Inside Grace (Part One): How We Develop Students with Agency and Purpose
At Grace, learning is not something that happens to children—it’s something they construct through meaningful and intentional discussions, projects, and experiences. From the very first days in Preschool through the culminating Grade 5 year, our program is rooted in the belief that children are capable, curious, and full of potential. This belief in children’s competency shapes everything we do: the materials we choose, the projects we pursue, the questions we ask, and the ways we invite students to demonstrate their understanding in multiple ways.
As a Reggio Emilia–inspired school, we see every child as a powerful thinker and active citizen, someone who learns in relationship—with peers, teachers, the environment, families, and the wider world.
Below is a look inside the academic program that helps children at Grace become joyful learners, deep thinkers, and confident communicators, ready for any school environment ahead.
A Reggio Emilia–Inspired Approach
At the heart of our human-centered approach at Grace are core values that guide our pedagogy and relationships with one another.
- Children communicate through 100 languages.
We believe that children experience learning through various modalities and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Children express their understanding in many ways: drawing, sculpture, dramatic play, writing, engineering, movement, and sound. We honor all of these as pathways to deeper cognition. Through interdisciplinary connections and open-ended materials for creating, students have ample opportunity to express themselves and explore multiple and varied avenues of interest.
- We foster a culture of voice, participation, and dialogue.
In classrooms, we view children as citizens with rights and ensure that students see themselves and diverse cultural norms reflected in the environment and curriculum. By creating classroom cultures that allow students to generate questions and collaborate on inquiry projects, we cultivate student agency and a deep sense of belonging.
- Grace values a culture of research and investigation for students and teachers.
In Early Childhood, students’ emerging wonders and curiosities drive the direction and content of projects; in the elementary grades, essential questions, curricula, and themes offer narrative and structure to projects. Our teachers are not merely dispensers of information—they are researchers alongside children. They listen closely, notice patterns, introduce provocations, and guide students in expanding their ideas. Students investigate real questions, integrate knowledge across disciplines, and develop both autonomy and collaboration.
Our pedagogical approach involves listening and observing students with curiosity, reflecting in collaboration with other teachers, and using observations and reflections to design learning. At all grade levels, we explicitly develop students' collaboration and communication skills to help prepare them for an ever-changing world.
- We aim to make learning visible.
Teachers use observation, documentation, and reflection as pedagogical tools. These tools not only inform teaching and learning, they also help teachers assess and evaluate student progress and growth. Students' learning is celebrated and honored through mini-celebrations throughout the school year, ongoing displays of student work, stories of projects, and end-of-year portfolios that invite students, teachers, and families to reflect on students’ change and growth over time.
- We believe that the classroom and school environment are “third teachers.”
Light matters. Beauty matters. In our large, light-filled classrooms, curated materials and spaces inspire creativity and emphasize beauty. Children spend time in the Atelier or in classroom maker spaces that offer a variety of open-ended materials that speak to the 100 languages. Our classrooms also foster a sense of belonging, with flexible seating choices and space to spark collaboration, discussion, and dialogue through small-group work. In Grace classrooms, student voices and identities are visible. Students' ideas are reflected in the environment, reinforcing the idea that their thinking has value.
The Grace Difference
Grace is not “only” a Preschool–Grade 5 school—it is a purposefully designed childhood launchpad.
Our academic program is rigorous because it is responsive.
It is joyful because it is intentional.
It fosters belonging because children see their ideas, identities, and voices reflected in the work.
When our students leave Grace, they bring with them curiosity, confidence, and a sense of purpose—ready for any middle school and any future they choose.
