Grace Unveils New Mission Statement

Grace is many things to many people, and our new mission statement seeks to capture both what Grace is and what we hope it will be, paying homage to the school’s rich history and defining the timeless values that will continue to guide us.
Full message from Head of School Robbie Pennoyer and Board Chair Melanie Weston:

Grace is many things to many people. It's the classrooms where knowledge is gained and the stages where creativity is nurtured. It's the courts and fields where both the hard-fought victories and the narrow defeats are embraced for the lessons they teach us. It's the teachers who encourage tough questions, the colleagues who inspire, and the parents and families who enthusiastically partner with the school to make it a better place. Grace is the hallways where friendships are formed, the reunions where bonds are rekindled, and so much more. 
 
Our new mission statement, which you can find below, seeks to capture both what Grace is and what we hope it will be, paying homage to the school’s rich history and defining the timeless values that will continue to guide us. As you read the mission statement, we encourage you to think about the parts that resonate with you most. Where do you see yourself and your role in the community, and how can you engage with the words in ways that feel meaningful to you?
 
We also invite you to watch this video to hear about how this mission statement, at this moment, feels right, and how we envision it informing our work. Throughout the coming months, you’ll hear from other members of the community, each of whom will share, from their unique perspective, how the mission statement inspires and guides them. 
 
Thank you to the many people who so generously gave their time and energy to make this new mission statement a reality. We’re deeply grateful and look forward to witnessing its full realization, lived out in each of you, now and in the years to come. 



Grace Church School teaches skills of intellectual excellence and habits of ethical virtue, believing that these qualities depend upon each other to find their fullest expression in good lives, well lived.
 
Through a pedagogy of joy, our teachers foster the wonder of our students to inspire a lasting love of learning. Our curriculum, grounded in tradition and open to innovation, helps students build a strong foundation of knowledge, a command of words and numbers, and a sense of purpose in their pursuits as scholars, artists, athletes, and citizens.    
 
In partnership with families, we promote values like curiosity, humility, kindness, and courage, understanding rigorous forms of each to be sources of wisdom. 
 
As an Episcopal school, Grace strives to be a community of broad welcome and deep belonging, where all students know the dignity of their own humanity and seek to serve that of others.
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Grace Church School is a co-educational independent school in downtown Manhattan, New York City providing instruction for nearly 800 students in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12.