The Peck School, founded in 1893, is an independent coeducational day school of approximately 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Maintaining a tradition as a "family school" and devoted to excellence in both learning and teaching, Peck seeks to educate the whole child by providing its students with:
- an academically challenging curriculum
- a caring and supportive environment
- a community that embraces and celebrates a variety of talents, perspectives, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds
- the development of personal values, including a positive awareness of self, individual and consideration of others
Kindergarten through eighth grade is a critical period in shaping long-term attitudes about learning. We at the Peck School believe students learn best through encouragement and success. In the tradition of a family school, students, parents, and faculty form a unique partnership working together to help children achieve academic excellence and personal growth. The School enables each student to attain understanding of his or her strengths and to adopt a study strategy that supports success. Outstanding teachers who care deeply about children are at the core of a Peck education. Dedicated family members help students set concrete goals and offer guidance in the exciting and challenging process of growing up. Teams of teachers are involved in the ongoing process of assessing students' strengths and needs and of identifying appropriate strategies for effective learning. This collaborative approach, which includes open communication between faculty and parents, ensures an optimum opportunity for each child's intellectual growth and personal development.
Peck's curriculum is both comprehensive and stimulating. Students acquire a firm foundation in reading, creative and expository writing, mathematics, social studies, the sciences, and foreign languages.
Peck's rich and varied art program develops a student's sense of beauty and lifelong appreciation. The program provides experiences in the classical areas of painting, drawing, and sculpture. Other expressions of student creativity abound in vocal music, woodworking, class plays, and forensics.
Technology at Peck is pervasive and integrated thoughtfully throughout our K-8 classes. Children learn appropriate use of information technology and information technology skills in their classrooms and in computer labs. Beginning in Kindergarten, children come to the Lower School computer lab for classes co-taught by their teacher and the lower school technology coordinator. This partnership continues right up to 4th grade, with curriculum-specific projects along with computer skills taught weekly. When children enter the "Bridge", the physical and philosophical space between the Lower School and 7th grade, learning with laptops begins. Laptops in carts are available to students for activities and projects in their 5th and 6th grade classrooms. Beginning in 7th grade, and continuing through 8th grade, every child is issued a laptop computer to be used during times the school is in session both in classrooms and at home. Computers are an integral part of the whole child education at Peck, used in meaningful, educational ways.
Within a rigorous and challenging curriculum, Peck is committed to meeting the diverse academic needs of its student body. All disciplines focus on developing critical thinking skills and applying knowledge learned in the classroom to the world beyond Peck.
Secondary schools highly regard Peck graduates for their solid academic foundation and their positive attitude toward learning.
