WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU OFFER? Gift of Grace provides a high quality custom education for children preschool through kindergarten. School is in session five days a week (Monday - Friday). Class size is limited, allowing for a more personalized learning environment.
ARE YOU A YEAR-ROUND SCHOOL? Gift of Grace is open during the standard school year and closed for the summer. Closing in the summer (approximately 10 weeks) is our commitment to providing the highest quality learning environment for your son or daughter. It is critical for teachers and students to have this time to recharge so they are refreshed and ready to teach and learn when school begins.
WHAT IS A MICRO-SCHOOL? An updated version of the one-room schoolhouse, micro-schools offer students a personalized education and cater to a child's unique needs and capabilities. Because they are small, students receive far more individualized attention than they would receive in a traditional setting.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO RESPOND TO COVID-19? Since opening, the health and safety of children and staff has always been the priority. Gift of Grace holds high standards of safety and cleanliness while maintaining a caring and nurturing environment where children can thrive. Proactively, we have taken steps to prepare for, take precautions against, and implement an action plan designed to minimize risk and maximize wellness at our school.
Enhanced Sanitization Strategies
Install Activtek Non-Toxic Air & Surface Decontamination System (non-chemical, 24/7 running system that is used in preschools, hospitals, laboratories and by NASA to provide for natural yet highly effective pathogen suppression including viruses, bacteria, VOCs, mold and other contaminants).
Daily full classroom, restroom and vestibule sanitization of all materials, surfaces and structures.
Prevention Strategies
Hand sanitizer provided for use at door entry.
Daily health screenings, including temperature checks using touch-free thermometers.
Proper hand-washing practices followed according to CDC guidelines.
Staff are fully vaccinated.
Precaution Strategies
Limiting the number of adults entering the building, parents pick-up and drop-off their children outside the main door (practicing social distancing).
Removal from school will be mandatory for any child exhibiting signs of infection, including respiratory distress, fever above 100.4 or confirmed viral or bacterial contagion.
DAILY ROUTINE Each day consists of a morning and afternoon work cycle, a group meeting time and outdoor time. Students work independently or within small groups in the classroom areas. Group time varies daily and consists of wholesome literature, academic lessons, music and movement, sharing, or special activities within our community. Children bring a lunch from home. Healthy snacks are provided by the school and include immune system boosting foods (recipes from superhealthykids.com).
WHY FIVE DAYS? A child who attends school for five days each week will have the greatest opportunity for consistent spontaneous learning. Consecutive attendance is extremely important. It enables the child to feel safe and relaxed in the classroom and aids the child in forming strong bonds with their teachers and friends. A child taken in and out of school frequently does not have the same opportunity and consistency to pursue his/her unfolding interests. Childhood specialists agree that young children thrive in a secure, consistent environment with a steady routine. The steady rhythm of coming to their school helps create a very positive attitude toward school and their activities there. It also gives the children a strong feeling of belonging to a community that they help create, and of which they are valued and respected members. They can count on seeing their friends and significant adults on a regular basis.
HOW DOES THE MONTESSORI CURRICULUM COMPARE TO THAT OF A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL? Montessori not only covers the nationally recognized standards, but also provides children with the tools and opportunities to learn much more. Gift of Grace is unique in that it includes a Christian component. The Montessori experience focuses on the development of the whole child. In addition to a solid academic foundation and learning Biblical principles, the children develop important attributes such as a love of learning, independence and responsibility, collaborative skills, grace and courtesy, confidence, and spiritual growth/development. Our main priority is to follow the needs of each individual child and customize the curriculum for him or her. This way the child is able to progress at his or her own pace while continuing to experience the joy of learning. At this age, learning encompasses a whole host of things in addition to reading and math - children are developing their motor skills, their social skills, their initiative, creativity, leadership, etc. They are laying down the foundations for future advancement. At Gift of Grace, our goal is for the children to experience and enhance their concentration, their independence, and their joy.
