Presbyterian school in Houston wins national recognition By Kristin Searfoss The Presbyterian Layman Sept/Oct, 1997 A Presbyterian school is one of 262 recipients of the highest award given to an elementary school in the United States. Grace School in Houston, Texas, has been named a national Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for 1997. The coed school has 800 students, pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, and 96 faculty and staff. It is an extension of the Christian Education program of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. The award for both private and public schools was established by the U.S. Department of Education in 1982. Schools submit a 40-page application completed by students, faculty, parents, trustees and community members. They then go through a series of evaluations, and finally receive an on-site visit to assess the accuracy of their application. This autumn, winning schools will be honored with a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. Grace School headmaster Ray Johnson told the Layman, “I think Grace is an exemplary school because the people who teach here have a missionary zeal. The school is not just a place to get a paycheck or to raise a test score. We are teaching students to learn how to learn and how to think. Teachers are finding the spark of excellence in each child.” He also said Grace’s students are motivated and possess both self-discipline and confidence. “There is a sense of communion at Grace School – the intentional willingness of a group of individuals to take on responsibility and come together as a community,” Johnson said. The Houston school was founded in 1974 for students from diverse ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Goals for students include, “Develop Christian faith in a secular world, develop inquiring minds and intellectual values, build concern for others, nurture a feeling of community within the framework of Christian values, and maintain a curriculum designed to stimulate and challenge.” Grace School also aims to instill in its students an “understanding and respect for the teachings of Jesus Christ.” Bible is taught to all ages. Commenting on Grace School’s identity as a religious educational institution, the on-site visitor for the Blue Ribbon evaluation wrote in her report, “Grace School has a religious and ethical component that is clearly defined in the curriculum and practices of the school. … Students have an opportunity to pray together in their class each morning and in chapel once a week. The students value this part of their day, and the faculty feel that these rituals give the children opportunities to talk about things that are personally important to them.” Johnson said schools today have a calling in U.S. society. “We need to start talking about schools as moral communities. There should be a covenant between teachers and students: ‘I matter to you and you matter to me.’ ”

Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives· History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links