School Profile
Grace Christian School
School Overview
Our Mission at Grace Christian School is to inspire students to live with character, learn with Excellence, and love with the hands of Jesus.
The school is a non-denominational, Christian School. Every subject is taught from a Christian perspective. We inspire students to live with character by teaching traditional Christian values such as joy, peace, respect, hard work, self-control, and their amazing worth.
We inspire students to love with the hands of Jesus through teaching them to treat others with kindness, help those in need, and make this world a better place.
We inspire students to learn with excellence through using innovative techniques, technology, and individualized learning.
Campus
Grace Christian School occupies a beautiful building and grounds on the easily accessed corner of Route 7 and Kocher Drive. The spacious, renovated hotel contains large, bright, and well equipped classrooms. The school has a cheerful lobby area which we call The Common.The Common is a place where our students gather for study halls, lunch, and conversation. It is a blessing to have our students in this hub of action. A chapel, dining facility, library, music and art studios, fully equipped science laboratory, computer labs, a new weight room, and a multi-use gym round out our indoor setting. The Joyce Lloyd Outdoor Classroom, Furnace Brook which is utilized as an outdoor laboratory for science classes, playground area, and our close proximity to Willow Park connect our students to the outdoors. All in all, the Lord has provided a beautiful setting to learn. Our building is fully paid for, which allows us to invest every dollar of tuition back into your child’s education.
Student Composition
There are around 115 students, ranging from Pre-School through 12th grade, that benefit from an education at Grace. Students converge from the Bennington area and nearby New York and Massachusetts. Also, through our International Student Program, there are typically 10-15 students from all over the world who attend Grace yearly. Currently our school has hosted students from 18 different countries. There are over 20 churches represented in our student body as well.
Community
From its founding, GCS has been a community effort. The sense of community is felt when you walk in the door. Students and their families make lifelong friends at school. Parents are encouraged to be a part of their child’s education including helping in classrooms, volunteering, and chaperoning events and field trips. Our Parent Teacher Fellowship provides enrichment to our school community through sponsoring our First Day Celebration, Spirit Week, Field Day, and special speakers. The staff at GCS desire to partner with parents as we together raise children to success.
School History
Grace Christian School was founded in 1996 when a group of Christian leaders in the greater Bennington area recognized the need to launch a Christian school. Classes began in the fall of 1997 with 35 students in K through 5th grade. In 1998, the school purchased and renovated a hotel into the beautiful, well appointed campus we now occupy. As an institution, Grace Christian School also pursues educational excellence. Toward this goal, we earned accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), in 2011, as the culmination of an extensive self-study and evaluation by representatives of the two accrediting bodies. Grace is committed to implementing the recommendations of these committees and to continually improving our school to benefit the children entrusted to us for an education. Our faculty also engage in a required Professional Growth and Renewal program to pursue lifelong learning ourselves.Since our first graduating class in 2005, over 125 students have earned a high school diploma at GCS. Our Alumni have been successful in all types of colleges, in the military, and in the work force.
Benefits
The biggest perk of Grace Christian School is working with a Christian staff, in a school where we can teach children about the Lord.