We believe the mission of The Gregory School provides the foundation for why our school is special. The mission encompasses character, scholarship, leadership, and innovation, and thus demands a varied and comprehensive program for grades 5-12.
While academics are at the heart of our appropriately challenging and rigorous curriculum, each piece of The Gregory School program is tied to several of these four pillars, leading to the school’s desired emphasis on the whole child.
Each of seven departments (English, social sciences, mathematics, sciences, languages, arts, and physical education) has designed a curriculum sequence for grades five through twelve, with a goal of maximizing the potential of every student and fostering academic and personal success, both now and for the future. Toward that same end, a leadership curriculum is integrated into The Gregory School program, creating robust experiences for students in every grade.
Our faculty, coaches, counselors, and librarians incorporate the guiding principles of the 6 Cs (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, compassion, communication, and community) throughout a student’s time here, providing an educational experience of the whole child that is both global and closely personalized.
Our typical school day runs from 8:50 am to 3:30 pm, because research shows that preteens and teens have greater academic success with later school start times. For students choosing to participate on an athletic team, Middle School practices and competitions happen right after school on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Upper School athletics teams typically practice daily after school. Some Middle and Upper School clubs and groups also meet after school. A fee-based before- and after-school program is also available.
Classes in grades six through twelve are scheduled in blocks: Each class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays for 75 minutes, allowing for deeper learning and more meaningful time for projects, as well as collaboration between classes. Upper and Middle School schedules are identical so that capable Middle School students may take appropriate Upper School courses, thus individualizing their schedules based on both interest and aptitude. While fifth grade is primarily self-contained, the fifth grade schedule mirrors the block schedule, allowing fifth graders to attend mathematics and language classes at their appropriate levels.
Fridays at The Gregory School are “Exploration” days, in which students sign up for courses that allow them to explore a subject more deeply or in a new direction, augment their learning, or try something entirely new. Friday Explorations might be used for designing a model in the Fab Lab as part of a project for a history class, attending a language or mathematics lab, creating a group mural, and visiting a senior center to help senior citizens learn to use technology.
Learning is exciting in The Gregory School fifth grade! Our two dedicated fifth-grade teachers make learning come alive and create a classroom culture that promotes a sense of community, academic risk-taking, and perseverance. Students have the opportunity to create and explore through project-based learning and a STEM-enriched environment. While our fifth grade is primarily self-contained, students are placed individually in mathematics and language classes at the appropriate level for them.
Middle school is one of the most important periods in a young person's life. Our Middle School consists of grades six, seven, and eight and offers a unique and exciting program that values academic achievement, cooperation, and good citizenship. Our academic program challenges students to become significantly more knowledgeable, skillful, organized, and articulate. As a key component of this, all sixth grade students are taught organization and research skills in a dedicated "Middle School Skills" class.
So much more can be accomplished in a class of 15 students – the average at The Gregory School – than in a larger classes.
With over 14,000 books, our library is a 4,000 sq ft reader's paradise, offering a comfortable space for study, reading, and group meetings. The library also serves as our technology hub, with IT support available for all students and faculty. Our faculty have extensive training and over a decade of experience in integrating laptops into every classroom, and we consider technology to be one of the essential components in preparing our students for higher education and for life.