academics

Academic opportunities and Grace.

The Grace School is committed to ensuring each student meets-or-exceeds grade-level learning standards while nurturing their creativity and individuality to create tomorrow's open-minded and thoughtful leaders.

Select a section
Core curriculumSpecial subjectsInclusion

The strength of our core curriculum.

Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies: These are the building blocks of a Grace School education.

Language Arts

At The Grace School, Language Arts includes reading, writing and word study, explored through the workshop model (i.e. focused group lessons, guided practice, independent study, conferencing and sharing).

Reading

The Grace School's reading curriculum is guided by Lucy Calkins' Units of Study for Teaching Reading, along with the work of other experts in the field to provide lessons on literature, genre study, vocabulary, decoding and comprehension. Students learn about and read a wide range of literature. They participate in shared interactive read-alouds, self-selected independent reading, guided reading, and book clubs to further their communication and cognitive skills.

Writing

The Grace School's writing curriculum is guided by Lucy Calkins' Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing. In addition to focused genre studies, our writing program offers the opportunity for students to “write-to-learn.”

Word Study

Each child’s word study journey is individualized. Our Kindergarten through Grade 2 students utilize the Fundations instructional tool to develop phonics, phonemic awareness, and word recognition strategies. Elementary students utilize the conceptual and pattern awareness approach to spelling and vocabulary offered by Words Their Way.

"
My son attended The Grace School for nine years. I believe this is one of the primary reasons for his current success, both academically and personally."

– Christine McCaffery

Math

The Grace School’s math curriculum is based on EngageNY, created by the New York State Department of Education in alignment with the Common Core. EngageNY’s modules are marked by in-depth focus on fewer topics, integrating rigorous classroom reasoning, practice and thinking through problem sets.

Science

The science curriculum utilizes FOSS kits to incorporate hands-on learning in earth, physical, and life sciences. Community connection and instructor-guided field work enrich each student’s opportunities for inquiry.

FPO

Social Studies

The Grace School’s social studies curricular framework is the result of collaboration with Roger Williams University’s Department of Urban Education. Place-based investigations are the starting points for students’ understanding and interest in distant times and places.

Special subjects.

Special  subjects include: American Sign Language; Art; Digital Media Studies/Library;  Music; Physical Education; Social-Emotional Studies and Spanish.

The Grace School: An Inclusive Model.

What makes The Grace School’s approach to inclusion unique? Fully inclusive classrooms – all day, every day. At The Grace School, students with and without special needs learn and play together in the same environment. This strengths-based approach to education not only yields higher achievement, it fosters compassion and the belief that every person has potential, a purpose, and a gift to share with the world.

So, what is inclusion?

At The Grace School, we describe inclusion as a flexible and dynamic approach to learning in which students of all abilities work together to achieve developmentally appropriate social and academic goals. Effective inclusion programs such as ours include:

  • Raising academic, social and behavioral expectations for all students;
  • Practicing understanding, independence, patience, and diversity;
  • Nurturing a culture of differentiated, intuitive and responsive instruction that imagines greater possibilities for all students’ learning;
  • Understanding the whole child and challenging each student to meet their maximum potential; and
  • Fostering effective communication between co-teachers, therapists and support staff.