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20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2020 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt The right learning environment for your child is probably the best investment you can make as a parent. To find it, you need to know your child and his or her needs, and you should ask questions and make observations about your child's school. As a Pre-K-8 private coeducational day school, Grymes Memorial School in Orange County has been committed since 1947 to creating a learning community where students can build knowledge, character and the skills they need to perform as they move through their academic and professional careers. As our April Expert, Grymes' staff offer answers to many of the questions parents ask as they consider whether a private school is right for their child. Q: What characterizes the learning environment at Grymes? We like to call it joyful! We are building life-long learners here, and we start from a belief that children naturally want to learn. Many of the structures and limitations that exist in public education, such as standardized testing and large class sizes, can get in the way of that central goal of building learners. Everything we do at Grymes is aimed at developing students who are curious, independent learners. This joyful atmosphere starts in our Junior Kindergarten—where we emphasize play and hands-on learning—and continues through eighth grade, where our "Passing of the Torch" graduation ceremony launches these enthusiastic learners into the next phase of their academic career. Q: What are some examples of the kind of individualized attention students receive at Grymes? A good place to start is the beginning of each day. When students step out of their cars or off the buses from Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Madison and other surround- ing counties, they start their day with a handshake greeting from Head of School Jonathan Brand. Starting the day by looking an adult in the eyes is emblematic of Grymes' commitment to developing both knowledge and character in our students. Students end the day with a handshake from their homeroom teacher, closing the circle on the full range of support every student receives from the Grymes family. INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING GRYMES MEMORIAL GRYMES MEMORIAL SCHOOL SCHOOL