Accreditation
Grace Lutheran School is accredited by the Evangelical
Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) and by the North Central Association. The
ELEA accreditation process uses national
standards that are set by the teaching profession.
Students
Classes: Grades 1-8; senior kindergarten (five-year-olds); junior
kindergarten (four-year-olds); preschool program (three-year-olds)
Enrollment: 225 in the 2009-2010 school year
Geography: 35% of students live in Oak Park; 14% in Chicago; 10% in
Forest Park; 9% in Maywood; 6% in Elmwood Park; 5% in River Forest; 4% in
Melrose Park, 4% in Berwyn; 13% in other suburbs.
Diversity: 66% white; 19% African American; 10% biracial; 3% Hispanic;
1% Asian
Religious background: 84 children from the Grace congregation attend
Grace School; 60 of the children in the school come from other Protestant
churches, 10 from Catholic churches, 3 from Orthodox churches, and 53 from
nondenominational churches; 15 have no home church.
Personnel
Administration: Kendall Grigg, principal, and Eileen Maggio,
administrative assistant
Faculty: 10 full-time teachers, 4 part-time teachers, a special
education teacher/coordinator, and a library media specialist
Staff: One full-time teaching assistant, one full-time and two
part-time classroom aides, one technology administrator, five part-time
extended day care staff members
Volunteers: Involved parents and congregation members work with
students in classrooms and in special programs.
Teaching the Faith
Religion: The Bible and Christian doctrine are taught in daily
classes.
Classroom devotions and prayer: The school day begins and ends with
prayer.
Worship: Weekly all-school chapel services are led by pastors,
teachers, guests, and students.
Service: Fund-raising and other projects support benevolences around
the world.
The Arts
Art: Weekly art classes, art history, and projects throughout the
curriculum
Music: Music, education, choir and/or handbells during the school day
Band: Ensemble and individual lessons taught by teachers from Walther
Lutheran High School
Orchestra: Violin lessons and two levels of orchestra
After School
Care options: Full-day kindergarten option for four- and
five-year-olds; after-school extended care available
Enrichment: Art and foreign language classes and a chess club
sponsored by the Grace Parent Teacher Organization (GPTO).
Sports: Cross country for girls and boys in grades 4-8; volleyball,
basketball, and track for girls and boys in grades 5-8