Grace Lutheran School - who we are

Grace Lutheran School in River Forest, Illinois, was founded in 1896. It is operated by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, an independent Lutheran congregation.
 
Students
Classes: First through eighth grade; senior kindergarten (five-year-olds); junior kindergarten (four-year-old preschool).
Enrollment: 213 for 2007-8 school year.
Geography: 47% of students live in Oak Park and River Forest; 14% in Chicago; 8% in Maywood; 8% in Elmwood Park; 8% in Forest Park; 5% in Melrose Park, 10% in other suburbs.
Diversity: 65 % white; 23% African-American; 5% bi-racial; 3% Hispanic; 3% Asian.
Children from the congregation: 75 of 176 school-age children in the congregation attend Grace School; 93 of the children in the school come from other Protestant churches; 16 from Catholic churches; 16 from non-denominational churches.
 
Personnel
Administration: Principal Hugh Kress and Eileen Maggio, administrative assistant.
Faculty: Fourteen full-time teachers, including a special education coordinator, a resource teacher, a technology teacher and a library media specialist. Part-time music and German teachers, and one inimitable teacher emeritus.
Staff: One full-time teaching assistant; one full-time and three part-time classroom aides. Five part-time extended day care staff members.
Volunteers: Involved parents and congregation members work with students in classrooms and in special programs such as Reading Parents and Junior High Electives.
 
Teaching the faith
Religion: Daily classes teach the Bible and Christian doctrine.
Classroom devotions and prayer: Students pray for the school and church communities, family and friends, and themselves.
Worship: Weekly all-school chapel services, led by pastors, teachers, guests, and students.
Service: Fund-raising and other projects for 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 for older students.
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.
 
Accreditation
Grace Lutheran School is accredited by the Evanegelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA) and by the North Central Association. The ELEA accreditation process uses national standards that are set by the teaching profession.