning is wrapped up with a second 30-minute recess outside — this time on the black top where Katherine can play with chalk, hula hoops and of course, basketballs. She stays for “lunch bunch,” so Katherine says goodbye to her classmates who leave at noon, and then prepares to have lunch.
SCHEDULE
1st recess of the day (30 min) – math block – 1st language arts block – 2nd recess – lunch – 2nd language arts – 3rd recess – social studies or science (alternates)
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 by heading straight outside for a 30-minute recess where he plays with his classmates before academic learning begins.
9am
After recess, Allen heads inside and gets settled at his desk for the morning meeting. Allen rocks from side-to-side on his wobble stool while Mrs. Brittingham discusses today’s plans.
9:15am
Time to dive 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.
10:45am
Allen and his classmates move into their first language arts block of the day and he gives a great presentation on his historical biography pizza project — way to go, Allen!
11:15am
Today is a P.E. day (kindergarten through fifth-grade students have P.E. twice a week). Allen goes outside for an active class with Coach Palacio, full of laps, lunges and an energetic game of gaga ball.
12pm
Lunch is at noon in the Grace Cafe upstairs in Merrow Hall with the rest of the Grace “graders” (first-fifth graders).
12:40pm
After lunch, Allen begins a second, longer language arts block 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!
1:45pm
A second 30-minute recess follows where he plays soccer outside with his classmates on the turf field.
2:15pm
Science, taught by Fifth Grade Teacher Mrs. Nicholson, rounds out the day where Allen works in a small group to observe nine different fossils from Grace’s science collection.
3:15pm
After a full day, Allen packs up and heads outside for dismissal in the afternoon car line.
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 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.
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.
Preschool 3 to Grade 5
Coed Independent Day School
3601 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA 22305-1731
Office: (703) 549-5067 • office@graceschoolalex.org
